Stockwinners Market Radar for June 18, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

21:00 EDT Legacy Reserves files for Chapter 11 - Legacy Reserves announced that it has, together with its subsidiaries, commenced voluntary cases under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, pursuant to the terms of the previously announced global restructuring support agreement between the company, its lenders under its revolving credit facility, its lenders under its second lien term loan, and an ad hoc group of senior noteholders. The company intends to operate in the ordinary course of business during the chapter 11 cases, and has filed a number of customary "first day" motions to enable the Company's operations to continue as usual. As previously announced, the company has received a commitment for $350M in debtor-in-possession financing that, subject to court approval, will refinance portions of the company's existing reserve-based credit facility and, when combined with cash from operations, will provide ample liquidity to support the company's continuing business operations during the chapter 11 cases.

19:02 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Adobe (ADBE) up 3.9%... Jabil (JBL) up 2.5%... U.S. Steel (X) up 1.9% after Q2 guidance. ALSO HIGHER: ArQule (ARQL) up 3.4% after announcing BMO Prescriptions presentation on June 25th... Upwork (UPWK) up 1.3% after being initiated at Overweight at Cantor Fitzgerald. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Macom (MTSI) down 9.7% after cutting Q3 guidance... La-Z-Boy (LZB) down 7.7%. ALSO LOWER: Kura Oncology (KURA) down 8.4% after equity offering... Green Plains (GPRE) down 7.8% after suspending quarterly dividend... NCR Corp (NCR) down 5.0% after NY Post report that bidders have walked away... Zymeworks (ZYME) down 4.6% after equity offering... Genocea Biosciences (GNCA) down 3.7% after equity offering... YY (YY) down 2.5% after convertible note offering... Graftech (EAF) down 2.0% after mixed shelf offering. Movers as of 18:45ET.

18:12 EDT MYOS says fortetropin shows increase rate of muscle protein synthesis in study - MYOS RENS Technology announced positive top-line results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that was conducted at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences evaluating the impact of Fortetropin on the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older men and women. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, 20 subjects, men and women 60 to 75 years of age, were assigned to consume either Fortetropin or a macronutrient-matched placebo for 21 days along with daily doses of a heavy water tracer. After 21 days, a microbiopsy was collected from each subject and analyzed to determine the fractional synthetic rate of muscle proteins. For subjects who received Fortetropin, the average FSR in several gene ontologies were significantly higher compared to the placebo group. The proportion of proteins with an increased FSR in the Fortetropin group relative to the placebo group was found to be statistically significant. "We believe the results from the UC Berkeley clinical study show that our all-natural ingredient Fortetropin can significantly improve muscle health for older adults," commented Joseph Mannello, CEO of MYOS RENS Technology. "We are committed to continuing scientific research to demonstrate the efficacy of our advanced nutrition products. This study shows Fortetropin's remarkable potential for managing age-related muscle loss in older adults. The results from this study will form the cornerstone of MYOS' 'Healthy Aging' business unit. The global elderly nutrition market was $19B in 2018 and is estimated to surpass $31B by 2026. We plan to aggressively move forward with additional clinical studies that will focus on this area along with recovery and rehabilitation."

17:36 EDT Oceaneering awarded supply contract for Mozambique LNG Project - Oceaneering (OII) announced that it has been awarded a contract by Anadarko (APC) Mocambique Area 1, Lda, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, to supply umbilicals, distribution hardware, and aftermarket services. The multiple lengths of onshore and subsea steel tube control umbilicals total approximately 115 miles in length. The distribution hardware to be provided includes umbilical termination assemblies, hydraulic and chemical distribution units, electrical distribution units, flying leads, junction plates, ROV flyable large-bore connectors, and aftermarket services in support of installation. Manufacture of the umbilicals and distribution hardware is scheduled to occur at the Oceaneering facilities in Panama City, Florida and Houston, Texas; and is expected to commence in Q3 of 2019 and be completed in Q3 of 2021.

17:34 EDT TechnipFMC awarded subsea contracts by subsidiary of Anadarko Petroleum - TechnipFMC (FTI) has been awarded a number of subsea contracts by Anadarko Mocambique Area, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC), for its Mozambique Golfinho/Atum development. TechnipFMC was awarded a major Contract for the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) of the subsea hardware system through its wholly owned UAE incorporated subsidiary, Technip Middle East FZCO. TechnipFMC will execute the offshore installation scope with its consortium partner Van Oord, through their wholly owned UAE incorporated subsidiary, Van Oord Gulf FZE, and in cooperation with strategic major subcontractor, Allseas. In addition, TechnipFMC has been awarded separate contracts under its wholly owned US incorporated subsidiary FMCTI, to provide subsea hardware in support of well construction and the EPCI scope. Through cooperation agreements with local universities such as UEM and Uni Lurio, TechnipFMC will offer training opportunities to young Mozambican engineers that will continue building on our local expertise.

17:12 EDT Anadarko Area 1 Plan of Development now effective - Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and the co-venturers in Mozambique's Offshore Area 1, announced a Final Investment Decision, or FID, on the Anadarko-led Area 1 Mozambique LNG project. This official declaration of FID confirms the Area 1 Plan of Development is now effective with notice provided to the Government of Mozambique that all conditions precedent have been fulfilled, and the project can now advance to the construction phase.

17:03 EDT Deluxe appoints Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer - Deluxe Corporation announced the hiring of two positions at the company's executive level. Barry McCarthy, Deluxe's President and CEO created the new role of Chief Strategy Officer and hired a new Chief Human Resources Officer for the company. Amanda Parrilli was appointed Chief Strategy Officer. Most recently, Parrilli served on the Home Services leadership team at The Home Depot. Jane Elliott was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer. Most recently, Elliott served as an executive VP and Chief Administrative Officer at Global Payments.

17:02 EDT HP Enterprise, Google Cloud expand strategic partnership - HP Enterprise (HPE) and Google Cloud (GOOG) have expanded their strategic partnership to provide customers with hybrid cloud solutions. Building on the HPE Validated Designs that were announced in April 2019, HPE and Google Cloud are unveiling a collaboration to deliver a true hybrid cloud for containers - with choice for as a Service delivery through HPE GreenLake. In addition, HPE will offer advisory and professional services to accelerate hybrid cloud adoption. The true hybrid cloud solution features Google Cloud's Anthos in combination with HPE's on-premises infrastructure, HPE Cloud Data Services, and HPE GreenLake. The combined offering brings together Google Cloud's Anthos with HPE ProLiant and HPE Nimble Storage on-premises. And, coming in Q3FY19, HPE Cloud Volumes to provide a storage service for Google Cloud Platform and other public clouds. HPE plans to offer HPE GreenLake for Google Cloud's Anthos to provide the entire hybrid cloud, as-a-Service.

16:55 EDT Macom falls 13% to $12.50 per share after cutting 20% of staff and Q3 guidance

16:48 EDT Future FinTech submits compliance plan to Nasdaq - Future FinTech announced that on June 14, the company submitted its plan of compliance in connection with its failure to timely file the annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2018 and the quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31 to Nasdaq. On April 17 and May 21 the company received notification letters from Nasdaq Listing Qualifications stating the company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250, due to its failure to timely file its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, respectively.

16:43 EDT U.S. Steel down 4.7% after giving Q2 EPS, EBITDA guidance

16:34 EDT Retrophin enters three-way collaboration to develop potential ALGS therapeutics - Retrophin announced that it has entered into a three-way cooperative research and development agreement with the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, or NCATS, and patient advocacy foundation Alagille Syndrome Alliance, or ALGSA, to collaborate on research efforts aimed at the identification and development of potentially novel therapeutics for Alagille syndrome, or ALGS. ALGS is a rare and debilitating disease characterized by severe liver and cardiovascular abnormalities. There are currently no approved therapies for ALGS. The collaboration seeks to develop high-throughput screening assays and conduct hit validation in an effort to identify compounds that could be advanced in development, with the goal of delivering potentially novel therapeutic options to the ALGS patient community.

