Stockwinners Market Radar for May 02, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:15 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 745.52MT from 746.69MT - This is the lowest level of holdings since October 12th, 2018.

20:12 EDT Warren Buffett tells CNBC he bought shares of Amazon.com

19:10 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Weight Watchers (WW) up 16.2%... Universal Display (OLED) up 14.3%... Zix Corp (ZIXI) up 12.2%... Carbonite (CARB) up 11.8%... MercadoLibre (MELI) up 10.3%... Carbon Black (CBLK) up 9.4%... Monster Beverage (MNST) up 7.8%... Shake Shack (SHAK) up 6.7%... MasTec (MTZ) up 6.7%... Funko (FNKO) up 6.5%... California Resources (CRC) up 6.3%... Ultra Clean Holdings (UCTT) up 6.2%... US Steel (X) up 5.1%... Alder Bio (ALDR) up 4.6%... Builders FirstSource (BLDR) up 4.2%... ResMed (RMD) up 4.0%... Mercer Intl (MERC) up 3.8%... Willscot (WSC) up 3.4%... ViewRay (VRAY) up 3.4%... US Cellular (USM) up 3.2%... Tableau Software (DATA) up 2.9%... Motorola Solutions (MSI) up 2.6%... Gilead (GILD) up 1.0%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Arista Networks (ANET) down 15.4%... Stericycle (SRCL) down 14.4%... Floor & Decor (FND) down 11.0%... Globus Medical (GMED) down 9.7%... Teradata (TDC) down 8.5%... Bottomline Technologies (EPAY) down 7.7%... El Pollo Loco (LOCO) down 6.6%... LivePerson (LPSN) down 6.1%... Planet Fitness (PLNT) down 5.8%... Ligand Pharma (LGND) down 5.7%... NeoPhotonics (NPTN) down 5.2%... B&G Foods (BGS) down 5.2%... Activision (ATVI) down 5.1%... Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC) down 5.0%... Herbalife (HLF) down 5.0%... Pixelworks (PXLW) down 4.6%... T2 Biosystems (TTOO) down 3.6%... Skyworks (SWKS) down 3.6%... Expedia (EXPE) down 3.3%... First Solar (FSLR) down 3.3%... GoDaddy (GDDY) down 3.3%... Unisys Corp (UIS) down 3.2%... Fortinet (FTNT) down 3.1%... Chemours (CC) down 2.1%. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:43 EDT Core Laboratories CEO: In the second half, we'll start seeing more revenue - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Core Laboratories CEO David Demshur said: Core drivers for growth are Internationally based projects... In the second half, we'll start seeing more revenue... Should see some nice developments in coming years in the North slope of Alaska.

18:22 EDT Navient reaches agreement with Canyon Partners, to add two new directors - Navient and Canyon Partners announced that they reached a cooperation agreement pursuant to which Navient will add two directors, Marjorie Bowen and Larry Klane, to its board as soon as practicable. Bowen is a former investment banker and Klane is a financial technology investor and former banking executive. Both will be nominated by Navient for election at Navient's upcoming annual meeting, scheduled for June 6. Under the agreement, Canyon will withdraw its nomination notice and vote in favor of directors nominated by Navient at the annual meeting.

18:12 EDT Assembly Biosciences announces departure of CFO, COO Graham Cooper - Assembly Biosciences announced the departure of Graham Cooper, CFO and COO, to pursue other interests. The company has initiated a search for a new CFO and Michael Samar, assembly's VP finance and business operations, has been appointed to serve as principal accounting officer and has assumed certain of Cooper's responsibilities.

17:57 EDT MarketAxess announces monthly training volume for April of $170.2B - MarketAxess announced total monthly trading volume for April of $170.2B, consisting of $84.7B in U.S. high-grade volume, $81.4B in other credit volume, and $4.1B in liquid products volume.

17:52 EDT Misonix to acquire Solsys in an all-stock transaction valued at $97M - Misonix has entered into a definitive agreement with Solsys Medical, to acquire Solsys in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $97M. Under the terms of the agreement, Misonix will issue approximately 5.7M new shares to Solsys unitholders. After the completion of the transaction, it is expected that Misonix shareholders immediately prior to the closing will own 64% of the combined entity, and Solsys unitholders will own 36%. Misonix will also assume Solsys' outstanding secured debt of approximately $20M upon closing. Solsys markets an advanced wound care product under the brand name TheraSkin, a cellular and tissue-based product for regenerative wound healing designed to help healthcare professionals treat difficult-to-heal chronic wounds. TheraSkin is a clinically proven, minimally manipulated, living human split-thickness skin allograft that is cryopreserved to retain living cells and growth factors while maintaining a mature native human dermal architecture. In calendar 2019, Solsys is expected to achieve sales of approximately $32M. In FY20, the pro forma company is expected to generate over $80M in sales. The combined company anticipates top line revenue growth in excess of 20% per annum over the next several years. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The completion of the acquisition and the issuance of Misonix shares in connection with the proposed transaction is subject to the approval by Misonix shareholders and the completion of the transaction is subject to approval by 55% of Solsys' Series E unitholders and a majority of its common unitholders, Series A unitholders, Series B unitholders, Series C unitholders and Series D unitholders, voting as a single class, as well as the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to be completed in Q3.

17:47 EDT Balchem to acquire privately held Chemogas, sees as accretive to EPS in 2019 - Balchem announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Chemogas, a privately held specialty gases company, headquartered in Grimbergen, Belgium, from Benelux private equity firm Gilde Equity Management and Chemogas management. The closing of the transaction is still subject to the completion of customary closing conditions. Chemogas' 2019 revenues are expected to be approximately EURO$29M with an EBITDA margin of approximately 30%. The transaction will be financed through the company's existing revolving credit facility and cash on hand. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Balchem's earnings per share in 2019, on an adjusted basis. Credit Suisse provided financial advisory services on the transaction. Chemogas has been a leader in the packaging and distribution of a wide variety of specialty gases, most notably ethylene oxide, primarily in the European and Asian markets, for medical device sterilization. Through its operational and logistical excellence, Chemogas supports its customers' needs across more than 70 countries. With this acquisition, Balchem significantly expands its geographic presence in the packaged ethylene oxide market, enabling the company to offer worldwide service and support to its medical device sterilization customers. The Chemogas sites in Europe and Asia will form a global network of facilities when combined with Balchem's sites in the United States.

17:39 EDT Stericycle names Janet Zelenka CFO effective June 1 - Stericycle announced that Janet H. Zelenka has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective June 1. Ms. Zelenka brings deep financial, IT and operational experience to Stericycle. She joins Stericycle after 15 years with Essendant Inc., most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer until the company's acquisition by Sycamore Partners earlier this year. "During this transformational time for Stericycle, I am pleased to add a CFO with such a strong breadth of expertise across corporate finance, accounting, information technology and operations," said Cindy Miller, Stericycle's Chief Executive Officer. "Janet's proven transformational leadership experience will make her a valuable addition to our team as we implement a global enterprise resource planning platform and reposition Stericycle for long-term growth and improved profitability." As previously announced, Daniel V. Ginnetti, Stericycle's current CFO, will transition to become Executive Vice President of International when Ms. Zelenka joins the Company.

17:25 EDT Post backs FY19 adjusted EBITDA view $1.2B-$1.4B - In fiscal year 2019, Post management expects to incur $19M-$21M of restructuring and plant closure costs associated with the closure of certain cereal facilities, which are treated as adjustments to non-GAAP measures and comprised of severance, retention and related expenses, adjustments on assets held for sale and accelerated depreciation. Post management continues to expect fiscal year 2019 capital expenditures to range between $300M-$310M.

17:21 EDT Corcept says EMA recommends orphan drug designation for relacorilant - Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated announced that the European Medicines Agency Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products has issued a positive opinion recommending the approval of orphan drug designation for Corcept's proprietary, selective cortisol modulator, relacorilant, for the treatment of Cushing's syndrome. The European Commission is expected to adopt the COMP's recommendation in May 2019. Orphan drug designation in the European Union provides regulatory and financial incentives for companies to develop and market therapies to treat serious disorders affecting no more than five in 10,000 persons in the EU, including ten-year marketing exclusivity in the EU upon approval, eligibility for protocol assistance, reduced fees and access to the EU's centralized marketing authorization procedure. To be considered for orphan designation in the EU, there must be plausible evidence of a drug candidate's efficacy and of its potential to confer significant clinical benefit compared to already-approved treatments. The COMP letter states, "The sponsor has provided clinical data that demonstrate that the product can reduce blood pressure and improve control of hyperglycaemia in patients who were not adequately managed by currently authorised products. The Committee considered that this constitutes a clinically relevant advantage." The medications ketoconazole, metyropone and pasireotide are approved in the EU for the treatment of one or more aetologies of Cushing's syndrome.

