Stockwinners Market Radar for May 07, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:23 EDT eBay CAO Doerger sells 14,237 common shares - In a regulatory filing, eBay chief accounting officer Brian J. Doerger disclosed the sale of 14,237 common shares of the company at a price of $38.0576 per share.

19:10 EDT Cathay General adopts new $50M stock buyback program - Cathay General announced that its board has adopted a new share repurchase program authorizing the company to repurchase up to $50M of the company's common stock. The $45M share repurchase program announced on October 26, 2018, was completed today.

19:03 EDT Aquestive Therapeutics names Daniel Barber COO - Aquestive Therapeutics announced the appointment of Daniel Barber to the new position of Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of Aquestive Therapeutics. Barber has worked at Aquestive since 2007, most recently in the role of Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy and Development Officer. In his expanded role as COO, Barber will also oversee end-to-end product operations, including product development, manufacturing, and quality assurance. Barber's new role is effective as of May 6, 2019.

18:43 EDT Teladoc CEO: Our mental health revenues are growing over 50% per year - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Teladoc CEO Jason Gorevic said: We're global, a quarter of our business is outside the U.S... I feel pretty good about our prospects... We have 26M covered lives in the U.S... More than half of people who need mental care don't get it... I think the government is getting behind Telecare.

18:26 EDT Blackstone director Goodman sells 135K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Blackstone disclosed that its director Bennett Goodman sold 135K shares of common stock on May 3rd priced at $39.77 per share. The total transaction size was $5.4M.

17:57 EDT Electronic Arts up 7.2% to $99.40 after reporting Q4 results

17:54 EDT j2 Global reports Q1 adjusted EBITDA $113.9M vs. $102.7M last year

17:52 EDT Stoneridge initiates $50M accelerated share repurchase - Stoneridge announced that it has entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement with Citibank N.A. to repurchase an aggregate of $50M of Stoneridge's common shares. This reflects Stoneridge's strong balance sheet and free cash flow generation. The agreement was entered pursuant to the company's previously announced $50M share repurchase program on October 28, 2018. The company will initially receive approximately 1.35M common shares. The final number of shares to be repurchased will be based on the volume-weighted average price of Stoneridge's common shares during the term of the transaction, less a discount and subject to adjustments pursuant to the terms and conditions of the share repurchase agreements.

17:49 EDT MobileIron director Kenneth Klein sells 30K shares of company stock - MobileIron director Kenneth Klein disclosed in a filing that he had sold 30,000 shares of company stock at $5.91 per share on May 3, for a total transaction value of $177,405.

17:45 EDT Installed Building Products director Michael Thomas sells over $140K in shares - Installed Building Products director Michael Thomas director disclosed in a filing that he had sold 2,648 shares of company stock at $54.03 per share on May 6, for a total transaction value of $143,071.

17:31 EDT Livent down 18.5% to $8.75 after Q2 guidance misses estimates, FY19 outlook cut -

17:28 EDT KAR Auction reports Q1 adjusted EBITDA $230.8M vs. $229.4M last year

17:26 EDT Electronic Arts says hopes to build live services for 'Apex Legends' for years - Says "Fifa" and "Madden" Ultimate Teams finished the year very strongly. Says 49% of units sold were digital. Says "Anthem" is the most digital game the company has launched. Says in advanced talks to bring "Apex Legends" to China.

17:25 EDT Oasis Midstream Partners raises FY19 EBITDA view to $158M-$166M from $148M-$157M - Sees FY19 gross EBITDA, before public company expenses, to be split between the four DevCos accordingly: Bighorn DevCo $81M-$84M, Bobcat DevCo $133M-$136M, Beartooth DevCo $54M-$57M, and Panther DevCo $1M-$3M. Sees FY19 CapEx plan for the Williston Basin remains unchanged from February 2019 guidance, although capital is biased to the high end of the range due to incremental spend to capture third party volumes. With the additional spend in the Panther DevCo, net CapEx attributable to OMP in 2019 is now expected to range between $184M-$206M.

17:15 EDT CytoSorbents sees Q2 product sales back into historical growth trajectory - CytoSorbents has not historically given specific financial guidance on quarterly results until the quarter has been completed. However, Q2 product sales are expected to return to the historical growth trajectory, and are anticipated to be the highest quarterly product sales reported in history.

17:10 EDT Electronic Arts says player base grew to 500M active players - Says "Apex Legends" helped the company reach new audiences around the world. Says players are staying engaged longer in "Madden". Says "Apex Legends" is the fastest growing new game that the company has had. Says 30% of "Apex Legends" players are new to EA. Says committed to long term content in "Apex". Says at very beginning with "Apex Legends". Says "Anthem" launch did not meet expectations. Says heard about issues from players as "Anthem" reached scale. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:05 EDT NCR will not comment on strategic interest, says board patient on execution path - Comments from Q1 earnings call Q/A.

17:01 EDT Zoom Video achieves FedRAMP moderate authorization - Zoom Video Communications, Inc. announced that its authorization under the US Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program has been approved, with the sponsorship of the US Department of Homeland Security. This authorization allows US Federal Government agencies and contractors to securely use Zoom for Government for video meetings, API integrations, and more.

16:56 EDT Theravance Biopharma reaffirms FY19 operating loss view $210.0M-$230.0M - The Company's guidance on operating loss excluding non-cash share-based compensation for the FY19 remains unchanged at $210.0M-$230.0M. Operating loss guidance does not include royalty income for TRELEGY ELLIPTA which the Company recognizes as non-operating income. The Company's share of US profits and losses related to the commercialization of YUPELRI, potential future business development collaborations as well as the timing and cost of clinical studies associated with its key programs, among other factors, could impact the Company's financial guidance.

16:55 EDT DelMar Pharmaceuticals announces 1-for-10 reverse stock split - DelMar Pharmaceuticals announced that it will effect a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of its outstanding common stock. This will be effective for trading purposes as of the commencement of trading on Wednesday, May 8.

16:51 EDT Arco Platform to acquire Sistema Positivo de Ensino - Arco Platform Limited announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Sistema Positivo de Ensino, one of the largest K-12 content providers to private schools in Brazil, for R$1,650M in cash. With the acquisition of Positivo, Arco will expand its scale and more than double its reach to over 4,800 partner schools and 1.2M students.

16:45 EDT Axovant announces 1-for-8 reverse split effectiveness - Axovant Gene Therapies announced that a reverse share split of its common shares on a 1-for-8 basis will become effective on May 7, 2019. The shares will begin trading on the split-adjusted basis on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the company's existing trading symbol on May 8.

16:42 EDT DowDuPont board approves Corteva distribution - DowDuPont announced that its Board of Directors has approved the previously announced separation of DowDuPont's Agriculture Division, which will become Corteva Agriscience on June 1. To effect the separation, the DowDuPont Board of Directors declared a pro rata dividend of all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Corteva. The dividend is expected to be paid on June 1 to DowDuPont stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 24, the record date. Effective as of the distribution date, each DowDuPont stockholder will receive one share of Corteva common stock for every three shares of DowDuPont common stock they held on the record date. Registered DowDuPont stockholders will receive cash in lieu of any fractional shares of Corteva common stock.

16:42 EDT Knoll increases quarterly cash dividend 13% - Knoll announced that the company's board declared an increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend to 17c per share from 15c payable June 28 to shareholders of record on June 14.

16:40 EDT GVIC requests meeting with Bristow Group to present operational turnaround plan - Global Value Investment Corp. issued an open letter to the Board of Directors of Bristow Group calling on the Board to publicly address questions about recent developments at Bristow. "There are many troubling questions that surround the recent actions taken by Bristow," said Jeffrey Geygan, President and CEO of GVIC. "In particular, we believe that Bristow's Board is rushing toward a Chapter 11 filing and is not fully and fairly considering all available alternatives." Questions put forward concern the promotion of Don Miller to CEO, Bristow's recent retention of financial advisors Houlihan Lokey and Alvarez & Marsal, and the absence of meaningful sales of non-core assets. GVIC believes that recent actions (and inaction) by the Board may not adequately consider all alternatives to a Chapter 11 filing or the interests of equity owners.The letter also requests a meeting with Bristow's Board to discuss the turnaround plan that GVIC has developed. This turnaround plan would return Bristow to profitability without a Chapter 11 filing. Reference Link

16:34 EDT Everi Holdings sees generating growth in revenue, adjusted EBITDA and FCF - Everi reiterated its 2019 forecast initially provided on March 12, 2019. The Company expects to generate growth in revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow in 2019. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to rise to between $252 million to $255 million, with broad-based growth across the Company's operating segments including expectations for: An increase in Gaming unit sales from the 4,513 units sold in 2018; Growth in gaming operations driven by growth in both DWPU and an increase in the number of units in the year-end installed base; increasing Interactive revenue;

16:32 EDT Outfront Media reports Q1 EPS 4c, consensus (1c) - Reports Q1 revenue $371.7M, consensus $364.55M.

