Stockwinners Market Radar for May 20, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:41 EDT Interactive Brokers Group discloses 7.6% stake in UP Fintech - IBGI acquired beneficial ownership of the Class A ordinary shares in order to obtain a significant equity position in Up Fintech, which, in the opinion of IBGI, represented an "attractive investment opportunity when purchased."

19:38 EDT Itau Corpbanca dissolves subsidiary Corplegal - Itau Corpbanca announced the dissolution of its subsidiary Corplegal with the Chilean Financial Market Commission and with the Chilean Superintendency of Banks and Financial Institutions.

18:47 EDT Toll Brothers acquires Sharp Residential, terms not disclosed - Toll Brothers announced its expansion into the Atlanta, Georgia market through the acquisition of Sharp Residential, one of the largest private home building companies in Atlanta. The purchase price was paid in cash. Sharp Residential was founded in 1991 by Tom Sharp and has delivered over 5,000 homes in the Atlanta market since inception. The company focuses primarily on the area's northern suburbs with homes ranging from first-time to luxury at price points from the $300,000s to the $900,000s. At the date of acquisition, the company had approximately $65M in backlog consisting of 125 homes with an average price of $520,000. Including the existing backlog, Toll Brothers acquired approximately 900 lots owned and controlled in the Atlanta MSA. The acquisition will increase Toll Brothers' selling community count by approximately 10 communities as of the closing date.

18:31 EDT Wheeler REIT chairman John Sweet to resign - Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust announced that effective immediately, John Sweet has decided to resign as chairman of the Wheeler board to pursue other endeavors. Sweet has served on the Wheeler board of directors since 2016. The board of directors is currently discussing steps to replace Sweet. Once a candidate has been named, the company will make a public announcement.

17:55 EDT Primoris director sells 99.8K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Primoris disclosed that its director Brian Pratt sold 99.8K share of common stock on May 16th and May 17th. The total transaction size was $2.6M.

17:44 EDT VP of Danaher Angela Lalor sells over $408K in company shares - VP of Danaher Angela Lalor disclosed in a filing that she had sold 3,091 shares of company stock at $132.23 per share on May 16. The total transaction value of the sale was $408,723.

17:31 EDT S&P announces changes to S&P SmallCap 600 index - S&P Dow Jones Indices will make the following changes to the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the open of trading on Friday, May 24: Kontoor Brands (KTB) will replace Orion Group Holdings (ORN). V.F. Corp. (VFC) is spinning off Kontoor Brands in a deal expected to be completed on or about May 23 pending final conditions. Orion Group is ranked at the bottom of the S&P SmallCap 600 and has a market capitalization that is no longer representative of the small-cap market space. Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR) will replace The Navigators Group (NAVG). The Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG) is acquiring Navigators Group in a transaction expected to be completed on or about May 23 pending final approvals.

17:27 EDT Arrowhead to replace Navigators in S&P 600 at open on 5/24 - The Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG) is acquiring Navigators Group (NAVG) in a transaction expected to be completed on or about May 23 pending final approvals.

17:22 EDT General Dynamics awarded $497.01M Navy contract modification - General Dynamics has been awarded a $497.01M cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously-awarded contract for a submarine industrial base development and expansion in support of Columbia-class fleet ballistic missile submarines, as well as the nuclear shipbuilding enterprise, as part of the integrated enterprise plan and multi-program material procurement and production backup units. This submarine industrial base development and expansion effort utilizes the enhanced acquisition authorities contained in 10 U.S. Code Section 2218a, National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund, to improve sub-tier vendor stability and gain economic efficiencies based on production economies for major components. The nuclear shipbuilding industrial base is ramping up production capability to support the increased demand associated with the Navy's force structure assessment. Improved capacity at the sub-tier vendors reduces risk to the Columbia, Virginia and Ford class programs. This modification supports General Dynamics' execution of funding authorized in FY19 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, and appropriated by the Department of Defense Appropriations Act. This contract will be incrementally funded, with $177.16M obligated at time of award. Performance of work is anticipated at additional locations; however, this information is competition-sensitive and is therefore not disclosed. Work is expected to be completed by December 2031. This work is furtherance of the FY19 NDAA and the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, which authorized and appropriated additional funds for submarine industrial base development and expansion to ensure second- and third-tier contractors are able to meet increased production requirements. FY19 National Sea-Based Deterrence funds in the amount of $177.16M will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:16 EDT PotlatchDeltic announces changes to Idaho recreation permits - PotlatchDeltic announced changes to requirements for recreational permits in Idaho. PotlatchDeltic recently leased day use recreational access on over 567,000 acres of Idaho timberland to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The agreement secures and preserves access to the public for recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife viewing, hiking and recreational travel.Through the agreement, the public is free to recreate on PotlatchDeltic Idaho lands, except for some parcels associated with log yards, mill sites and certain acres listed for sale. Recreational travel is limited to motor vehicle travel on roads open to full sized vehicles. As a result, passenger vehicle permits are no longer required and those who have purchased a passenger vehicle permit from PotlatchDeltic for 2019 will receive an automatic refund. Permits and fees are still required for ATV use, camping and firewood cutting. PotlatchDeltic will also continue its exclusive campsite leases in select areas of North Idaho. PotlatchDeltic general recreation policies and regulations will remain in effect

17:07 EDT New York Times CEO sells 45,000 class A common shares - In a regulatory filing, New York Times president and CEO Mark Thompson disclosed the sale of 45,000 class A common shares of the compay at a price of $34.27 per share.

17:03 EDT USA Technologies extends contract of interim CFO Glen Goold - The company announced that on May 14, it had extended the contract of Glen Goold, its interim CFO, from June 30, 2019 until December 31, 2019.

17:02 EDT Nevro names D. Keith Grossman chairman of the board - Nevro Corp. announced that its board of directors has elected D. Keith Grossman, the company's President and CEO, to additionally serve as chairman of the board. Grossman assumes the Chairmanship effective today, following the company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Michael DeMane, who served as chairman of the board since January of 2017, will serve as Lead Director.

16:57 EDT Snap names Derek Andersen new CFO, appoints Lara Sweet as Chief People Officer - Snap announced the appointment of Derek Andersen, currently Snap's Vice President of Finance, as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Andersen will take over the responsibilities of interim CFO Lara Sweet and report to CEO Evan Spiegel. Snap also announced the appointment of Lara Sweet as Chief People Officer. In this new role, Ms. Sweet will oversee Snap's global talent acquisition and management strategies and processes, human resource functions and the overall team experience. She will report to Mr. Spiegel in this capacity, and continue as Chief Accounting Officer until a replacement is named. Both appointments are effective immediately.