17:17 EDT Ribbon Communications sees FY19 non-GAAP adj EBITDA $100M

17:15 EDT Atlantic Power backs FY19 Project adjusted EBITDA $175M-$190M

17:04 EDT Pembina Pipeline raises monthly dividend 5.3% to 20c from 19c per share - To be paid on June 14 to shareholders of record on May 24.

16:54 EDT Activision Blizzard feels 'very good' about how content lineup is shaping up - Says environment remains "competitive."

16:52 EDT JPMorgan estimates reasonably possible legal losses of up to $1.4B at March 31 - In a regulatory filing, JPMorgan said it believes the estimate of the aggregate range of reasonably possible losses, in excess of reserves established, for its legal proceedings is from $0 to approximately $1.4B at March 31, 2019. The company said: This estimated aggregate range of reasonably possible losses was based upon information available as of that date for those proceedings in which the Firm believes that an estimate of reasonably possible loss can be made."

16:46 EDT Activision says believes Call of Duty will translate well to mobile platforms

16:44 EDT Builders FirstSource says commodity prices to be headwind - "Our team demonstrated the breadth, diversity and strength of our platform in a challenging first quarter. The fundamentals of demand for housing remain intact as we move into the spring sales season. Although commodity prices will be a headwind compared to last year, our fifteen thousand team members are focused on above market growth and exceptional service to our customers across our national footprint. This includes executing on our strategic initiatives in value-added products and our operational excellence programs. I want to thank our team members who enabled us to deliver value to our customers and excellent financial results to our shareholders," concluded Mr. Crow.

16:44 EDT Activision: Overwatch League viewership hours up 30% vs. first season - Says viewership hours to date for the second season of Overwatch League are over 30% higher than in the first season. Says the second season commenced to "sell-out crowds."

16:40 EDT Activision Blizzard down nearly 5% after hours following Q1 earnings report

16:39 EDT Activision Blizzard says 'selectively' investing in new franchises - Says "selectively" investing in new franchises. Sees "clear" opportunities to grow reach, monetization of franchises. Comments from Q1 earnings conference call.

16:38 EDT Amgen to present new long-term data of Aimovig at AAN in Philadelphia - Amgen announced that it will present new long-term data of Aimovig across the migraine spectrum at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Data from a one-year open-label extension trial following a three-month double blind study in patients with chronic migraine showed sustained efficacy and safety in this patient population, including a potential for conversion to episodic migraine. Additionally, one-year results of the Phase 3 STRIVE study reinforced the sustained efficacy and safety profile of Aimovig in patients with episodic migraine, including patients who had tried and failed prior preventive treatments.

16:35 EDT Bemis shareholders approve combination with Amcor - Bemis Company, Inc. announced that its shareholders voted to approve Bemis' combination with Amcor Limited at the company's Special Meeting of Shareholders held earlier today. Nearly 76% of shares outstanding voted in favor of the transaction; of the votes cast, approximately 96% were in favor of the transaction.

16:32 EDT California Resources sees FY19 capital program $300M-$385M - CRC's internally funded investments will be largely directed to short payout projects, such as primary drilling and capital workovers, and low-risk projects including waterflood and steamflood investments that maintain base production. CRC estimates its 2019 internally funded capital program will range from $300 million to $385 million, which may be adjusted during the course of the year depending on commodity prices. CRC obtained an additional $50 million investment from BSP during the first quarter of 2019 and continues discussions to obtain additional investments from new and existing JVs to achieve a total capital budget of approximately $500 million. CRC continues to implement an opportunistic hedging program to protect its cash flow, operating margins and capital program, while maintaining adequate liquidity. For the second quarter of 2019, CRC has protected its downside price risk on approximately 40,000 barrels per day at approximately $70 Brent. For the third and fourth quarters of 2019, CRC has protected the downside price risk on approximately 40,000 and 35,000 barrels per day at approximately $73 Brent and $76 Brent, respectively. The underlying instruments in our 2019 hedge program are puts and put spreads that provide full upside to oil price movements. For the first and second quarters of 2020, CRC has protected the downside risk of approximately 25,000 and 15,000 barrels per day at approximately $72 Brent and $70 Brent, respectively. CRC's 2019 and 2020 put spreads provide downside price protection until Brent prices drop to between $55 and $60 per barrel, at which point we receive Brent plus approximately $15 per barrel

16:29 EDT Fortinet sees FY19 billings $2.47B-$2.52B

16:27 EDT Century Communities reports Q1 home deliveries up 77% to 1,663 homes - Q1 Homes in backlog rose 35% to 2,376 homes.

16:23 EDT Activision: Second season of Overwatch League has seen strong viewership growth - "We started the year with strong operating discipline and exceeded our prior outlook for the first quarter. We are increasing investment in our biggest franchises to better deliver against our growth potential, and I am pleased with our progress," said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. "We're continuing to enhance our leadership position in esports. The second season of the Overwatch League has seen strong growth in viewership, and we're seeing enthusiastic demand for our professional, city-based Call of Duty league franchises. We have already sold the first five Call of Duty teams in Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Paris and Toronto to owners who recognize the scale of the opportunity from their partnerships with us on the Overwatch League."

16:20 EDT Hercules Capital boosts quarterly cash distribution to 32c from 31c - Hercules Capital announced that its board has increased and declared a Q1 cash distribution of 32c per share. The record date is May 13 and the payment date is May 20.

16:19 EDT RLI Corp. CFO Brown announces retireent - RLI Corp. announced the planned retirement of Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Thomas L. Brown, on July 1, 2019, after eight years of service with the company. Todd W. Bryant, Vice President, Finance & Controller, has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer and will succeed Brown when he retires in July. Bryant joined RLI in 1993 and held various positions in the accounting department before becoming Vice President, Finance & Controller in 2009. Prior to joining RLI, Bryant worked at Arthur Andersen & Co. He brings 25 years of insurance industry experience to his new role.

16:16 EDT Arista Networks authorizes $1B stock buyback

16:14 EDT Altice USA reiterates 2019 guidance, including $1.5B of share repurchases

16:12 EDT Activision Blizzard reports 345M MAUs in Q1 - Activision Blizzard had 345 million Monthly Active Users in the quarter, with 41 million at Activision, 32 million at Blizzard, and 272 million at King. King MAUs were up sequentially for the second quarter in a row driven by the Candy Crush franchise where MAUsC again grew quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year. Candy Crush Friends Saga(TM) continues to attract both former and new players to the franchise. Sekiro(TM): Shadows Die Twice launched in March to 90-plus Metacritic scores. The game sold-through more than two million copies worldwide in less than 10 days.

16:08 EDT CBS' Acting CEO says grew across all key financial metrics - "CBS has once again grown across all of our key financial metrics, while continuing to invest in our future as a global multiplatform premium content company," said Joe Ianniello, President and Acting CEO, CBS Corporation. "We delivered higher profits and achieved double-digit revenue growth, helped in part by Super Bowl LIII and strong increases in affiliate and subscription fee revenues. At a time when others are losing subscribers, our total number of subs across traditional MVPDs, virtual MVPDs and our direct-to-consumer services once again grew strongly during the quarter. In fact, our direct-to-consumer subs grew 71% from last year, and we are seeing strong growth here in the second quarter thanks to premium original series such as The Twilight Zone on CBS All Access and Billions on Showtime. At the same time, we also continue to produce more and more content for a variety of buyers, including Amazon, Apple and Netflix, which will debut the critically acclaimed Dead to Me from CBS Television Studios tomorrow. Plus, in two weeks we'll be unveiling a whole new lineup of hit shows on the #1 broadcast network -- and most-powerful platform in the business -- the CBS Television Network. Given our Company's strong programming pipeline and our early-mover advantage in direct-to-consumer, we feel very confident about CBS' leadership position in a media landscape that values must-have content above all else."

16:06 EDT Gulfport Energy Net production averaged 1,263.6 MMcfe per day during Q1

16:03 EDT Church & Dwight names CEO Matthew Farrell chairman of the board - Church & Dwight Co announced that Matthew T. Farrell has been appointed chairman of the Board effective following the Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Matt will take on these responsibilities in addition to his existing role as President and Chief Executive Officer, which he has held since January 2016.

