Stockwinners Market Radar for April 15, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:47 EDT Whirlpool raises quarterly dividend to $1.20 per share from $1.15 - The dividend is payable June 15, 2019, to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 17, 2019.

19:12 EDT Corporacion America Airport reports March passenger traffic up 2.6% - Corporacion America Airport reported total passenger traffic in March 2019 increased 2.6% year-over-year, primarily reflecting growth of 6.6% in Argentina and 7.3% in Ecuador, partially offset by declines across most other countries of operations. The company faced more difficult comps in March as the Easter holidays this year fell in April, while in 2018 they fell in March. Cargo volume increased 4.4% in March 2019, mainly as a result a 69.4% increase in Brazil, offset by a decline of 9.3% in Argentina, related to the continued challenging macroeconomic conditions. Aircraft movements decreased 3.2% in March 2019, mainly as a result of a 13.3% decline in Brazil.

19:04 EDT MediciNova to proceed with Ph3 trial of MN-166 in ALS after FDA review - MediciNova announced that the FDA has completed its review of the protocol and determined that MediciNova may proceed with a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial of MN-166, or ibudilast, in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. If this potentially pivotal trial is successful, the Phase 2b/3 efficacy and safety data is intended to support a New Drug Application for MN-166 in ALS. The trial will be fully funded by MediciNova. Yuichi Iwaki, CEO of MediciNova, commented, "We look forward to initiating patient enrollment shortly."

18:44 EDT Chevron CEO: We like our position in the Permian Basin - In an interview on Mad Money, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said: We see thousand of potential well locations in the Permian... There is a beautiful strategic fit between Chevron and Anadarko... Our offer for Anadarko was full and compelling... We did not know about any other bids for Anadarko... We will move assets out of our portfolio that aren't the strongest, but may be a good fit for others.

18:43 EDT Rio Tinto reports Q1 Pilbara iron ore production 76M tons, down 9% - Reports Q1 Pilbara iron ore shipments 69.1M tons, down 14%. Reports Q1 mined copper 143,900 tons.

18:23 EDT Court approves Jones Energy's 'first day' relief plan - Jones Energy, Inc. announced that the Company, consistent with its prior announcement on April 3, 2019 regarding the company's entry into a comprehensive Restructuring Support Agreement with its First Lien and Unsecured Noteholders, voluntarily filed petitions for relief under chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. On April 14, 2019, the company filed a pre-packaged chapter 11 plan of reorganization, which if approved, will fully equitize the company's outstanding prepetition funded debt, authorize incurrence of a fully committed exit facility, and satisfy all trade, customer, employee, and royalty claims in full in the ordinary course of business and without change or interruption to its normal payments process. On April 15, 2019, the court entered orders approving all of the company's requested "first day" relief, which will allow the company to maintain its operations as usual throughout the restructuring process. Included in these "first day" orders are authorizations on a final basis for the company to continue to pay on a normal-course basis employee wages and honor existing employee benefit programs, pay taxes, and remit royalties to mineral owners under the terms of the applicable agreements.

18:14 EDT Talos Energy provides update on Zama appraisal program - Talos Energy Inc. provided an additional update on the Zama appraisal program in Block 7, located in the offshore portion of Mexico's prolific Sureste Basin. Talos is the operator of Block 7 in a consortium with its partners Sierra Oil & Gas, a company of DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG, and Premier Oil Plc. The well logged 873 feet of gross true vertical depth pay, within expectations for the northern extension of the Zama discovery and confirming a consistent net-to-gross ratio range of 68%-73% through multiple penetrations. Talos also captured an unprecedented 714 feet of whole core with 98% recovery, the longest whole core acquired in a single well in the history of offshore Mexico. The well was cased and perforated totaling 248 gross feet of perforated section with varying rock properties. Hydrocarbon flow was established without stimulation in two separate flow tests and achieved a combined rate of 7,900 barrels of oil equivalent per day, of which 94% was oil with API gravity ranging from 26-30 degrees, and 6% was gas. The flow rate was restricted with limited pressure drawdown and each zone was shut-in for an extended period to establish a significant radius of investigation for each test, and neither gave any indication of depletion or significant barriers within the reservoir. The operation to sidetrack from the Zama-2 location, drill, core and reach total depth of 11,643 feet of measured depth was completed approximately 9 days ahead of schedule and 16% below budget. The well test operation was completed approximately 5 days ahead of schedule and more than 30% below budget. Operations were safely coordinated and executed with the assistance of several local contractors, including the Mexican-flagged floating storage and production vessel utilized in the flow test.

17:36 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 754.03MT from 757.85MT - This is the lowest level of holdings since October 25, 2018.

17:34 EDT Genesee & Wyoming reports March total traffic down 8.3%, Q1 traffic down 6.1% - Genesee & Wyoming reported traffic volumes for March 201. G&W's total traffic in March 2019 was 256,647 carloads, a decrease of 23,265 carloads, or 8.3%, compared with March 2018. G&W's same railroad traffic in March 2019 decreased 10,958 carloads, or 4.1%, compared with G&W's traffic in March 2018, excluding carloads from G&W's former Continental European intermodal business, which was sold in June 2018, and short line lease expirations in Canada in the fourth quarter of 2018. G&W's traffic in the first quarter of 2019 was 761,513 carloads, a decrease of 49,800 carloads, or 6.1%, compared with the first quarter of 2018. G&W's same railroad traffic in the first quarter of 2019 decreased 12,208 carloads, or 1.6%, compared with the first quarter of 2018, excluding carloads from ERS, which was sold in June 2018, and short line lease expirations in Canada in the fourth quarter of 2018. G&W's North American traffic and operations were affected by severe winter weather in the U.S. and Canada and flooding in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2019.

17:20 EDT Columbia Property sells Atlanta Office Campus for $227.5M - Columbia Property announced that it has completed the sale of One and Three Glenlake Parkway, a fully-leased, 711K-square-foot office campus located in Atlanta's Central Perimeter submarket, for $227.5M. Columbia completed a significant repositioning of the campus in advance of the sale, to position it as "best-in-class" for Atlanta's Central Perimeter submarket.

17:14 EDT Hulu acquires AT&T's minority stake in joint venture - AT&T (T) and Hulu (DIS) announced an agreement by which AT&T has sold its minority stake in Hulu back to the streaming video joint venture. The transaction valued Hulu at $15B, with AT&T's 9.5% interest valued at $1.43B. The transaction did not require any governmental or other third-party approvals and was simultaneously signed and closed. AT&T will use proceeds from this transaction, along with additional planned sales of non-core assets, to reduce its debt.

17:01 EDT Aceto to sell chemicals business assets to New Mountain Capital - Aceto Corporation announced that it has agreed to sell its chemicals business assets to an affiliate of New Mountain Capital, a growth-oriented investment firm with over $20B in assets under management. The asset purchase agreement was entered into following the conclusion of a court-supervised sale process conducted under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Under that process, an asset purchase agreement between Aceto and NMC was executed, dated February 18, 2019, to sell the chemical business assets as the "stalking horse agreement". After receiving a qualified offer from another bidder reflecting higher and/or otherwise better terms, a court-supervised sale process was held on April 12, 2019. Ultimately, NMC was selected as the successful bidder. The transaction is subject to approval of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court at a hearing scheduled for April 16, 2019, and is expected to close in this calendar quarter, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions. "We are very pleased by the value realized, through the sales process, for the global sourcing network, regulatory and technical expertise and established customer base associated with Aceto's chemicals business assets. The transaction with New Mountain Capital provides the company's chemical-related businesses with deep capital resources to invest in growth opportunities for the benefit of their customers and suppliers," said William C. Kennally III, Chief Executive Officer of Aceto.

16:52 EDT Adtalem Global Education to acquire OnCourse financial services unit for $121M - Adtalem Global Education announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the financial services division of OnCourse Learning, a Brookfield, Wisconsin-based provider of compliance training, licensure preparation, continuing education and professional development across the United States. The total consideration for the transaction is approximately $121M in cash, subject to customary post-closing adjustments and is expected to close in Q4. OnCourse Learning is owned by Bertelsmann, an international media, services and education company. Adtalem will acquire the financial services portfolio, including sub-brands such as BankersEdge and TTS, providers of compliance training to the banking and credit union markets, as well as OnCourse Learning's mortgage licensing and continuing education programs, which are approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry. More than 300,000 mortgage students, both beginners and professionals, have completed these programs nationwide. The financial services division of OnCourse Learning generated nearly $31M in revenues in calendar year 2018 and delivered an EBITDA margin profile of over 30%. Adtalem's financial services portfolio currently consists of several organizations with a range of professional education products and services. Adtalem does not anticipate a material impact on its FY19 earnings from the OnCourse Learning acquisition, given the expected closing date in Q4. Adtalem expects the acquisition to be modestly accretive to its FY20 results.