16:29 EDT Hamilton Beach raises quarterly dividend 6% to 9c per share - The dividend is payable on both the Class A and Class B Common Stock, and will be paid June 14 to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 31.

16:28 EDT Charles River sees $8M-$10M in synergies in the next two years from Citoxlab - Says saw continuation of robust trends experienced in the back half of last year in Q1. Says notified clients of unauthorized access that occurred last week. Says some client data was copied. Says 1% of clients have been affected. Says too early to tell if there is revenue impact from the unauthorized access, but if there was it would be minimal. Says China offers significant opportunity for growth. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

16:27 EDT Lyft shares down 3% to $57.39 following Q1 results

16:25 EDT Akcea Therapeutics, Ionis Pharmaceuticals announce new Tegsedi data at AAN - Akcea Therapeutics (AKCA) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) announced new long-term, open-label extension, or OLE, data from the NEURO-TTR study of Tegsedi in patients with hereditary ATTR amyloidosis, or hATTR, with polyneuropathy. The data was highlighted as an oral presentation at the American Academy of Neurology, or AAN. Hereditary ATTR amyloidosis is a disease that is caused by the buildup of TTR proteins that misfold due to inherited mutations. hATTR is characterized by the deposition of amyloid fibrils throughout the body, including the nerves and can have a devastating impact on the patients' quality of life, or QoL. Tegsedi is a once-weekly at-home subcutaneous injection that targets hATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy at its source by reducing the production of TTR protein. Of the 139 patients who completed the NEURO-TTR phase 3 study, 97% of patients elected to continue in the OLE study. Initiation of TEGSEDI, substantially reduced TTR protein levels 75%-79% below baseline and sustained reductions throughout treatment. Patients who received Tegsedi through the NEURO-TTR and OLE studies continued to show benefit throughout, and patients who switched from placebo to Tegsedi demonstrated an improvement in measures of neuropathy progression and QoL compared with a continued predicted worsening with placebo. Additionally, patients who initiated Tegsedi as part of the OLE demonstrated a stabilization of neurologic disease progression by mNIS+7 and Norfolk QoL-DN within six months, while greater benefit in mNIS+7 and Norfolk QoL-DN was observed in patients treated earlier with Tegsedi. No new safety signals were identified in the open-label extension study.

16:16 EDT Hawaiian Airlines reports April traffic up 3.7%, capacity up 3.9% - Load factor decreased 0.2 points year-over-year to 85%.

16:15 EDT Montage Resources sees FY19 production 520-540 MMcfe per day

16:13 EDT NCR Corp. sees $60M charge in 2019 for restructuring initiatives - NCR said, "Our previously announced transformation and restructuring initiatives continue to progress. Our services performance and profit improvement program continues to deliver revenue growth and margin expansion. Our manufacturing transformation initiatives to move to a variable cost structure by reducing the number of manufacturing plants and ramping up production with contract manufacturers is substantially complete. Additionally, we are executing our spend optimization program to drive cost savings through operational efficiencies to generate at least $100 million of savings in 2019. This initiative will create efficiencies in our corporate functions, reduce spend in the non-strategic areas and limit discretionary spending. The benefits generated from the spend optimization program will largely offset higher real estate and people costs incurred in 2019. We incurred a pre-tax charge of $26 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a cash impact of $18 million. In 2019, for all initiatives, we expect to incur a pre-tax charge of $60 million and a cash impact of $70 million to $80 million."

16:10 EDT Marcus & Millichap says positioned to continue long-term growth - The company said, "We believe that the Company is positioned to continue long-term growth by leveraging a number of factors. These include our leading national brand and market position within the Private Client Market segment, growth opportunities in the Middle Market and Larger Transaction Market segments, significant growth potential in our financing division, Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation, and supplementing our organic growth with additional strategic acquisitions. The Company benefits from its experienced management team, infrastructure investments, industry-leading market research and proprietary technology. The size and fragmentation of the Private Client Market segment continues to offer long-term growth opportunities. This market segment consistently accounts for over 80% of commercial property sales transactions and over 60% of the commission pool and is highly fragmented. Top brokerage firms led by MMI have an estimated 24% share of this segment by transaction count. The Company's growth plan also includes further expansion of investment brokerage services in office, industrial and various specialty property types such as hospitality, self-storage and seniors housing."

16:04 EDT Scientific Games sees FY19 CapEx $345M-$375M

16:00 EDT Microsoft, Red Hat announces availability of Azure Red Hat OpenShift - Red Hat, Inc. (RHT) and Microsoft (MSFT) announced the general availability of Azure Red Hat OpenShift, which brings a jointly-managed enterprise-grade Kubernetes solution to a leading public cloud, Microsoft Azure. Azure Red Hat OpenShift provides a powerful on-ramp to hybrid cloud computing, enabling IT organizations to use Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform in their datacenters and more seamlessly extend these workloads to use the power and scale of Azure services. The availability of Azure Red Hat OpenShift marks the first jointly managed OpenShift offering in the public cloud.

15:31 EDT US Foods names Timothy Connolly chief supply chain officer - US Foods Holding Corp. announced that Timothy Connolly will join the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, effective May 13, 2019. Connolly will oversee the US Foods supply chain organization, including safety, warehousing, transportation, supply chain strategy, operations, continuous improvement, and labor relations. He will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pietro Satriano.

15:05 EDT MDC Partners names Frank Lanuto as CFO, Mirsky as General Counsel - MDC Partners announced two appointments to the company's executive team. Frank Lanuto, a financial leader with significant advertising holding company experience, will take on the role of EVP and CFO, based in New York, and is expected to start during the second quarter. Jonathan Mirsky, an experienced corporate attorney, has been named EVP and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, and will be based in Washington, D.C., starting on June 17. Lanuto and Mirsky will both report to Chairman and CEO Mark Penn. In order to ensure an effective and smooth transition, outgoing CFO David Doft and General Counsel Mitch Gendel will remain with the company over the coming months. "MDC Partners is well positioned for future growth, with incredible agencies, top talent and a promising future," said Penn. "Our corporate team's immediate priority will be to operationalize the centralization of resources and services, in order to empower our remarkable talent and fuel our growth ambitions. Frank and Jonathan both come to MDC with the deep and relevant experience necessary to help us build a more successful future for our talent, partners and shareholders." Penn added, "We are extremely grateful to David and to Mitch, who have both been integral to the building of MDC Partners into the remarkable network it is today, as well as to ensuring the company's firm footing, for us to thrive going forward."

14:42 EDT Android reaches version 10 on over $2.5B active devices - In a blog post, Stephanie Cuthbertson, Director of Product Management, Android said that, "This year, Android is reaching version 10 and operating on over 2.5 billion active devices. A lot has changed since version 1.0, back when smartphones were just an early idea. Now, they're an integral tool in our lives-helping us stay in touch, organize our days or find a restaurant in a new place. Looking ahead, we're continuing to focus on working with partners to shape the future of mobile and make smartphones even more helpful. As people carry their phones constantly and trust them with lots of personal information, we want to make sure they're always in control of their data and how it's shared. And as people spend more time on their devices, building tools to help them find balance with technology continues to be our priority. That's why we're focusing on three key areas for our next release, Android Q: innovation, security and privacy and digital wellbeing. This year, new industry trends like foldable phone displays and 5G are pushing the boundaries of what smartphones can do. Android Q is designed to support the potential of foldable devices-from multi-tasking to adapting to different screen dimensions as you unfold the phone. And as the first operating system to support 5G, Android Q offers app developers tools to build for faster connectivity, enhancing experiences like gaming and augmented reality."Reference Link

14:36 EDT Genesis Energy officer Edward Flynn purchased over $340K in company shares - Genesis Energy officer Edward Flynn disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 15,700 shares of company stock at $21.73 per share on May 3 for a total transaction value of $341,161.

14:11 EDT NCR Corp. trading resumes

14:05 EDT Raytheon to merge Naval strike missiles into Marine's existing force structure - Raytheon will integrate the Naval Strike Missile into the U.S. Marine Corps' existing force structure under a $47.59M Other Transaction Authority agreement with Marine Corps Systems Command. A USMC NSM supports the 2018 National Defense Strategy and Commandant of the Marine Corps modernization efforts. NSM is a long-range, precision strike missile that can detect and destroy heavily defended land and sea targets at long distances. In 2018, the U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon a contract to manufacture and deliver NSM as the Navy's over-the-horizon weapon system for littoral combat ships and future frigates. The Marine Corps' selection of the Navy's anti-ship missile enhances joint interoperability and reduces costs and logistical burdens. "This fifth-generation missile adds another dimension for sea control operations and for protection from adversary warships," said Kim Ernzen, vice president of Raytheon Air Warfare Systems.