16:01 EDT Amgen and Synapse partner in precision oncology medicine - Amgen and Syapse, a company powering precision medicine insights through its global provider network, announced a precision medicine collaboration in oncology. Amgen and Syapse will develop observational research analytics to assess treatment outcomes for areas of unmet need in oncology. This effort will identify existing patients within the Syapse Learning Health Network that could be eligible for Amgen-sponsored clinical trials and seek to bring these trials to community health system sites. The companies will create opportunities for physicians and researchers within the Syapse Network to gain access to analytics, real-world evidence-based insights, and collaborative research opportunities. Amgen will also work with Syapse to develop real-world evidence standards to support the acceleration of therapies to market.

15:04 EDT Preferred Apartment raises quarterly dividend about 1% to 26.25c per share - Preferred Apartment Communities announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend on its common stock of 26.25c per share for the second quarter of 2019. This is an increase of 0.25c per share or approximately 1.0% over the prior quarterly dividend rate of 26c per share paid to common stockholders for the first quarter of 2019 and an increase of 0.75c per share or approximately 2.9% over the dividend rate of 25.5c paid to common stockholders for the second quarter of 2018. This also represents an annualized dividend growth rate of 13.8% since our first dividend following PAC's IPO in April 2011. The dividend is payable on July 15, 2019 to all common stockholders of record as of June 14, 2019.

14:25 EDT Biogen higher after tofersen study shows potential for ALS treatment - On Wednesday night, Biogen (BIIB) announced interim results of a phase 1/2 study of tofersen, an antisense oligonucleotide, or ASO, being studied for the potential treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, in adults with a confirmed superoxide dismutase 1 or SOD1, mutation. The data will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. "The interim results of this study, which achieved proof-of-biology and proof-of-concept, support the initiation of a phase 3 clinical trial to confirm the efficacy and safety of tofersen in SOD1-ALS patients and further demonstrate the potential of ASOs to target the genetic driver of disease," said Michael Ehlers, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president, research and development at Biogen. "We are committed to bringing a potential breakthrough therapy to patients with ALS and we are expediting our efforts with the aim of addressing this urgent unmet need." PROGRESSIVE DISEASE: ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. People with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death. The average life span after diagnosis is two to five years. Approximately 10% of all ALS cases are genetic and about a fifth of those are caused by SOD1 gene mutations, says the American Academy of Neurology or AAN."The treatment that we researched in this study, an antisense oligonucleotide called tofersen or BIIB067, works by targeting and reducing protein created by the mutated gene," said study author Timothy M. Miller, MD, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "That mutated protein is toxic and leads to ALS by damaging the nerve cells that control movement. Our research aimed to decrease the production of that protein." OWNING BIOGEN MAKES SENSE: According to Piper Jaffray analyst Christopher Raymond, owning Biogen shares at these levels "makes a lot of sense." With valuation and sentiment near all-time lows, the company needs only a few things to go right in order for the stock to start working again, says the analyst. He believes a number of near term catalysts, namely a settlement with Mylan (MYL) over Tecfidera and positive pipeline updates, could "meaningfully change the narrative" on Biogen shares. Raymond kept an Overweight rating on the name with a $280 price target in a note to investors out earlier on Thursday. According to BioSpace, Sanofi (SNY) makes a drug to treat ALS by the name of Rilutek. It was the first drug approved by the FDA to treat ALS, but "it's no cure for ALS," though it can slow progression of the disease. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Biogen are off earlier highs, up 1% to $232.08 in afternoon trading.

13:35 EDT Macerich says may raise up to $800M in equity to pay down debt, JV - Comments taken from the company's Q1 earnings conference call.

13:19 EDT NIO Inc. lays off 70 employees, closes office in San Francisco - NIO has laid off 70 employees across two Silicon Valley offices, one of which is now closed, according to a filing with California's Employment Development Department. Twenty employees were let go from the company's North American headquarters and R&D center in San Jose, California, while 50 employees were cut from NIO's San Francisco office. The San Francisco office has been closed, according to the filing. Reference Link

13:08 EDT Amyris director Frank Kung purchases almost $4.4M in company shares - Amyris director Frank Kung disclosed in a filing late Wednesday evening that he had purchased 913,529 shares of company stock at $4.76 per share on April 29. The total transaction value of the purchase was $4,348,398.

12:51 EDT U.S. Steel to invest $1B in steelmaking technology at Mon Valley Works - Earlier today, U.S. Steel announced it will invest more than $1B to construct a new sustainable endless casting and rolling facility at its Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pa., and a cogeneration facility at its Clairton Plant in Clairton, Pa., both part of the company's Mon Valley Works. The cutting-edge endless casting and rolling technology combines thin slab casting and hot rolled band production into one continuous process and will make Mon Valley Works the first facility of this type in the United States, and one of only a handful in the world. "This is a truly transformational investment for U. S. Steel. We are combining our integrated steelmaking process with industry-leading endless casting and rolling to reinvest in steelmaking and secure the future for a new generation of steelworkers in Western Pennsylvania and the Mon Valley," said David B. Burritt, President and Chief Executive Officer of U. S. Steel. "U. S. Steel's investment in leading technology and advanced manufacturing aligns with our vision to be the industry leader in delivering high-quality, value-added products and innovative solutions that address our customers' most challenging steel needs for the future. We believe that adding sustainable steel technology to our footprint will create long-term value for our employees, our region, our customers and our investors."

12:44 EDT Hughes partners with Facebook to launch Wi-Fi Hotspots in Brazil, Mexico - Hughes Network Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar (SATS), announced a partnership with Facebook (FB) to launch HughesNet Wi-Fi Hotspots throughout Brazil and Mexico, supported by the Facebook Express Wi-Fi platform. HughesNet Wi-Fi Hotspots empower local merchants of villages and towns to offer affordable Internet access to their customers on a prepaid basis, employing a solution that combines a Hughes satellite VSAT and Wi-Fi equipment with Facebook's Express Wi-Fi platform. "Express Wi-Fi supports the Facebook Connectivity mission to bring more people online to a faster Internet," said Paul Monte, technical program manager, Express Wi-Fi, Facebook. "We're excited to partner with Hughes given the great potential to connect rural communities across Latin America by leveraging both Hughes satellite technology to reach underserved areas and the Express Wi-Fi platform to offer an end-to-end software solution for the network operators, local retailers and Internet users."

12:20 EDT GSK, Innoviva say Phase III CAPTAIN study met primary endpoint - GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Innoviva, Inc. (INVA) announced headline results from the pivotal phase III CAPTAIN study of once-daily single inhaler triple therapy Trelegy Ellipta compared to Relvar/Breo Ellipta, in the treatment of patients living with uncontrolled asthma. The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant 110mL improvement in lung function for FF/UMEC/VI 100/62.5/25mcg compared with Relvar/Breo 100/25mcg and a statistically significant 92mL improvement in trough FEV1 for FF/UMEC/VI 200/62.5/25mcg versus Relvar/Breo 200/25mcg. The key secondary endpoint was annualised rate of moderate/severe exacerbations for FF/UMEC/VI versus Relvar/Breo and demonstrated a 13% reduction in exacerbations, however this was not statistically significant. Therefore, all subsequent analyses were considered descriptive. Dr. Hal Barron, Chief Scientific Officer and President, R&D, GSK, said: "We believe a once-daily single inhaler triple therapy that improves lung function is an advance for patients with uncontrolled asthma since this option is not currently available. We plan to submit these data for regulatory review after the full dataset is available."

12:13 EDT Power Integrations VP Walker sells 10,000 shares at $78.76 - Power Integrations vice president of corporate development Clifford Walker disclosed the sale of 10,000 shares at a price of $78.76, or $787,564. Walker still owns 81,702 shares of Power Integrations.

12:00 EDT Fluor falls -24.5% - Fluor is down -24.5%, or -$9.61 to $29.54.

12:00 EDT Ryerson rises 12.0% - Ryerson is up 12.0%, or $1.07 to $10.02.

12:00 EDT Materion rises 17.2% - Materion is up 17.2%, or $10.00 to $68.13.