16:46 EDT NILE study recommends Guardant Health's Guardant360 assay in tissue testing - Guardant Health announced that the "positive results" from the NILE study, a head-to-head comparison of the Guardant360 assay to standard-of-care tissue testing for the identification of guideline-recommended biomarkers in first-line advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients, have been published in Clinical Cancer Research. The study adds new data regarding Guardant360's high concordance to tissue testing to the abstract that was highlighted before the AACR Annual Meeting. The study adds to a "growing body of literature" demonstrating that using Guardant360 first for genomic biomarker detection in advanced NSCLC can increase the number of patients tested for guideline-recommended biomarkers.

16:40 EDT Tailored Brands officer Carrie Ask purchases almost 14K shares of company stock - Tailored Brands officer Carrie Ask disclosed in a filing that she had purchased 13,500 shares of company shares at $7.41 per share for a total transaction value of $100,035.

16:33 EDT Sol-Gel Technologies achieves 50% enrollment in Phase 3 Twin program - Sol-Gel Technologies announced that it has completed enrollment of half of the patients in its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of Twin in subjects with acne vulgaris. Twin is a once daily topical cream containing a fixed-dose combination of encapsulated benzoyl peroxide and encapsulated tretinoin using Sol-Gel's proprietary microencapsulation platform. The program consists of two randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled Phase III clinical trials. Each pivotal trial is planned to enroll approximately 420 subjects aged nine and above at a 2:1 ratio, with a power of 99%. The objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Twin, a topical cream containing encapsulated benzoyl peroxide and encapsulated tretinoin, compared to a vehicle when applied once daily for 12 weeks in patients with moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris. The pivotal Twin clinical program is being executed under a special protocol assessment, or SPA, agreement with the FDA. The SPA reflects FDA's agreement that the protocol design, primary endpoints and statistical analysis approach for Sol-Gel's Phase III program evaluating Twin for the treatment of patients with acne vulgaris are acceptable to support a future new drug application filing for marketing approval.

16:32 EDT McKesson names Kirk Kaminsky as head of U.S. Pharma / Specialty Solutions - McKesson announced that Kirk Kaminsky will be the new president of McKesson's U.S. Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions business. Kaminsky will assume the role effective immediately, reporting to CEO Brian Tyler.

16:31 EDT Dare Bioscience director Roger Hawley purchases $500K in company stock - Dare Bioscience director Roger Hawley disclosed n a filing that he had purchased 454,545 shares of company stock at an avergae price of $1.10 on April 11. The total transaction value was $500,000.

16:30 EDT Dutch Supreme Court rules in favor of Chevron on Ecuador dispute - The Supreme Court of the Netherlands has ruled in favor of Chevron, rejecting the Republic of Ecuador's attempts to annul decisions of an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague that ordered Ecuador to take all steps necessary to prevent enforcement of a $9.5B Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron anywhere in the world. The Ecuadorian judgment previously was found by the international arbitral tribunal and by U.S. courts to have been obtained through fraud, bribery and corruption. The arbitral tribunal, administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, issued interim and partial awards in favor of Chevron in 2012 and 2013 in proceedings brought by Chevron to hold the Republic of Ecuador accountable for the fraudulent and corrupt litigation against the company in that country. The arbitral awards ordered the Republic of Ecuador "to take all measures necessary to suspend or cause to be suspended the enforcement and recognition within and without Ecuador" of the fraudulent Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron. The decision by the Supreme Court of the Netherlands upholds the rulings of two Dutch lower courts that rejected the Republic of Ecuador's attempts to annul those awards. The Dutch Supreme Court found that the challenged arbitral awards are consistent with public policy and justified to prevent irreversible harm to Chevron. The court rejected the Republic of Ecuador's argument that the awards should be annulled because they violated Ecuador's sovereignty and the rights of the Ecuadorian plaintiffs who procured the fraudulent judgment against Chevron.

16:20 EDT Despegar.com to acquire Viajes Falabella for $27M - Despegar.com announced it has entered into an agreement with Falabella Financiero, a subsidiary of Falabella, through which both companies plan to establish a 10-year commercial agreement in Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Argentina, the term of which could be extended. Included in the transaction is the transfer of 100% share ownership of Viajes Falabella's operations to Despegar. The acquisition of Viajes Falabella in Chile, Colombia, Peru and Argentina, together with the license to use the Viajes Falabella brand name has been agreed for a total consideration of $27M. The transaction assumes the transfer of these operations free of any financial debt. According to Viajes Falabella, during 2018 the company recorded revenues and EBITDA of approximately $50M, and $3.5M, respectively.

16:17 EDT BioPharmX approves reverse stock split - BioPharmX announced that its Board of Directors has approved a reverse stock split of its common stock at a ratio of 1-for-25. The reverse stock split will become effective on April 25, and the shares will begin trading on the split-adjusted basis on the NYSE American under the Company's existing trading symbol "BPMX" at market open on April 26. The new CUSIP number following the reverse stock split will be 09072X 309. The reverse stock split is primarily being effected to regain compliance with certain NYSE American continued listing standards related to the low price per share of the Company's common stock.

16:15 EDT Salesforce says Salesforce.org to be integrated into Salesforce - Salesforce announced that Salesforce.org will be integrated into Salesforce. With Salesforce.org, Salesforce will scale its philanthropic efforts and create strategic synergies and operational simplicity that will enable the company to drive even greater success for its nonprofit, education and philanthropy customers.

16:10 EDT J.B. Hunt down over 3.5% at $101.50 after Q1 earnings miss

16:09 EDT Alphabet previews accounting items impacting Q1 earnings - In a message posted by Amie Thuener, the Chief Accounting Officer of Alphabet stated that "in order to help you better understand our financial results for the first quarter of 2019 that we'll report on Monday, April 29, we are sharing information about a couple of items." The company will report a separate operating expense line for the $1.7B charge on Google on the income statement due to the European Commission fine, which the company noted is not tax deductible. "Therefore, the charge will reduce our GAAP operating income, GAAP net income and GAAP EPS by the full amount," the company said. Reference Link

16:07 EDT Cumulus Media sells KLOS-FM for $43M - Cumulus Media announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell KLOS-FM in Los Angeles, CA to Meruelo Media, a division of the Meruelo Group, for $43M in cash. Cumulus also announced that it has entered into a swap agreement with Connoisseur Media under which Cumulus will obtain four stations in and around Allentown, PA in exchange for two Cumulus stations in Southern Connecticut. Both transactions are subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval. Cumulus expects to complete both transactions in Q3.

16:06 EDT Sterling Construction awarded $24M wastewater treatment facility project in Utah - Sterling Construction Company announced that its subsidiary, Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company, LLC has been selected by MWH Constructors, for work on the Logan Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility in Logan, UT. RWL's project award totals approximately $24M and is scheduled to commence in May of 2019, with completion targeted for the fourth quarter of 2022. MWH, as the General Contractor to the City of Logan, is overseeing the upgrade of the WWTP which, when completed, will increase the facility's average capacity to 18 million-gallons-per-day. RLW's scope of work will focus on the structural concrete portion of the project, which includes the headworks, returned activated sludge, ultraviolet disinfection, and electrical buildings, as well as the bioreactors, clarifiers, and solids holding tank.

16:04 EDT J.B. Hunt reports Q1 operating income $168M, down 1% from last year - The company states: "Operating income for the current quarter totaled $168M vs. $169M for the first quarter 2018. Benefits from higher customer rates and new customer contracts were offset by increased rail purchased transportation costs; lower intermodal network utilization; lower productivity in winter weather affected regions; higher driver and non-driver salaries, wages and benefits; higher Final Mile Services network facilities costs; increased technology spend on the J.B. Hunt 360 degrees platform and legacy system upgrades and increased equipment ownership and maintenance costs."

16:02 EDT Silvercrest Asset to acquire Cortina Asset Management - Silvercrest Asset announced that it has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Cortina Asset Management, an independent asset management firm based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, managing $1.7B in small cap growth equity strategies.

15:53 EDT HBO says 'Game of Thrones' final season premiere watched by 17.4M viewers - AT&T's HBO said in a blog post on Medium that the final season premiere of "Game of Thrones," which aired last night, was watched by a "record" 17.4M viewers across HBO's platforms, exceeding the previous series high of 16.9M viewers for the season seven finale. Compared to the season seven premiere audience of 16.1M, the season eight premiere grew by over 1M viewers, HBO said. The company said that the HBO NOW streaming service saw a jump of approximately 50% in viewing when compared to last season's finale and nearly doubled when compared to the seventh season premiere. Yesterday accounts for largest night of streaming activity ever for HBO. The 9:00 p.m. airing of the premiere was viewed by 11.8M viewers, surpassing the season seven premiere of 10.1M viewers and slightly behind the season seven finale of 12.1M viewers. The seventh season of "Game of Thrones" went on to average 32.8M viewers per episode, the WarnerMedia company noted. Reference Link

15:15 EDT Southern Company raises annual dividend to $2.48 per share - Southern Company announced it is increasing its dividend by 8c per share on an annualized basis to a rate of $2.48 per share. Southern Company also announced a regular quarterly dividend, including the increase of 2c per share over the prior quarter of 62c per share, payable June 6 to shareholders of record as of May 20.