14:03 EDT Rand Capital: Glass Lewis recommends investors vote for East Asset transaction - Rand Capital Corporation announced that independent proxy advisory firm, Glass Lewis, has joined Institutional Shareholder Services, in recommending that Rand's shareholders vote "FOR" the transactions related to the $25M investment by East Asset Management and the transformation of Rand at the Special Meeting of shareholders to be held on May 16, 2019. In determining that shareholders should vote in favor of the proposals supporting the transactions, Glass Lewis cited the Board's process and thorough review of strategic options. The May 6, 2019 report noted: "In sum, considering the exhaustive review conducted by the company's board, the anticipated benefits of the Transactions, and in the absence of any viable superior alternatives, GL believes that shareholders should support the Transaction by voting in favor of each of the proposals to be brought forth at this meeting." Erland "Erkie" Kailbourne, Chairman of the Board, commented, "We believe that Glass Lewis joining ISS in support of the transactions to transform Rand is a testament to the diligent effort of the board and management to provide the best available alternative for creating future value for our shareholders. We are encouraged that both firms have validated the significant time and effort that we have invested. We are reinforcing our own commitment by intending to receive the expected $1.50 Special Dividend all in stock."

13:58 EDT Novartis reports interim long-term follow-up data from Phase 1 START trial - AveXis, a Novartis company, announced interim long-term follow-up data from the Phase 1 START trial of the investigational product Zolgensma that showed durability of the gene therapy in patients with spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, Type 1 nearly four years after treatment. These data were presented during the 2019 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, the company noted. As of March 8, 2019, all patients maintained the motor function and milestones gained during the trial following treatment with Zolgensma. In addition, no patients had any additional requirements for ventilatory or nutritional support. Two of the four patients who required Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure support at the beginning of the long-term follow-up study no longer required it regularly. No new treatment-related adverse events have emerged during the follow-up period. Patients in START were treated with gene therapy alone during the 24-month study duration. In the long-term follow-up study, 7 of 10 patients remain on monotherapy alone. Initiation of combination therapy was at parental and physician discretion and was not due to loss of motor function, the company said.

13:01 EDT NeuroMetrix announces issuance of new U.S. patent for Quell Wearable technology - NeuroMetrix announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 10,279,179 titled "Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator with automatic detection of user sleep-wake state." The patent covers technology that automatically adapts electrical stimulation to the user's sleep pattern. NeuroMetrix now has 11 issued U.S. utility patents covering the Quell Wearable Pain Relief Technology.

12:58 EDT Texas Pacific Land Trust says ISS recommends shareholders vote for Gen. Don Cook - Texas Pacific Land Trust announced that Institutional Shareholder Services, an independent proxy advisory firm, has recommended that TPL shareholders vote FOR retired four-star General Donald "Don" G. Cook using the BLUE proxy card. "We are pleased that ISS recognizes that General Cook has the experience, judgment and vision to continue the Trust's record of value creation and ensure that the Trust has the right corporate governance for its next chapter," said Trustee David E. Barry. "We encourage all shareholders to follow the ISS recommendation by returning the BLUE proxy card to vote FOR General Cook and discarding the dissident group's white proxy card." In its May 7, 2019 report, ISS stated that General Cook has: "... a public track record that seems to reflect direct efforts to improve the governance of the companies on whose boards he has served. Cook brings substantial experience as a public company board member, as well as chairman of the San Antonio chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors. In fact, he appears to have played an integral part in the effort to de-classify the board of Crane [Co]. At Crane's first annual meeting after Cook became the chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee, the company granted shareholders a vote on whether to de-classify its board, which shareholders approved. Cook's track record appears to reflect a willingness and ability to push for corporate governance changes that benefit shareholders."

12:43 EDT Georgia Power says Vogtle Unit 3 achieves initial energization - Georgia Power announced that plant equipment for Vogtle Unit 3 is now energized, or permanently powered, which is needed to perform all subsequent testing for the unit. With plant equipment previously running on temporary construction power, the completion of initial energization represents a significant milestone in the Vogtle expansion as the project moves from construction toward system operations. "Initial energization is a major first step in transitioning the project from construction toward system operations," said Vogtle 3 & 4 Construction Senior Vice President Glen Chick. "With energization complete, we can continue moving into the actual testing phase for Unit 3." Significant progress continues at the site, with the project now approximately 77% complete, the company said.

12:34 EDT Retractable Technologies reports settlement of all existing litigation - Retractable Technologies (RVP) reports that a settlement has been reached with both Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) and MDC Investment Holdings to settle all existing litigation by and against Retractable. In 2007, Retractable sued BD for violations of antitrust acts, false advertising, product disparagement, tortious interference, unfair competition, and other matters. In 2007, BD and MDC sued Retractable for patent infringement. A settlement agreement, effective May 3, released all claims by Retractable against BD and MDC arising prior to May 3 and all claims by BD and MDC against Retractable arising prior to May 3. As a result, on May 6, the following actions were taken in each of the two cases: Retractable withdrew its petition before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit for an en banc rehearing; and the parties filed for a dismissal with prejudice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division. "The settlement does not obligate either party to make any payment to the other and each party shall be responsible for its own costs and attorneys' fees," Retractable stated.

12:31 EDT Gundlach sees better than 50% chance of new tariffs on China - Jeffrey Gundlach of DoubleLine Capital is speaking on CNBC.

12:18 EDT Siemens Infrastructure plans to reduce jobs by 3,000 worldwide - SI plans to reduce jobs by a total of 3,000 worldwide. This measure will generate EURO$300 million in restructuring charges. All in all, SI expects a net increase of about 3,000 jobs by 2023.

12:17 EDT Siemens says sees public listing of new company by September 2020

12:08 EDT FDA says one reported event with Medtronic device led to patient death - The FDA issued a safety communication to alert health care providers and patients about issues that may cause batteries in certain Medtronic implantable pacemakers or cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers to drain more quickly than expected without warning patients or health care providers. The FDA said in its safety alert, "The devices are designed to last between approximately 7.5 and 15 years or 6 and 10 years before requiring battery replacement, depending on the device and the amount of pacing. One of the reported events resulted in the death of a pacemaker-dependent patient. In a second reported event, the patient experienced dizziness during follow-up and the health care provider was unable to communicate with the device, which resulted in the patient getting their device replaced. In the third reported event, there was no harm to the patient because the device was not implanted when the health care provider became aware that a connection with the device could not be established." Reference Link

12:05 EDT Tenable expands pact with ServiceNow to improve vulnerability prioritization - Tenable (TENB) announced its enhanced integration with ServiceNow (NOW) to help shared customers improve their vulnerability prioritization and remediation programs by addressing one of the most difficult challenges in cybersecurity - vulnerability overload. Prioritizing vulnerabilities with the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, CVSS, presents significant limitations since it scores the majority as 'high' or 'critical.' Tenable recently released Vulnerability Priority Ratings, VPR, as part of Predictive Prioritization to help organizations focus remediation on the three percent of vulnerabilities that are most likely to be exploited. Now, Tenable is bringing VPR to ServiceNow Security Operations. For the first time, security and IT teams can use VPR scores to view, sort and filter the remediation priority of each flaw based on the risk it poses to the business. The latest integration also enables customers to sync their vulnerability data 400 percent faster by ingesting multiple Tenable vulnerability data streams simultaneously - rather than individually - into ServiceNow Vulnerability Response and the ServiceNow CMDB. Together, Tenable and ServiceNow are helping security and IT teams to more quickly respond to the vulnerabilities that pose the greatest risk and ultimately reduce their Cyber Exposure gap. "These enhanced integrations are putting the three percent of vulnerabilities that pose the most imminent threat to the business into the hands of the IT teams so that they can focus on remediating what matters most," said Ray Komar, vice president of technical alliances, Tenable. "Together with ServiceNow, we will position our shared customers to more quickly manage, measure and reduce their cyber risk and build strategic Cyber Exposure practices." The enhanced integration introduces a single integration app for both Tenable.io and Tenable.sc , providing a seamless user experience and interface for customers who leverage the flexible deployment options of the Tenable Cyber Exposure platform.

12:03 EDT Retractable Technologies trading halted, news pending

12:01 EDT Lannett falls -13.7% - Lannett is down -13.7%, or -$1.25 to $7.83.

12:01 EDT ServiceMaster rises 9.2% - ServiceMaster is up 9.2%, or $4.54 to $53.90.

12:00 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 18.3% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 18.3%, or $6.20 to $40.08.

11:52 EDT Siemens to carve out, spin off Gas and Power operating company - Siemens announced that it plans a carveout of the Gas and Power Operating Company into a separately managed company as well as a spinoff of the new company in connection with a subsequent public listing in order to deconsolidate the new company while keeping significant influence. In conjunction with these measures, Siemens plans to transfer its stake in Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy S.A. to the new company. Plans call for the public listing on the new company to take place by September 2020.