16:50 EDT Clarivate Analytics names Jerre Stead as CEO, effective June 30 - Clarivate Analytics (CCC) announced that Executive Chairman Jerre Stead has agreed to expand his role at the company and become CEO effective June 30. Jay Nadler will transition from his role as CEO and member of Clarivate's board of directors at the end of the second quarter and will serve as an advisor to the company through year-end. Jerre Stead recently served as Chairman and CEO at IHS Markit (INFO) and previously as Executive Chairman and CEO at IHS Inc.

16:35 EDT Ocular Therapeutix trading resumes

16:33 EDT Varian to acquire Cancer Treatment Services for $283M - Varian Medical Systems announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cancer Treatment Services International for $283M. Privately held, CTSI operates the American Oncology Institute in Hyderabad and 10 multidisciplinary-radiation, medical and surgical oncology- cancer centers across the Indian subcontinent as well as a U.S.-based Oncology Solutions division that provides cancer care professional services to healthcare providers worldwide. Varian will finance the acquisition with a combination of borrowings under its credit facility and cash on hand. The transaction is anticipated to close in approximately two weeks, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. CTSI generated annual revenues of $43.5M in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. Varian estimates the transaction will have a 6c per share dilutive impact to earnings on a GAAP basis and a 3c per share dilutive impact to earnings on a Non-GAAP basis for the remainder of fiscal year 2019. The company expects this acquisition to be accretive to earnings per share during fiscal year 2021 on a Non-GAAP basis and fiscal year 2022 on a GAAP basis.

16:32 EDT Nordson reports Q2 backlog $436M, down 2% from last year

16:31 EDT Cohen & Steers names Paul Zettl chief marketing officer - Paul Zettl has joined Cohen & Steers (CNS) as Senior Vice President, Head of Global Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer, the company said. Zettl will lead strategic marketing initiatives for all client channels and platforms worldwide. Zettl comes to Cohen & Steers from T. Rowe Price (TROW), where he most recently served as Group Vice President, Head of Product Marketing and Offer Management.

16:08 EDT Clovis says Rubraca increased symptom-free period in ovarian cancer patients - Clovis Oncology announced data demonstrating that patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who received Rubraca in the Phase 3 ARIEL3 study had longer periods of quality-adjusted time without clinically relevant symptoms as compared to patients who received placebo, and that Rubraca maintenance treatment continued to provide significant benefit in progression-free survival when weighted with patients' perceptions of their wellbeing. The presentation at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Annual Meeting highlights post-hoc evaluations of quality-adjusted time without symptoms or toxicity and quality-adjusted PFS from the randomized, placebo-controlled study of Rubraca, or rucaparib, for the maintenance treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. To the company's knowledge, this is the first time that Q-TWiST data will be presented in the maintenance therapy setting in recurrent ovarian cancer.

16:06 EDT Ocular Therapeutix says OTX-TP failed to meet primary endpoint in Phase 3 trial - Ocular Therapeutix announced topline results from the first pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of OTX-TP, an intracanalicular insert that delivers a preservative-free formulation of the drug travoprost for the reduction of intraocular pressure in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. OTX-TP is designed to lower IOP for up to 90 days and to address the poor adherence associated with chronic, daily eye drop regimens, the current standard of care. The Phase 3 randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted across more than 50 sites and enrolled 554 subjects with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension in the full analysis set population. The trial's primary efficacy endpoint was to demonstrate a statistically superior mean reduction of IOP from baseline for OTX-TP treated subjects compared with placebo insert treated subjects at nine different time points, three diurnal time points at each of 2, 6, and 12 weeks following insertion. Topline results show that the trial did not achieve its primary endpoint of statistically significant superiority in mean reduction of IOP compared with placebo at all nine time points. OTX-TP treated subjects did have a greater reduction in IOP from baseline relative to placebo insert at all nine time points, and these differences were statistically significant for eight of the nine time points. The reductions from baseline for OTX-TP treated subjects in this trial ranged from 3.27-5.72 millimeters of mercury across the nine time points with higher levels of intraocular pressure reduction seen at the earlier time points in this trial. OTX-TP was generally well tolerated and no ocular serious adverse events were observed. The most common ocular adverse events seen in the study eye were dacryocanaliculitis and lacrimal structure disorder. "We are encouraged by the results of this trial which shows OTX-TP's ability to lower IOP out to 12 weeks with a single insert using this novel dosage form," stated Michael Goldstein, MD, Chief Medical Officer. "In our opinion, this product candidate represents a new opportunity for treating glaucoma patients that has the potential to address one of the biggest issues we deal with in clinical practice, the challenges patients have in taking eye drops. We will continue to review the data from the trial, and we look forward to meeting with the FDA to discuss these results before determining the next steps in our clinical development plans."

16:05 EDT Align Technology chief legal, regulatory officer Roger George to retire - Align Technology announced that Roger George, Align senior VP, chief legal and regulatory officer has retired and will leave the company at the end of August. George was responsible for all aspects of Align Technology's legal affairs including transactional, securities, governance, intellectual property, real estate and employment matters. Julie Coletti, Align VP and associate general counsel, strategic commercial affairs has assumed George's responsibilities and will work with him to ensure a smooth transition. Coletti joined Align in May 2018 and is responsible for Align's strategic commercial initiatives. Prior to Align, Coletti was VP, global general counsel and chief compliance officer for Danaher's dental platform business with responsibility for a global team of more than 50 legal, intellectual property, compliance, trade and environmental health and safety professionals.

16:03 EDT Insmed presents new data from Phase 3 CONVERT study of ARIKAYCE - Insmed presented new data from the ongoing Phase 3 CONVERT study of ARIKAYCE in patients with refractory Mycobacterium avium complex lung disease, demonstrating that the addition of ARIKAYCE to guideline-based therapy was associated with sustained culture conversion through the end of treatment as well as durable culture conversion three months post-treatment compared with GBT alone. These data were presented during a late-breaking session at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Dallas. Researchers at ATS also presented new ARIKAYCE pharmacokinetic data as well as new data from an investigator-initiated study of ARIKAYCE in the treatment of NTM lung disease caused by M. abscessus.