14:23 EDT DOJ says UniCredit agrees to pay over $1.3B for violating Iran sanctions - UniCredit Bank AG, a financial institution headquartered in Munich, operating under the name HypoVereinsbank, and part of the UniCredit Group has agreed to enter a guilty plea to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and to defraud the United States by processing hundreds of millions of dollars of transactions through the U.S. financial system on behalf of an entity designated as a weapons of mass destruction proliferator and other Iranian entities subject to U.S. economic sanctions, the DOJ announced. UniCredit Bank Austria, another financial institution in the UniCredit Group, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, agreed to forfeit $20M and entered into a non-prosecution agreement to resolve an investigation into its violations of IEEPA. UniCredit SpA, the parent of both UCB AG and BA, has agreed to ensure that UCB AG and BA's obligations are fulfilled. UCB AG will waive indictment and be charged in a one-count felony criminal information, according to documents to be filed in federal court in the District of Columbia, charging UCB AG with knowingly and willfully conspiring to commit violations of IEEPA and to defraud the United States, from 2002 through 2011. UCB AG has agreed to plead guilty to the information, has entered into a written plea agreement and has accepted responsibility for its criminal conduct. UCB AG will enter its guilty plea before a judge in the District of Columbia. UniCredit Group banks will pay total financial penalties of approximately $1.3B. The plea agreement, subject to approval by the court, provides that UCB AG will forfeit $316,545,816 and pay a fine of $468,350,000. In addition, UCB AG has entered into a plea agreement with the New York County District Attorney's Office for violating New York State law pursuant to which it will pay $316,545,816. BA has also entered into a non-prosecution agreement with DANY for violating New York State law. DANY conducted its own investigation alongside the Justice Department.

13:33 EDT TAT Technologies signs $20M agreement with European system manufacturer - TAT Technologies announced that it has signed a five year agreement with a European system manufacturer for the Aerospace industry for the supply of heat exchangers. The expected revenues from this contract is $20M for the years 2019-2023. Under this agreement, TAT will be the exclusive heat exchanger provider for these specific products.

12:16 EDT Celadon Group divests Logistics business division - Celadon Group announced that it has disposed of substantially all of the assets used in its Logistics business division in an all cash transaction with an effective financial transfer date of April 1. The purchaser was TA Services, a PS Logistics subsidiary. The Logistics Division, which provides freight brokerage, transportation management, and warehousing solutions, contributed approximately $139M in revenue to the company in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018. The proceeds were used to pay transaction expenses, to reduce borrowings under the company's revolving credit agreement, and to provide additional liquidity. Celadon CEO Paul Svindland said: "The sale of Logistics marks another important milestone in executing our strategic plan to simplify our business and reduce debt. Over the past several quarters, we have divested the former Quality business, the joint venture with Element, our flatbed business, our West Coast dedicated business, A&S/Buckler, and now Logistics. Giving effect to these dispositions, the go-forward Celadon has returned to its roots as an asset-based truckload carrier serving the North American market, with particular focus on the eastern half of the United States and cross border traffic with Mexico and Canada. On a pro forma basis, we remain one of the largest industry competitors, with key locations in approximately a dozen states and provinces and a consolidated annual revenue run rate of approximately $550M. From a leverage perspective, this transaction and our recent sale of our A&S Kinard and Buckler subsidiaries have reduced our outstanding borrowings and capital leases by approximately $185M. We continue to work with existing and new financing sources toward both an extension of our current facility and a longer-term capital structure that will support our ongoing operational and financial improvement efforts."

12:02 EDT Amicus to present first preclinical results for Pompe gene therapy at ASGCT - Amicus Therapeutics announced the company will present initial preclinical data from its investigational adeno-associated viral gene therapy program for Pompe disease in a poster at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy, or ASGCT, 22nd Annual Meeting on April 30. "These represent the first set of preclinical results for the Pompe gene therapy which Amicus is currently developing in collaboration with the Gene Therapy Program of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania," the company noted.

12:00 EDT Roan Resources falls -11.2% - Roan Resources is down -11.2%, or -65c to $5.09.

12:00 EDT Adient rises 11.8% - Adient is up 11.8%, or $2.45 to $23.18.

12:00 EDT Vectrus rises 29.3% - Vectrus is up 29.3%, or $8.71 to $38.45.

11:06 EDT Seneca Foods trading resumes

11:01 EDT Seneca Foods trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:29 EDT Citi says 'on track' with plan to return $60B to shareholders - Says client engagement remains strong in branded cards and continues to generate growth in interest-earning balances. Says digital engagement remained strong. Expects card NCL rates to be higher in 1H19 than 2H19. Says will continue to launch new products in Q2. Says retail loan growth was muted in Mexico. Says watching economy closely in Mexico. Says continues to see positive flows in AUM in Asia. Says underlying Asia consumer growth remains largely in line with expectations. Says continues to expect a "moderate" pre-tax loss in corporate other for the remainder of the year. Says will look at net interest revenue and margin trends on a consolidated basis going forward. Says continues to expect at least of $2B of growth in net interest revenue year-over-year. Says continues to expect total non-interest revenues to come in flat at least to the prior year. Says continues to prepare for a range of operating environments. Says continues to expect 'modest' revenue growth. Expects to return to y-o-y revenue growth in Q2. Says underlying growth in North America consumer will become more prevalent as the company moves past the impact of Hilton sale. Says investment banking revenues should reflect environment, expects to be down year-over-year. Says expects continued y-o-y revenue growth with branded cards. Says y-o-y growth in Mexico will likely be muted. Says expects Q2 expenses to be roughly flattish. Says on track to return $60B to shareholders.

10:08 EDT Citi says environment appears to be 'normalizing' - Says continued to make progress against strategic priorities. Says had strong growth in both loans and deposits in core businesses. Says institutional clients group performed well. Says had 20% increase in investment banking. Says fixed income rebounded. Says continues to execute on improving returns to shareholders. Says environment appears to be normalizing. Says remains committed to executing strategy and meeting financial targets. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

10:00 EDT Roan Resources falls -9.4% - Roan Resources is down -9.4%, or -54c to $5.20.

10:00 EDT Cellcom Israel rises 8.9% - Cellcom Israel is up 8.9%, or 35c to $4.25.

10:00 EDT Vectrus rises 32.1% - Vectrus is up 32.1%, or $9.55 to $39.30.

09:47 EDT VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN falls -4.8% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is down -4.8%, or -$1.37 to $27.09.

09:47 EDT Aphria falls -15.5% - Aphria is down -15.5%, or -$1.57 to $8.53.

09:47 EDT Vectrus rises 16.3% - Vectrus is up 16.3%, or $4.85 to $34.59.

09:42 EDT Goldman Sachs CEO on review: 'We want to get it right'

09:35 EDT Appaloosa says Allergan board 'deserves no deference' - Appaloosa LP issued the following statement in response to Institutional Shareholder Services Inc.'s qualified recommendation regarding Appaloosa's proposal to separate Allergan Plc's Chairman and CEO roles: "Allergan's Board deserves no deference as the incumbent directors have presided over a failed strategic review, a questionable business strategy and excessive compensation packages, and have exhibited a disregard for sound corporate governance practices. ISS's recommendation to forestall a separation of Allergan's Chairman and CEO roles represents a misunderstanding of the reasons for the company's underperformance, is inconsistent with its support last year for a similar proposal and is baffling. Although ISS's qualified recommendation recognizes significant 'ongoing concerns for shareholders' exist, without immediate change to Allergan's leadership structure, the status quo could remain in place for many years. We urge shareholders to vote for our proposal to separate the Chairman and CEO roles to drive shareholder value."

09:29 EDT Match Group reorganizes leadership team - Match Group announced that it is reorganizing its leadership team to double down on the significant market opportunity for dating products in Asia. Match Group has appointed three General Managers in Asia that are responsible for growing Match's portfolio of products in their local markets as well as looking for new business opportunities: Junya Ishibashi, who has been the CEO of Match Group's Eureka business in Japan, will become the General Manager of Match Group for Japan and Taiwan and is based in Tokyo. Taru Kapoor remains General Manager of Match Group India based in Delhi. Lyla Seo, who previously served as Regional Director of East Asia for Tinder, has been named General Manager of Match Group for South Korea and Southeast Asia and is based in Seoul.