11:02 EDT Electronic Arts expands subscription service to Sony PlayStation 4 - Electronic Arts (EA) announced that it is bringing EA Access to the Sony (SNE) PlayStation 4 system. Starting in July, players can sign-up for a monthly subscription, with an MSRP of $4.99, or an annual subscription, with an MSRP $29.99, through PlayStation Store. With the addition of the PlayStation 4 console to the already existing membership services on the Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox One and PC via Origin, EA said it "now offers its subscription services on more platforms than any other publisher."

10:51 EDT Citi launches Citi Verify identity, account verification solution - Citi's Treasury and Trade Solutions has launched Citi Verify, a new identity and account verification solution that helps clients streamline customer onboarding, reduce the risk of improper payments, and drive operational efficiencies. Citi Verify is currently available to clients in the United States and will be integrated into the existing suite of payments and receivables solutions offered by Citi's Treasury and Trade Solutions.

10:40 EDT Purple Innovation Inc trading resumes

10:35 EDT Kornit Digital drops 10% after Spruce Point issues short report - Shares of Kornit Digital (KRNT) have moved lower in morning trading after short-focused research firm Spruce Point issued a new short report on the company, stating that it sees 75-85% downside risk. Spruce Point contends that "investors have not looked carefully" at the increased risks from its two biggest customers, namely Amazon (AMZN) and Cimpress (CMPR). Kornit also has "highly questionable earnings quality highlighted by myriad accounting irregularities" and the company's CFO previously "oversaw a prior accounting debacle," according to Spruce Point, which issued a "Strong Sell" opinion in its report. In morning trading, Kornit shares are down 10%, or $2.80, to $25.38. Reference Link

10:29 EDT Akorn says sees path to 'at least doubling' adjusted EBITDA in 2020 - Akorn, on its Q1 earnings conference call, said it expects its earnings power to "normalize" and sees a path to "at least doubling" its adjusted EBITDA in 2020.

10:00 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 9.7% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 9.7%, or $3.29 to $37.17.

10:00 EDT Ducommun rises 16.1% - Ducommun is up 16.1%, or $6.85 to $49.41.

09:43 EDT Luminex mentioned cautiously at Off Wall Street

09:30 EDT Greenlight's Einhorn says Tesla's business has deteriorated

09:21 EDT AB InBev says taking regional approach a key strategy for U.S. market - Says: Innovation a major driver in U.S... Says still work to be done in U.S. Comments from Q1 earnings conference call.

09:18 EDT TG Therapeutics announces long-term follow-up data from ublituximab trial - TG Therapeutics announced the presentation of long-term follow-up data from the Phase 2 and open label extension, or OLE, trial of ublituximab, the company's novel glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, in relapsing forms of Multiple Sclerosis, or RMS. The data are being presented at the American Academy of Neurology. Ublituximab continues to be well tolerated, with a median duration of follow-up of 97.5 weeks. No subjects discontinued due to an adverse event, or AE, related to ublituximab on the Phase 2 or during the OLE. AEs deemed at least possibly related to ublituximab were infrequent during the OLE with all patients dosed 450mg of ublituximab administered in a one-hour infusion. Infusion related reactions, or IRRs, were rare during the OLE, occurring in only 4 patients, all Grade 1 or 2. These long-term safety data, and the Phase 2 efficacy data support the ongoing, fully enrolled, international Phase 3 program evaluating ublituximab for the treatment of RMS. The Phase 3 trials, entitled ULTIMATE I and ULTIMATE II, are being conducted under special protocol assessment, or SPA, agreement with the FDA.

09:14 EDT AB InBev says pleased to see market share trends in U.S. improving - Says: Best market share trend performance in the U.S since 4Q12... Outperformed the market in Brazil with double digit volume growth in both beer and non-beer... Continued momentum from 4Q18 into 1Q19 with solid volume, revenue and EBITDA growth. Comments from slides presentation for company's Q1 earnings conference call.

09:12 EDT Greenlight's Einhorn says Brighthouse shares remain significantly undervalued - David Einhorn said on Greenlight Capital Re's (GLRE) earnings call that he believes Brighthouse Financial (BHF) shares remain significantly undervalued. Says demand for Tesla's (TSLA) higher end Model S and Model X has dramatically softened.

09:09 EDT Aegon NV trading halted, news dissemination

09:08 EDT Auris Medical reaches midpoint for enrollment in Phase 1b AM-201 trial - Auris Medical announced that it has reached the midpoint for enrollment in its Phase 1b proof-of-concept trial of AM-201, the company's investigational drug for the prevention of antipsychotic-induced weight gain and somnolence. The Phase 1b trial with AM-201 is being conducted at one European site. The trial will enroll in total 50 healthy volunteers who will receive either AM-201 or placebo concomitantly with the antipsychotic drug olanzapine over four weeks. The protocol is based on a dose escalation with five different doses of intranasal betahistine. The first two dose cohorts have been completed and the next ten study participants have been enrolled into the third dose cohort. The primary efficacy outcome for the study will be the reduction in weight gain; the secondary outcome will be the reduction in somnolence.

09:07 EDT Cabot completes responsible care 14001 certification for China sites - Cabot Corporation announced that all four of its operating carbon black and fumed silica manufacturing sites in China have successfully completed the Responsible Care 14001 certification process. RC14001 is the globally recognized gold standard for safety & health, environmental and security management systems established by the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care program. The Cabot China certifications are the first independent third party RC14001 Certifications to be recognized by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China as well as the ACC. Through RC14001 certification, the ACC promotes superior performance and transparency throughout the global chemical industry by encouraging its members to continuously improve internal programs that have a positive impact on commercial partners, employee and contractor safety and health, communities, security and the environment.

09:07 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Dean Foods (DF), up 10%... Crocs (CROX), up 6%... Ferrari (RACE), up 4%... Allergan (AGN), up 1%. ALSO HIGHER: Osmotica Pharmaceuticals (OSMT), up 17% after announcing topline results of its second Phase 3 efficacy and safety clinical trial of RVL and long-term Phase 3 safety study for the treatment of ptosis... MediWound (MDWD), up 5% after entering into an exclusive license and supply agreement with Vericel (VCEL) to commercialize NexoBrid in North America. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: AB InBev (BUD), down 2%... Emerson (EMR), down 4%... Lumentum (LITE), down 1%... Intersect ENT (XENT), down 21%. ALSO LOWER: Catalyst (CPRX), down 40% after the FDA approved competitor Jacobus Pharmaceuticals' Ruzurgi tablets for the treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, or LEMS, in patients 6 to less than 17 years of age.

09:06 EDT Upwork appoints Adam Ozimek as chief economist - Upwork (UPWK) announced that Adam Ozimek, Ph.D, has joined the company as Chief Economist. In this brand new role, Ozimek will drive the company's growing body of research and public data releases to help better understand labor market trends and inform future of work discussions. Most recently Ozimek was a senior economist at Moody's Analytics (MCO).

09:05 EDT GM's Cruise announces $1.15B of added investment from T. Rowe, existing partners - Cruise announced an equity investment of $1.15B from a group comprising institutional investors, including funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates (TROW), and existing partners General Motors (GM), SoftBank Vision Fund (SFTBF) and Honda (HMC). This investment increases Cruise's post-money valuation to $19.0B, inclusive of SoftBank Vision Fund's previously announced investment commitment, the company said. In the last year, Cruise has secured capital commitments totaling $7.25B, the company noted. "Developing and deploying self-driving vehicles at massive scale is the engineering challenge of our generation. Having deep resources to draw on as we pursue our mission is a critical competitive advantage," said Cruise CEO Dan Ammann.

09:04 EDT Azul reports preliminary April RPKs up 15,5% from last year - Azul announces its preliminary traffic results for April. Consolidated passenger traffic, or RPKs, increased 15.5% compared to April 2018 on a capacity increase, or ASKs, of 11.5% resulting in a load factor of 84.4%, an increase of 3.0 p.p. compared to the same period in 2018. Domestic passenger traffic increased 23.5% on a 17.3% increase in capacity resulting in a load factor of 83.7%, 4.2 percentage points higher than April 2018. International load factor was 86.9%.

09:02 EDT Charles River sees $8M-$10M in synergies in the next two years from Citoxlab - Says saw continuation of robust trends experienced in the back half of last year in Q1. Says notified clients of unauthorized access that occurred last week. Says some client data was copied. Says 1% of clients have been affected. Says too early to tell if there is revenue impact from the unauthorized access, but if there was it would be minimal. Says China offers significant opportunity for growth. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

09:01 EDT Regeneron and Sanofi announce EC approved new indication for Dupixent - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) and Sanofi (SNY) announced that the European Commission, or EC, approved a new indication for Dupixent, or dupilumab, in asthma. Dupixent is now approved in the European Union, or EU, for use in adults and adolescents 12 years and older as an add-on maintenance treatment for severe asthma with type 2 inflammation characterized by raised blood eosinophils and/or raised fractional exhaled nitric oxide, or FeNO, who are inadequately controlled with high dose inhaled corticosteroid, ICS, plus another medicinal product for maintenance treatment.