16:00 EDT Ocular Therapeutix trading halted, news pending

15:15 EDT AT&T's HBO says Game of Thrones finale watched by 19.3M viewers - The final episode of Game of Thrones was watched by a 19.3M viewers across HBO's linear HBO GO and HBO NOW platforms, exceeding the previous series high of 18.4M viewers from last week, HBO announced. The episode also scored the most-watched single telecast record on HBO ever, with 13.6M viewers for the 9:00 p.m. airing, the AT&T unit reported.

14:38 EDT Sprint trading resumes

14:32 EDT AzurRx BioPharma reports 'positive' secondary endpoint data in MS1819-SD study - AzurRx BioPharma released new data for its lead development candidate MS1819-SD at the 2019 Digestive Disease Week Conference. The presentation entitled "Results from a Phase II Study of MS1819, a Recombinant Lipase for the Treatment of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis" was delivered by Dr. Nam Q. Nguyen, et al., on May 20, 2019. In addition to previously released coefficient of fat absorption results and safety assessments, Dr. Nguyen discussed newly released positive secondary endpoint data from the study. At the highest dose of 2,240 mg/day used in the study, statistical significance was achieved with the following endpoints: improvement in stool consistency, reduction in the number of bowel movements, reduction in the incidence of steatorrhea, and a trend in the reduction of abdominal discomfort on the visual analogue scale, recorded from a mean of 21.0 during baseline to 14.5 at the highest dose of 2,240 mg, at a p value of 0.148. Finally, with regard to CFA, it was observed that improvements were most pronounced in patients with baseline CFA of less than 40. Professor Nguyen, an investigator in the study and the Head of Education and Research, Interventional & EUS endoscopist, at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia commented that "the efficacy results of the MS1819-SD study point to the potential of a novel and non-porcine based recombinant therapy to safely and effectively improve the nutritional status and ease of digestion of CP patients with EPI and markedly reduce associated symptoms."

14:25 EDT Can-Fite BioPharma trading resumes

13:57 EDT Can-Fite BioPharma trading halted, news pending

13:17 EDT Clear Channel Outdoor announces award of Paris' street furniture contract - Clear Channel Outdoor announces it has been awarded the Street Furniture contract by the City of Paris until 2024. Under this new contract, Clear Channel France will operate 1,630 pieces of street furniture in the French capital which will be available for out of home advertising. Clear Channel will begin installing the street furniture across the capital in September, with the first advertising campaigns scheduled for Q4 2019.

12:34 EDT Motus GI Holdings presents clinical results from REDUCE study - Motus GI Holding announced it will present full clinical results from the company's REDUCE study evaluating the Pure-Vu System at Digestive Disease Week 2019. Vladimir Kushnir, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, will present the REDUCE study clinical results poster titled, "Evaluation of Bowel Cleansing Efficacy in Hospitalized Patient Population Using the Pure-Vu System" during the Lower GI 2 session. The REDUCE study was a multi-center inpatient prospective trial designed to evaluate Pure-Vu System's ability to consistently and reliably improve bowel preparation to facilitate a successful colonoscopy in a timely manner in patients who were indicated for a diagnostic colonoscopy. The study enrolled 95 hospitalized patients on schedule regardless of their level of pre-procedural bowel preparation. The primary endpoint for the study was improvement of bowel preparation from baseline to post procedure as assessed by the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale, which assesses the cleanliness of each of the three segments of the colon on a 0 to 3 scale and requires a minimum score of 2 or better per segment to be considered adequately prepped. The analysis from the REDUCE study showed statistically significant improvement in each colon segment after Pure-Vu System use. The per segment BBPS improved from an average baseline of 1.74, 1.74 and 1.5 to 2.89, 2.91 and 2.86, respectively, with a statistically significant p value of .001 for all three segments of the colon. Inpatients that received Pure-Vu System, adequate bowel preparation improved from a baseline of 38% to 96% in segments evaluated.

12:18 EDT Athersys says 'favorable' data from exploratory Phase 1/2 ARDS trial presented - Athersys announced additional "favorable" data from its exploratory Phase 1/2 acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, clinical trial. Dr. Geoff Bellingan, Medical Director at University College London Hospitals, described the data from the clinical trial, referred to as the MUST-ARDS trial, during his presentation at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Dallas, Texas, the company reported. "A preliminary analysis of the biomarkers reveals that, similar to results from the Company's MultiStem MASTERS-1 study for acute ischemic stroke, there was an overall reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines in the MultiStem treatment group compared to placebo group. Specifically, certain acute inflammatory cytokines were lower in the ARDS patients that received MultiStem. The same inflammatory cytokines were also downregulated in the stroke patients that were in the MultiStem treatment group in the MASTERS-1 study, suggesting that MultiStem may work in similar way for both ARDS and stroke," the company said.

12:00 EDT Keysight Technologies falls -8.4% - Keysight Technologies is down -8.4%, or -$6.89 to $74.97.

12:00 EDT PPDAI Group falls -10.4% - PPDAI Group is down -10.4%, or -58c to $5.05.

12:00 EDT Westpac Banking rises 9.2% - Westpac Banking is up 9.2%, or $1.60 to $18.95.

11:50 EDT Xcel Energy accelerates plans to close last two coal plants in Upper Midwest - Xcel Energy announced plans to retire its last two coal plants in the Upper Midwest, noting that this was a decade earlier than scheduled. "The acceleration of the coal closures is another milestone in the company's clean energy transition that includes expanding wind and solar, using cleaner natural gas and operating its carbon-free Monticello nuclear plant until at least 2040," Xcel stated. These plans are part of the proposed Upper Midwest Energy Plan, which the company will submit for approval to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in July. If approved, the plan would lead to a more than 80% reduction in carbon emissions in the region by 2030, compared to 2005, on the path toward the company' vision to provide customers 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.

11:07 EDT General Motors unveils new electronic platform - General Motors announced the debut of the company's all-new electronic platform, which it said is "necessary for its next-generation of vehicles, EVs, active safety, infotainment and connectivity features, and the evolution of the Super Cruise driver assistance feature." Debuting on the recently-unveiled 2020 Cadillac CT5 sedan, the electronic platform will go into production later this year and should be rolled out to most vehicles within GM's global lineup by 2023, GM said. "The technology powers an electronic system, capable of managing up to 4.5 terabytes of data processing power per hour, a fivefold increase in capability over GM's current electrical architecture. With an expanded capacity for smartphone-like over-the-air software updates, the system enables the adoption of functionality upgrades throughout the lifespan of the vehicle. The new architecture also provides more rapid communications within the vehicle itself and to outside sources thanks to Ethernet connections of 100Mbs, 1Gpbs and 10Gbps," the company stated.