11:15 EDT McKesson settles West Virginia opioid distribution claims for $37M - West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and the Attorney General's Office announced a $37M settlement with McKesson. The settlement resolves allegations by the state related to the distribution of controlled substances to West Virginia licensed and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration registered dispensers in the state. It does not resolve any allegations brought by counties, municipalities or other political subdivisions within West Virginia. "The $37 million settlement represents what is believed to be the largest state settlement of its kind in the nation against any single pharmaceutical distributor," the Attorney General's Office said in a statement. Reference Link

10:24 EDT Barclays announces annual general meeting results, says Bramson bid defeated - Barclays announced that its annual general meeting was held earlier today and that all resolutions, with the exception of Resolution 24, were passed. Resolution 24, "That Mr. Edward Bramson be and is hereby appointed as a Director of the Company," was defeated as 87.21% of votes were cast "Against" the resolution, the company announced. Barclays added: "The Board notes that while Resolution 2 was passed with a majority of 70.79%, a number of our shareholders opposed this resolution. We are disappointed in this outcome and will seek and reflect carefully on feedback from our shareholders in order to understand more fully the reasons for the opposition to this resolution. An update on the consultation process will be made in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, within six months of the AGM. We expect to seek shareholder approval for a new Directors' Remuneration Policy at our AGM in 2020 in line with the normal cycle for renewal."

10:14 EDT PolarityTE trading resumes, shares up 12% to $10.21

10:12 EDT Kellogg says expects to exit the year with growth in gross margin

10:06 EDT Gannett: ISS has reached 'wrong' conclusion, Rossi has 'conflicts of interest' - Gannett issued a statement in response to a report issued by ISS in connection with the company's 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 16, 2019. Commenting on the report, the company issued the following statement: "We are pleased that ISS has recommended that Gannett shareholders withhold votes for two of MNG's nominees, Heath Freeman and Dana Goldsmith Needleman, and recognizes the significant concerns Gannett has raised regarding financing, antitrust and pension issues as it relates to MNG's unsolicited proposal. However, we firmly believe that ISS has reached the wrong conclusion in failing to recommend that Gannett shareholders vote FOR ALL of Gannett's eight highly experienced and fully independent director nominees - John Jeffry Louis, John E. Cody, Stephen W. Coll, Donald Felsinger, Lila Ibrahim, Lawrence S. Kramer, Debra Sandler and Chloe R. Sladden - on the WHITE proxy card. As we have stated before, Steven Rossi has NO public board experience outside of his brief tenure on the board of Fred's, Inc., a regional pharmacy chain, where he was appointed not due to his qualifications, but instead due to his relationship with Mr. Freeman and Alden Global Capital, the controlling shareholder of both MNG and Fred's. Indeed, Mr. Rossi was appointed to the Fred's board along with Mr. Freeman pursuant to a Cooperation Agreement between Fred's and Alden. During his tenure on the Fred's board, Mr. Rossi has overseen significant value destruction, with the stock declining 92% since Alden invested in December 2016, despite Fred's operating in a steadily growing market. Furthermore and even more troubling, we believe Mr. Rossi's very close ties to MNG and Alden would prevent him from being able to meaningfully fulfill his duties as a Gannett director. Mr. Rossi served as CEO of MNG (a direct competitor of Gannett) until his retirement in November 2017 and, as noted, currently serves as a director on the Fred's board, after being hand-picked for the board by Alden. Because of the clear and concerning conflicts of interest resulting from Mr. Rossi's affiliations with a direct competitor and the controlling owner of a direct competitor, Mr. Rossi may face significant restrictions on the company information to which he could have access, meaning he could not benefit from the same information available to Gannett's independent director nominees and would not be able to participate fully in decisions critical to creating value for our shareholders... Replacing any of Gannett's directors with Mr. Rossi - or any of MNG's nominees - would deprive the board of critical experience and expertise that are central to Gannett's operations, digital transformation and value proposition and would jeopardize the value of shareholders' investment. "

10:03 EDT PolarityTE halted for volatility after jumping 15% to $10.42

10:00 EDT ION Geophysical falls -18.1% - ION Geophysical is down -18.1%, or -$2.20 to $9.97.

10:00 EDT Eventbrite falls -33.7% - Eventbrite is down -33.7%, or -$8.15 to $16.00.

10:00 EDT William Lyon Homes rises 11.6% - William Lyon Homes is up 11.6%, or $2.01 to $19.27.

09:59 EDT Kellogg CEO says 'feels good'' about North America Frozen business

09:57 EDT MNG Enterprises 'welcomes' ISS support for nominee to Gannett board - MNG Enterprises announced that Institutional Shareholder Services has recommended that shareholders of Gannett vote on the BLUE proxy card and support the election of Steven Rossi to Gannett's Board of Directors at the Company's upcoming annual meeting of shareholders on May 16, 2019. ISS analyzed detailed presentations and met with both sides to hear their positions and considered, among other things, "Gannett's significant underperformance experienced under its current Board, the Gannett Board's failure to engage with MNG on its $12 per share, premium, all-cash offer, as well as the potential benefits of having an MNG nominee on the Gannett Board." In response to the report, MNG stated the following: "The ISS report echoes what MNG has been saying all along - that Gannett has underperformed, that its digital strategy has yet to bear fruit and may never do so, and that Gannett needs a catalyst for change on its board and should properly consider MNG's offer or other strategic alternatives. However, we believe it is imperative that Gannett shareholders vote for all three of MNG's nominees to ensure the Gannett board act now to maximize value." MNG continued: "We appreciate that ISS recognizes the significant shortcomings of Gannett's entrenched Board. The best way for Gannett shareholders to effect change is to vote for the three MNG nominees on the BLUE card. Without the additional new perspective of MNG's three nominees, shareholders continue to have significant risk that Gannett will remain on its path towards complete value erosion and will continue to spurn MNG's offer and potentially other value maximizing opportunities."

09:47 EDT Whiting Petroleum falls -13.4% - Whiting Petroleum is down -13.4%, or -$3.55 to $22.98.

09:47 EDT Kellogg CFO says expects pending divestiture to close in late July - CFO Fareed Khan Says Q1 played out 'according to script'. Says every region posted positive price mix in Q1. Says 'back on the road' to steady organic growth. Says experiencing accelerated inflation in fuel. Says remains confident gross margins will get less and less negative as year goes on.

09:47 EDT GMS Inc. rises 8.0% - GMS Inc. is up 8.0%, or $1.44 to $19.48.

09:47 EDT William Lyon Homes rises 15.8% - William Lyon Homes is up 15.8%, or $2.72 to $19.98.

09:45 EDT Tellurian's Driftwood LNG receives authorization for LNG exports - Tellurian announced that the United States Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy has issued the long-term authorization for Driftwood LNG to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas from its proposed export facility to non-free trade agreement countries. U.S. Secretary of State Rick Perry said, "I am pleased to announce the order signed today authorizing Driftwood, owned by Tellurian Inc., to export up to 3.88 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas as LNG, to any country that does not have a free trade agreement with the United States. The United States is now in its third consecutive year as a net exporter of natural gas, now exporting domestic LNG to 35 countries. I applaud the American private sector for continuing to reach new milestones and look forward to continued growth in this sector." "Tellurian thanks the U.S. Administration, Secretary Perry and the DOE staff for their diligence in authorizing this order that is crucial to global LNG trade. The U.S. will become a top three LNG exporter and Tellurian intends to do our part in creating U.S. jobs while delivering a cleaner energy supply source to the world," said Tellurian President and CEO Meg Gentle.

09:32 EDT Axis Capital names Tony Jordan as group chief actuary - AXIS Capital announced the hiring of Tony Jordan as its Group Chief Actuary. In this role, Jordan will have oversight of the organization's corporate actuarial function including reserving functions, capital modeling and investment risk. This will include integrating the information, insights and analytics across these functional responsibilities to provide guidance to the Company's business units. Jordan will also oversee the company's Group Reserve Committee. He will report to Pete Vogt, Group CFO, and will be based in the company's London office.

09:24 EDT Ligand completes enrollment of Phase 1 clinical trial of CE Iohexol program - Ligand Pharmaceuticals announces completion of enrollment of the Company's Phase 1 clinical trial of its internal Captisol-enabled, or CE, Iohexol program. The CE-Iohexol program is designed to develop a Captisol-enabled, next-generation contrast agent for diagnostic imaging with a reduced risk of renal toxicity. Ligand also provides below a summary of the findings of a survey of clinicians on radiocontrast agent selection and use.