08:48 EDT C&J Energy Services expects improved results in each operating segment during Q2 - The company said, "Focusing on the Q2, we currently expect improved financial results in each of our operating segments. At the end of the Q1 we experienced a rebound in activity levels and many of the challenges experienced earlier in the quarter subsided. In our Completion Services segment, customer demand for our fracturing operations is stable, and wireline and pumpdown activity levels have improved nicely off the bottom reached during the first quarter. While the pricing environment remains challenged in our cementing business, we believe the drilling rig count with our smaller public and private customers in West Texas will continue to recover from the low point reached late in the first quarter. Our WC&I segment is expected to also benefit from the deployment of all our large diameter coiled tubing fleet during the Q2. Now that the seasonally driven weather delays that are typical in both the Q4 and Q1 have passed, our Well Support Services segment is experiencing steady customer demand for workover and well maintenance services. Clearly, the outlook is more favorable, and we are well positioned to grow both revenue and profitability across our service lines and for each of our operating segments. With that said, the oilfield services environment remains extremely competitive and customers remain very price sensitive. We will remain focused on the things that we can control and stay committed to generating targeted returns, maintaining capital spending discipline, and generating free cash flow in 2019."

08:45 EDT Finjan Holdings reports on recent decisions by PTAB - Finjan Holdings reported on recent decisions by the United States Patent and Trademark Office's, or USPTO, Patent Trial and Appeal Board, or PTAB, concerning Juniper's multiple petitions for inter partes review, or IPR, of certain claims relating to Finjan's U.S. Patent Nos. 6,154,844; 7,613,926; 7,647,633 and 8,141,154. Most recently on May 1, the board denied institution of Juniper's petition for IPR institution of claims 15 and 22 of the '926 Patent, finding that "the information presented ... and the accompanying evidence does not establish a reasonable likelihood that [Juniper] would prevail in showing the unpatentability of either of claims 15 and 22 of the '926 patent...." On April 29, the board also denied institution of Juniper's petition for inter partes review of claims 1, 8, 14, and 19 of the '633 Patent on essentially three grounds. First, the PTAB found that Juniper failed to establish a reasonable likelihood of prevailing that the claims are unpatentable as obvious over prior art. Second, the PTAB agreed with Finjan that the board should deny the petition under 35 U.S.C. Section 314 under General Plastics Industrial Co., Ltd. v. Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, as even though Juniper had not filed a previous petition for IPR on this patent, 35 U.S.C. Section325, gives the board discretion to deny the petition as appropriate because Juniper argued "the same or substantially the same prior art or arguments previously presented to the Office". Lastly, the PTAB denied institution under the U.S. Supreme Court's SAS Ins., Inc. v. Iancu, stating that "our only options are to institute an inter partes review as to all grounds and all challenged claims, or to deny institution." In finding that one of three of Juniper's grounds for challenging the unpatentability of the '633 Patent to "be without merit," the PTAB determined that denial of the petition was appropriate. On April 9, 2019, regarding IPR 2019-00026 in which Juniper petitioned for IPR of claims 1, 15, and 41 on the '844 Patent, the PTAB did institute review and determined based on the parties' preliminary arguments that Juniper had demonstrated a reasonable likelihood that it would prevail in showing the unpatentability of such claims. The PTAB, however, emphasized that "this Decision is not a final determination on [] the patentability of any challenged claims ... and, thus, leaves undecided any remaining fact issues necessary to determine whether sufficient evidence supports [Juniper's] contentions by a preponderance of the evidence in the final written decision." Lastly, as reported in a separate press release on April 1, the PTAB also denied Juniper's petition for IPR of claim 1 of the '154 Patent.

08:44 EDT MNG urges Gannett shareholders to vote for slate of director nominees - MNG Enterprises, the largest active shareholder in Gannett with an approximate 7.4% ownership interest, issued the following statement in response to a report by Glass Lewis regarding the election of directors to Gannett's Board of Directors at the Company's upcoming annual meeting of shareholders on May 16, 2019: "While we agree with Glass Lewis that 'Gannett's business has struggled on a stand-alone basis since the 2015 spin-off from TEGNA' and that a $12.00 per share offer implies a 'fairly attractive premium,' we firmly believe that shareholders must hold the incumbent Board accountable for the Company's track record of significant underperformance and for the Board's failure to take the necessary steps to maximize shareholder value in favor of continuing to pursue a digital transformation strategy that Glass Lewis admits is 'far from proven. Against the backdrop of the significant issues facing the newspaper industry and the premium cash offer that MNG has proposed, we believe that the best way for Gannett shareholders to effect meaningful change on the Board is to vote on the BLUE card FOR ALL of MNG's nominees, who are committed to acting as a catalyst to maximize shareholder value, including by supporting a full strategic alternatives process. Without strong advocates on the Board willing to explore all possible ways to enhance value, Gannett is at risk of continuing down the path toward complete value erosion. The election of ALL THREE of MNG's nominees is needed to send a clear message to the incumbent directors that the status quo is not acceptable, and the Board needs to explore all possible ways to enhance value for all Gannett shareholders. MNG's nominees - Heath Freeman, Dana Needleman and Steve Rossi - deserve Gannett shareholders' support because they possess the right mix of newspaper turnaround, real estate, and capital allocation expertise needed to improve the Gannett Board and shareholder orientation, and provide much needed fresh perspective that Gannett's incumbent directors lack."

08:41 EDT Syros announces new publlication highlighting discovery of SY-1365 - Syros Pharmaceuticals announced the online publication of a new manuscript, Discovery and Characterization of SY-1365, a Selective, Covalent Inhibitor of CDK7, in the American Association for Cancer Research's journal, Cancer Research. SY-1365, a first-in-class selective cyclin-dependent kinase 7 inhibitor, is currently being investigated in a Phase 1 clinical trial as a single agent and in combination with standard-of-care therapies in multiple ovarian and breast cancer patient populations that lack effective treatment options. This publication highlights the discovery, mechanism of action and promise of SY-1365 as a new targeted approach for a range of difficult-to-treat cancers. Syros is currently conducting a Phase 1 clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of SY-1365 as a single agent and in combination with standard-of-care therapies in multiple ovarian and breast cancer patient populations. The trial includes cohorts evaluating SY-1365 as a single agent in patients with relapsed ovarian clear cell cancer and in high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients who have had three or more prior lines of therapy; in combination with carboplatin in HGSOC patients who have had one or more prior lines of therapy; in combination with fulvestrant in metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients who are resistant to treatment with a CDK4/6 inhibitor; and as a single agent in patients with solid tumors of any histology accessible for biopsy. CDK7 plays a key role in the transcription of genes and in cell cycle regulation, and inhibiting CDK7 disrupts two important processes that cancer cells use to survive: 1) expression of cancer-promoting genes; and 2) uncontrolled cell cycle progression. SY-1365 has shown anti-tumor activity in preclinical models of a range of solid tumors and blood cancers, including cancers that have become resistant to treatment with existing therapies or where existing options have failed to provide meaningful benefit to patients. Further, data suggests that SY-1365 works to inhibit the growth of cell lines representing many different cancer types at nanomolar concentrations, decreases MCL1 protein levels, and demonstrates activity among cancer cells with low BCL-XL expression. Syros is advancing SY-5609, a highly selective and potent oral CDK7 inhibitor, toward clinical development. In preclinical studies, SY-5609 has demonstrated substantial anti-tumor activity, including inducing complete regressions in cell line-derived xenograft models of breast and ovarian cancers. The company plans to complete investigational new drug application -enabling studies by the end of 2019 to support the initiation of a Phase 1 oncology trial in early 2020.

08:38 EDT Canopy Growth presented Spectrum Technologies brand - Canopy Growth introduced Spectrum Therapeutics, a new global brand that will encompass all of the Company's ongoing commercial medical and clinical research operations including Spectrum Cannabis, Canopy Health Innovations, or CHI, and the most recent addition to Canopy Growth's medical portfolio, Bionorica SE-founded C3 Cannabinoid Compound Company, or C3, a European leader in cannabinoid-based medical therapies. Incorporating these entities into one unified ecosystem will integrate the Company's medical efforts as one global healthcare enterprise.

08:36 EDT Bluerock Residential reports total portfolio NOI $27.1M, up 28.9% from last year

08:36 EDT Mylan CEO says Q1 a 'solid start to the year' - Mylan CEO Heather Bresch commented: "Mylan's first quarter represents a solid start to the year and we remain positioned to reaffirm our guidance for 2019. We continue to manage an increasingly diverse portfolio of products across all three segments of our business, and given the evolution of our commercial and geographic mix see opportunities to enhance our investments for certain areas of our portfolio. In the U.S., where the industry continues to experience volatility, we are leveraging past experience and applying key learnings to our largest launches, like Wixela, even as we advocate for policies that seek to put the patient first. With that said, our top-line results fell within the range of where we thought they would be at $2.5 billion. On the bottom line, we came in ahead of where we expected at $0.82 of adjusted EPS, mainly due to gross margins coming in at the high end of our guidance range while also having some positive offsets from a timing perspective in G&A against our increased sales and marketing spend. We look forward to continue delivering on our mission of access in the remaining quarters of the year and investing in a Mylan that's built to last."