10:19 EDT Theravance, Mylan study highlights possible role of Yupelri in COPD treatment - Theravance Biopharma (TBPH) and Mylan N.V. (MYL) announced the presentation of data from its pivotal Phase 3 efficacy studies and a 52-week safety study at the 2019 American Thoracic Society International Conference in Dallas, Texas. YUPELRI inhalation solution, a long-acting muscarinic antagonist is the first and only once-daily, nebulized bronchodilator approved for the maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the U.S., the companies said in a statement. Researchers presented a subgroup analysis of data from the revefenacin Phase 3 program of patients treated concurrently with long-acting beta agonists either with or without inhaled corticosteroids. A prespecified subgroup analysis was conducted on pooled data from two 12-week replicate placebo-controlled trials. Separately, exploratory endpoint data from a 52-week randomized, tiotropium-controlled safety trial were analyzed. Overall, an average of 43% of patients across the three studies were using concurrent LABA or LABA/ICS combination therapy. This subgroup had more severe disease at baseline. The results suggest the use of YUPELRI with LABA or ICS/LABA may provide additional COPD symptom control particularly in patients with more severe disease, though additional studies are needed to confirm any such benefit. In the analysis of the pooled data, the once daily nebulized treatment with revefenacin produced greater improvements from baseline compared with placebo in day 85 trough FEV1 among the non-LABA and LABA subgroups. Additionally, a clinically significant improvement of an approximately 100-mL increase in trough FEV1 was sustained for 12 weeks for those treated with revefenacin in both the LABA and non-LABA subgroups.

10:04 EDT First Long Island names Janet Verneuille EVP, CRO - The First of Long Island Corporation announces the hiring of Janet Verneuille as EVP and chief risk officer of the corporation and the bank effective June 3, 2019. She most recently served as EVP and CFP of Empire National Bank. The hiring of Verneuille follows the March 19, 2019 announcement by the corporation that the current CRO, Christopher Becker, will succeed Michael Vittorio as president and CEO after Vittorio's retirement on December 31, 2019.

10:00 EDT Barnes & Noble Education falls -7.7% - Barnes & Noble Education is down -7.7%, or -28c to $3.38.

10:00 EDT SMIC rises 7.6% - SMIC is up 7.6%, or 38c to $5.39.

10:00 EDT Sprint rises 23.5% - Sprint is up 23.5%, or $1.45 to $7.63.

09:47 EDT Keysight Technologies falls -6.6% - Keysight Technologies is down -6.6%, or -$5.40 to $76.46.

09:47 EDT CNFinance rises 6.2% - CNFinance is up 6.2%, or 35c to $5.90.

09:47 EDT Sprint rises 25.7% - Sprint is up 25.7%, or $1.59 to $7.77.

09:38 EDT Overstock.com launches omnichannel AR, 3D customer experience - Overstock.com said in a statement that it recently launched "the world's largest omni-channel 3D and augmented reality experience in e-commerce, expanding its 3D models from its award winning mobile apps to mobile web, reaching 100 percent of the retailer's mobile users. This industry-leading AR functionality will also be available on Overstock's desktop site as early as this week." The company continued, "Building on Overstock's investment over the past three years in AR and 3D experiences, Overstock partnered with Seek, an AR industry leader specialized in web-based AR, to build on this innovation. Today, whether they're using the mobile app or browsing online, Overstock shoppers can seamlessly view true-to-life size 3D renderings of thousands of products from top selling categories like furniture, home goods, and decor on all platforms and view these products in their room with AR."

09:31 EDT MYnd unit signs agreement with Memorial Hospital for telehealth services - MYnd Analytics announced that Arcadian Telepsychiatry, a wholly owned subsidiary of MYnd, has signed an agreement with Memorial to provide telebehavioral health services through its provider network beginning in May. Memorial is a not-for-profit medical complex in Gulfport, Mississippi, jointly owned by the City of Gulfport and Harrison County. Memorial is one of the most comprehensive healthcare systems in the state, licensed for 303 beds, including a state-designated level II trauma center, two outpatient surgery centers, satellite diagnostic and rehabilitation centers and over 95 physician clinics.

09:13 EDT FCC Chairman to recommend merger between T-Mobile and Sprint - Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement, "In light of the significant commitments made by T-Mobile and Sprint as well as the facts in the record to date, I believe that this transaction is in the public interest and intend to recommend to my colleagues that the FCC approve it. This is a unique opportunity to speed up the deployment of 5G throughout the United States and bring much faster mobile broadband to rural Americans. We should seize this opportunity." Reference Link

09:07 EDT Prudential appoints Stacey Goodman as Chief Information Officer - Prudential Financial announced that Stacey Goodman will join the company as executive vice president and Chief Information Officer, effective July 15. Barbara Koster announced her retirement as Chief Information Officer in December 2018. Goodman will serve as a member of Prudential's Executive Leadership Team and report to Robert Falzon, Prudential vice chair. She joins Prudential from Freddie Mac, where she served as Chief Information Officer.

09:05 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Sprint (S) and T-Mobile (TMUS), up 23% and 6%, respectively, after Reuters reported that the companies and the FCC will announce an agreement on conditions for the planned merger, but that the FCC will not formally approve the merger today as it must still draft its order... Qiagen (QGEN), up 3% after the U.S. launch of its QIAstat-Dx syndromic testing system after receiving 510 clearance by the FDA... The Medicines Co. (MDCO), up 6% after announcing interim results from the ongoing ORION-3 open-label extension study, which showed that twice-a-year dosing with inclisiran sodium 300 mg resulted in consistent lowering of low density lipoprotein cholesterol by more than 50% with overall follow-up of up to three years. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Pinduoduo (PDD), down 4%... SpartanNash (SPTN), down 3%... Lumentum (LITE), down 5%. LOWER: Intel (INTC), down 2.5%, Qualcomm (QCOM), down 4%, Broadcom (AVGO), down 5%, Xilinx (XLNX), down 5% and STMicroelectronics (STM), down 7% after Bloomberg reported that the chipmakers are among those that have told employees they will not supply Huawei until further notice in the wake of the U.S. ban. Google (GOOGL) is also down 1.5% as it is said to have cut off the supply of hardware and some software services to the Chinese giant.