09:19 EDT Goldman Sachs CFO sees deposits increasing $10B per year

09:15 EDT Waterton urges Hudbay shareholders to vote for board nominees - Waterton Precious Metals Fund II Cayman and Waterton Mining Parallel Fund Offshore Master, each of which are managed by Waterton Global Resource Management, owning in the aggregate 12.09% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Hudbay Minerals, filed an information circular and issued a letter to shareholders of the company in connection with its nomination of director candidates for election to the company's Board of Directors. Waterton's slate of director candidates now includes five individuals, who, if elected, would constitute a minority of the post- Meeting Board: A.E. Michael Anglin, Peter Kukielski, Richard Nesbitt, Daniel Muniz Quintanilla and David Smith. The letter read in part, "Waterton is seeking your support to elect a minority slate of five highly-qualified and experienced independent director candidates to the Company's board of directors at the Company's Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders...The Waterton Nominees are fully independent of Waterton, have impeccable credentials and possess the relevant, diverse and global experience to help fix the broken culture of Hudbay's current Board by providing much-needed oversight of strategy and capital allocation in order to create long-term shareholder value at the Company. Throughout our public engagement with Hudbay, Waterton has sought to keep the campaign focused on the facts. We have not made things personal. Consistently, we have backed up our assertions with data and clearly stated our intentions - which are to drive long-term share price appreciation for all Hudbay shareholders. In contrast, the approach taken by the Company in its recent Management Information Circular dated April 5, 2019 clearly falls short of even the most basic standards of professionalism. Waterton is shocked and disappointed that a Chairman and Board of a ~$2 billion market capitalization company would conduct themselves in such a childish manner, including by spending shareholder money on creating such a document. The approach taken by the Company in the Hudbay Circular confirms for us what we previously believed: adult supervision from serious professionals is required at Hudbay. Evidently, the Company is on the wrong side of the facts, and so certain factions of the Board have resorted to desperate measures, vitriol and scattershot arguments to maintain their entrenchment. We will continue to focus on the facts...We encourage our fellow shareholders to consider the facts and remember Hudbay's consistent poor performance, ongoing flawed strategy, damaged credibility and entrenched culture. The Waterton Nominees are ready and willing to help create new Hudbay with a defined strategy and a focus on creating long-term shareholder value."

09:12 EDT Goldman Sachs CFO says creating new team in IB to cover smaller companies

09:10 EDT Diana Shipping announces sale of Panamax dry bulk vessel Erato - Diana Shipping announced that it has signed, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, a Memorandum of Agreement to sell to an unaffiliated third party, the 2004-built vessel "Erato", with delivery to the buyer latest by June 10, 2019, for a sale price of $7M before commissions. Upon completion of the aforementioned sale and the previously announced sale of a Panamax dry bulk vessel, the m/v Dione, Diana Shipping Inc.'s fleet will consist of 45 dry bulk vessels.

09:09 EDT Aptevo Therapeutics provides Ixinity update - Aptevo Therapeutics announced an update in the company's commercial and clinical development programs, reporting Q1 Ixinity net revenue of $7M, which represents a 73% increase from Q1 of 2018. Additionally, Aptevo announced that it has received approval from the FDA for a prior ppproval supplement, or PAS, describing plans for the manufacture of a new 3,000 IU assay and remains on track to begin supplying the market with 3,000 IU Ixinity vials in mid-year. Aptevo is also advancing plans to commence a confirmatory Phase 4 study of Ixinity in Q3 with the objective of seeking a label expansion in the United States for Ixinity in a pediatric setting. Ixinity is currently approved for use in individuals 12 years of age or older. Data from a pooled analysis evaluating patients under the age of 12 with Hemophilia B treated with Ixinity show that Ixinity appeared to be safe and well tolerated in this subject population and was comparable to the results from the overall patient population studied in the pivotal clinical trial of Ixinity. Aptevo is also pursuing opportunities to license or partner distribution and marketing rights for Ixinity in select ex-U.S. markets.

09:09 EDT Goldman says 'no business, no revenue source' is out of scope for review

09:07 EDT Coherent announces retirement of CEO John Ambroseo by April 2021 - Coherent announced that the company and President and CEO John Ambroseo have entered into a transition services agreement, pursuant to which Ambroseo will transition from being CEO no later than April 2021. The Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors will lead a global search for Ambroseo's successor.

09:06 EDT Goldman Sachs CEO: Institutional clients appeared less cautious in March

09:05 EDT Ulta names David Kimbell president, chief merchandising and marketing officer - Ulta Beauty announced that David Kimbell has been appointed president & chief merchandising and marketing officer of Ulta Beauty. In this new role, Kimbell will expand upon his existing responsibilities as chief merchandising and marketing officer, assuming additional responsibility for corporate strategy and merchandise planning and operations. He will continue to report directly to CEO Mary Dillon. Kimbell was named chief merchandising and marketing officer in March 2015 after serving as chief marketing officer since joining Ulta Beauty in February 2014.

09:04 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Advanced Disposal Services (ADSW) and Waste Management (WM), up 19% and 2%, respectively, after announcing that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which a subsidiary of Waste Management will acquire all outstanding shares of Advanced Disposal for $33.15 per share... Fibrocell Science (FCSC), up 50% after announcing the completion of a collaboration agreement with Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize Fibrocell's FCX-007 for the treatment of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa... Axsome Therapeutics (AXSM), up 5% after announcing analysis showed that AXS-05 met the prespecified primary endpoint and significantly reduced daily smoking as compared to the active comparator bupropion... DMC Holding (BOOM), up 7% after announcing entry into the S&P 600 at open on April 18. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Goldman Sachs (GS), down 2%. ALSO LOWER: Spotify (SPOT), down 2.5% after Billboard reports Amazon (AMZN) has been in talks to launch a free, ad-supported music service that would be marketed through its Echo speakers... Aphria (APHA), down 12% after entering into a series of transactions that will accelerate the expiry date to April 25 for the previously announced take-over bid by Green Growth Brands and will terminate the arrangements with GA Opportunities... Clovis (CLVS), down 10% after discontinuing its Phase 2 trial evaluating rucaparib in recurrent, metastatic bladder cancer.

09:02 EDT Pulmatrix, Cipla Technologies report agreement for Pulmazole development - Pulmatrix and Cipla Technologies, a subsidiary of Cipla Limited announced their entry into a Definitive Agreement for the co-development and commercialization of Pulmazole, an inhaled iSPERSE formulation of the anti-fungal drug itraconazole for the treatment of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in patients with asthma. Following the Definitive Agreement, Cip Tec will make an upfront payment of $22M to Pulmatrix in exchange for assignment of all rights for Pulmazole in relations to pulmonary indications to Cip Tec. Thereafter, both parties will equally share costs related to the future development and commercialization of Pulmazole, and equally share worldwide free cash flow from future sales of Pulmazole. Pulmatrix will remain primarily responsible for the execution of the clinical development of Pulmazole, and Cip Tec will be responsible for the commercialization of the product. The partnership will be overseen by a Joint Steering Committee with equal representation from both companies. With the signing of the Definitive Agreement, Pulmatrix said it is in a "strong position to complete the Phase 2 study entitled: 'A Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 2 Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of Itraconazole Administered as a Dry Powder for Inhalation in Adult Asthmatic Patients with Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis'. Pulmatrix plans to initiate this study in April 2019."

08:59 EDT Adverum Biotechnologies trading halted, news pending

08:56 EDT J&J says Invokana reduces risk of renal faliure in Phase 3 CREDENCE study - The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced new results from the Phase 3 CREDENCE study, showing that Invokana demonstrated a 30% reduction in the risk of the primary composite endpoint, comprised of progression to end-stage kidney disease, defined as the need for renal replacement therapy such as chronic dialysis or renal transplant; doubling of serum creatinine, a key predictor of ESKD; and renal or cardiovascular death. The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Invokana versus placebo in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes when used in addition to standard of care. Study results also showed Invokana reduced the risk of the secondary CV endpoints, including the risk of CV death and hospitalization for heart failure by 31%, major adverse CV events by 20%, and the risk of hospitalization for heart failure alone by 39%. "Importantly, the study showed no imbalance in amputation or bone fracture. Additionally, no new safety concerns were identified in this study of high-risk patients," the company stated.

08:45 EDT Reebonz Holding Ltd (Class A Stock) trading resumes

08:40 EDT Cassava Sciences completes enrollment for PTI-125 study - Cassava Sciences announced the completion of patient enrollment in a clinical study evaluating the safety of its investigational drug, PTI-125, in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cassava Sciences is conducting this Phase 2a study with scientific and financial support from the National Institutes of Health. Cassava Sciences expects to announce results of its Phase 2a study in the second half of 2019, after study participants complete drug treatment and their data are analyzed.