08:32 EDT AstroNova secures multi-year contracts from Asian commercial airlines - AstroNova announced that it has secured multi-year contracts from several major Asian commercial airlines and leasing companies for AstroNova-manufactured flight deck printers for installation on new aircraft. The contracts vary in duration from four to eight years. Additionally, the Company has established an authorized repair station in Singapore to support its growing presence in the region.

08:21 EDT BGC Partners sees FY19 adjusted earnings tax rate 11%-12% - Sees FY19 fully diluted share count to grow by 3%-4% year-over-year. The Company's outlook assumes no material acquisitions, investments, or share repurchases.

08:21 EDT Vishay Precision sees Q2 revenue $70M-$76M, two est. $76.64M.

08:18 EDT Murfreesboro Medical Clinic, SurgiCenter select 2bPrecise for precision medicine - Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, announced hat Murfreesboro Medical Clinic and SurgiCenter has selected 2bPrecise to support its precision medicine strategy, beginning with pharmacogenomics at the point of care.

08:16 EDT Ashland enters $200M accelerated share repurchase agreement - Ashland has entered into an uncollared accelerated share repurchase, or ASR, agreement to repurchase an aggregate of $200M of Ashland's common stock. In March 2018, Ashland's board of directors approved a $1B share repurchase program. Under the ASR agreement, Ashland has agreed to repurchase an aggregate of $200M of its common stock with an initial delivery of approximately 2.2M shares. The ASR sgreement is scheduled to terminate no later than August but may be terminated early in certain circumstances, in whole or in part.

08:14 EDT Chembio Diagnostics announces ANVISA approval of DPP Dengue System in Brazil - Chembio Diagnostics announced the approval of its DPP Dengue System by Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria, or ANVISA, Brazil's health regulatory agency, in collaboration with Bio-Manguinhos, a Brazilian government agency and supplier of diagnostic products to Brazil's Ministry of Health. Chembio's DPP Dengue test allows simultaneous and discrete detection of antibodies against all four dengue serotypes for both active infection by dengue virus and prior exposure to the dengue virus, which is important for both treatment and surveillance.

08:13 EDT Mercantile Bank approves $20M repurchase program - Mercantile Bank announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new stock repurchase program. Under this program, Mercantile may repurchase up to $20M in aggregate value of its shares of common stock.

08:13 EDT Wipro, R3 build blockchain-based solution prototype - Wipro in partnership with R3, the enterprise blockchain software firm, has developed a blockchain-based solution prototype to enable digital currency for interbank settlements for a consortium consisting of the Bank of Thailand and eight commercial banks in Thailand. Developed as part of the first phase of Project Inthanon, the solution will enable de-centralized interbank real-time gross settlement using wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency to prove that the technology can perform key functionalities of payment and enhance efficiency. Project Inthanon is an initiative led by the Bank of Thailand, in partnership with eight participating banks in a collaborative project that will use blockchain technology to build a proof-of-concept prototype which will enable domestic fund transfers within the country's interbanking system by issuing CBDC tokens.

08:10 EDT Reinsurance Group, MIB partner to offer electronic health record solution - Reinsurance Group of America is teaming up with MIB Group to develop a synergistic electronic health record solution for improving applicant risk assessment and expediting the underwriting process for underwriters and applicants alike. By offering MIB's data network capabilities and RGA's Digital Health Data scoring capability together, carriers will benefit from the synergies of a new data source and a powerful risk assessment tool for use in underwriting.

08:09 EDT Cree to invest $1B to expand silicon carbide capacity - As part of its long-term growth strategy, Cree announces it will invest up to $1B in the expansion of its silicon carbide capacity with the development of a state-of-the-art, automated 200mm silicon carbide fabrication facility and a materials mega factory at its U.S. campus headquarters in Durham, N.C. It marks the company's largest investment to date in fueling its Wolfspeed silicon carbide and GaN on silicon carbide business. Upon completion in 2024, the facilities will substantially increase the company's silicon carbide materials capability and wafer fabrication capacity, allowing wide bandgap semiconductor solutions that enable the dramatic technology shifts underway within the automotive, communications infrastructure and industrial markets. The plan delivers additional capacity for its industry-leading Wolfspeed silicon carbide business with the build out of an existing structure as a 253,000 square-foot, 200mm power and RF wafer fabrication facility as an initial step to serve the projected market demand. The new North Fab is designed to be fully automotive qualified and will provide nearly 18 times more surface area for manufacturing than exists today, initially opening with the production of 150mm wafers. The company will convert its existing Durham fabrication and materials facility into a materials mega factory. The expanded campus also creates high-tech job opportunities and will serve as an advanced manufacturing workforce development initiative.

08:07 EDT Polte, GeoTraq partner for mobile IoT asset trackers - Polte Corporation and GeoTraq announced a collaboration to embed Polte location technologies into two new GeoTraq NB-IoT / LTE-M modules: the Tracker-Module GT-TM100 and Sensor-Module GT-SM100. Polte's C-LoC location solution enables GeoTraq to eliminate the need for GPS / GNSS radios by leveraging globally available Mobile IoT networks. In addition to providing wide-area outdoor coverage from rural to dense urban, Polte's location solution enables highly-accurate tracking indoors, even when objects are inside vehicles or in shipping containers. Polte's cloud-based secure from chip-to-cloud software solution enables unprecedented reach for locating things wherever they are.

08:05 EDT Marriott Vacations backs FY19 adjusted EBITDA view $745M-$785M

07:49 EDT Walmart opening more veterinary clinics in stores, launching online pet pharmacy - Walmart (WMT) is opening up dozens more veterinary clinics in its stores and launching its first online pet pharmacy, the company said in a blog post. Additionally, the company said: "Customers can now purchase prescription pet medications at WalmartPetRx.com and have them delivered right to their doors. Walmart Pet Rx offers low cost pet prescriptions for dogs, cats, horses and livestock from over 300 trusted brands to treat conditions like flea and tick, heartworm, allergy, arthritis and more." WalmartPetRX.com will rival PetSmart's Chewy.com and PetMed Express (PETS). "More and more, customers are caring for their furry friends the same way they care for themselves, opting for more organic and grain-free food options and giving their pet vitamins and supplements. In response, we've expanded our pet assortment online with more than 100 new pet brands over the last year, including more premium and health-conscious brands like Blue Buffalo, Greenies, and Hill's Science Diet." Further, Walmart said: "With 68% of US households owning a pet and 90% of Americans living within 10 miles of a Walmart store, we're expanding in-store retail veterinary clinics, starting with nine new clinics in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in late May and June. With plans to reach 100 veterinary clinics over the next 12 months, these clinics offer affordable, high quality and convenient services to save customers as much as 40 to 60 percent on vaccines and minor illness packages and exams." Reference Link

07:47 EDT Celgene says analysis shows oral ozanimod reduced brain volume loss - Celgene Corporation announced the results of a post-hoc analysis of data from the Phase 3 RADIANCE Part B trial showing that ozanimod reduced cortical grey matter volume loss versus first-line treatment, Avonex, in adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis across all age groups, including patients ages 18 to 25. The analysis will be presented at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, May 4-10, 2019. RADIANCE evaluated two doses of oral ozanimod compared with interferon beta-1a in 1,313 patients with RMS between the ages of 18 and 55 years old. In this post-hoc analysis of 874 patients, treatment effect on serial brain volume, including thalamic volume and cortical grey matter, was evaluated by patient age at baseline, 12 months and 24 months. Patients in the 18 to 25 age group tended to have greater brain volume at baseline but more active disease as measured by gadolinium-enhancing MRI lesions. There was also a trend for this age group to experience greater whole brain volume loss at both 12 and 24 months compared with the older groups. Patients across all age groups treated with ozanimod lost less cortical grey matter volume than did those treated with interferon beta-1a over 24 months, including patients in the 18 to 25 age group. In the RADIANCE Part B trial, the most common adverse reactions that were higher with ozanimod than with interferon beta-1a were upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, increases of alanine aminotransferase and increases of gamma-glutamyl transferase.

07:46 EDT McDermott reaffirms position regarding Cameron LNG project - McDermott International reiterated the position it had announced on April 29 that its Cameron LNG project did not experience any material change in its cost position in the Q1. The company's statement comes in response to an announcement yesterday by Chiyoda, McDermott's joint venture partner in executing the contract, that Chiyoda had recorded an unquantified change in estimate on the Cameron project in the Q1 along with charges on other projects, pending arbitration cases and other matters. McDermott is not involved in Chiyoda's new Strategy & Risk Integration Division, which was mentioned in its news release.