16:31 EDT Genesee & Wyoming reports May same railroad traffic down 5.8% - Genesee & Wyoming reported traffic volumes for May 2019. G&W's total traffic in May 2019 was 264,098 carloads, a decrease of 28,998 carloads, or 9.9%, compared with May 2018. G&W's same railroad traffic in May 2019 decreased 16,250 carloads, or 5.8%, compared with G&W's traffic in May 2018, excluding carloads from G&W's former Continental European intermodal business, which was sold in June 2018, and short line lease expirations in Canada in the fourth quarter of 2018. G&W's traffic in the second quarter of 2019 through May was 519,745 carloads, a decrease of 43,452 carloads, or 7.7%, compared with the second quarter of 2018 through May. G&W's same railroad traffic in the second quarter of 2019 through May decreased 17,065 carloads, or 3.2%, compared with the second quarter of 2018 through May, excluding carloads from ERS, which was sold in June 2018, and short line lease expirations in Canada in the fourth quarter of 2018.

16:28 EDT Marvell director Oleg Khaykin sells almost $240K in company shares - Marvell director Oleg Khaykin disclosed in a filing that he had sold 10,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $23.89 per share on June 14. The total transaction value of the sale was $238,860.

16:19 EDT Spark Networks gets approval to buy Zoosk, sees $50M in adjusted EBITDA - Spark Networks SE announced that after a hearing before the California Commissioner on June 17, the California Department of Business Oversight issued a permit to Spark to allow it to issue securities in exchange for the outstanding securities of Zoosk in connection with Spark's previously announced proposed acquisition of Zoosk. The Zoosk acquisition, expected to close on or around July 1st, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, "will make Spark North America's second-largest dating company, said the firm. " Based on the identified synergies and the current financial trajectory of the two companies, Spark expects to achieve over $50M of adjusted EBITDA in 2020, or nearly $2 per share assuming Spark's post-merger share count. The California Fairness Hearing marks the second and last major milestone in the successful completion of the Zoosk acquisition, a move that will solidify Spark's leadership position in the dating industry.

16:17 EDT Adobe expects momentum from H1 to continue in H2, maintains FY19 outlook - Sees Q3: Digital Media revenue growth of about 20% from last year; Digital Experience segment revenue growth of approximately 34% from last year; Tax rate of approximately 11%. The company states: "As usual, we are not updating annual targets at this time of the year. We are pleased with our first half performance and we expect our first half momentum to continue in the second half, with typical seasonality in Q3 and strength in Q4. We continue to expect sequential operating margin growth as we move through the second half of the year." Outlook from the company's investor slides accompanying Q2 results. Reference Link

16:11 EDT Adobe reports Q1 cash flow from operations $1.11B vs. $976M last year - Reports Q1: Digital Media segment revenue $1.89B, up 22% from last year; Creative segment revenue grew to $1.59B; Digital Media annualized recurring revenue grew to $7.47B, up $406M from last quarter.

16:09 EDT Adobe CEO says company 'well positioned for second half and beyond' - CEO Shantanu Narayen states: "With an innovative technology platform, exciting product roadmap and strong ecosystem of partners, we are well positioned for the second half of FY19 and beyond."

16:05 EDT Prospect Capital CEO acquires 233,482 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Prospect Capital CEO John F. Barry disclosed the acquisition of 233,482 common shares of the company at a price of $6.315 per share.

16:04 EDT Green Plains announces suspension of quarterly cash dividend - Green Plains announced that its board of directors has decided to suspend its quarterly cash dividend in order to retain and redirect cash flow to the company's Project 24 opex equalization plan, the deployment of high-protein technology and its stock repurchase program. "As part of our capital allocation plan, we believe suspending our cash dividend enables us to expedite our investments into our Project 24 initiative, which is expected to significantly reduce our ethanol production operating costs, and support deployment of our high-protein feed technology across our production platform," said Todd Becker, president and chief executive officer. "We are confident that by suspending our dividend, we can prudently direct this cash flow to opportunities within our business to create greater shareholder returns over the near and long term." "We intend to immediately deploy capital to repurchase stock pursuant to the remaining availability of approximately $80 million under the $100 million program authorized by the Board of Directors in August 2014," added Becker.

16:04 EDT Qiagen Clinical Insight selected by Japan's NCC for cancer patient screening - QIAGEN announced that its QIAGEN Clinical Insight offering was selected by the National Cancer Center of Japan, as part of the Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's precision medicine program, for the analysis, interpretation and reporting of molecular oncology and oncogenetic screening of cancer patients to contribute to the identification of targeted therapy treatment and clinical trial options. Japan's Center for Cancer Genomics and Advanced Therapeutics will use QIAGEN's QCI platform including expert curated evidence knowledge bases, bioinformatics software and data center infrastructure to support the C-CAT's molecular profiling services for core and cooperative hospitals of the country's cancer genomic medicine program. QIAGEN has established an in-country data center in Tokyo to support this national program.

15:12 EDT Fifth Third jumps almost 2.5% after raising dividend, new 100M buyback - Shares of Fifth Third Bancorp, a diversified financial services firm based in Ohio, are moving higher in late day trading, after the bank said it was increasing its dividend by 9% and setting a new 100M share repurchase program.The new quarterly dividend of 24c cents a share is higher than the previously paid 22c per share will be payable July 15 to shareholders of record on June 28. Shares of Fifth Third are up 64c or 2.35%.

14:46 EDT Fifth Third boosts quarterly dividend 9% to 24c - Fifth Third Bancorp declared cash dividends on its common shares, Series H preferred shares, and Series I preferred shares. Fifth Third Bancorp declared a cash dividend on its common shares of 24c for the second quarter of 2019. The dividend is payable on July 15 to shareholders of record as of June 28. Fifth Third also declared a cash dividend on its 5.10% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series H, at the rate of $637.50 per preferred share, which equates to approximately $25.50 for each depositary share. Each depositary share represents a 1/25th ownership interest in a share of Series H Preferred Stock

14:15 EDT Digital Power trading resumes

13:58 EDT Comcast says Charter, Cox join 'On Addressability' initiative - Comcast Advertising, the advertising arm of Comcast Cable, a division of Comcast Corporation (CMCSA), announced the launch of a new initiative called "On Addressability." "The broad goal of this initiative is to help the industry deliver a sound, scalable and sustainable addressable solution to marketers that maximizes the impact and value of television as a marketing platform," the company stated. Charter Communications (CHTR) and Cox Media, Cox Communications' ad division, have joined Comcast Advertising in this effort, the company stated. "It's the distributors who bring the ads into viewers' households each day. It is therefore incumbent upon us to lay the groundwork and set up the infrastructure to truly 'turn on' addressability for the industry in a way that is secure, scalable and effective," said Marcien Jenckes, President, Advertising, Comcast Cable.

13:46 EDT Digital Power trading halted, news pending

13:39 EDT Dollar Tree CFO Kevin Wampler sells over $2.2M in company shares - Dollar Tree CFO Kevin Wampler disclosed in a regulatory filing that he had sold 20,470 shares of company stock at an average price of $109.83 on June 14. The total transaction value of the sale was $2,248,247.