08:34 EDT Diebold appoints Elizabeth Patrick as Chief People Officer - Diebold Nixdorf announced Elizabeth Patrick has joined the company as senior vice president, Chief People Officer. She is responsible for managing employee-focused initiatives across the organization and overseeing the global human resources program for more than 23,000 Diebold Nixdorf employees. Patrick has more than 30 years of experience in global talent management, organizational design, HR data and analytics, compensation and benefits, succession planning and labor relations. Prior to joining Diebold Nixdorf, she served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Veritiv, where she played a key role in launching the company into Fortune 300 status within its first full year of operation as a merged organization. While there, Patrick led all areas of human resources and communications, including the creation and development of key employee programs and change management strategies. Prior to Veritiv, she held HR leadership positions at International Paper/xpedx and TE Connectivity, where she spearheaded profit and loss accountability, reorganization, leadership and diversity hiring and employee engagement efforts.

08:31 EDT ANI Pharmaceuticals announces distribution agreement - ANI Pharmaceuticals announced that it has entered into a Distribution Agreement with a U.S. based injectable manufacturer to commercialize a unique specialty injectable product. Key terms of the 10-year Agreement include cumulative milestones of up to $2M, payable by ANI. Upon launch, ANI will receive a 50% share of net profits generated from product revenues. The product, for which there are currently no other generics commercially available, recently received FDA approval. The product will be commercialized in the ANI label.

08:23 EDT Allogene Therapeutics announces publication of ALLO-715 study results - Allogene Therapeutics announced the publication of preclinical study results of ALLO-715, an AlloCAR T therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen, or BCMA, as a potential novel treatment for multiple myeloma and other BCMA-positive malignancies, in Molecular Therapy. Results of the study were previously presented at the American Society of Hematology, or ASH. In this study, healthy donor T cells were transduced with several candidate anti-BCMA CARs and modified using gene editing to improve CAR T cell persistence and reduce risk of graft-versus-host disease, or GvHD. The safety profile of allogeneic BCMA CAR T cells was further enhanced by incorporating a CD20-based off-switch enabling effective CAR T elimination in the presence of rituximab. Allogeneic BCMA CAR T cells induced sustained antitumor responses in mice and maintained their phenotype and potency after scaled-up manufacturing.

08:20 EDT Mogo Finance Technology Inc trading halted, news pending

08:19 EDT Tyme Technologies announces racemetyrosine as generic name for SM-88 - Tyme Technologies announced that the United States Adopted Name, or USAN, Council recently granted "racemetyrosine" as the generic name for SM-88, Tyme's lead pipeline candidate. Tyme has announced that it is in the process of finalizing a randomized pivotal trial protocol amendment for use of SM-88 in third-line pancreatic cancer. In addition, SM-88, will be an experimental option in the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Precision Promise pivotal adaptive design study.

08:17 EDT CBRE Group appoints Leah Stearns as CFO - CBRE Group (CBRE) announced that Leah Stearns will join the company as CFO. Stearns, who assumes her new role on May 15, was previously Senior Vice President and CFO for American Tower Corporation's (AMT) U.S. division, which comprises over 50% of American Tower's global operating profit.

08:15 EDT Chanticleer Holdings announces LOI to acquire five burger brand locations - Chanticleer Holdings announced that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent, or LOI, for the acquisition of a burger brand with "industry leading" metrics. The target company has reported revenues of $10M per year and historically demonstrated store level EBITDA of approximately 20%. The acquisition would immediately add five restaurants and generate geographic synergies.

08:13 EDT Goldman Sachs says plans to finalize performance targets in coming months - Says plans to finalize performance targets in the coming months, review financial disclosure. Says will provide a comprehensive strategic update in 1Q20. Says 1Q19 net revenues in FICC more than doubled q/q, but were down y/y, reflecting lower net revenues in interest rate products, currencies and credit products, partially offset by higher net revenues in mortgages and commodities. Comments taken from slides being presented on the Q1 earnings conference call.

08:09 EDT Twist Bioscience, iGEM partner to provide synthetic DNA for competition - Twist Bioscience Corporation and the International Genetically Engineered Machine Foundation announced a collaboration to change the way iGEM Competition teams contribute to the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, a free online database for synthetic biologists. A standard biological part is a functional unit of DNA that encodes for a specific biological function, and conforms to a construction standard. Parts from the Registry can be mixed and matched to build synthetic biology devices and systems. In past years, teams from around the world were required to submit physical samples of their standard biological parts to the Registry as a part of the competition. Now, through this collaboration between Twist and iGEM, competition teams no longer have to factor in the time, effort and resources needed to generate and ship their part samples to the Registry. Importantly, this process ensures the correct parts are delivered to the Registry, eliminating error or duplication. Instead, by the end of the competition, teams will now submit their part sequences and documentation to the Registry. Twist Bioscience will then synthesize samples of these parts for next year's competition.

08:08 EDT Siris Capital affiliate to acquire Electronics for Imaging for $37.00 per share - Electronics for Imaging, or EFI, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Siris Capital in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7B. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by EFI's board, an affiliate of Siris will acquire all the outstanding common stock of EFI for $37.00 per share in cash. The purchase price represents an approximately 45% premium over EFI's 90-day volume-weighted average price ended on April 12. EFI may solicit alternative acquisition proposals from third parties during a "go-shop" period over the next 45 calendar days. EFI will have the right to terminate the agreement to enter into a superior proposal subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement. There is no guarantee that this process will result in a superior proposal and the agreement provides Siris with a customary right to attempt to match a superior proposal. EFI does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the solicitation process unless and until it determines such disclosure is appropriate or is otherwise required. EFI's board has unanimously recommended that its shareholders adopt the agreement with Siris. Subject to the go-shop, a special meeting of EFI's shareholders will be held as soon as practicable following the filing of the definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and subsequent mailing to shareholders. Subject to the go-shop, the proposed transaction is expected to close by Q3 and is subject to approval by EFI's shareholders, along with the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including antitrust regulatory approvals. The transaction is not subject to any financing conditions. Upon completion of the acquisition, EFI will become wholly owned by an affiliate of Siris.

08:07 EDT Citi reports Q1 book value per share of $77.09 - Reports Q1 tangible book value per share of $65.55. Citigroup cost of credit in the first quarter 2019 was $2.0B, a 7% increase, driven by a lower loan loss reserve release in ICG as well as growth and seasoning in Citi-Branded Cards and Citi Retail Services in North America GCB. Citigroup's allowance for loan losses was $12.3B at quarter end, or 1.82% of total loans, compared to $12.4B, or 1.85% of total loans, at the end of the prior-year period. Total non-accrual assets declined 13% from the prior-year period to $3.8B. Consumer non-accrual loans declined 14% to $2.2B and corporate non-accrual loans declined 11% to $1.5B.

08:06 EDT Cidara selects first clinical development candidate from Cloudbreak program - Cidara Therapeutics announced that the company has selected the antiviral conjugate CB-012 as its first clinical development candidate from the company's Cloudbreak influenza program. CB-012 is a novel conjugate of a highly potent antiviral agent linked to a human antibody fragment. Applying the principles of oncology immunotherapy, Cidara's Cloudbreak AVCs attack influenza through a dual mechanism: The antiviral agent neutralizes the influenza virus directly, while the human antibody fragment engages a patient's immune system to accelerate elimination of the pathogen. The approach is designed to improve on, and combine, the preventive effects of vaccination with an antiviral drug's capability to treat flu illness. Cidara's vision is that a single dose of an AVC could prevent influenza for an entire flu season, with or without concurrent vaccine administration, cover strains that are missed by vaccines in any given year, and be effective even in people with decreased immune function. The ECCMID presentation describes results from nonclinical studies, which evaluated the potential of CB-012 for the treatment and prevention of seasonal and pandemic influenza A as well as influenza B infections. Key findings suggest CB-012 offers: Superior in vitro activity compared to standard-of-care antivirals and coverage of both influenza A and B viruses; Full protection from, or treatment of, H1N1, H3N2, and Tamiflu-resistant H1N1-related infections with a single dose of CB-012 in preclinical efficacy models; Long half-life in multiple preclinical species; Efficacy in multiple dosing formulations including intravenous, subcutaneous and intramuscular; Expanded treatment window in preclinical models to 72 hours post-infection versus Tamiflu (oseltamivir), which loses its ability to protect when administered beyond 24 hours post-infection.

08:06 EDT Citi CEO: Q1 earnings reflect progress on improving return on, return of capital - Citi CEO Michael Corbat said, "Our earnings reflect the progress we are making to improve our return on and return of capital. Both our consumer and institutional businesses performed well and we saw good momentum in those areas where we have been investing, such as U.S. Branded Cards, Treasury and Trade Solutions, and Investment Banking. Importantly, our strategy in North America consumer banking is showing good early results as we introduce new products and engage with a broader range of customers, through digital channels. We increased our Return on Tangible Common Equity to 11.9%, had positive operating leverage for the tenth consecutive quarter and had strong growth in both loans and deposits in our core businesses. We returned over $5 billion to our shareholders during the quarter, contributing to the 11% increase in our earnings per share from a year ago. We further reduced our common shares outstanding, down 9% from a year ago, while maintaining our Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio at 11.9%. We remain committed to executing our strategy and continuing to make steady progress towards our financial targets."