07:44 EDT PolyMet Mining enters standby purchase agreement with Glencore - PolyMet Mining Corp. has filed a short form preliminary prospectus with securities regulatory authorities in each of the Canadian provinces, and a registration statement on Form F-10 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in respect of an offering of rights to purchase common shares of the company to raise approximately $265M in gross proceeds. Summary of Rights Offering. Pursuant to the Rights Offering, all eligible registered shareholders of PolyMet will receive one Right for every common share of PolyMet owned on the record date which will be a date no less than 10 calendar days following receipt of the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE American for the Rights Offering. The Rights Offering will include an additional subscription privilege entitling holders of Rights who have fully exercised their Rights to subscribe for additional common shares, if available, that were not otherwise subscribed for under the Rights Offering. PolyMet will apply to have the Rights listed for trading on both the TSX and NYSE American. The approval of such listings is subject to the company fulfilling all of the listing requirements of these exchanges. As contemplated by the previously disclosed Extension Agreement between PolyMet and Glencore AG (GLNCY) and in connection with the Rights Offering, PolyMet has entered into a standby purchase agreement pursuant to which Glencore, subject to certain terms and conditions and limitations, has agreed to exercise its basic subscription privilege in full and to purchase at the Rights Price, that number of common shares, equal to the difference, if any, of the total number of common shares offered pursuant to the Rights Offering minus the number of common shares subscribed for pursuant to the basic subscription privilege and the additional subscription privilege. As a result, subject to the satisfaction of the terms and conditions of the Standby Purchase Agreement, the Rights Offering will be fully backstopped by Glencore. Glencore will be entitled to a fee at the closing of the Rights Offering of approximately $7.7M which is equal to 3.0 percent of the total funds committed by Glencore. The company intends to make available the proceeds of the Rights Offering for: the repayment of the amount that PolyMet is indebted to Glencore which, as at March 31, 2019, is the principal amount of $165M plus accrued interest of approximately$77.8 M plus additional interest which continues to accrue; the payment of the Standby Fee in full; and payment of expenses of the Rights Offering.

07:38 EDT RA Pharmaceuticals announces gMG phase 2, long-term data at AAN meeting - Ra Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of data from the Company's Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating zilucoplan for the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis , including data from the open-label, long-term extension study, at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, in Philadelphia, PA, from May 4-10, 2019. The 0.3 mg/kg dose of zilucoplan consistently achieved rapid, sustained, and near-complete complement inhibition. The 0.1 mg/kg dose of zilucoplan achieved rapid, sustained, but sub-maximal complement inhibition. Based on the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and efficacy results, the 0.3 mg/kg dose of zilucoplan was selected for evaluation in the upcoming pivotal Phase 3 trial. As previously reported, the pre-specified primary efficacy endpoint of change from baseline to week 12 in Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis score was met with zilucoplan dosed at 0.3 mg/kg SC daily, resulting in a clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement over placebo. The key secondary efficacy endpoint of change from baseline to week 12 in the MG Activities of Daily Living score was met with zilucoplan dosed at 0.3 mg/kg SC daily, resulting in a clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement over placebo.The 0.3 mg/kg dose of zilucoplan led to rapid, statistically significant, and clinically meaningful reductions in additional pre-specified secondary endpoints, the MG Composite and the 15-item MG Quality of Life revised scale, versus placebo at week 12. Rescue therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange was required by 3/15 patients in the placebo arm, 1/15 patients in the 0.1 mg/kg zilucoplan arm, and in zero patients in the 0.3 mg/kg zilucoplan arm. Treatment with zilucoplan had a favorable safety and tolerability profile in the study, consistent with previously-completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies. The majority of adverse events reported were mild and were not considered by the investigators to be related to study drug. There were no serious AEs observed related to treatment with zilucoplan. Sustained responses were observed for all four efficacy endpoints after 24 weeks at the 0.3 mg/kg dose of zilucoplan. Placebo subjects crossing over to the 0.3 mg/kg dose of zilucoplan after 12 weeks experienced rapid, clinically meaningful, and statistically significant improvements for all four efficacy endpoints from weeks 12 to 24, with changes from week 12 to week 24. Based on feedback provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Ra Pharma plans to initiate a single, 12-week, pivotal, Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a once-daily, SC self-administered dose of 0.3 mg/kg of zilucoplan versus placebo. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 130 patients with gMG who are acetylcholine receptor-antibody-positive, regardless of their prior therapies. The primary endpoint will be the change in the MG-ADL score from baseline to week 12. Following completion of the Phase 3 clinical trial, patients will have the option to enroll into an open-label, long-term extension study.

07:37 EDT Insmed sees FY19 Arikayce revenue $90M-$105M - Insmed continues to expect cash-based operating expenses to be in the range of $150M-$170M for the first half of 2019. In addition, the Company expects capital expenditures, including spend related to the buildout of a new corporate headquarters facility as well as payments classified within other assets for the future right-of-use asset related to the buildout of an additional third-party manufacturing facility, to be in the range of $25M-$35M for the first half of 2019.

07:28 EDT Allergan CEO says 'we anticipate five regulatory approvals over next 18 months' - "Our first quarter results reflected continued growth of our Core Business, which increased 4.4 percent year-over-year across our four key therapeutic areas. Growth of key products such as BOTOX Cosmetic, BOTOX Therapeutic, VRAYLAR, JUVEDERM and Lo LOESTRIN offset declines in products that lost exclusivity and products which were divested in 2018," said Brent Saunders, Chairman and CEO of Allergan. "Many key R&D programs have made steady progress and we now anticipate five regulatory approvals over the next 18 months. I appreciate the talented Allergan colleagues around the world who are bringing our products to patients who need them and positioning Allergan for a successful 2019 and beyond."

07:28 EDT TCR2 Therapeutics announces publication of preclinical data on TRuC-T study - TCR2 Therapeutics announced online publication of preclinical data in Nature Communications. The paper is entitled, "Synthetic TRuC receptors engaging the complete T cell receptor for potent anti-tumor response," and shows in several mouse models a higher anti-tumor activity of the company's proprietary T cell receptor, or TCR, fusion construct T cells, or TRuC-T cells compared to chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR,-T cells. The findings suggest profound differences in signaling between TRuC-T and CAR-T cells.

07:26 EDT Wright Medical appoints Jason Asper CDO, creates new digital organization - Wright Medical announced that they will create a new digital organization and appointed Jason Asper as senior VP, chief digital officer, or CDO. This appointment is in addition to Asper's current responsibilities for strategy, corporate development and information technology. This new digital organization will focus to execute Wright's digital surgery strategy to develop new platforms, accelerate surgical solutions and drive software technology innovation across the business. This organization will build upon the company's software by leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality to provide software-enabled surgery platforms and solutions for the extremities markets. Asper will be responsible for developing and executing Wright's digital surgery strategy across the company's extremities business units as well as leveraging technology to drive efficiencies across all functions of the company.

07:24 EDT Akorn says has reached an agreement with creditors, rationalizing pending ANDAs - Akorn said: "We have been working constructively with our creditors and are pleased to have reached an agreement that is expected to provide Akorn time to continue to make progress on operational initiatives and deliver improved results, while also providing the lending institutions with additional transparency, reduced risk and enhanced protections." Additionally, Akorn said: "In an effort to improve the efficiency of our future R&D spend, we have recently completed a review of our pending ANDAs and have decided to rationalize a number of pending filings. Because of changes in the market size or competitive landscape, the expected commercial opportunity for these ANDAs no longer justifies further investment of time or funds required to obtain the approval."

07:22 EDT TechnipFMC awarded iEPCI contract by BP - TechnipFMC has been awarded a significant integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation, or iEPCI, contract by BP for the Thunder Horse South Expansion 2 Project located in the Gulf of Mexico. TechnipFMC will manufacture, deliver and install subsea equipment, including subsea tree systems, manifolds, flowline, umbilicals and subsea tree jumpers, pipeline end terminations, subsea distribution and topside control equipment. This is the second iEPCI awarded to TechnipFMC by BP following Atlantis Phase 3 in the Q1.

07:20 EDT Ballard Power to provide FCmove-HD fuel cell modules to AZETEC project - Ballard Power Systems announced that it will provide next-generation FCmove-HD fuel cell modules - utilizing Ballard's LCS technology - to power 2 tractor-trailer trucks as part of an industry-lead CA$15M, or $11.2M, Alberta Zero-Emissions Truck Electrification Collaboration, or AZETEC, project. The AZETEC project will test the ability of hydrogen to fuel the Province of Alberta's heavy duty freight transportation sector and is seen as a first step in exploring a potential made-in-Alberta hydrogen economy. Ballard will provide a total of 6 FCmove-HD fuel cell modules - each generating 70 kW of power - with 3 modules to be installed in each truck. These modules will utilize Ballard's LCS technology, planned for commercial availability in 2019.