13:20 EDT Homebuilders struggle as U.S. housing starts decline in May - Shares of U.S homebuilders are struggling in afternoon trading after construction of new homes unexpectedly fell in May, according to a report from the Commerce Department. HOUSING STARTS: Housing starts dropped 0.9% to 1.269M units in May as the construction of single-family housing units was muted. Privately-owned housing starts in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,269,000. This is 0.9% below the revised April estimate of 1,281,000 and is 4.7% below the May 2018 rate of 1,332,000, the Commerce Department said in a statement. Single-family housing starts in May were at a rate of 820,000, 6.4% below the revised April figure of 876,000. The May rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 436,000. ANALYSTS WEIGH IN: Raymond James analyst Buck Horne downgraded Lennar (LEN) and KB Home (KBH) before the market open on Tuesday. The analyst, in a move to highlight his increased near-term caution with the homebuilding sector, cited factors including above-average cyclical valuations amid declining earnings estimates across the industry, softening macro-economic data points and indicators of a late-cycle shift, and an analysis of recent MSA-level re-sale market statistics suggesting competitive inventory remains elevated into summer for the downgrade. PRICE MOVES: Shares of KB Home and Lennar are each down about 2%. OTHERS TO WATCH: Other publicly traded companies in the sector include Beazer Homes (BZH), D.R. Horton (DHI), Hovnanian Enterprises (HOV), M.D.C. Holdings (MDC) and Toll Brothers (TOL).

12:39 EDT Seneca Foods trading resumes

12:18 EDT Beyond Meat shares down 4% to $162.76 after topping $200 earlier today

12:13 EDT L3 Technologies announces joint venture with Saudi Arabian Military Industries - L3 Technologies announced during the Paris Air Show that it has signed a joint venture agreement with Saudi Arabian Military Industries, or SAMI, to collaborate on electro-optical and infrared and special mission systems projects within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In February 2019, L3 and SAMI announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding relating to the joint venture, L3 noted.

12:05 EDT Nintendo says new mobile game 'Dr. Mario World' launches July 10 - Nintendo announced that players can pre-register now to be one of the first to be notified when Nintendo's newest mobile game, "Dr. Mario World," launches for iOS and Android devices on July 10. The game can be played alone or with others around the world, the company said. "Dr. Mario World" is free-to-start and will be available to download for iOS and Android devices beginning July 10.

12:00 EDT GCP Applied Technologies falls -14.0% - GCP Applied Technologies is down -14.0%, or -$3.69 to $22.70.

12:00 EDT Vivint Solar rises 8.0% - Vivint Solar is up 8.0%, or 53c to $7.19.

12:00 EDT Telephone and Data rises 13.0% - Telephone and Data is up 13.0%, or $3.79 to $33.01.

11:25 EDT Norbord reports fire near High Level, Alberta OSB Mill - Norbord reported that its OSB mill in High Level, Alberta has temporarily suspended production due to the wild fires burning nearby in the region and in order to comply with an evacuation order in MacKenzie County. The company also anticipates an evacuation order being issued for the town of High Level. All non-essential mill employees have been safely evacuated and no injuries have been reported. At this time, Norbord is assessing the impact to its production schedule. The mill was secure at the time of evacuation. The High Level, Alberta mill has a stated annual production capacity of 860 million square feet and has been ramping up toward full production since resuming operations in late 2013. High Level is located approximately 720 kilometres northwest of Edmonton and 400 kilometres west of Fort McMurray.

11:07 EDT Siemens Gas and Power to cut 2,700 jobs worldwide - Siemens informed its employee representatives about further planned measures for strengthening the productivity and competitiveness of Siemens' Gas and Power Operating Company for the long term. "Our new Gas and Power Operating Company setup has created synergies that better enable our company to deliver competitive performance in the midst of structural change in our industry. The planned measures will help us create more opportunity for growth and the security that comes from being a competitive player in the energy market," said Lisa Davis, member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Gas and Power. At its Capital Market Day on May 8, Siemens announced that, against the backdrop of a challenging market environment, GP will - in addition to ongoing programs - require further savings of EURO$500 million in order to significantly improve its cost competitiveness. The additional savings will be enabled by the new setup of the GP Operating Company. Merging and rightsizing the different businesses will save EURO$200 million. A further EURO$100 million will result from the new regional setup. And the remaining EURO$200 million will be achieved by optimizing support functions.The plans, as they have now been presented, call for reducing approximately 2,700 jobs worldwide over the course of several years. Around 1,400 of these jobs are in Germany. The company said, "Siemens will now begin consultations with the relevant employee representatives and then implement the planned measures, including requalification programs in the wake of the structural transformation of the industry, in a way that is socially responsible. As Siemens also highlighted at its Capital Market Day, the growth-oriented Vision 2020+ strategy concept will also be reflected in workforce development. Taking into account the efficiency-related workforce adjustments across all areas, including today's adjustments at GP, there will, accordingly, be a net increase of around 10,000 jobs worldwide within the same time period."

10:34 EDT Boeing says IAG's 200 plane order valued at more than $24B at list prices - International Airlines Group (ICAGY), the parent company of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and LEVEL, and Boeing (BA) said the two companies have been in discussions regarding IAG's intention to purchase 200 MAX jets and signed a letter of intent at the Paris Air Show in a deal that would be valued at more than $24B, per list prices. In selecting the 737 MAX, IAG says it will fly a combination of the 737 MAX 8, which seats up to 178 passengers in a two-class configuration, and the larger 737 MAX 10 jet, which can accommodate as many as 230 passengers. The airline did not disclose a specific split between the two MAX models, though it anticipates deploying the aircraft at a number of the group's airlines including Vueling and LEVEL, Boeing stated in a press release confirming the LOI. When a final agreement is reached, it will be posted to Boeing's Orders & Deliveries website, the company noted. "We are truly honored and humbled by the leadership at International Airlines Group for placing their trust and confidence in the 737 MAX and, ultimately, in the people of Boeing and our deep commitment to quality and safety above all else," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister.

10:27 EDT IAG announces letter of intent for 200 Boeing 737-8 and 737-10 aircraft - International Airlines Group (ICAGY) announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Boeing (BA) for 200 B737 aircraft to join its fleet. The LOI is subject to formal agreement. The mix of 737-8 and 737-10 aircraft would be delivered between 2023 and 2027 and would be powered by CFM Leap engines. It is anticipated that the aircraft would be used by a number of the Group's airlines including Vueling, LEVEL plus British Airways at London Gatwick airport. Willie Walsh, IAG CEO, said: "We're very pleased to sign this letter of intent with Boeing and are certain that these aircraft will be a great addition to IAG's shorthaul fleet. We have every confidence in Boeing and expect that the aircraft will make a successful return to service in the coming months having received approval from the regulators"

10:12 EDT Kellogg to cut jobs, take $35M pretax charge on NA unit reorganization - In a regulatory filing, Kellogg announced a reorganization plan which primarily impacts the North America segment in anticipation of the previously-announced pending divestiture of selected cookies, fruit and fruit-flavored snacks, pie crusts, and ice cream cones businesses to Ferrero International S.A. The divestiture is currently expected to close at the end of July. The reorganization plan is designed to simplify the organization that supports the remaining North America business after the divestiture and related transition. The overall project is expected to be substantially completed by December 31, 2020. The overall project is expected to result in cumulative pretax charges of approximately $35M. Cash costs are expected to approximate the pretax charges. The company currently anticipates employee-related costs totaling approximately $20M, which will include severance and other termination benefits; and other costs totaling approximately $15M, which will primarily consist of charges related to third party consulting fees. Shares of Kellogg Company are down 0.7% to $56.18 in morning trading.

09:39 EDT Alibaba proposes one-to-eight stock split to 'increase flexibility' - Alibaba Group Holding confirmed in regulatory filing that it is proposing a one-to-eight stock split for vote at its annual general meeting to be held on June 15. "The purpose of the Subdivision Proposal is to effect a one-to-eight share subdivision of the Ordinary Shares. The Board of Directors is proposing the Share Subdivision to increase the flexibility for the Company in future capital market activities. Among other reasons, the one-to-eight share subdivision will increase the number of shares available for issuance at a lower per-share price, and the Board of Directors believes that this will increase flexibility in the Company's capital raising activities, including the issuance of new shares," Alibaba explained. Shares of Alibaba are up $2.48 to $162.33 in early trading.

09:26 EDT United Airlines, Vistara establish codeshare agreement - United Airlines announced it has entered into a new alliance agreement with New Delhi-based airline, Vistara. The agreement, effective in Fall 2019, further expands United's global route network to more than 20 destinations throughout India. United currently operates more nonstop service to India than any other U.S. carrier.