09:03 EDT Nucor announces capital investment at South Carolina bar mill - Nucor announced a capital investment that will add vacuum degassing to its engineered bar capabilities at its bar mill in Darlington, South Carolina. Adding this capability will enable the mill to produce engineered bar products meeting some of the most stringent quality specifications in the industry. The vacuum degassing system is expected to begin operations in late 2020.

09:02 EDT Auris Medical regains compliance with Nasdaq - Auris Medical announced that it has received written notification from the Nasdaq Hearings Panel notifying the company that it has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550 for continued listing on Nasdaq. The panel determined that the company is in compliance with all applicable Nasdaq listing standards, that its common shares will continue to be listed on Nasdaq and that the panel considers this matter closed.

08:41 EDT Amyris receives $10M milestone payment from Lavvan - Amyris reported that it has received from its cannabinoid partner, Lavvan, a first cash payment of $10M for having successfully delivered on its first major collaboration milestone as announced on March 29. With this successful collaboration with Lavvan to commercialize cannabinoid ingredients, Amyris proves once again its unparalleled ability to disrupt large markets, cost efficiently and sustainably. The company expects to bring the first fermentation-derived cannabinoid products to market next year with better purity and at significantly reduced cost compared to similar products and ingredients.

08:33 EDT Zebra Technologies to acquire Profitect, terms not disclosed - Zebra Technologies Corporation announced it intends to acquire Profitect, a privately-held, provider of prescriptive analytics for the retail and consumer packaged goods industries. Using machine learning and prescriptive analytics, Profitect's solution identifies opportunities to impact sales and margin for some of the most recognized retail and CPG brands in the world. Profitect uses data from across the value chain for improving inventory and pricing accuracy, out of stocks, supply chain inefficiency, unsellable merchandise, and assortment discrepancies. The solution identifies a potential opportunity and can generate suggested actions, sending them directly to a worker's mobile device, providing step-by-step instructions for resolution. Zebra will also leverage the investment to accelerate the development of its Savanna data platform through the acquisition of Profitect's technology, talent, and skillsets. Combining the real-time data that Zebra solutions capture, with Profitect's access to operational data, machine learning, and prescriptive analytics, Zebra will work with its' partners to empower front-line workers. Zebra expects to fund the acquisition of Profitect with a combination of cash on hand along with fully committed financing available under its credit facility. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019. The transaction is expected to be immaterial to sales and profitability in the near term. Financial terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed.

08:13 EDT Kazia Therapeutics enters collaboration with Alliance - Kazia Therapeutics is pleased to announce that it has entered into a collaboration with the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation, a U.S.-based cancer research network sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Alliance will launch a multi-centre phase II study to investigate the potential use of Kazia's investigational new drug, GDC-0084, alongside several other targeted cancer therapies, in the treatment of brain metastases.

08:11 EDT Lumentum cuts Q4 adjusted operating margin view to 15.5%-17% from 18%-20%

08:09 EDT First Internet to acquire small business lending division of First Colorado - First Internet Bancorp announced that its subsidiary, First Internet Bank, has entered into a loan and asset purchase agreement to acquire the small business lending division of First Colorado National Bank. As of March 31, 2019, the balance of loans outstanding to be acquired was approximately $39M, comprised primarily of SBA 7(a) loans. The Bank will also acquire a servicing portfolio consisting of guaranteed SBA 7(a) loans sold in the secondary market, which had a balance of approximately $112M as of March 31, 2019. The SBA Division professionals joining the Bank include loan production, credit, portfolio management and servicing personnel and operate out of two Chicago-area offices as well as one Indianapolis-area office. At closing, total consideration for the acquisition of the SBA Division and its assets will be paid in cash through a combination of cash on hand and proceeds from loan sales planned for the second quarter of 2019. The portfolio to be acquired consists primarily of adjustable rate loans and has a current weighted average coupon of 7.30%. The company expects to sell the guaranteed portion of new loans originated by the SBA Division in the secondary market, which should enhance noninterest income through gains on the sales' of those loans and servicing fee income. The transaction is expected to close early in the third quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and the receipt of any required governmental and regulatory approvals.

08:06 EDT AstraZeneca says FASENRA maintains long-term efficacy, safety profile - A new integrated analysis of Phase III data for FASENRA shows that patients with severe eosinophilic asthma who were continuously treated with the medicine for up to two years reduced their use of oral corticosteroids and experienced a sustained improvement in exacerbation rates, lung function, asthma control and health-related quality of life. The analysis, presented at the American Thoracic Society 2019 International Conference, provides long-term efficacy and safety data for FASENRA from the one-year Phase III SIROCCO and CALIMA exacerbation trials, the one-year Phase III BORA extension trial and the 28-week Phase III ZONDA OCS-sparing trial. The integrated analysis includes 1,161 FASENRA patients, of whom 1,030 are in the SIROCCO/CALIMA/BORA full analysis set and 131 are in the ZONDA/BORA analysis set. In the integrated analysis of ZONDA and BORA, 75% of patients had at least a 50% reduction in their OCS dosages from baseline after 84 weeks of FASENRA treatment every eight weeks, and 39% of patients had at least a 90% reduction. OCS dosage was reduced by 67% by the end of the integrated study period, which was similar to reductions seen in the ZONDA trial of 75% from baseline compared with 25% for placebo. FASENRA is not approved for the treatment of other eosinophilic conditions or relief of acute bronchospasm or status asthmaticus. The integrated analysis demonstrated that the improvements in exacerbation rate, lung function, asthma control and health-related quality of life observed in the SIROCCO/CALIMA trials during the initial one-year treatment period were maintained in continuously treated patients over the two-year integrated treatment period. The safety profile in the integrated analysis was similar to that observed in the SIROCCO, CALIMA, ZONDA and BORA trials, with no increase in the frequencies of overall or serious adverse events. The three most common adverse events reported for those SIROCCO or CALIMA patients who received FASENRA and entered BORA were viral upper respiratory infection, upper respiratory tract infection and bronchitis. FASENRA is AstraZeneca's first respiratory biologic and is currently approved as an add-on maintenance treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma in the US, EU, Japan and several other countries.