07:19 EDT Travelzoo announces 1M share repurchase program - Travelzoo announced that its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to 1M shares of the company's outstanding common stock.

07:17 EDT BBX Capital Real State sells RoboVault Self Storage facility - BBX Capital Real Estate, a division of BBX Capital, announced the sale of its RoboVault Self Storage facility to Andover Properties/Storage King USA, a New York based storage operator. The 90,000 rentable square foot category 5 rated concrete self-storage facility, which is conveniently situated just minutes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Downtown Ft. Lauderdale, is located at 3340 SE 6th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.

07:12 EDT BorgWarner announces new joint venture with Romeo Power Technology - With global expertise supplying combustion, hybrid and electric vehicle propulsion solutions, BorgWarner is continuing to build its electrification portfolio and systems expertise by agreeing to form a joint venture with Romeo Power Technology, a technology-leading battery module and pack supplier. This new joint venture will be split 60/40 with BorgWarner obtaining the larger share. The joint venture will encompass the mobility portion of the battery pack business, initially focused on performance and light vehicles. BorgWarner will also take a 20% equity position in Romeo Power Technology and will fill two seats on its board. The equity investment and the joint venture are expected to close in the second quarter, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

07:08 EDT Premier authorizes additional $300M for potential stock repurchase - On April 26, 2019, Premier's board of directors authorized an additional $300.0 million for the potential repurchase of Class A stock, following the completion of the previous $250.0 million repurchase program during the fiscal third quarter.

07:00 EDT Allergan raises FY19 outlook

06:56 EDT Eagle Pharmaceuticals announces results from RYANODEX study - Eagle Pharmaceuticals announced positive results of its study to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of RYANODEX, or dantrolene sodium, secondary to nerve agent exposure, conducted with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, or USAMRICD. The study results show a p-value of 0.04 or less compared to the control group in six critical areas of the brain. We believe these results demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of RYANODEX. It has been hypothesized that nerve agent poisoning triggers intracellular calcium release in the body. The study data supports the proposed mechanism of action of RYANODEX, which modulates intracellular calcium in different organs including the brain. "We intend to meet with the FDA to discuss next steps as soon as possible. Given the life-threatening nature of NA exposure, we believe this indication would be evaluated under the FDA's Animal Rule. If approved, this would be an additional indication for RYANODEX, as we continue to develop additional potential indications and an intramuscular formulation of the drug," said the company.

06:54 EDT Merck says Belsomra met primary, secondary efficacy endpoints in Phase 3 trial - Merck announced the presentation of results of a Phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Belsomra C-IV for the treatment of insomnia in people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease dementia. In the trial, Belsomra met its primary and secondary efficacy endpoints. For the primary endpoint, 4-weeks of treatment with Belsomra improved mean total sleep time by 28.2 minutes versus placebo. This corresponded to a mean increase from baseline of 73.4 minutes with Belsomra and a mean increase from baseline of 45.2 minutes with placebo. Adverse events were reported in 22.5% of patients receiving Belsomra compared to 16.1% of those receiving placebo. The results are being presented at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, held May 4-10. Belsomra C-IV 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg tablets are currently approved in the United States for treatment of insomnia characterized by difficulties with sleep onset and sleep maintenance.

06:45 EDT US Foods reiterates FY19 outlook - The company reiterates its full year fiscal 2019 guidance provided on February 12.

06:40 EDT Denbury Resources reports Q1 production averaged 59,218 BOE/d - Denbury's production averaged 59,218 BOE/d during first quarter, including 37,073 barrels of oil per day from tertiary properties and 22,145 BOE/d from non-tertiary properties, essentially flat with total continuing production levels in the first and fourth quarters of 2018.

06:34 EDT AB InBev sees 'strong' revenue, EBITDA growth in FY19 - AB InBev said: "In FY19, we expect to deliver strong revenue and EBITDA growth, driven by the solid performance of our brand portfolio and strong commercial plans. Our growth model is even more focused on category expansion, targeting a more balanced top-line growth between volume and revenue per hl. We expect to deliver revenue per hl growth ahead of inflation based on premiumization and revenue management initiatives, while keeping costs below inflation. We expect CoS per hl to increase by mid single digits, with currency and commodity headwinds to be offset by cost management initiatives. We maintain our 3.2 billion USD synergy and cost savings expectation on a constant currency basis as of August 2016. From this total, 547 million USD was reported by former SAB as of 31 March 2016, and 2 491 million USD was captured between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2019. The balance of roughly 150 million USD is expected to be captured by the end of 2019." Commenting on the potential minority stake listing of the APAC business on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the company said: "We appreciate that a minority stake listing would accelerate our deleveraging path. Nonetheless, our commitment to reach a net debt to EBITDA ratio below 4x by the end of 2020 is not dependent on the completion of such a transaction."

06:30 EDT United Therapeutics, DEKA receive 510 clearance for RemUnity system by FDA - United Therapeutics and DEKA Research & Development announced receipt of 510 clearance by the FDA for the Unity Subcutaneous Delivery System for Remodulin injection, also referred to as the RemUnity system. The RemUnity system, which has been jointly developed by United Therapeutics and DEKA, is indicated for subcutaneous delivery of Remodulin to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH. The RemUnity system consists of a small, lightweight, durable pump that is intended to have a service life of at least three years. The RemUnity system uses disposable cartridges, which are connected to the pump.

06:29 EDT Mallinckrodt, CPP announce CPP FAP-310 trial did not meet primary endpoint - Cancer Prevention Pharmaceuticals, or CPP, and its partner Mallinckrodt announced that CPP's pivotal phase 3 clinical trial, CPP FAP-310, of the investigational drug CPP-1X/sulindac in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, or FAP, did not meet its primary endpoint. Specifically, the reduction of time to the first occurrence of an FAP-related event for the combination of CPP-1X and sulindac did not reach statistical significance compared to the two control arms. CPP FAP-310 included only active comparator arms and was the largest and longest study ever conducted in patients with FAP. Based on the topline results, Mallinckrodt does not plan to pursue the commercialization of the CPP-1X/sulindac program.

06:24 EDT Ferrari reports preliminary Q1 shipments of 2,610 units, up 22.7%

06:17 EDT Kirkland Lake Gold raises quarterly dividend 34% to 4c per share - To be paid on July 12 to shareholders of record on June 28.

06:13 EDT RedHill Biopharma submits NDA to FDA for Talicia for H. pylori Infection - RedHill Biopharma announced that, following a positive pre-NDA meeting held recently with the U.S. FDA, it has submitted a New Drug Application to the FDA for Talicia for the treatment of H. pylori infection. The NDA was submitted under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. Talicia was granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product designation by the FDA and is eligible for six-month priority review of the NDA. If approved, Talicia will receive an additional five years of U.S. market exclusivity on top of the standard exclusivity period, for a total of eight years of market exclusivity. Talicia is also covered by U.S. patents which extend patent protection until at least 2034, with additional patents and applications pending in various territories worldwide.

06:10 EDT Primoris Chairman Brian Pratt to step down - On May 3, Brian Pratt informed the Board of Directors that he was stepping down as Chairman of the Board. Pratt plans to remain on the Board as a Director and advisor assisting with M&A and capital investment. David King has assumed the position of Executive Chairman and CEO.

05:48 EDT Boise Cascade sees 'slower demand growth' in 2019 - Management said, "We expect to experience slower demand growth for the products we manufacture and distribute in 2019. The April 2019 Blue Chip consensus forecast for 2019 reflects 1.25 million total U.S. housing starts, which is flat with 2018 levels. Although we believe U.S. demographics are supportive of higher levels of housing starts, we expect near-term residential construction growth to be flat or only modestly improving due to constraints faced by builders, such as availability of labor and building lots, as well as affordability constraints faced by prospective buyers. The pace of household formation rates and residential repair-and-remodeling activity will be affected by employment growth, wage growth, prospective home buyers' access to and cost of financing, housing affordability, and consumer confidence, as well as other factors. Household formation rates in turn will be a key factor behind the demand for new construction. In addition, the size of new single-family residences as well as the mix of single and multi-family starts will influence product consumption. Extreme winter weather in many parts of the U.S., coupled with seasonally weak demand and additional industry capacity brought on in 2018, led to weak commodity products pricing in first quarter 2019. Commodity product pricing during the remainder of 2019 will be dependent on industry operating rates, net import and export activity, transportation constraints or disruptions, inventory levels in various distribution channels, and seasonal demand patterns. Composite panel and lumber pricing indices are approximately 35% below average levels experienced in the second quarter of 2018, and even if we experience meaningful price increases from current levels, we expect our year-over-year financial comparisons to again be negative in the second quarter of 2019. We expect our capital spending, excluding acquisitions, to be $85-$95 million in 2019, including spending to improve the efficiency of our veneer production at our Chester, South Carolina, and Florien, Louisiana, facilities."