08:04 EDT IAC's Vimeo to acquire Magisto, terms not disclosed - Vimeo announced an agreement to acquire Magisto, a video creation service with over 100M users. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Vimeo is an operating business of IAC.

07:56 EDT JPMorgan reports March net credit losses 2.55% vs. 2.25% last month - Reports 30-plus day delinquencies 1.23% vs. 1.25% last month.

07:53 EDT Achaogen to pursue auction, sale process under Chapter 11 of Bankruptcy Code - Achaogen announced that it has filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Achaogen has also filed a motion seeking authorization to pursue an auction and sale process under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Achaogen has filed a series of motions with the court seeking to ensure the continuation of normal operations during this process. Achaogen has the support of its secured lender, Silicon Valley Bank, which has made a $25M financing commitment to fund the company's operations through the auction and sale process. The company believes that this commitment provides it with sufficient liquidity to continue to meet its operational and financial obligations to patients, physicians, suppliers and employees. The proposed bidding procedures, if approved by the court, would allow interested parties to submit binding offers to acquire substantially all of Achaogen's assets, which would be purchased free and clear of the company's indebtedness and liabilities. Interested parties could include both strategic and financial buyers, for whom substantial due diligence materials are available. Bids expected to be submitted by May 29. Structured auction targeted to commence no later than June 3 with a sale intended to be concluded by June 13.

07:46 EDT Roan Resources Inc trading halted, news pending

07:37 EDT TG Therapeutics granted orphan drug designation for umbralisib by FDA - TG Therapeutics announced that the FDA granted orphan drug designation to its phosphoinositide-3-kinase, or PI3K, delta inhibitor, umbralisib, for the treatment of patients with all three types of marginal zone lymphoma, or MZL Umbralisib monotherapy is being evaluated in the UNITY-NHL Phase 2b registration directed clinical trial. The MZL cohort of the UNITY-NHL trial is currently evaluating the safety and efficacy of single agent umbralisib in patients with MZL who have received at least one prior anti-CD20 regimen, the same indication for which the FDA recently granted breakthrough therapy designation for umbralisib.

07:36 EDT Goldman Sachs reports Q1 provision for credit losses of $224M - Provision for credit losses was $224M for the first quarter of 2019, compared with $44M for the first quarter of 2018 and $222M for the fourth quarter of 2018. Provision for credit losses for the first quarter of 2019 primarily reflected provisions related to the consumer loan portfolio, Goldman Sachs stated. Reports book value per share of $209.07 and tangible book value per share of $198.25.

07:34 EDT Goldman CEO 'pleased' with Q1 performance in context of 'muted' start to year - David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, said: "We are pleased with our performance in the first quarter, especially in the context of a muted start to the year. Our core businesses generated solid results driven by our strong franchise positions. We are focused on new opportunities to grow and diversify our business mix and serve a broader range of clients globally. With improving momentum across our businesses, we are confident that Goldman Sachs will generate attractive returns for our shareholders." In Investment Management, assets under supervision increased $57B during the quarter to $1.6T, including net inflows of $20B in long-term assets under supervision, the company said. The Standardized common equity tier 1 ratio increased 40 basis points during the quarter to 13.7% and the Basel III Advanced common equity tier 1 ratio increased 30 basis points during the quarter to 13.4%.

07:31 EDT PSEG Salem Unit 1 begins refueling outage - More than 1,000 contractors and craftspeople have arrived in Salem County to begin work on PSEG Nuclear's Salem Unit 1 reactor, which began a regularly scheduled refueling outage on Friday. These contractors, working alongside 1,600 PSEG Nuclear employees, will perform approximately 14,000 refueling, maintenance and other activities during the period the Salem 1 reactor is offline.

07:17 EDT Concho Resources, Frontier Midstream Solutions announce midstream JV - Concho Resources and Frontier Midstream Solutions IV announced that Concho and Frontier have executed an agreement to create Beta Crude Connector. Concho and Frontier will each own a 50% equity interest in BCC, with Frontier serving as operator. BCC will build and provide crude oil gathering, transportation and storage services in the Northern Midland Basin, supporting continued oil production growth in the region. The new gathering and transportation system will consist of an approximately 100-mile gathering system, 250,000 barrels of crude oil storage facilities as well as truck terminals. The pipeline system will have the initial capacity to deliver 150,000 barrels per day of crude oil to multiple delivery points, accessing local refineries and connecting to several downstream pipelines. Following an open season set for April 2019, construction will commence, targeting initial flows in mid-2019. BCC will file for FERC authority to operate as a common carrier pipeline and solicit interest from other producers and marketers for capacity on the new system. In conjunction with the joint venture agreement, Concho has agreed to enter into a long-term acreage dedication agreement with BCC.

07:14 EDT Orchard Therapeutics to present OTL-300 data at ASGCT - Orchard Therapeutics announced the achievement of clinical proof-of-concept based on data from the trial of its ex vivo, autologous, hematopoietic stem cell, or HSC, gene therapy, OTL-300, for the treatment of transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia, or TDT. The data will be published online in an abstract via the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy, or ASGCT, website and the full data set will be featured in an oral presentation at the ASGCT annual meeting. Specifically, the presentation will report the updated safety and efficacy results of OTL-300 in nine transfusion-dependent severe phenotype TDT patients, including ss0/ss0 genotype, with minimum one year post-treatment follow up, as well as details on engraftment of gene-modified cells and vector integration site analyses. The primary endpoint of transfusion reduction was achieved after one year of follow-up in eight out of nine TDT patients treated with OTL-300. All nine patients met the safety endpoints with no adverse events related to the therapy.

07:11 EDT Intra-Cellular presents additional results from lumateperone study at SIRS - Intra-Cellular announced additional results from its open-label safety switching study assessing the effects of long-term administration of lumateperone, an investigational drug, in patients with stable symptoms of schizophrenia. Results were also presented on the improvements in symptoms of depression in patients with moderate to severe co-morbid depression. The data were presented at the Schizophrenia International Research Society, or SIRS. Study 303 was conducted to assess the long-term effects of treatment with lumateperone on weight and other safety parameters and to observe the impact of switching from standard-of-care, or SOC, antipsychotic medications. The poster presented at SIRS provided additional detail on the initial results presented last year showing that lumateperone, administered for up to one year, was generally well tolerated and exhibited statistically significant improvements from baseline on key safety measures of body weight, cardiometabolic and endocrine parameters, without motor side effects often associated with other antipsychotic medications. In addition, patients treated with lumateperone remained stable with respect to their symptoms of schizophrenia upon switching from SOC. Based on its pharmacology and prior clinical results we believe lumateperone may provide advantages in the treatment of the broad symptoms associated with schizophrenia including depressive symptoms. Thus, additional objectives of the study included determining the effectiveness of lumateperone at treating depressive symptoms in patients with co-morbid depression. The antidepressant effects of lumateperone were assessed using the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia,or CDSS. In patients with moderate-to-severe depression symptoms at baseline, lumateperone treatment was associated with marked improvement in CDSS scores. Specifically, mean CDSS scores decreased by approximately 60% from 7.4 to 3.1. In addition, 60% of patients met CDSS response criteria by Day 75 and this response rate was maintained through Day 300. Importantly, a similar magnitude of CDSS improvement was seen regardless of concurrent antidepressant therapy.

07:08 EDT Alnylam initiates ILLUMINATE-B Phase 3 pediatric study of lumasiran - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals announced that the company has initiated ILLUMINATE-B, a global Phase 3 pediatric study of lumasiran, an investigational, subcutaneously administered RNAi therapeutic in development for the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria type 1, or PH1. The study will enroll approximately eight patients with PH1 under six years of age. The primary endpoint is the percent reduction in urinary oxalate from baseline to six months. The company expects to report initial ILLUMINATE-B results in mid-2020. The company also announced new positive efficacy results from the ongoing Phase 2 open-label extension, or OLE, study of lumasiran. The results were presented at the International Society of Nephrology, or ISN, 2019 Annual Meeting held on April 13-16 in Melbourne, Australia.

07:07 EDT ProQR Therapeutics doses first patient in Phase 2/3 Illuminate sepofarsen trial - ProQR Therapeutics N.V. announced the first patient dosed in the Phase 2/3 ILLUMINATE clinical trial for sepofarsen in patients with Leber's Congenital Amaurosis 10. Data from the study are expected at year-end 2020. "The start of the ILLUMINATE trial marks an important milestone towards our goal of bringing this novel and most advanced therapy for LCA10 to patients," commented Dr. Aniz Girach, Ophthalmologist and Chief Medical Officer of ProQR. "With the ongoing trials in LCA10 and Ushers syndrome type 2, and the start of our clinical program for adRP later this year, we are breaking new ground and paving the way for new treatments in multiple severe inherited retinal diseases." ILLUMINATE, or PQ-110-003, is a randomized, prospective, double-masked, sham-controlled 24-month trial of sepofarsen that will initially enroll 30 adults and children who have LCA10 due to one or two copies of the p.Cys998X mutation in the CEP290 gene and a baseline best corrected visual acuity of 3.0 LogMAR or better. The trial is designed with the potential to serve as the sole registration trial for the program. Participants will be assigned equally to three parallel study arms; and a sham control arm with ten participants in each arm. Participants will receive a dose of sepofarsen or a sham-procedure at the start of the trial, at three months and then every six months afterwards. The primary endpoint will be mean change in BCVA from baseline in the active treated arms compared to the control arm.