09:18 EDT Progenics announces agreement with Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co. - Progenics Pharmaceuticals (PGNX) announced that EXINI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Progenics, has entered into a transfer agreement with FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical (FUJIY) for the rights to Progenics' Automated Bone Scan Index product in Japan for use under the name BONENAVI. BONENAVI has been licensed to FFTC for use in Japan since 2011. The aBSI product is designed to calculate the disease burden of metastatic prostate cancer by quantifying the hotspots on whole-body bone scans and automatically generate a bone scan index, which has been validated as a prognostic imaging biomarker for survival. aBSI permits a faster quantitative assessment of tumor burden and is highly reproducible. Under the terms of the agreement, FFTC will acquire, by a combination of purchase and license, the Japanese software, source code, supporting data and all Japanese patents associated with the aBSI product from Progenics for use in Japan. In exchange, Progenics will receive an upfront payment and service fees for aBSI and other AI products over three years in Japan.

09:16 EDT Perch partners with Vodafone for in-store digital experience - Perch announced it is working with Vodafone Business to provide reliable, consistent, and engaging digital experiences in stores via Internet of Things services. Working with Vodafone Business, Perch can leverage a secure, reliable network connection so that in-store digital experiences are always on.

09:11 EDT Digerati Technologies closes acquisition of minority interest in Intellum - Digerati Technologies announced that it has closed the acquisition of a minority ownership stake in Itellum Comunicaciones Costa Rica. Under the arrangement, Digerati will expand its relationship with Itellum as a regional Partner and Value-Added Reseller for its cloud communication services. Digerati's purchase secures Itellum as an exclusive provider of Digerati's services, and positions the Company to better serve a growing region with business and cultural ties to the U.S. In addition, Digerati will enhance its management team with Timothy Foss, Founder and CEO of Itellum, who will be taking the role of Vice President of Marketing and International Business Development for Digerati.

09:10 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Facebook (FB), up 2.5% after sharing plans for Calibra, a newly formed Facebook subsidiary that will introduce a digital wallet for Libra, a new global currency powered by blockchain technology... MoneyGram (MGI), up 150% after disclosing a $30M investment by cryptocurrency company Ripple... G1 Therapeutics (GTHX), up 20% after announcing preliminary overall survival results from a randomized Phase 2 trial, which demonstrated that women with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer lived significantly longer when receiving trilaciclib and chemotherapy compared with women receiving chemotherapy alone. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Parsons (PSN), up 5%. LOWER: Pacific Biosciences (PACB), down 7.5% after the UK's Competition and Markets Authority said it has concerns about the company's proposed Illumina (ILMN) deal... Unity Biotechnology (UBX), down 18% after announcing results from its first-in-human Phase 1 study of UBX0101 in patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee... Biohaven Pharmaceutical (BHVN), down 29% after a $300M offering of common stock... Rockwell Medical (RMTI), down 28% after its 5.83M share spot secondary offering priced at $3 per share... Calithera Biosciences (CALA), down 9% after a 10M share offering.

09:09 EDT Ambac sees Ballantyne restructing resulting in net loss per share $1.65-$1.90 - The impact of the transaction will be included in Ambac's second quarter 2019 financial results. The transaction is expected to result in a Net Loss per diluted share attributable to common stockholders of between $1.65 and $1.90 and a decrease in Ambac's GAAP Book Value per share of between $2.75 and $3.00, primarily due to the accelerated amortization of Ambac's insurance intangible asset, partially offset by the reversal of loss and loss expense reserves. Conversely, the consummation of the transaction is expected to result in Adjusted Earnings per diluted share attributable to common stockholders of between $2.65 and $2.90 and an increase in Adjusted Book Value per share of between $2.90 and $3.10, as a result of the reversal of loss and loss expense reserves and the recognition of a gain on Ballantyne notes held in the investment portfolio. Ambac will provide further details of the transaction in its second quarter 2019 earnings press release and Form 10-Q filed with the SEC.

09:07 EDT Intrexon and Surterra Wellness announce global licensing agreement - Intrexon and Surterra Wellness announced an exclusive global licensing agreement. The companies will join forces to advance Surterra's cannabinoid production at a reliable, efficient, cost-effective, industrial scale utilizing Intrexon's proprietary yeast fermentation platform. The $100M deal, including milestones and royalties, will leverage each company's expertise to ultimately bring new cannabis products to market to meet growing, and more selective, future consumer demand, with greater supply chain security, in a more consistent, efficient and cost effective way.

09:06 EDT Pacific Biosciences, Illumina expect merger to be completed in Q4 - Pacific Biosciences of California (PACB) disclosed that the Competition and Markets Authority of the United Kingdom announced the completion of its Phase 1 review of the company's proposed merger and that it will refer the deal for a Phase 2 review if the company and Illumina (ILMN) are unable to address the CMA's concerns. Pacific Biosciences added, "The Company and Illumina will continue to work cooperatively with the CMA. The Company and Illumina expect the Merger to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2019." Shares of Pacific Biosciences are down 7.5% to $6.18 in premarket trading. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Jordan Abrams said late last week that the proposed deal is at risk to move to a Phase 2 investigation. However, the analyst believes the merger will ultimately close.

09:04 EDT Millendo Therapeutics announces departure of CMO Pharis Mohideen - Millendo Therapeutics announced that Pharis Mohideen is departing the company to pursue a career opportunity closer to his home in New Jersey, allowing him to spend more time with his family. The company has initiated a search for a new CMO and is working with Mohideen on the details of his departure and transition plans for the organization.

09:04 EDT Penguin Computing offers early availability program for Intel Xeon server - Penguin Computing, a subsidiary of Smart Global (SGH), announced its early availability program for validation and deployment of the new Intel (INTC) Xeon Platinum 9200 series processor-based Relion XE2142eAP compute server, beginning on June 18, 2019. Under the early availability program, Penguin Computing customers can validate and benchmark their applications, enabling them to realize the performance benefits of the Intel Xeon Platinum 9200 architecture.

08:43 EDT CMA says it has competition concerns with Illumina-Pacific Biosciences deal - The UK's Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, has been investigating the proposed $1.2B merger of Illumina (ILMN) and Pacific Biosciences (PACB). The companies are both global suppliers of DNA sequencing systems to organisations across the world, including UK universities, laboratories and research institutes. DNA sequencing systems are used to study genetic variation in humans and other species for purposes such as advanced disease research and drug development. After completing its initial Phase 1 investigation, the CMA has concerns that the deal could remove potentially the most significant competitive threat to Illumina. Illumina is the largest supplier of DNA sequencing systems, both in the UK and worldwide, and the merging businesses are already close competitors. PacBio has also recently released a new system for DNA sequencing, which means that it is well-positioned to offer competition to Illumina in the future. Aside from the merging parties, there are limited alternatives available for customers at present. While some suppliers plan to enter the market in future, it is not clear when they will enter or how competitive their technology will be. The CMA is therefore concerned that Illumina could face insufficient competition after acquiring PacBio and that the deal could result in more expensive or lower quality products and less innovation in the market. If the merging businesses are unable to address the CMA's concerns, the deal will be referred for an in-depth Phase 2 investigation, to be carried out by a group of independent CMA panel members.

08:41 EDT Ctrip activates Global SOS Emergency response following Sichuan earthquake - Ctrip.com International and its subsidiary Trip.com immediately activated the group's Global SOS Emergency response mechanism following a 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 17 June. The death toll from the quake on Monday night had risen to 12 with 125 injured by Tuesday morning, according to local officials. A disaster fund has been launched for all customers who have booked travel through Ctrip between June 18-24, including group tours, independent travel, day trips, car rentals, leisure activities and customized trips. Ctrip Group will bear all costs resulting from cancellations or changes made to reservations as a result of the earthquake. Ctrip and Trip.com's hotel booking division is working with local hotel partners and suppliers to assist guests wishing to cancel their hotel bookings in Yibin City from June 18-24. All such cancellations will be free of charge. Ctrip and Trip.com will make all the necessary arrangements directly with airports and airlines to provide passengers who have booked flights to or from Yibin City with full refunds and cancellations during the June 18-24 period. Ctrip Group has further contacted all independent and group travelers going to the earthquake area to ensure their safety.