09:20 EDT Discovery CEO says doesn't see any major M&A on the horizon

09:17 EDT Under Armour says revenue was up 25% in Asia Pacific in Q1 - Says softer demand in direct to consumer offering. Says on track for full year revenue target. Says Q2 was highest growth quarter last year. Says building a store every 36 hours. Says stepping off gas with promotional activity. Says will continue to build presence in basketball. Says feels really good about where the company stands in North America. Says incredibly excited about what Asia Pacific, specifically China, can mean to the company.

09:12 EDT Medtronic receives FDA approval for CareLink SmartSync - Medtronic (MDT) announced that the company has received FDA approval for the CareLink SmartSync device manager. With the introduction of SmartSync, physicians will now be able to use an Apple (AAPL) iPad to program and manage data from Medtronic's BlueSync-enabled implanted cardiac devices.

09:07 EDT Comtech's Xicom division receives ISO 9001:2015 certification - Comtech Telecommunications' subsidiary, Comtech Xicom Technology, which is part of Comtech's Commercial Solutions segment, announced that it is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Xicom was founded in 1991 and has since become a world supplier of satellite communications uplink power amplifiers. With the support of an ongoing 27-year relationship with independent assessment provider Lloyd's Register, Xicom has made a move to maintain its status as a leader by earning ISO certification 9001:2015, the international global quality management system standard.

09:06 EDT comScore expands box office measurement into West and Southern Africa - Comscore will expand its box office measurement service into West and Southern Africa. The global expansion launched on March 1 will provide box office measurement data for nine African countries, including Nigeria, the seventh most populous country in the world and South Africa, the fourth largest country in Africa. Comscore box office measurement will capture more than 95% of all revenue and admissions in each of the nine new countries.

09:03 EDT Delta Air Lines reports April traffic up 5.9%, capacity up 5.0% - Load factor was 85.8% vs. 85.1% a year ago.

09:01 EDT Discovery 'feels comfortable' with FY19 affiliate growth view in MSD range - Says sport of golf "on fire globally." Says "playing in a different sandbox than everybody else." Sees U.K. TV transaction closing by early June. Sees Q2 U.S. advertising growth of 3%-5%. Sees Q2 U.S. affiliate growth accelerating from Q1. Says "feels comfortable" with FY19 affiliate growth in MSD range. Sees Q2 international advertising growth in mid single digits, affiliate growth in low single digits. Sees another year of "healthy" free cash flow growth in 2019. Sees $200M-$300M of direct consumer investments over last year. Comments from Q1 earnings conference call. Shares of Discovery are down nearly 3% in pre-market trading.

08:54 EDT Teva says expects 'better' earnings in 2020 vs. 2019 - Says: Expects 2019 to be "trough year" for earnings... Optimistic about Copaxone revenues outside U.S... Reaffirms FY19 EBITDA view $4.4B-$4.8B... Plans to launch about 40 more new generics in 2019.

08:48 EDT Clearway, Duquesne University enter into 40-year energy services agreement - Clearway Energy and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh have entered into a 40-year energy services agreement following Duquesne's sale of its Tri Generation facility to Clearway. With this arrangement, Duquesne becomes the second recent university in the United States and the first in Pennsylvania to monetize energy assets via a Tri Generation facility, which allows users to convert excess steam that otherwise becomes waste into reliable energy for electricity, water heating, and cooling.

08:41 EDT Dynasil Corporation of America to terminate registration, delist from Nasdaq - Dynasil Corporation of America announced that a special committee of independent directors has recommended, and its board has approved, a plan to cease the registration of the company's common stock under the federal securities laws following the completion of a proposed reverse stock split transaction and to delist its shares of common stock from trading on Nasdaq. It is expected that this plan would be effectuated in late summer 2019, subject to Dynasil's stockholders approving the proposed reverse stock split at a special meeting of stockholders to be held for that purpose. Dynasil is taking these steps to avoid the cost and expense of being a public reporting company and to focus the company's resources on enhancing long-term stockholder value. The company anticipates savings exceeding $900,000 on an annual basis as a result of the proposed deregistration and delisting transaction. The proposed reverse stock split is a 1-for-8,000 split, in which holders of less than 8,000 shares of the company's common stock would be cashed out at a price of $1.15 per share for their fractional shares. Such price represents a premium above the common stock's closing price on May 1 and is supported by a fairness opinion by Mirus Capital Advisors, whom the special committee engaged for such purpose. Stockholders owning 8,000 or more shares of the company's common stock prior to the reverse stock split would remain stockholders in Dynasil, which would no longer be encumbered by the expenses of a public reporting company. The number of shares they would own following the proposed transaction would be unchanged, as immediately after the reverse stock split a forward split of 8,000-for-1 would be applied to the continuing stockholders, negating any effects to them. Dynasil estimates that approximately 1.4M shares would be cashed out in the proposed transaction and the aggregate cost to the company of the proposed transaction would be approximately $1.6M, plus transaction expenses, which are estimated to be approximately $650,000. Dynasil intends to fund such costs using cash-on-hand and borrowings available under its existing credit facilities. Dynasil's board has determined the proposed transaction is in the best interests of all of the company's stockholders. The purpose of the reverse stock split is to help Dynasil stay below 300 record holders of its common stock, which is the level at which SEC public reporting obligations are required, offer liquidity to smaller stockholders at $1.15 per share without a brokerage commission and provide all stockholders the opportunity to vote on this matter. Subject to regulatory clearance of the company's proxy statement to be filed relating to the proposed stock splits and stockholder approval thereof, it is anticipated that the proposed transaction would become effective shortly after the special meeting of stockholders, which is expected to be held in the summer of 2019. Approval of the proposed transaction requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares cast and entitled to vote at the special meeting. As of May 1, the company's directors and executive officers owned approximately 37% of the issued and outstanding shares of the company's common stock and are expected to vote for the transaction.

08:39 EDT Mitek ends strategic process, says no offers 'in best interest of shareholders' - Max Carnecchia, CEO of Mitek, said last night in conjunction with the company's Q2 report: "Over the past several months, our Board of Directors has led a process to engage with several interested parties to evaluate the relative benefits of various strategic alternatives, with a view to maximizing value for our shareholders. Following a thorough review of the results, the Board of Directors determined that there were no offers that it deemed in the best interest of Mitek shareholders, and today, we are announcing that we have concluded this process. We continue to focus on maximizing the significant opportunities we see for Mitek in the marketplace and remain thoroughly committed to delivering shareholder value through operating and growing the business."

08:33 EDT Silicom authorizes $15M share repurchase plan - Silicom has authorized a one-year share repurchase plan allowing the company to invest up to $15M to repurchase its ordinary shares. Repurchases will be funded from available working capital.

08:25 EDT Dynasil Corp of America trading halted, news pending

08:22 EDT BioTime presents updated data from OpRegen Phase I/IIa clinical study - BioTime announced that updated results from a Phase I/IIa clinical study of its lead product candidate, OpRegen, a retinal pigment epithelium cell transplant therapy currently in development for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration with geographic atrophy, will be presented. Data from the study demonstrate that treatment with OpRegen continues to be well tolerated and in some patients, signs of structural improvement in the treated areas of the retina have been observed. Of note, early data from Cohort 4 patients with earlier-stage dry-AMD and smaller areas of GA remain encouraging, with indications of the continued presence of the transplanted OpRegen cells and improvements in visual acuity. Data presented at ARVO 2019 showed that both the surgical procedure and the OpRegen cells were generally well tolerated with no unexpected adverse events or treatment-related systemic serious adverse events reported in the first fifteen patients enrolled to date. The most common and expected ocular adverse events were the formation of mild epiretinal membranes. One instance of retinal detachment occurred in a patient who was legally blind prior to treatment. The event was not able to be assigned as related to treatment, procedure, or to the combination, and the patient continued in the study following successful surgical repair. One instance of a severe ERM required surgical removal, which was successful, and the subject continues to demonstrate improved visual acuity from baseline following OpRegen administration. Imaging of several patients from Cohorts 1, 2 and 3, and of particular interest, those from Cohort 4 with better baseline vision, demonstrated sustained structural improvement within the retina and evidence of the continued presence of the transplanted OpRegen cells. Within the area of the OpRegen cell transplant, signs of a reduction and change in drusen material, as well as improvements or possible restorations of the ellipsoid zone and RPE layers, have persisted. The photoreceptor layer and ellipsoid zone assumed a more regular structural appearance in areas of the transition zone where OpRegen was administered, suggesting potential structural restoration of the retina in areas receiving the RPE cells. This is of particular importance because in dry-AMD the structure of the retina can be impacted by the formation of excess drusen and ultimately death of RPE cells and photoreceptors, which are critical to sight. Other changes observed following OpRegen treatment persisted through the last time point examined and included subretinal pigmentation and hyper-reflective areas seen on optical coherence tomography. Additionally, asymmetrical, reduced growth of GA in the treated areas receiving OpRegen was observed in some subjects. The Best Corrected Visual Acuity and areas of GA continued to remain largely stable in the treated eyes. Notably, the visual acuity of the first three Cohort 4 patients with better baseline vision have all seen improvements from baseline levels and will be followed for longer periods of time. Overall, OpRegen appears well-tolerated with preliminary evidence of improved structural changes and potential improvement in visual acuity following treatment observed in some patients.