07:06 EDT Best Buy appoints Corie Barry as CEO - Best Buy announced that its board of directors has elected Corie Barry, currently the company's chief financial and Strategic transformation officer, to become CEO, effective following the company's annual meeting of shareholders on June 11, 2019. At that time, Hubert Joly, Best Buy's current chairman and CEO, will transition to the newly created role of executive chairman of the Board. These changes reflect the Board's ongoing succession planning process and are designed to provide leadership continuity as the company continues to execute its strategic growth initiatives. Barry will also join the board of directors, which will expand to 13 directors. As executive chairman, Joly will continue to lead the board of directors while advising and supporting the CEO on key matters, such as strategy, capability building, M&A and external relationships. In addition, he is expected to assume certain responsibilities at the request of the CEO, in areas like government affairs, community relations and leadership development. Barry's current responsibilities include strategic transformation and growth, digital and technology, global finance, investor relations, enterprise risk and compliance, integration management, and Best Buy Health, which includes GreatCall. As part of the transition, the company announced an additional change to its leadership team, also effective on June 11. Mike Mohan, current U.S. COO, will be promoted to president and COO. The company will conduct an internal and external search for a new CFO.

07:06 EDT Catalent to acquire Paragon Bioservices for $1.2B - Catalent and Paragon Bioservices announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Catalent will acquire Paragon for $1.2B. The transaction will deliver highly compelling value to Catalent's shareholders. Although Paragon will represent a small percentage of Catalent's business in the near term, it will transform the company's business profile and meaningfully accelerate its revenue and EBITDA growth over time. Paragon is expected to achieve more than $200M in revenue in calendar year 2019, with nearly 90% of this revenue target already reflected in signed contracts. The gene therapy market is expected to have sustained growth of 25% in the medium term, and, as a leader in the industry, Paragon is expected to outpace this market growth for the foreseeable future. Catalent expects the transaction to be accretive to its Adjusted Net Income per share in the second full fiscal year after closing, and significantly accretive thereafter. The definitive merger agreement for the acquisition contemplates an all-cash purchase of all of Paragon's outstanding equity for $1.2B on a cash-free, debt-free basis. Catalent intends to fund the transaction with the proceeds of a $650M incremental term loan under its existing senior secured credit facilities and the issuance of $650M of a new series of convertible preferred stock to funds affiliated with Leonard Green & Partners, L.P., although the acquisition is not subject to a financing condition. Catalent will use the funds remaining from these financings, after the payment of the purchase price and the fees and expenses associated with the transaction, to pay a portion of the costs of capital expansion projects currently underway at Paragon's facilities in Maryland, with the remaining costs to be paid with cash on hand. The incremental term loan and the issuance of the convertible preferred stock are each conditioned upon the closing of the acquisition. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the expiration of the waiting period under the U.S. antitrust laws, and is expected to close in the second quarter. At June 30, after the expected closing of the acquisition and related financings, Catalent's pro forma net leverage ratio, after taking into account the acquisition and the related financings, is expected to be approximately 4.0x, with plans to deleverage to 3.5x within 12 to 18 months of closing. Catalent has obtained a binding commitment for the incremental term loan facility, subject to customary closing conditions and the execution of definitive documentation, from JPMorgan Chase Bank which will act as lead arranger for the financing. Catalent has separately entered into a definitive agreement to issue up to $1B of convertible preferred stock to the funds affiliated with LGP, of which Catalent intends to issue $650M. The convertible preferred stock will initially pay dividends of 5%, subject to later adjustment under conditions set forth in the stock's certificate of designation, and may be converted into common stock or redeemed for common stock or cash on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the certificate of designation.

07:04 EDT Allergan announces advisory firms recommend shareholders to vote FOR - Allergan announced that both leading independent proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis & Co., have recommended that the Company's shareholders vote FOR all of the Company's proposals and AGAINST the dissident shareholder proposal calling for the immediate separation of Chair and CEO roles at the Company's 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held on May 1. Allergan's Board of Directors said: "We are pleased with the support we have received from both leading independent proxy advisory firms recommending FOR all of the Company's proposals and AGAINST a proposal calling for the immediate separation of Chairman and CEO roles. Their recommendations affirm our position that our plan to adopt separate Chair and CEO positions with the next leadership transition is the best approach for Allergan shareholders. The Board and management team are fully focused on improving the company's operational and financial performance and creating value for shareholders."

07:02 EDT Catalent to acquire Paragon Bioservices for $1.2B

07:02 EDT Cubic awarded contract by New Zealand Ministry of Defence - Cubic announced that its Cubic Mission Solutions, or CMS, business division was awarded a contract from the New Zealand Ministry of Defence to deliver Command and Control capabilities to support the Network Enabled Army, or NEA, program's Tactical Network project. The NEA program is a transformational program to be delivered in four tranches over 12 years and will benefit the New Zealand Army's Land Forces and Special Operations Forces. The TNet contract is a framework agreement allowing multiple awards over the life of the contract to address current, emerging and future requirements through support of the four tranches. For the initial work scope, Cubic will provide scalable and deployable command post computing solutions based on its DTECH M3-SE and M3X product lines.

06:57 EDT NovaBay announces new pharmacy partnering program - NovaBay Pharmaceuticals announces a new pharmacy partnering program to ensure all patients in the U.S. have access to prescription Avenova. NovaBay has recently added six new pharmacies as Avenova channel partners. The company's pharmacy partners serve patients across the U.S., and together ensure patients in all 50 states have convenient access to Avenova.

06:55 EDT Achaogen trading halted, news pending

06:53 EDT Yamana Gold provides 2019 CapEx guidance - Additionally, with the divestiture of Chapada the company would see its 2019 guidance for overall expenditures decline as follows: sustaining capex by $15M, costs of adding to long-term stockpiles by $25M, expansionary capex by $2M, and DD&A by $25M. The company is, however, planning an increase in exploration expenditures going forward with the annualized increase expected to be up to $20M through the guidance period. This is consistent with plans to use the improved financial flexibility to maximize value enhancing initiatives.

06:51 EDT Mallinckrodt reports retrospective analysis on Phase 3 REVERSE trial data at ILC - Mallinckrodt has reported data from a retrospective analysis of data from the Phase 3 REVERSE trial to estimate the impact of applying the revised International Club of Ascites, or ICA, diagnostic criteria for Hepatorenal Syndrome Type 1, or HRS-1, on timing of treatment and serum creatinine, or SCr, at treatment start. The data were shared on at the International Liver Congress, or ILC. HRS-1 is a rare and acute disease characterized by the development of rapid kidney failure in patients with advanced chronic liver disease. Prior to 2015, the traditional definition of HRS-1 was a twofold increase of SCr to a level greater than 2.5 mg/dL during a period of less than two weeks. In 2015, the ICA revised consensus recommendations for the diagnosis of HRS-1 based on a dynamic change in SCr in patients with cirrhosis, in order to support earlier treatment of HRS-1. The study is a retrospective analysis of pre-enrollment serial SCr data from 141 of the 196 patients enrolled in the REVERSE trial for which data were available for this analysis. Researchers assessed the mean number of days between diagnosing HRS-1 using the revised and the traditional criteria. SCr at diagnosis was compared using the revised and the traditional criteria to estimate the effect of the revised criteria on SCr at the potential start of vasoconstrictor therapy. This study is a retrospective analysis of a previously completed clinical trial. Results were based on a statistical model that was not specified or measured in the original clinical trial. Results do not imply cause and effect and may be incomplete.