08:36 EDT News Corp. to review strategic options for NAM business - News Corp announced that it is actively evaluating strategic options for its News America Marketing business, or NAM. The review of NAM includes exploring a potential sale. This process is being undertaken in order to allow greater focus on News Corp's primary pillars. NAM has a proprietary database of millions of shoppers and purchase data, which allows retailers and brand partners to target. The business has in-store marketing media options in over 60,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, and reaches households across the country with circulation of more than 60M through nearly 2,000 publications.

08:34 EDT Ebix commences process for EbixCash IPO with target of 2Q20 - Ebix announced that its Board of Directors has approved the process of appointment of up to five investment bankers, with an initial public offering targeted timeline of 2Q20 for its EbixCash operations headquartered in India. The company announced that is in advanced stages of selection of investment bankers, towards launching the EbixCash IPO on the Indian stock exchanges. The details of the IPO in terms of the targeted money raise and the bankers who would lead this exercise will be announced in due course.

08:32 EDT Menlo Therapeutics appoints Ronald Krasnow as general counsel, CCO - Menlo Therapeutics announced the hiring of Ronald Krasnow as general counsel and chief compliance officer. In this role, Krasnow will be responsible for all legal needs of the company including intellectual property portfolio development and supporting the company's commercial, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing and development functions to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Most recently, Krasnow served as general counsel, CSO and secretary at Kinestral Technologies.

08:32 EDT ThermoGenesis receives Health Canada approval of AXP II system - ThermoGenesis, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cesca Therapeutics, announced that it has received Health Canada approval of its next-generation AXP II system for cord blood processing.

08:29 EDT AcenTek deploys Calix's AXOS GPON amid gigabit broadband expansion - Calix announced that AcenTek has deployed AXOS GPON as it expands gigabit broadband throughout its service area spanning Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa. With AXOS, AcenTek has radically accelerated its deployment capabilities of next generation services while automating and simplifying operations to enable its network to scale.

08:25 EDT EQT Corporation says Toby Rice's claims 'false and misleading' - EQT Corporation issued statement in response to a presentation issued by the Toby Rice Group: "Nothing in Toby Rice's latest presentation changes the fact that since EQT's new management team was appointed late last year, the Company has: significantly improved EQT's operational efficiency, such that today EQT is a low-cost leader among Appalachian peers; embraced innovative new technologies, including by drilling new wells 100% remotely, demonstrating the Company's technology-driven vision; identified $175M in annual cost reductions; and transformed into a free cash flow machine, generating more than $300M of adjusted free cash flow in Q4'18 and Q1'19 alone. The Toby Rice Group campaign is premised on misleading information and stale arguments that are wholly contradicted by EQT's transformation. Their steadfast refusal to acknowledge EQT's outstanding recent progress and results, and continued efforts to mislead shareholders by focusing only on the old EQT and its performance last summer, undermines their credibility. The Toby Rice Group's ideas - and entire campaign to seize control of EQT - are flawed and designed to advance the interests of the Rice family, not EQT. We believe that wholesale replacement of EQT's Board and management team, as proposed by the Toby Rice Group, would be counterproductive and destabilizing, especially amid EQT's successful transformation. EQT's slate of director candidates is purpose-built to ensure that the most valuable skillsets, experiences and backgrounds are represented in the boardroom to advance the interests of the Company's shareholders. EQT will continue to take actions that support the best interests of all EQT shareholders, including correcting the Toby Rice Group's false and misleading claims."

08:23 EDT Daxor announces new research initiative using BVA-100 measurement test - Daxor Corporation announces a new research initiative with a leading hospital in the Southeast using Daxor's BVA-100 blood volume measurement test to help guide the management of surgical blood loss during orthopedic surgery.

08:21 EDT Nasdaq launches Center for Corporate Governance - Nasdaq announced the founding of the Nasdaq Center for Corporate Governance, a global information and research hub that will integrate Nasdaq's expertise, insights, and technology to accelerate the understanding of emerging corporate governance and sustainable business practices. The ambition of the Governance Center is to support the work of boards, senior executives, and governance professionals at public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Martyn Chapman, Head of Strategy for Nasdaq Governance Solutions, will serve as Executive Director of the Governance Center.

08:18 EDT CACI awarded $880M Army task order for IT, engineering services - CACI announced it has secured an $880M task order to provide information technology, or IT, and engineering services to the U.S. Army's Product Lead Reserve Component Automation System-Force Management System. The task order, made under the U.S. General Services Administration's Alliant 2 contract vehicle, represents continuing work for CACI and expansion to support the Army's vision for global force information management.

08:16 EDT NXP Semiconductors appoints three new non-executive directors - NXP Semiconductors announced the results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Three new non-executive directors - Lena Olving, Jasmin Staiblin and Karl-Henrik Sundstrom, have been appointed. In addition to the new appointments, six current non-executive directors, Sir Peter Bonfield, Kenneth Goldman, Josef Kaeser, Peter Smitham, Ms. Julie Southern, Gregory Summe, as well as CEO Richard Clemmer have been re-appointed. With these appointments, 30 percent of the non-executive director seats on the board are held by women. Also, all other management proposals, including the Omnibus Plan and the Share Repurchase Authorization, were adopted by the AGM. Lena Olving served as President and CEO of Mycronic. Jasmin Staiblin served between 2013 and 2018 as CEO of Alpiq. Karl-Henrik Sundstrom was appointed CEO of Stora Enso in August 2014. NXP also announced the decision of its board of directors that the company for reporting purposes will apply the U.S. domestic filer requirements.

08:14 EDT Amazon adds 15 Boeing 737-800 cargo aircraft to fleet through lease with GECAS - Amazon (AMZN) announced a partnership with GE Capital Aviation Services, or GECAS, to lease an additional 15 Boeing (BA) 737-800 cargo aircraft. These fifteen aircraft will be in addition to the five Boeing 737-800's already leased from GECAS and announced earlier this year. The aircraft will fly in the United States out of the more than 20 air gateways in the Amazon Air network.

08:11 EDT Nevakar enters $50M product financing agreement with NovaQuest Capital - Nevakar announced today that it recently entered into a $50M product financing agreement with an affiliate of NovaQuest Capital Management, L.L.C. for the continued development of five differentiated, sterile injectable products. Pursuant to the Agreement and to the previously announced agreement with Endo Ventures Limited, a subsidiary of Endo International dated August 8, 2018, Nevakar will develop and seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for these products; Endo has the ability to launch and distribute the products upon approval through its Sterile Injectables Segment, doing business as Par Sterile Products. Nevakar anticipates filing an application for the first product with the FDA in late 2019.

08:08 EDT Sigma Labs, Materialise sign MOU for MCP Controller integration - Sigma Labs (SGLB) and Materialise (MTLS) signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in integration of the Materialise MCP Controller with Sigma Labs's PrintRite3D technology. Combining the sophisticated control technology with in-situ process monitoring for metal additive manufacturing will give customers maximal control on the production process, allowing them to become even more productive. The two companies are partnering to integrate this inspection tool with the Materialise Control Platform.

08:07 EDT Biocept launches Target Selector NGS Breast Panel - Biocept announces the commercial launch of its Target Selector NGS Breast Panel, the Company's multi-gene liquid biopsy panel specifically developed for breast cancer. The panel runs on Thermo Fisher Scientific's Ion Torrent next generation sequencing, or NGS, platform and will be marketed to physicians and researchers for the detection and monitoring of actionable genomic biomarkers associated with breast cancer. The Target Selector NGS Breast Panel combines Biocept's laboratory and commercial infrastructure, as well as the Company's expertise in blood sample preservation and DNA/RNA isolation, with Thermo Fisher's industry-leading NGS panel and informatics technology, branded as Oncomine.