08:15 EDT Abbott receives WHO prequalification approval for HIV test - Abbott's m-PIMA HIV-1/2 VL, the world's first point-of-care viral load diagnostic test, has received the World Health Organization's Prequalification approval. The test received CE Mark in December 2018. Viral load testing is the gold standard for monitoring ART treatment failure.

08:13 EDT Splunk appoints Jason Child as CFO - Splunk announced it has appointed Jason Child as senior vice president and CFO. He will succeed Dave Conte, who announced his retirement in November 2018 after more than eight years as CFO at Splunk. Conte will help to facilitate a smooth transition and remain a strategic advisor through the transition. His start date will be May 6. Child has served as CFO at Opendoor since 2017.

08:08 EDT Corbus Pharmaceuticals completes enrollment of RESOLVE-1 Phase 3 study - Corbus Pharmaceuticals announced the completion of subject enrollment in RESOLVE-1, a Phase 3 study assessing the efficacy and safety of lenabasum for the treatment of systemic sclerosis. The company expects to report topline results from this study in the summer of 2020. These data are anticipated to support an initial marketing application for lenabasum. RESOLVE-1 has enrolled 365 individuals with SSc in an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that is being conducted in North America, Europe, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Patients in the study are randomized 1:1:1 to either receive lenabasum 5 mg twice per day, lenabasum 20 mg twice per day, or placebo twice per day for 52 weeks with a follow-up period of 4 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint of RESOLVE-1 in the U.S. is the American College of Rheumatology Combined Response Index in diffuse cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis score. The ACR CRISS score is calculated from weighted changes from baseline in five core outcome measures commonly used to evaluate treatment effect in trials for SSc: modified Rodnan Skin core, Health Assessment Questionnaire - Disability Index, forced vital capacity percent predicted, and patient and physician global assessments of health related to SSc. The study is also evaluating multiple secondary endpoints in the U.S., including changes in HAQ-DI, mRSS and FVC percent predicted. Additionally, the Company is evaluating the safety and efficacy of lenabasum in an open-label extension of its Phase 3 study. The open-label extension enables all the participants in the study to continue to receive lenabasum following the conclusion of their trial period. Lenabasum was granted Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of SSc by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency and was granted Fast Track status by the FDA.

08:03 EDT Kellogg CFO Fareed Khan to leave on July 1, Amit Banati to succeed - Kellogg (K) announced that its CFO, Fareed Khan, is leaving the company on July 1, following the completion of the company's second quarter. He will be succeeded by Amit Banati, who is currently President, Kellogg Asia Pacific, Africa & Middle East. Banati joined Kellogg in March, 2012, as President Asia Pacific, and his responsibilities expanded into the broader AMEA region in July, 2018. Prior to Kellogg, he began his career in finance at Procter & Gamble (PG), before moving to Cadbury Schweppes, where he was the CFO of Cadbury Schweppes Asia Pacific.

07:51 EDT Rocket Pharmaceuticals presents preclinical data of RP-A501 for Danon disease - Rocket Pharmaceuticals presents preclinical data of RP-A501 at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy 2019 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. RP-A501 is the Company's adeno-associated viral vector-based gene therapy for the treatment of Danon disease. The data is included in an oral presentation by Annahita Keravala, Ph.D., Associate Vice President, AAV Platform, entitled, "Systemic Delivery of AAV9.LAMP2B for the Treatment of Danon Disease: Toxicology Studies in Mice and Cynomolgus Monkeys." Investigational New Drug application-enabling toxicology studies were conducted in wild-type mice and non-human primates. Three dose levels were tested in mice, including 3X10 13 vg/kg, 1X10 14 vg/kg, and 3X10 14 vg/kg. The highest dose level from the murine study, 3X10 14 vg/kg, was tested in non-human primates. No dose-related adverse events were observed at all tested doses in both mice and non-human primates. Vector genomes, mRNA and protein expression were widely distributed across key tissues with high levels of transduction, transcription and translation detected in the heart, skeletal muscle, diaphragm and liver. The ASGCT presentation also highlights previously reported preclinical efficacy data of RP-A501 in LAMP-2 knockout mice which showed dose-dependent improvements and restoration of cardiac function, with responses observed in both older and younger KO mice.

07:48 EDT Arcus Biosciences, Strata Oncology report development collaboration for AB122 - Arcus Biosciences and Strata Oncology announced that the companies have entered into a clinical development collaboration utilizing Strata's precision drug development platform and proprietary biomarkers to evaluate AB122, Arcus's clinical-stage anti-PD-1 antibody, in a basket trial including tumor types that are generally not responsive to anti-PD-1 therapy. As part of this partnership, Arcus will gain access to Strata's drug development platform, featuring leading capabilities to design and conduct transformative precision therapy studies. AB122 will be evaluated across the Strata Precision Oncology Network of trial-ready health systems that employ the StrataNGS test to pre-screen advanced cancer populations to enable rapid and predictable enrollment of precision therapy trials. The StrataNGS comprehensive tumor sequencing test is available to all advanced solid tumor patients through the Strata Trial to identify potential patients for precision therapy trials and to evaluate proprietary biomarkers that may predict response to therapies. Using observational study data, Strata has demonstrated the potential predictive power of their proprietary biomarkers in multiple settings in which anti-PD-1 therapies are known to be effective. Arcus and Strata hope to extend the use of some of these biomarkers to identify patients who may benefit from AB122 treatment in a basket trial including tumor types that are generally not responsive to anti-PD-1 therapy. AB122 is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1 monotherapy dose-escalation trial in patients with advanced tumors and ongoing Phase 1/1b combination trials evaluating AB122 in combination with AB928, a potentially best-in-class adenosine receptor antagonist, and AB122 in combination with AB154, a novel anti-TIGIT antibody, in patients with advanced solid tumors. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties will share development costs for the clinical collaboration. Strata is eligible to receive $2.5M upon the achievement of a development milestone, as well as regulatory and commercial milestones and royalties on U.S. net sales of AB122 in the biomarker-identified indication. As further consideration, Arcus issued to Strata restricted shares of its common stock, which are subject to vesting based upon the achievement of regulatory milestones within certain timelines.

07:47 EDT Arcus Biosciences names William Grossman as Chief Medical Officer - Arcus Biosciences (RCUS) announced that William Grossman, M.D., Ph.D. has joined the company as Chief Medical Officer. Grossman will oversee all aspects of the company's global clinical development strategy and operations. Grossman joins Arcus from Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (BLCM), where he served as Chief Medical Officer and was responsible for the company's clinical development, regulatory affairs, clinical operations, and medical affairs organizations.

07:46 EDT Primoris announces two pipeline awards valued over $30M - Primoris announced two new pipeline awards with a combined value over $30M. The contracts were secured by Primoris Field Services and Vadnais Trenchless. The award is for a pipeline to connect two facilities for a chemical customer. The work involves connecting pipelines with associated launcher/receivers and meters. Work is scheduled to commence in Q2 and to be completed in Q4. The Vadnais Trenchless award is an abandonment and flow project for the City of Houston. The work involves trenchless sanitary sewers with associated manholes, the demolition of existing sewer lift stations and associated other civil activities. Work is scheduled to commence in Q3 and to be completed in Q1 of 2021.