06:49 EDT Jefferies Financial Group agrees to acquire remaining interest in HomeFed Corp - Jefferies Financial Group (JEF), which currently owns approximately 70% of the outstanding shares of common stock of HomeFed Corporation (HOFD) announced that the Board of Directors of Jefferies and the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of HomeFed have approved a definitive merger agreement under which Jefferies will acquire the shares of HomeFed common stock that it does not already own. Under the terms of the transaction: HomeFed stockholders will be given the right to elect to receive either cash or shares of Jefferies common stock in exchange for their HomeFed shares. If a HomeFed stockholder elects to receive cash, that stockholder will receive $38.00 in cash for each share of HomeFed common stock. If a HomeFed stockholder elects to receive shares of Jefferies' common stock and the Jefferies' average share price is equal to or less than $21.00 per share, that stockholder will receive two shares of Jefferies common stock for each share of HomeFed common stock. If a HomeFed Stockholder elects to receive shares of Jefferies' common stock and the Jefferies' average share price is more than $21.00 per share, that stockholder will receive less than two shares of Jefferies common stock for each share of HomeFed common stock, with the exchange ratio being calculated by dividing $42.00 by the Jefferies' average share price. The transaction, which is expected to close during the third quarter of 2019, is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by a majority of the HomeFed stockholders. As previously reported, Jefferies' Board of Directors has approved the repurchase of shares in the open market to offset the issued shares for the transaction, which is in addition to the $500M share-repurchase approval already in place. The transaction would involve the issuance of as many as 9.3 million shares of Jefferies common stock, worth approximately $189M based on the closing price of Jefferies common stock on April 12, 2019. Upon completion of the transaction, Jefferies' total post-transaction carrying value of HomeFed will be approximately $631M.

06:47 EDT Jefferies Financial Group agrees to acquire remaining interest in HomeFed Corp

06:41 EDT Air Lease leased new Airbus A321-200neo LR aircraft to Air Arabia - Air Lease (AL) announced the delivery of one new Airbus (EADSY) A321-200neo LR aircraft on long-term lease to Air Arabia. Featuring CFM International LEAP-1A engines, this aircraft is the first of six A321-200neo LRs scheduled to deliver to Air Arabia through 2020 from ALC's order book with Airbus. This A321-200neo LR is also ALC's first Airbus long-range A321neo to deliver to the Lessor.

06:35 EDT Four Seasons Education to repurchase up to $15M of its shares - Four Seasons Education announced that the board of directors of the company approved a share repurchase program whereby Four Seasons Education is authorized to repurchase its own ordinary shares in the form of American depositary shares, or ADSs, with an aggregate value of up to $15M during the next twelve-month period. The company plans to fund the repurchase program out of its available working capital, existing cash balance or future cash provided by operating activities.

06:32 EDT ChromaDex announces deal with Canadian retailer Showcase for Tru Niagen - ChromaDex announced the latest milestone in its global expansion strategy for TRU NIAGEN, with a strategic deal with specialty retailer Showcase in Toronto, Canada. Tru Niagen is now available in 36 Showcase stores in the greater Toronto area as well as Showcase's online store. Showcase operates 118 wholly-owned stores throughout Canada and the Northeast U.S. Tru Niagen is a supplement clinically proven to increase your NAD, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, levels which stimulate cellular energy production and support cellular repair. Decreased NAD levels have been associated with many age-related declines in overall health.

06:26 EDT Advanced Disposal Services up 21% to $32.80 after Waste Management acquisition - In pre-market trading, shares of Advanced Disposal Services (ADSW) are up 21% to $32.80 after agreeing to be acquired by Waste Management (WM) for $33.15 per share in cash. Shares of Waste Management are up 2% to $104.02.

06:14 EDT Citigroup to refund retail customers for investment losses in Australia - Following an Australian Securities and Investments Commission investigation, Citigroup will refund over A$3M to 114 retail customers for losses arising out of structured product investments offered by Citigroup between 2013 and 2017. Citigroup will also write to over 1000 customers remaining in the products to provide them an opportunity to exit early without cost. ASIC investigated Citigroup's sale and provision of general advice to customers for fixed coupon structured products, which are complex, capital at risk products tied to the performance of reference shares. From January 1, 2018, as a result of ASIC's investigation, Citigroup ceased selling structured products to retails clients under a general advice model.

06:08 EDT Hudbay Minerals reports Manitoba Q1 copper production down 20% from last year - Hudbay Minerals released its Q1 Manitoba production results and provided an update on exploration drilling results at its Snow Lake properties. Highlights include: the Lalor mine completed ramp up to a nominal throughput rate of 4,500 tonnes per day in February, resulting in record quarterly production; the Stall concentrator achieved record quarterly production as a result of operating and maintenance improvements; production results in the Q1 are on track to achieve full year production guidance; follow-up drilling on the recently discovered 1901 Zone between Lalor and Chisel North continues to intersect significant mineralization; evaluating plans to develop an underground exploration platform from the existing Chisel-Lalor ramp in order to drill the 1901 Zone; if this zone is confirmed to be economic, the exploration infrastructure could allow for a quick ramp up to production; initial mineral reserve estimates on WIM, Pen II and New Britannia deposits expected with the 2019 annual year-end reserve and resource update. In the Q1, copper, gold, and silver production was 20%, 21% and 14% lower, respectively, compared to the same period in 2018 due to the closure of Reed mine, partially offset by increased production at 777 and Lalor. Zinc production was 3% lower compared to the same period in 2018 due to lower 777 zinc grade, partially offset by higher grades at Lalor.

06:04 EDT Waste Management, Advanced Disposal confirm 2019 guidance - Both Waste Management (WM) and Advanced Disposal (ADSW) remain confident in the strength of their businesses and expect to achieve previously announced full-year guidance, excluding transaction-related considerations.

06:03 EDT Waste Management to acquire Advanced Disposal Services for $33.15 per share - Waste Management (WM) and Advanced Disposal Services (ADSW) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which a subsidiary of Waste Management will acquire all outstanding shares of Advanced Disposal for $33.15 per share in cash, representing a total enterprise value of $4.9B when including approximately $1.9B of Advanced Disposal's net debt. The per share price represents a premium of 22.1% to Advanced Disposal's closing share price as of April 12, the last trading day prior to today's announcement, and a premium of 20.9% to Advanced Disposal's 30-day volume weighted average price as of the same date. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition. Waste Management intends to finance the transaction using a combination of bank debt and senior notes. Following completion of the transaction, Waste Management expects to maintain a strong balance sheet and solid investment grade credit profile with a pro forma leverage ratio within the company's long-term targeted net debt-to-EBITDA range of 2.75x to 3.0x. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is expected to close by the first quarter of 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and approval by a majority of the holders of Advanced Disposal's outstanding common shares. In connection with the definitive agreement, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, which owns approximately 19% of Advanced Disposal's outstanding shares, has, under the terms of a voting agreement, agreed to vote its shares in favor of the transaction.

05:48 EDT Tesla's Musk says full self-driving price will increase starting May 1 - Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted yesterday, "Please note that the price of the Tesla Full Self-Driving option will increase substantially over time...Starting May 1." He also tweeted on Sunday, "Lease a Tesla online in a few mins & have it delivered to your house (return within 7 days for full refund)."

05:32 EDT Taiwan Liposome announces end-of-Phase II meeting with FDA for TLC599 - TLC announced the "successful" completion of its End-of-Phase II meeting with the FDA on receiving guidance, and discussing the clinical and regulatory pathway for a potential U.S. approval of TLC599, a BioSeizer liposomal formulation of dexamethasone sodium phosphate for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. In agreement with the FDA, the company believes its proposed overall design of a single global pivotal Phase III trial will be sufficient to support a New Drug Application submission. TLC expects to initiate the Phase III trial in mid-2019.

05:26 EDT Caesarstone names new Global Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Information Officer - Caesarstone (CSTE) announces two appointments to its global management team. Rinat Efrima was appointed as the new Global Chief Marketing Officer and Managing Director for Israel, effective July 1 and Suzie Roth as the new Chief Information Officer, effective June 1. Efrima moves to Caesarstone from Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB). Immediately prior to joining Caesarstone, Roth held the Head of Global Business Application position at Netafim.

05:21 EDT Masimo announces findings of study using Masimo O3 Regional Oximetry - Masimo announced the findings of a study, recently published in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, in which researchers at Austin Hospital in Melbourne, Australia sought to measure cerebral oxygenation in a large cohort of healthy volunteers, using Masimo O3 Regional Oximetry, to establish a normal range of values and investigate the relationship between cerebral oxygenation and other physical and hemodynamic characteristics. O3 uses near-infrared spectroscopy, or NIRS, to monitor cerebral oxygenation in situations in which peripheral pulse oximetry alone may not be fully indicative of the oxygen in the brain. Noting that "normative values for clinical devices are essential to allow for definition of abnormality during clinical use" and that available regional cerebral tissue oxygen saturation, or SctO2, reference values have limitations, including not taking into account variables such as brain hemisphere, sex, skin type, height, weight, and others, Dr. Christopher Eyeington and colleagues used Masimo O3 to assess for differences in SctO2 between hemispheres, sex, and comorbidity and smoking status, and for associations between SctO2 and key physical and hemodynamic characteristics, in healthy adults. They enrolled 98 volunteers, 22-60 years old, including 41 males, 22 with one or more co-morbidities, 13 current or former smokers, and with a variety of skin types. Each volunteer was monitored continuously for five minutes using O3 on the Masimo Root Patient Monitoring and Connectivity Hub, with SctO2 measurements recorded every two seconds.