08:05 EDT EuroDry announces partial redemption of Preferred Shares - EuroDry announce that it agreed to redeem approximately $4.3M of its Series B Preferred Shares with a simultaneous reduction of the dividend rate for the remaining outstanding shares. The Series B Preferred Shares have an aggregate value of about $19.7M as of March 31, 2019 and since January 2019, carried an annual dividend of 12% which is set to increase to 14% in January 2021. After the agreed upon redemption of $4.3M, there will be $15.4M face value of Series B Preferred Shares outstanding. In parallel with the redemption, the holders of the remaining Series B Preferred Shares agreed to reduce the annual dividend of the shares to 9.25% until January 2021.

08:02 EDT Durect completes dosing of 90 mg cohort in DUR-928 Phase 2a clinical trial - Durect announced that it has completed dosing the 90 mg cohort of severe AH patients in its ongoing DUR-928 Phase 2a clinical trial, and that after reviewing safety and pharmacokinetic data from the completed cohorts, the Dose Escalation Committee has approved commencement of dosing at the 150 mg level in severe AH patients. Enrollment for moderate AH patients to be dosed at the 90 mg level will continue in parallel to enrollment for severe AH patients to be dosed at the 150 mg level.

07:58 EDT U.S. Cellular announces purchases of millimeter wave spectrum - United States Cellular successfully bid for high frequency spectrum in recent Federal Communications Commission Millimeter Wave Spectrum Auctions and purchased licenses covering 98% of its subscribers for $256M or 1.7c per MHz pop. In the 28 GHz Auction, the company spent $129.4M or 2.1c per MHz pop acquiring 408 licenses covering 60 percent of its subscriber base with at least 425 MHz of millimeter wave spectrum. In the 24 GHz Auction, the company spent $126.6M or 1.5c per MHz pop acquiring 282 licenses covering 93% of its subscribers. Together the auctions allowed U.S. Cellular to acquire at least 300 MHz of spectrum in markets that serve 97% of its customer base.

07:54 EDT Sanofi, Google to develop new healthcare Innovation Lab - Sanofi (SNY) and Google (GOOG, GOOGL) announced that they will establish a new virtual Innovation Lab with the ambition to radically transform how future medicines and health services are delivered by tapping into the power of emerging data technologies. "We stand on the forefront of a new age for biology and human health, with the opportunity to transform healthcare through partnerships with pioneering technology and analytics companies," says Ameet Nathwani, M.D., Chief Digital Officer, Chief Medical Officer & Executive Vice President, Medical at Sanofi. "Combining Sanofi's biologic innovations and scientific data with Google's industry-leading capabilities, from cloud computing to state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, we aspire to give people more control over their health and accelerate the discovery of new therapies." The collaboration aims to change how Sanofi develops new treatments and will focus on three key objectives: to better understand patients and diseases, to increase Sanofi's operational efficiency, and to improve the experience of Sanofi's patients and customers. The Innovation Lab will develop both scientific and commercial solutions. Sanofi and Google will leverage deep analytics across data sets to better understand key diseases and extract related patient insights. This will enable Sanofi to research and develop more personalized approaches to treatment and identify accompanying technologies to improve health outcomes. The companies will apply technology and analytics on Sanofi's large real world database to better understand what treatments work for patients. This aims to result in an improved ability to offer personalized treatment advice, thus optimizing patient care and reducing healthcare costs. Sanofi and Google also plan to apply artificial intelligence across diverse datasets to better forecast sales and inform marketing and supply chain efforts.

07:48 EDT Jacobs Engineering awarded contract for new Australian Embassy - Jacobs will deliver project management and contract administration services to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, or DFAT, for the construction of a new Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on the site of the existing chancery. The project entails the demolition of the existing embassy and the design and construction of the new chancery and is located on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and 16th Street, one kilometer from the White House. The new building is the most architecturally innovative Australian embassy project in a generation. Designed by Australia-based Bates Smart, the environmentally sensitive design includes a thermally efficient facade, a green roof with an extensive photovoltaic array and expansive use of natural light.

07:35 EDT Enlivex Therapeutics granted patent in Australia for ALLOCETRA treatment - Enlivex Therapeutics granted a new patent covering ALLOCETRA, the company's immunotherapy product. This new patent adds intellectual property protection, including methods, uses and pharmaceutical compositions in Australia. ALLOCETRA is an immunotherapy based on a unique mechanism of action that targets life threatening diseases that are defined as "unmet medical needs" such as preventing or treating complications associated with bone marrow transplants and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplants; organ dysfunction and acute multiple organ failure associated with sepsis and enablement of an effective treatment of solid tumors via immune checkpoint rebalancing.

07:32 EDT Court dismissed infringement case against Axon - Axon announced that the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas granted summary judgment in favor of Axon Enterprise finding that Axon's Signal technology does not infringe Digital Ally's U.S. Patent No. 9,253,452. The court entered judgment for Axon and dismissed the case in its entirety.

07:23 EDT Boeing, Air Lease announce commitment for five 787-9 Dreamliners - Boeing (BA) and Air Lease (AL) announced a commitment during the Paris Air Show to purchase five 787-9 Dreamliners, valued at $1.5B at list prices.

07:17 EDT BeiGene, SpringWorks Therapeutics form MapKure to develop BGB-3245 - BeiGene and SpringWorks Therapeutics announced the formation of MapKure, a newly created entity that is jointly owned by BeiGene and SpringWorks. MapKure intends to develop BGB-3245, an investigational, oral, selective small molecule inhibitor of monomer and dimer forms of activating B-RAF mutations including V600 BRAF mutations, non-V600 B-RAF mutations, and RAF fusions. These mutations and fusions have been identified in a number of solid tumors to be drivers of cancer growth, including in non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, and brain tumors. BGB-3245 was discovered by BeiGene scientists and is currently in preclinical development. Under the terms of the agreements, SpringWorks has made an equity investment into MapKure and BeiGene has contributed an exclusive royalty and milestone-bearing license to develop and commercialize BGB-3245 outside of Asia, but including rights to Japan, in exchange for a majority ownership position in MapKure. MapKure will form a joint steering committee that will oversee clinical development and operations for BGB-3245, as well as a Board of Directors. Both the joint steering committee and the Board will include members from BeiGene, SpringWorks and MapKure's CEO. Further terms of the agreements were not disclosed. Neal Rosen, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Mechanism-Based Therapeutics and the incumbent of the Enid A. Haupt Chair in Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, is the founding member of the MapKure Scientific Advisory Board. BeiGene and SpringWorks plan for MapKure to initiate an adaptive Phase 1 dose-escalation and expansion study of BGB-3245 in solid tumor patients harboring specific B-RAF driver mutations and RAF fusions, as well as in patients who have developed resistance to first-generation BRAF inhibitors. MapKure intends to enter into service agreements with both BeiGene and SpringWorks to enable the execution of this study and to perform other activities to support MapKure operations. Subsequent clinical development efforts with BGB-3245 may also include rational combination therapies, including with MEK inhibitors such as PD-0325901, which is being developed by SpringWorks. Lusong Luo, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of External Innovation at BeiGene, will be Acting CEO of MapKure and a member of the MapKure Board of Directors.