08:06 EDT Principia Biopharma presents PRN1371 data at AACR meeting - Principia Biopharma announced data from its Phase 1, multicenter, dose-escalation clinical trial of PRN1371, an irreversible covalent FGFR1-4 kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors. The poster was presented at the AACR Bladder Cancer meeting. PRN1371 is a covalent, highly selective FGFR1-4 inhibitor, which targets a cysteine residue within the kinase domain. This approach has the potential to enable selective and sustained inhibition of FGFR without the need to maintain high systemic exposure of the drug. The Phase 1, open-label dose escalation portion of the PRN1371 trial in adult patients with advanced solid tumors has been completed in 36 patients. PRN1371 was well tolerated and two patients continued on study. While the trial was not designed to assess efficacy, stable disease after two 28-day treatment cycles was observed in 11 out of 36 patients. The most common treatment related adverse event was hyperphosphatemia, a known side effect of FGFR inhibitors. A cohort expansion portion of the study has been initiated in metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients with identified FGFR genetic alterations at a dose of 35 mg once daily and is currently ongoing.

08:05 EDT Neurocrine presents new data from RE-KINECT study - Neurocrine Biosciences announced new data from RE-KINECT, the largest real-world screening study to date of patients with clinician-confirmed possible tardive dyskinesia, demonstrating the effect of involuntary movements on patient health-related quality of life. Results from the study showed that involuntary movements had a significant negative impact on a patient's health-related quality of life, with nearly 30% of patients with possible TD reporting moderate-to-extreme problems performing their usual activities, including work, housework and leisure activities. In addition, almost half of patients with possible TD experienced moderate-to-extreme anxiety or depression. These data, along with new long-term data from the KINECT 4 study, will be presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

08:03 EDT Roan Resources engages Citigroup, Jefferies for strategic alternatives review - Roan Resources (ROAN) announced that it has engaged Citigroup Global Markets (C) and Jefferies (JEF), to assist the company in evaluating strategic alternatives. As previously announced on April 29, 2019, the Company has received multiple unsolicited indications of interest for an outright purchase of the Company, as well as inbound inquiries from potential consolidation partners, and has formed a transactional working committee of its Board to evaluate potential strategic alternatives for the company. Since that date, the company has continued to receive additional inquiries for an outright purchase of the company. The Committee, assisted by its legal and financial advisors, will consider all strategic alternatives, with the primary focus on maximizing shareholder value. There can be no assurance that such evaluation will result in one or more transactions or other strategic change or outcome. The Company has not set a timetable for the conclusion of its evaluation of strategic alternatives, and it does not intend to comment further unless and until the Board has approved a specific course of action or the company has otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required by law.

07:58 EDT BioSig Technologies appoints former Celgene CMO Jerome Zeldis to board - BioSig Technologies (BSGM) announced that Jerome Zeldis agreed to re-join the company as an independent director, effective immediately. Zeldis brings life sciences experience gained primarily through his career at Celgene (CELG). He previously served as CEO of Celgene Global Health and CMO of Celgene, where he was employed for nearly 20 years, starting in 1997.

07:50 EDT BioXcel Therapeutics announces data from BXCL501 study - BioXcel Therapeutics announced positive top line data from its Phase 1 pharmacokinetic, or PK, and safety study of BXCL501, a proprietary sublingual thin-film formulation of dexmedetomidine, or Dex, for the acute treatment of agitation across multiple neuropsychiatric indications. Administration of BXCL501 in the Phase 1 pharmacokinetic and safety study achieved targeted exposure levels that were observed to be therapeutic in the company's prior IV Dex study and BTI intends to advance BXCL501 into a Phase 2 trial to evaluate efficacy in agitated schizophrenia patients. We believe the results from the Phase 2 study are expected to facilitate powering of a planned Phase 3 pivotal trial. BTI is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical development company utilizing novel artificial intelligence approaches to identify and advance next wave of medicines in neuroscience and immuno-oncology. The IND-opening Phase 1 study was a double-blinded placebo-controlled, single-dose, dose-escalation study of BXCL501 that enrolled 42 adult volunteers across various dosing groups. The primary endpoints of the study were PK and safety, while secondary endpoints included assessment of pharmacodynamics, or PD, and the relationship between BXCL501 concentrations and PD endpoints. Findings from the study indicate that BXCL501 rapidly achieved targeted exposure levels consistent with the levels observed in the intravenous Dex study in schizophrenia patients that the company announced in November 2018. Results from the Phase 1 study also showed dose-proportional PK consistent with the IV Dex study with PD effects lasting 4 to 6 hours. Additionally, clinical data from the study indicates BXCL501 was well tolerated. There were no serious adverse events. The most common adverse event was drowsiness, observed at rates similar to placebo. All adverse events were mild to moderate and transient. There was no clear sedative effect in comparison with placebo. Cardiovascular changes were not clinically meaningful. A maximum tolerated dose was not reached.

07:41 EDT Ctrip announces deepened strategic partnership with Melia Hotels - Melia Hotels announced a deepened strategic partnership with Ctrip and plans to launch a store on the online travel agency's Chinese website and mobile app. Melia Hotels International has four hotels operating in China, including Shanghai, Xi'an, Zhengzhou and Jinan with an additional five properties in the pipeline. Ctrip's partnership with Melia Hotels dates back to 2016. The latest collaboration indicates the Melia store on Ctrip's website and mobile app will enable 300M plus Ctrip users to gain access to exclusive membership offers and benefits from nearly 400 hotels managed by the hotel group across the globe. Meanwhile, Ctrip users could score stay points along with additional benefits from MeliaRewards, the hotel group's loyalty program. In addition to such benefits, Melia Hotel International will also offer flight and hotel packages for Ctrip users. Furthermore, in the near future, the two companies will also launch a membership tier-matching program, where all tiers of Ctrip members could join MeliaRewards through the Melia store and be corresponding tiers of MeliaRewards.

07:36 EDT Sonoco to acquire Corenso Holdings for approximately $110M - Sonoco announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Corenso Holdings from a company owned by investment funds advised by Madison Dearborn and management for approximately $110M in cash. Corenso Holdings is a U.S. manufacturer of uncoated recycled paperboard and cores used in the paper, packaging films, tape and specialty industries. The transaction is subject to normal regulatory review and is expected to close in Q3. Corenso Holdings produced net sales of approximately $75M in 2018 and operates a 108,000-ton per year uncoated recycled paperboard mill in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, as well as two core converting facilities in Wisconsin Rapids and Richmond, Virginia, which combined employ approximately 175 associates. The acquisition of Corenso Holdings will be modestly accretive to Sonoco's earnings in 2019 and there are no expected planned changes in operating leadership and customer relationships.