07:44 EDT Otonomy announces co-promotion agreement with Glenmark Therapeutics - Otonomy announced the signing of a co-promotion agreement with Glenmark Therapeutics, which is dedicated to building and commercializing a franchise of branded products for Glenmark Pharmaceuticals focused in the areas of respiratory and dermatology. This agreement provides Glenmark Therapeutics with an exclusive right to promote Otiprio to ear, nose and throat, or ENT, physician offices in the United States and its territories for the treatment of acute otitis externa in patients six months of age and older due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Financial terms for the multi-year agreement were not disclosed; however, Otonomy will receive an annual co-promotion fee and reimbursement of a proportion of product support expenses, while retaining a share of the adjusted gross profits from the sale of Otiprio to Glenmark's accounts. Otonomy retains commercial rights for use of Otiprio in other indications including ongoing sales for use during pediatric ear tube surgery.

07:38 EDT CGI Group signs agreement with Thales Alenia Space France - CGI has signed an agreement with Thales Alenia Space France to enhance and maintain security software for the Galileo satellite navigation system. Valued at approximately 14M euros, the contract will last until the end of 2020. CGI experts are working on this strategic project from Rotterdam and Toulouse.

07:36 EDT GlycoMimetics board member Tim Pearson to become chair - A planned transition is taking place within the Company's Board of Directors. Current Board Chair Jim Barrett, who has held the role since the Company's inception, will not seek re-election as he retires from the Board of Directors and scales back participation in several organizations. Current GlycoMimetics Board Member Tim Pearson will become Board Chair as of the close of the Company's annual meeting on May 17, 2019.

07:34 EDT IntercontinentalExchange sees Q2 data revenue $550M-$555M - ICE's second quarter 2019 data revenues are expected to be in a range of $550 million to $555 million. ICE's second quarter 2019 GAAP operating expenses are expected to be in a range of $615 million to $625 million and adjusted operating expenses are expected to be in a range of $537 million to $547 million. ICE's full year 2019 GAAP operating expenses are expected to be in a range of $2.46 billion to $2.49 billion and adjusted operating expenses are expected to be in a range of $2.15 billion to $2.18 billion. ICE's interest expense is expected to be $71 million in the second quarter. ICE's diluted share count for the second quarter is expected to be in the range of 563 million to 569 million weighted average shares outstanding.

07:34 EDT PDC Energy shareholder Kimmeridge comments on Q1 results - PDC Energy shareholder Kimmeridge Energy, beneficial owners of 5.1% of PDC's shares, issued a statement on PDC's Q1 operating and financial results. The statement includes, among other things: "PDC's reported net loss of $120.2M ($1.82 per diluted share) and negative free cash flow of $90M in Q1 highlights the risk to shareholders of maintaining the status quo. On an adjusted basis, PDC generated a return on capital employed of ~3%, materially below the company's weighted average cost of capital, continuing an unimpressive trend. While Kimmeridge is pleased that the Company has followed its recommendation by announcing a $200M dollar stock repurchase program, we remain disappointed that they have not committed to return 100% of the midstream proceeds to shareholders. Kimmeridge is also concerned that Q1 2019 capex reflects a run rate of approximately $1.1B for 2019, well above the Company's full year guidance of $810M-$870M. (...) Kimmeridge firmly believes that shareholders will be better served by having its nominees on the Board, as it believes they will help guide and hold management accountable, to align compensation and be well positioned to deliver top quartile operational and financial performance (...) Please vote gold "for all" of the Kimmeridge Nominees."

07:32 EDT Caterpillar sees doubling ME&T services sales to $28B by 2026 - Caterpillar will host a meeting with investors and analysts today, detailing the progress made in executing the company's enterprise strategy, its plans for future profitable growth and its intention for more consistent and enhanced return of capital to shareholders. "Our enterprise strategy for profitable growth is working. We achieved or exceeded the financial targets we communicated during our 2017 Investor Day, which resulted in record profit per share in 2018 and the first quarter of 2019," said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby. "We will continue to execute our strategy while investing to double services sales by 2026, an area of significant opportunity for further profitable growth." Caterpillar's executive leadership team will describe its plans to grow services, which offer additional opportunity for profitable growth. Caterpillar intends to double ME&T services sales to about $28 billion by 2026, from a 2016 baseline of about $14 billion.

07:31 EDT Caterpillar raises quarterly dividend 20% to $1.03 per share - The company's board of directors authorized an increase to the quarterly cash dividend of 20% to $1.03 per share of common stock, payable August 20, 2019, to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 22, 2019. Caterpillar expects to increase the dividend in each of the following four years by at least a high single-digit percentage. With its remaining free cash flow, the company intends to repurchase shares on a more consistent basis, with the goal of at least offsetting dilution in market downturns. "Through the execution of our strategy, Caterpillar is now a stronger and more profitable company that can produce higher free cash flow through the cycles," added Umpleby. "We plan to return substantially all ME&T free cash flow to shareholders through dividend increases and more consistent share repurchases to create more long-term value for shareholders."

07:27 EDT Seres expects to obtain SER-401 Phase 1b preliminary study results in 2020 - SER-401 is an oral microbiome therapeutic candidate comprising a bacterial signature similar to that observed in checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy responders. The ongoing Phase 1b study, supported by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, will evaluate the potential for SER-401 to augment response to nivolumab, an approved anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy, and will assess a variety of biological measures of response. Seres expects to obtain SER-401 Phase 1b preliminary study results in 2020.

07:26 EDT Geo Group enters new new ten-year contract with Federal Bureau of Prisons - The GEO Group announced that it has entered into a new ten-year contract, inclusive of renewal option periods, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for the reactivation of the existing company-owned, 1,800-bed North Lake Correctional Facility located in Baldwin, Michigan. The contract is expected to generate approximately $37M in incremental annualized revenues for GEO. GEO also announced that Reeves County, Texas has entered into two new ten-year contracts, inclusive of renewal periods, with the BOP for the county-owned, 1,800-bed Reeves County Detention Center I & II and the county-owned, 1,376-bed Reeves County Detention Center III. GEO provides management consulting and support services to Reeves County. The new ten-year contracts were awarded to GEO and Reeves County under a long-standing procurement, for the housing of non-U.S. citizen criminal aliens, commonly referred to as Criminal Alien Requirement 19, which was issued by the BOP in 2017.

07:26 EDT Kirby sees improved results in marine as 2019 progresses - The company said, "Our earnings guidance range for the year remains $3.25 to $3.75 per share. Although the first quarter was adversely impacted by unusually high delay days in our inland marine business, we anticipate improved results in marine as we progress through the remainder of 2019. In distribution and services, the first quarter results were strong; however, the outlook for the second half of 2019 remains uncertain."

07:24 EDT iStar raises annual dividend 11% to 40c per share - Board of Directors approved 11% increase in common dividend to 40c per share on an annual basis.

07:23 EDT iStar CFO Andrew Richardson steps down - The company announced that in light of its strategic shift to focus on the opportunity in ground leases and to de-emphasize development, Andrew Richardson, President of Land & Development and CFO, has decided to step down to pursue other opportunities. The company has initiated a process to find a new CFO and Richardson has agreed to stay on for a period to help with the search and to transition responsibilities to other members of the senior management team, who will fulfill his duties on an interim basis until a new CFO is named.

07:18 EDT NRG Energy backs FY19 adj. EBTIDA view of $1.85B-$2.05B

07:15 EDT Worldpay raises 2019 cost synergies forecast to $180M-$190M from $130M-$140M - "Based on the Company's substantial progress toward completing post-merger integration, Worldpay now expects to achieve $250 million in annualized cost synergies by year-end 2019, up from its previous expectation to achieve $200 million in annualized cost synergies by year-end 2020. In addition, Worldpay is increasing its in-year 2019 cost synergies forecast to $180-$190 million from $130-$140 million."

07:13 EDT Penn National says Pennsylvania develepment projects 'remain on track' - "Our $300 million acquisition of the operations of Greektown provides us entree into an industry-leading 19th jurisdiction and adds another stable regional gaming market to Penn National's already diverse property portfolio," said CEO Tim Wilmott. "Notably, Greektown will have the largest single property database in our loyalty program. The transaction will be funded with a combination of cash on hand and debt and we expect to close the transaction before the end of this month. Our development projects in Pennsylvania, including the $120 million Hollywood Casino York and the $111 million Hollywood Casino Morgantown, remain on track. The construction timetable for both facilities is anticipated to be 12-18 months following all requisite approvals, including final licensing by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board."

07:09 EDT Apollo Global: Conversion expected to be effective during Q3

07:07 EDT Discovery authorizes additional stock purchases of up to $1B - The company's board of directors has authorized additional stock purchases of up to $1B. Under this stock authorization, management is authorized to purchase shares from time to time through open market purchases at prevailing prices or privately negotiated purchases subject to market conditions and other factors.