07:11 EDT First Street Merger Sub completes tender offer for Smart & Final Stores - First Street Merger Sub, an entity controlled by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management (APO) announced the successful completion of the previously commenced cash tender offer by the Offeror to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Smart & Final Stores, Inc. (SFS). The tender offer expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 17, 2019. A total of 66,137,575 shares of common stock of Smart & Final, representing approximately 87% of the outstanding Smart & Final shares, were validly tendered into and not validly withdrawn from the tender offer. As of such expiration, all conditions to the tender offer have been satisfied. As a result, all such Smart & Final shares have been irrevocably accepted by the Offeror for payment, which will be made on June 20, 2019. Concurrently with payment for the tendered shares on June 20, 2019, Smart & Final will merge with the Offeror. As a result of the tender offer and the merger, Smart & Final will become a privately-held, indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Apollo Funds and Smart & Final's common stock will cease trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

07:06 EDT Unity Biotechnology says UBX0101 was safe, well-tolerated in Phase 1 study - UNITY Biotechnology announced results from its first-in-human Phase 1 study of UBX0101 in patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee. The study demonstrated that UBX0101 was safe and well-tolerated. Improvement in several clinical measures, including pain, function, as well as modulation of certain senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors and disease-related biomarkers was observed after a single dose of UBX0101. The Phase 1 clinical trial of UBX0101 is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of a single intra-articular injection of UBX0101 in patients diagnosed with moderate to severe painful OA of the knee. UBX0101 is a p53/MDM2 interaction inhibitor that targets selective elimination of senescent cells. In Part A, 48 patients were randomly assigned to receive one of six dose levels of UBX0101 or placebo in a 3:1 randomization. Primary endpoints were safety and tolerability. Secondary and exploratory endpoints included plasma pharmacokinetics, synovitis as measured by MRI, pain, and measurement of SASP factors and disease-related biomarkers present in synovial fluid and plasma. In Part B, 30 patients were randomized to receive UBX0101 or placebo in a 2:1 randomization. Primary endpoints were safety and tolerability. Secondary and exploratory endpoints included changes in the levels of SASP factors and disease-related biomarkers present in synovial fluid and plasma, and pain. Synovial fluid samples were obtained at baseline and four weeks post-treatment. In Part A, UBX0101 was well tolerated up to the maximum administered dose of 4 mg. There were no serious adverse events and no patients discontinued because of an adverse event. There were no dose-dependent adverse events or relevant clinical laboratory findings. The majority of adverse events were mild. In Part B, UBX0101 was well tolerated at the 4 mg dose. There were no serious adverse events and no patients discontinued because of an adverse event. The majority of adverse events were mild and there were no relevant clinical laboratory findings. UBX0101 demonstrated dose-proportional plasma pharmacokinetics. Model-based predicitons of concentrations within the knee suggested that doses at or above 1 mg may be pharmacologically active. This informed the prospectively defined low dose and high dose groupings for analyses. In Part A, evaluation of pain by NRS measured at 12 weeks demonstrated a dose-dependent and clinically meaningful reduction. The range of mean baseline values was between 5.90 to 6.76. In Part A, evaluation of pain by WOMAC-A mean item score measured at 12 weeks demonstrated a dose-dependent and clinically meaningful reduction. The range of mean baseline values was between 1.80 to 2.36. In Part B, WOMAC-A, measured at 4 weeks, showed a numerical reduction that was not significantly different from placebo. In Part A, evaluation of function by WOMAC-C mean item score demonstrated a dose-dependent and clinically meaningful improvement. The range of mean baseline values was between 1.40 to 2.47. There were no observed changes in stiffness as measured by WOMAC-B. Evaluation of Patient Global Impression of Change with treatment demonstrated a higher proportion of patients being "much improved" or "very much improved" versus placebo. Evaluation of synovial inflammation by MRI detected no significant placebo adjusted change at any dose level. In Part A, an insufficient number of matched samples were collected due to a lack of adequate levels of synovial fluid in patients for sampling. Therefore, an analysis of change in biomarkers from baseline to 12 weeks was not performed. In Part B, 19 biomarkers were analyzed across 20 matched pair samples. In approximately half the biomarkers measured in synovial fluid modulation was observed consistent with elimination of senescent cells and potential improvement in the tissue environment. Changes were observed in MMPs, tissue remodeling factors, and inflammatory cytokines. These biomarkers were: MMP-3, MMP-10, MMP-12, MMP-13, IL-6, IL-10, CCL20, A2M, ICAM-1 and VEGF-C.

07:05 EDT Best Buy to sell Flywheel bikes, Hydrow machines in over 100 stores by EOY - Best Buy announced a new collection of connected fitness products from exercise companies including Flywheel Sports, NormaTec, Hyperice, Hydrow and NordicTrack. The new assortment is part of the company's commitment to helping customers use technology to live better, healthier lives, Best Buy said in a statement. Best Buy's fitness collection will include Flywheel home bikes, NormaTec PULSE 2.0 recovery system, Hyperprice technology-driven recovery products including percussion devices and fitness rollers, Hydrow connected rowing machines, NordicTrack connected treadmills and studio cycles. The collection is available now on BestBuy.com, with a new, dedicated fitness space coming to more than 100 stores by the end of the year. "We know there's a growing intersection between fitness and technology, and no one knows tech like we do," said Jason Bonfig, Chief Merchandising Officer. "We've promised our customers we'll help enrich their lives, including their health and wellness, by using technology. This is a great example of how we're living up to that commitment."

06:57 EDT Lannett commences marketing for Aspirin, Dipyridamole Capsules - Lannett announced that it has commenced marketing Aspirin and extended-release Dipyridamole Capsules, the therapeutic equivalent to the reference listed drug, Aggrenox of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. Total U.S. sales of Aspirin and extended-release Dipyridamole Capsules was approximately $158M for the 12 months ended April, according to IQVIA, although actual generic market values are expected to be lower.

06:49 EDT Magal Security awarded $5.5M contract for perimeter intrusion technology - Magal Security announced that it has recently been awarded a $5.5M contract for the supply of its advanced perimeter intrusion detection technology systems, which will be used to enhance security and prevent infiltration across an international border fence or wall. This award is a part of an existing project whereby Magal's systems will provide a unique solution as the technological heart of that project.

06:46 EDT Merck: FDA approves KEYTRUDA as monotherapy for SCLC - Merck announced that the U.S. FDA has approved KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least one other prior line of therapy. This accelerated approval is based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. This marks the first indication for KEYTRUDA in SCLC.

06:41 EDT EU passenger car registrations up 0.1% in May - In May, the EU passenger car market recorded a modest increase of 0.1% after eight consecutive months of decline, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association reported. Demand in the region was mainly driven by the Central European countries, where registrations went up by 6.2% last month. By contrast, the five major Western European markets posted mixed results: with demand in Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy slowing down, but growing in Germany and France, the ACEA said. Publicly traded companies in the space include Daimler AG (DDAIF), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Honda (HMC), Nissan (NSANY), Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VWAGY).

06:35 EDT Alexion announces approval of Ultomiris in Japan - Alexion Pharmaceuticals announced that Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, or MHLW, has approved ULTOMIRIS, or ravulizumab, the first and only long-acting C5 complement inhibitor administered every eight weeks, for the treatment of adult patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, or PNH. The Ministry's approval is based on comprehensive results from two Phase 3 studies, which were published in "Blood".

06:33 EDT New Residential enters into APA to acquire forward assets of Ditech Financial - New Residential Investment announced that it has entered into a "stalking horse" Asset Purchase Agreement, or APA, with Ditech Holding and Ditech Financial to purchase substantially all of the forward assets of Ditech Financial. The final purchase price will be determined at the closing of the transaction based on the tangible book value of the related assets, subject to certain agreed upon adjustments. New Residential expects to finance the acquisition of these assets with existing financing facilities and cash on hand. Under the terms of the APA, subject to certain conditions, New Residential has agreed to purchase, among other assets, Ditech Financial's forward Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae and non-agency mortgage servicing rights, or MSRs, with an aggregate unpaid principal balance of approximately $63B as of March 31 the servicer advance receivables relating to such MSRs and other net assets core to the forward origination and servicing businesses. Additionally, New Residential has agreed to assume certain Ditech office spaces and plans to make employment offers to a number of Ditech employees. Under the APA, New Residential will not purchase any of the stock or assets related to Ditech Financial's reverse mortgage business. If New Residential's bid is successful, the transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2019, subject to certain closing conditions.