07:17 EDT Akoustis announces shipments, production order for 3.8GHz filters - Akoustis announced it has received a new production order and has shipped the first of four open orders to its defense customer for 3.8 GHz XBAW filters, with the next two orders expected to ship in the current quarter. Akoustis has been working recently with a new outsourced packaging supplier to improve the speed and scale at which it can deliver 3.8 GHz filters to its defense customer. The timeline to transfer the packaging supply chain and finish the design is now complete and the first open production order has been shipped. During the current quarter, the company expects to complete shipments on two additional open production orders for 3.8 GHz filters, with the fourth to ship in the second half of the calendar year. Additionally, Akoustis expects to receive an order for a new program from its defense customer in the current quarter requiring at least one new filter at a frequency band synergistic with 5G spectrum.

07:13 EDT PDC Energy CEO sends letter to shareholders, encourages white proxy card vote - PDC Energy mailed a letter to shareholders from president and CEO Bart Brookman, in connection with the company's annual meeting of stockholders, scheduled for May 29. PDC shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 1, 2019 will be entitled to vote at the annual meeting. Brookman said, "...It is in this light I share with you my deep concerns regarding Kimmeridge Energy's efforts to elect three individuals to PDC's Board, in opposition to the Company's slate of directors. I have personally known and observed the Kimmeridge leadership for several years. Their constantly changing ideas and criticisms reflect a fundamental lack of understanding of how to run a public E&P company for long-term success. Kimmeridge also erroneously criticized PDC's operating performance and used misleading information in its materials to shareholders. I can assure you that our leadership team and Board have significant operational and technical expertise that has, and will continue to, improve capital efficiency and drive shareholder returns. Further, Kimmeridge has employed extreme tactics and a polarizing interpersonal approach, which would be destructive throughout the organization. PDC has established an effective and cohesive organization built on technical excellence, hard work, loyalty and dedication, and I believe Kimmeridge's presence and ideas would severely jeopardize this working environment, the Company as a whole and, most importantly, the value of your investment.Many of Kimmeridge's proposals would destroy economic value over time, negatively impact PDC employees, impair our safety programs and threaten the longstanding rapport we have established with regulatory bodies, communities and landowners. Kimmeridge's short-sighted ideas would be a dramatic step in the wrong direction and would be dangerous for PDC and the communities in which we live and work. Lastly, Kimmeridge's board candidates have no significant public board experience, no depth of knowledge in large-scale operational matters, and no familiarity with the Colorado regulatory environment. I also believe that Ben Dell, Kimmeridge's leader, is primarily focused on pushing PDC to engage in mergers with our competitors, including transactions in which he would be a financial participant. I believe that this, together with possible other economic interests he holds, present serious conflicts of interest. Leading independent proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis agrees that Kimmeridge's nominees are not compelling for a company of PDC's scope and scale, and further expressed their concern with Kimmeridge's, "objectively aggressive recommendations that often fade into more broadly phrased suggestions."In stark contrast, I have seen first-hand the considerable experience and thoughtful business approach the PDC Board has taken in governing this Company. Each PDC director is unafraid to make the serious and sometimes difficult decisions necessary to implement our strategy. We have also taken a critical eye to our Board composition. Over the past five years, we have undertaken an aggressive refreshment program, adding four new directors with unique skill sets and backgrounds to ensure that the PDC Board has the diversity of experience necessary to guide an E&P company through the challenges facing our industry. The continued leadership of our Board is critical to the Company's ongoing success. For these reasons, I strongly encourage you to protect the value of your investment, and vote the WHITE proxy card FOR all three of your Board's highly qualified nominees today."

07:07 EDT Compugen doses first patient in Phase 1 COM701/Opdivo study - Compugen (CGEN) announced that it has dosed the first patient in the combination arm of its Phase 1 study, combining escalating doses of COM701 with a fixed dose of Opdivo in patients with advanced solid tumors. The combination dose escalation arm was initiated following the determination of well-tolerated doses with no dose-limiting toxicities reported of COM701 from the monotherapy dose escalation arm of the trial. Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) will supply Opdivo, a PD-1 inhibitor, for the combination arms of the Phase 1 study under the clinical trial collaboration announced in October 2018.

07:05 EDT Intec Pharma granted European patent - Intec Pharma announces that the European Patent Office has granted the company European Patent No. 2997953 titled, "DELIVERY DEVICE FOR ORAL INTAKE OF AN AGENT," and covers Intec's gastro-retentive drug delivery device with perforated external film. The new European patent joins Intec Pharma's intellectual property of the IN-3 family of patents and provides coverage until 2027.

07:04 EDT Village Farms: Pure Sunfarms receives SPL from Health Canada - Village Farms announced that its 50%-owned joint venture for large-scale, low-cost, high-quality cannabis production, Pure Sunfarms, has received a Standard Processing License from Health Canada for its 1.1M square foot Delta 3 greenhouse facility. The Processing License permits Pure Sunfarms to extract and process cannabis at the Delta 3 facility, which will enable the development and manufacture of products derived from the cannabis plant, including cannabis oil, as well as concentrates and edibles. Pure Sunfarms will require an additional amendment to its sales license to sell cannabis oil, which it expects to be distributing to provincial/territorial distributors and private retailers by the fourth quarter of this year.

07:02 EDT Lowe's acquires Retail Analytics platform from Boomerang Commerce - Lowe's announced it is acquiring the Retail Analytics platform from Boomerang Commerce. The technology will be integrated into the company's core retail business and bolster strategic and data-driven pricing and merchandise assortment decisions across Lowe's businesses. The platform provides a retail analytics solution that processes product and pricing datasets to convert them to insights and actions. The acquisition is designed to assist in modernizing and digitizing Lowe's approach to pricing. Boomerang Commerce was founded by Guru Hariharan in 2012 and is based in Mountain View, California. Lowe's acquisition includes the proprietary technology and tools for the Retail Analytics platform but excludes customer contracts and related confidential information and data. As part of the transaction, some associates from the Retail Analytics teams based in Bangalore and the United States will join Lowe's. After this acquisition, Boomerang Commerce's product CommerceIQ, which automates e-commerce growth for leading consumer brands, will operate as an independent business under the CommerceIQ.ai name with Hariharan as CEO.