07:02 EDT Fluor CEO David Seaton steps down, Carlos Hernandez named interim CEO - Fluor Corporation announced that David Seaton has stepped down as CEO and will no longer serve as a member of the board of directors, effective May 1, 2019. He will remain with the company through the transition and to assist management as requested. Alan Boeckmann has been named executive chairman of the board. Carlos Hernandez, previously responsible for law, risk and compliance, will serve as the interim CEO until a permanent replacement is identified. Boeckmann recently rejoined Fluor's board of directors after retiring in 2012. Hernandez has been chief legal officer and secretary of Fluor Corporation since 2007.

07:00 EDT TreeHouse plans to close Minneapolis snacks facility - TreeHouse Foods announced the intention to close its Minneapolis, Minnesota facility by the end of the third quarter of 2019. The plant produces snack nuts and trail mix for the Snacks division. The company noted that the closure enables the Snacks division to streamline its operational footprint to position the business for success at lower volume levels. TreeHouse also noted that the strategic review of its premium nuts and trail mix business is ongoing. The company anticipates being able to provide a more fulsome update around its Snacks business, along with updated full-year guidance, as part of its second quarter earnings release in early August. The closure, affecting approximately 120 employees, is being announced well in advance to provide employees with as much notice as possible and to ensure a seamless transition for customers. The costs to close the Minneapolis facility are expected to be approximately $13.0 million, of which approximately $4.0 million is expected to be in cash. Components of the charges include non-cash asset write-offs of approximately $9.0 million, employee-related costs of approximately $1.0 million and other closure costs of approximately $3.0 million. The company expects charges of approximately $0.17 per fully diluted share to be incurred in 2019.

06:56 EDT Post Holdings to acquire RTE cereal business from TreeHouse Foods

06:51 EDT Tempur Sealy sees FY19 adj. EBITDA $435M-$475M

06:42 EDT SPX FLOW initiates divestiture of power and energy business - SPX FLOW announced plans to unlock shareholder value by focusing its growth strategy on building a premier process solutions enterprise on the foundation of its current food and beverage segment, industrial segment and Bran+Luebbe metering pumps product line and divesting its power and energy business. The power and energy business is a global provider in mission critical severe duty pumps, valves, filtration products and aftermarket parts and services for energy and power customers. The products included in the divesture process are: M&J Valve, ClydeUnion Pumps, S&N Pumps, Copes-Vulcan, Dollinger, Plenty, Airpel, and GD Engineering. The SPX FLOW board, with the assistance of independent financial and legal advisors, has initiated a process to divest the company's power and energy business, which has annual revenue of approximately $500M. The board has not set a timetable for the conclusion of this process nor has it made any decision related to any transaction at this time and there can be no assurance that the process will result in a transaction. The company intends to provide comments and updates regarding the divestiture only when it determines that further disclosure is appropriate or required by law.

06:35 EDT 3M to acquire Acelity for total enterprise value of about $6.7B - 3M announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Acelity and its KCI subsidiaries worldwide from a consortium comprised of funds advised by Apax Partners, together with controlled affiliates of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board for a total enterprise value of approximately $6.7B, including assumption of debt, subject to closing and other adjustments. Acelity is a leading global medical technology company focused on advanced wound care and specialty surgical applications marketed under the KCI brand.

06:17 EDT Acorda Therapeutics suspending revenue guidance - Acorda announced that during INBRIJA's launch year, it does not expect to provide INBRIJA revenue guidance, and that it will no longer provide revenue guidance for AMPYRA, due to the unpredictable trajectory of revenue decline given the entrance of generics. R&D expenses for the full year 2019 are expected to be $70-$80M and SG&A expenses for the full year 2019 are expected to be $200-$210M.

06:13 EDT Mednax sees FY19 Adjusted EBITDA $505M-$535M - Prior view was $550M-$580M. MEDNAX is revising its outlook of 2019 Adjusted EBITDA to reflect the classification of MedData as discontinued operations.

06:06 EDT Dow Inc. sees some 'discrete' headwinds in Q2 - "Building on the solid fundamentals of our business, we expect our core value chains to continue to improve sequentially. This is driven by normalization of inventory levels, seasonal demand uptick and ongoing strength in consumer care, packaging and infrastructure sectors. Taken together, we expect these factors to be margin and demand tailwinds," said the company. "We expect some discrete headwinds in the second quarter - most notably, seasonal planned turnaround and maintenance activity, which is $200M higher versus the prior quarter. Sequentially, pricing is beginning to increase in our key intermediates. And as oil prices continue to firm, we expect it will be constructive for earnings as the year progresses. Additionally, we are continuing to progress our cost synergies, with nearly $400M of additional savings yet to realize, as well as more than $200M of stranded cost removal between now and the end of next year."

06:02 EDT Nordstrom to add two mini stores in New York expansion - Nordstrom, Inc. announced it will continue to expand its presence in New York City this fall and open two Nordstrom Local neighborhood service hubs located at 13 7th Ave in The Greenwich Lane property in the West Village and at 1273 3rd Avenue on the Upper East Side. Nordstrom says: "The Nordstrom Local locations in NYC will offer services like online order pick-up, alterations and tailoring, styling and more to reflect the unique needs of customers who live and work in those neighborhoods. All Nordstrom Locals feature flexible models and floor plans that are adaptable to the changing need of the customers they are servicing. Events for Nordy Club loyalty members and the public will also be a key component in these locations, focusing on building relationships with customers and businesses located in the neighborhood." "The expansion of our local market strategy in New York City is a cornerstone of how we will improve service to our customers. NYC represents our largest online market and we know when we open physical stores it complements our online presence and increases sales," said Jamie Nordstrom, president of stores. "Nordstrom Local, our neighborhood service hubs, are one component of our local market strategy which allows us to engage with customers through more convenient access to services such as buy online pick up in store, alterations and personal styling."

05:44 EDT KBR awarded MAP contract for Sadara Chemical - KBR (KBR) announced it has been awarded a Maintenance Alliance Program, or MAP. contract to provide long-term maintenance services for the Sadara Chemical Company, a joint venture of Saudi Aramco and Dow Chemical (DWDP). "KBR was originally awarded the feasibility and pre-FEED for the entire Sadara complex, and later awarded the Front End Engineering Design, or FEED, for several major assets. In addition, KBR provided project management oversight during the Engineering Procurement and Construction, or EPC, phase of the project which peaked at about 660 specialized KBR personnel at the Jubail site."

05:38 EDT Shell sees Q2 Integrated Gas production 10,000-50,000 boe/d lower than last year - Compared with the second quarter 2018, Integrated Gas production is expected to be 10-50 thousand boe/d lower, mainly as a result of divestments and the transfer of the Salym asset into the Upstream segment, partly offset by new field ramp-ups and lower maintenance activities. LNG liquefaction volumes are expected to be at a similar level as in the second quarter 2018. Compared with the second quarter 2018, Upstream production is expected to be higher by some 150 - 200 thousand boe/d, mainly due to new field ramp-ups and lower maintenance activities. Production is also expected to be positively impacted by the transfer of the Salym asset, which was previously reported in the Integrated Gas segment, partly offset by field decline and divestments. Refinery availability is expected to increase in the second quarter 2019 compared with the same period a year ago, mainly as a result of lower maintenance activities. Oil Products sales volumes are expected to decrease by some 40 - 70 thousand boe/d compared with the same period in 2018, mainly as a result of the divestment in Argentina. Chemicals manufacturing plant availability is expected to decrease in the second quarter 2019 as a result of higher maintenance activities compared with the second quarter 2018. Corporate earnings excluding identified items are expected to be a net charge of $650M-$700M in the second quarter 2019 and a net charge of $2.6B-$2.8B for the full year 2019, on a post-IFRS 16 basis. This excludes the impact of currency exchange rate effects.

05:09 EDT Benefitfocus announces registration of CFO Jonathon Dussault - Benefitfocus disclosed last night that on April 25, Jonathon Dussault notified the company that he is resigning as Chief Financial Officer effective no later than August 31, 2019. "His resignation is not related to any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices, but rather is due to personal reasons," the company said in a regulatory filing. On April 29, Lou Anne Gilmore was appointed interim CFO of the company to serve as its principal financial and accounting officer effective June 1.. The company intends to launch a search for a permanent CFO. Ms. Gilmore has been Benefitfocus' Vice President of Corporate Development since January 2018.