06:18 EDT Raytheon, Black Sage partner on drone detection - Raytheon and Black Sage are now partnering through a formal teaming arrangement to provide an integrated drone detection and mitigation system for civil authorities, critical infrastructure and military organizations around the world.

06:16 EDT AstraZeneca's Lynparza approved as 1st line ovarian cancer maintenance treatment - AstraZeneca (AZN) and Merck (MRK) announced that the European Commission has approved Lynparza as a 1st-line maintenance treatment for women with BRCA-mutated advanced ovarian cancer. The licensed indication is as a maintenance treatment of adult patients with advanced BRCA1/2-mutated high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who are in response following completion of 1st-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Oncology Business Unit, said: "This approval sets the stage for a new standard of care in the EU for women with ovarian cancer and a BRCA mutation. The goals of front-line therapy have always been long-term remission and even cure, yet currently 70% of patients relapse within three years of initial treatment. The progression-free survival benefit of Lynparza observed in SOLO-1 represents a major step forward in our ambition to help transform patient outcomes." The EC approval was based on data from the pivotal Phase III SOLO-1 trial which tested Lynparza as maintenance monotherapy compared with placebo in patients with BRCAm advanced ovarian cancer following 1st-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Results announced in October 2018 at 40.7 months of follow-up showed the median time of progression for patients treated with Lynparza had not yet been reached vs. 13.8 months for those on placebo. This is the third indication for Lynparza in the EU. AstraZeneca and MSD are exploring additional trials in ovarian cancer, including the ongoing Phase III PAOLA-1 trial, which is testing Lynparza in combination with bevacizumab as a 1st-line maintenance treatment for women with newly-diagnosed, advanced, stage IIIB-IV high grade serous or endometrioid ovarian cancer, regardless of BRCA status.

06:14 EDT United Technologies' Collins Aerospace secures more than $1.5B in agreements - Collins Aerospace announced it has recently been awarded more than $1.5B in tailored agreements for components spanning its Power & Controls and Aerostructures business units-across multiple commercial platforms with global commercial customers. Collins Aerospace is a unit of United Technologies Corp.

06:12 EDT Air Lease announces lease placement of 6 new Airbus A330-900neos with Virgin - Air Lease (AL) announced long-term lease placements for six new Airbus (EADSY) A330-900neo aircraft with Virgin Atlantic Airways. The six new A330-900neos are scheduled to deliver to the airline starting in 2021 through 2022 from ALC's order book with Airbus.

06:10 EDT Air Lease announces lease placement of 3 new Airbus A321-200neo with Sky Airline - Air Lease (AL) announced long-term lease placements with Sky Airline for three new Airbus (EADSY) A321-200neo aircraft. Scheduled to deliver to Sky starting in 2020 through 2021, the three new A321-200neos will deliver from ALC's order book with Airbus and join three A320-200neos currently on lease to the airline from the Lessor.

06:08 EDT Air Lease announces two new lease placements with Peach Aviation - Air Lease (AL) announced long-term lease placements for two new Airbus (EADSY) A320neo and two new Airbus A321neo LR aircraft with Peach Aviation Limited. The four new Airbus aircraft are scheduled to deliver to Peach starting in 2020 through 2022 from ALC's order book with Airbus.

06:07 EDT G1 announces preliminary OS results from Phase 2 trial with trilaciclib - G1 Therapeutics announced preliminary overall survival, or OS, results from a randomized Phase 2 trial which demonstrated that women with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, or mTNBC, lived significantly longer when receiving trilaciclib and chemotherapy compared with women receiving chemotherapy alone. Detailed data from this trial will be presented at a medical meeting later this year. Myelopreservation results, objective response rate, progression-free survival and safety data from this trial were presented at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Updated anti-tumor efficacy results demonstrated that women receiving trilaciclib and a chemotherapy regimen of gemcitabine/carboplatin had a statistically significant improvement in OS compared with those receiving gemcitabine/carboplatin alone.

06:04 EDT The Rice Team delivers presentation to EQT investors regarding Annual Meeting - The Rice Team, shareholders of EQT, announced that it has delivered a presentation to EQT investors in connection with EQT's upcoming Annual Meeting of Shareholders on July 10. In addition, John F. McCartney, commenting on behalf of the Rice Team nominees in response to EQT's announcement of its preliminary second quarter results, stated, "EQT's most recent press release demonstrates why we are in this contest. Last year, Mr. McNally was touting significant operational improvement and merger synergies as he eyed the vacant CEO position. After being appointed CEO, he was forced to acknowledge the operational chaos that led to a $300M cost overrun and a 35% stock price decline. Now, as he is being challenged by the Rice Team, he is touting, before quarter end, a $25M cost reduction on a $2B capital expenditure budget. We believe the full quarter's results, which will not be disclosed until after the election contest is resolved, will show that EQT's self-described 'free cash flow machine' actually consumed cash in the quarter and that EQT remains the highest cost producer in the Appalachian Basin." The Rice Team's published presentation outlines the reasons why change is warranted at EQT, why the Rice Team and its nominees are best suited to oversee this change, and its detailed plan to transform EQT to enable it to reach its full potential.

06:03 EDT W.R. Grace licenses UNIPOL PP Process Technology to Hyundai Chemical Co - W. R. Grace & Co. has licensed its UNIPOL PP Process Technology to Hyundai Chemical Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Hyundai Oilbank Co., Ltd. and Lotte Chemical Corporation. Located in Daesan, South Korea, the new, 250KTA facility will be part of a larger cracker complex that is slated to open in 2021. The UNIPOL PP unit will be used to produce high-end, specialty grade, random copolymer resins.

05:59 EDT Raytheon, Northrop Grumman sign teaming agreement on scramjet combustors - Raytheon (RTN) and Northrop Grumman (NOC) have signed a teaming agreement to develop, produce and integrate Northrop Grumman's scramjet combustors to power Raytheon's air-breathing hypersonic weapons. The teaming agreement uses the combined capabilities of both companies to accelerate development and demonstrate readiness to produce the next generation of tactical missile systems. Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are working under a $200M Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, or HAWC, program contract to deliver an affordable, effective and producible cruise missile for DARPA and the U.S. Air Force.

05:56 EDT Air Lease confirms lease placement of ten new Boeing 787-10 with Korean Air - Air Lease (AL) announced the long-term lease placement with Korean Air for ten new Boeing (BA) 787-10 aircraft. Scheduled to deliver to the airline starting in 2021 through 2023 from ALC's order book with Boeing, these ten 787-10s from ALC are the first -10 Dreamliner aircraft to be placed in Korean Air's fleet.

05:47 EDT Facebook unveils blockchain currency Libra with plans to launch in 2020 - Facebook announced on its website, "Today we're sharing plans for Calibra, a newly formed Facebook subsidiary whose goal is to provide financial services that will let people access and participate in the Libra network. The first product Calibra will introduce is a digital wallet for Libra, a new global currency powered by blockchain technology. The wallet will be available in Messenger, WhatsApp and as a standalone app - and we expect to launch in 2020...From the beginning, Calibra will let you send Libra to almost anyone with a smartphone, as easily and instantly as you might send a text message and at low to no cost. And, in time, we hope to offer additional services for people and businesses, like paying bills with the push of a button, buying a cup of coffee with the scan of a code or riding your local public transit without needing to carry cash or a metro pass....When it launches, Calibra will have strong protections in place to keep your money and your information safe. We'll be using all the same verification and anti-fraud processes that banks and credit cards use, and we'll have automated systems that will proactively monitor activity to detect and prevent fraudulent behavior. We'll also offer dedicated live support to help if you lose your phone or your password - and if someone fraudulently gains access to your account and you lose some Libra as a result, we'll offer you a refund. Shares of Facebook are up 2% to $193.50 in premarket trading following the news. Reference Link