06:57 EDT Coca-Cola says will maintain its majority stake in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa - The Coca-Cola Company announced that it will maintain its majority stake in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa for the foreseeable future. With the change, Coca-Cola will begin presenting the financial statements of CCBA within its results from continuing operations in the second quarter in accordance with U.S. accounting standards. CCBA has been accounted for as a discontinued operation since Coca-Cola became the controlling shareowner in October 2017. Coca-Cola previously announced its intention to refranchise CCBA, which is the largest bottler of Coca-Cola beverages in Africa, serving 12 countries. The company has had discussions with a number of potential partners. "Coca-Cola Beverages Africa is a very important part of the Coca-Cola system, and we see great opportunities to create even more value," said Coca-Cola President and COO Brian Smith. "While we remain committed to the refranchising process, we believe it's in the best interests of all involved for Coca-Cola to continue to hold and operate CCBA." In reclassifying CCBA's results into continuing operations, Coca-Cola expects the following: The company will provide reclassified prior year financial information prior to the second quarter earnings release. Depreciation and amortization for CCBA will be reinstated, per accounting guidelines. Coca-Cola estimates depreciation and amortization expense for 2018 of approximately $400M on a comparable basis. With the reclassification, Coca-Cola does not expect an impact to its 2019 organic revenue and comparable EPS growth guidance. The company expects an increase in its 2019 guidance for cash from operations of approximately $400M and an increase in capital expenditures of approximately $400M. CCBA's results will be reported as part of the Bottling Investments Group segment.

06:45 EDT Helen of Troy announces new $400M share repurchase program - This new authorization is effective May 8, for a period of three years, and replaces Helen of Troy's existing repurchase authorization, of which approximately $110M remained.

06:26 EDT Nike adds new terms to contracts with athletes to support them during pregnancy - Nike is adding new terms to its contracts with athletes to better support them during pregnancy, the company announced on its website on Friday. The company stated: "Nike has supported thousands of female athletes for decades. We have learned and grown in how to best support our female athletes and have always worked to do our best to play a strong role in championing, celebrating and supporting female athletes and we are committed to continuing to do so. Last year we standardized our approach across all sports to support our female athletes during pregnancy, but we recognize we can go even further. Moving forward, our contracts for female athletes will include written terms that reinforce our policy. Our mission has always been to support athletes as they strive to be their best. We want to make it clear today that we support women as they decide how to be both great mothers and great athletes. We recognize we can do more and that there is an important opportunity for the sports industry to evolve to support female athletes." Reference Link

06:13 EDT Dish to acquire EchoStar BSS Business in all-stock transaction valued at $800M - Dish (DISH) and EchoStar (SATS) announced they have executed an agreement that will transfer certain EchoStar operations and other assets that comprise the company's broadcast satellite service, or BSS Business, including nine direct broadcast satellites and the certain key employees responsible for satellite operations, licensing for the 61.5-degree orbital slot and select real estate properties to Dish in exchange for approximately 22.9M shares of Dish stock that will be distributed to EchoStar shareholders. DBS spacecraft involved in the transaction will include EchoStar VII, EchoStar X, EchoStar XI, EchoStar XII, EchoStar XIV, EchoStar XVI, EchoStar XXIII, Nimiq 5 and QuetzSat-1. The transaction is structured in a manner to be a tax-free exchange and is expected to close in the second half of 2019, subject to satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions.

06:08 EDT EchoStar announces agreement to transfer BSS Business to Dish - EchoStar (SATS) announced that it executed an agreement with Dish (DISH) to transfer to Dish the portion of its EchoStar satellite services business that manages and provides broadcast satellite services primarily to Dish and its subsidiaries, or BSS Business. EchoStar shareholders will receive 22,937,188 shares of Dish Class A common stock upon consummation of the transaction. The BSS Business includes the business of EchoStar that manages and provides broadcast satellite services to Dish and its subsidiaries and Dish Mexico. It also provides telemetry, tracking and control services to satellites owned by Dish and a portion of EchoStar's other businesses. The transaction will also include the products, assets, licenses and technology, and the business operations, revenues, billings, liabilities and operating activities, primarily related to those businesses and certain other EchoStar real estate properties. At closing of the transaction, each EchoStar shareholder as of the distribution record date will receive shares in a newly created subsidiary of EchoStar housing, the BSS Business and other assets transferring in the transaction to reflect such stockholder's pro rata ownership of EchoStar Class A and Class B common stock in the aggregate. Immediately following the distribution, a subsidiary of Dish will merge with and into such entity and each EchoStar stockholder as of the distribution record date will receive a number of shares of Dish Class A common stock equal to 22,937,188 divided by the total number of shares of EchoStar Class A and Class B common stock outstanding on the distribution record date. The distribution record date has not yet been determined. As of May 16, the total outstanding shares of EchoStar Class A and Class B common stock was approximately 95,719,000, which would result in the issuance of approximately 0.24 shares of Dish Class A common stock for each share of EchoStar Class A and Class B common stock outstanding on that date. The final exchange ratio will be determined on the distribution record date. The transaction is structured in a manner intended to be tax-free to EchoStar and its shareholders. It is expected to close during the second half of 2019, subject to customary conditions, including receipt of certain regulatory approvals.

06:02 EDT Socket Mobile appoints Lynn Zhao as CFO - Socket Mobile announced that Lynn Zhao has been appointed to the position of Vice President of Finance and Administration, Secretary and CFO. Zhao has served as the company's controller since January 2015 and was appointed as Vice President and controller in September 2017.

05:45 EDT Quotient collaborates with TTP - TTP has announced that it has partnered with Quotient to develop and implement a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for Quotient's proprietary MosaiQ system.

05:18 EDT Tetra Tech to acquire WYG for 55 pence per share - Tetra Tech and WYG announced that Tetra Tech has made an all cash offer to acquire all the outstanding shares of WYG for 55 pence per share. WYG's board has unanimously recommended that shareholders vote in favor of the Scheme and they have irrevocably committed all shares they own or control. In addition, more than 70 percent of the share capital have indicated their support in favor of the Scheme and transaction with Tetra Tech.

05:14 EDT NI, OPAL-RT sign strategic agreement to advance electric vehicle testing - NI and OPAL-RT announced they have signed a strategic agreement to accelerate the development of hardware-in-the-loop, or HIL, simulation technologies for the automotive market, with a focus on testing electric vehicles. "The agreement will establish a deeper partnership between the two companies with years of experience developing innovative HIL solutions. NI and OPAL-RT plan to deliver powerful FPGA-based solutions that combine NI's flexible and open test platform with OPAL-RT's expertise in high-fidelity power electronics modeling and deployment. NI and OPAL-RT's combined technologies are designed to help customers increase productivity and drive rapid innovation through an efficient workflow built on an open and customizable platform."