Stockwinners Market Radar for June 19, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:44 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: American Outdoor Brands (AOBC) up 6.7%... Oracle Corp (ORCL) up 4.9%. ALSO HIGHER: Jensyn Acquisition (JSYN) up 185% after shareholder approval of Peck Electric combination... Abeona Therapeutics (ABEO) up 2.3% after receiving FDA Fast Track designation for ABO-202 program. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Pier 1 Imports (PIR) down 14.5% after announcing 1-for-20 reverse stock split... Steelcase (SCS) down 10.2%. ALSO LOWER: Gladstone Land (LAND) down 3.9% after equity offering. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:23 EDT Zebra Technologies CEO sells 20K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Zebra Technologies disclosed that its CEO Anders Gustafsson sold 20K shares of common stock on June 18th. The total transaction size was $4.0M.

18:01 EDT Quidel receives 510k clearance for Triage TOX Drug Screen - Quidel Corporation announced that Quidel has received 510k clearance from the Unites States Food and Drug Administration to market the Quidel Triage TOX Drug Screen, 94600, a fluorescence immunoassay for the qualitative determination of the presence of drug and/or metabolites in human urine of up to 9 drug assays. The test is to be used with Quidel's Triage MeterPro instrumented system. "We believe that our latest diagnostic screening test can play an important role in providing fast, diagnostic answers to healthcare providers in the emergency and urgent care settings," said Douglas Bryant, president and chief executive officer of Quidel Corporation. "We are very pleased to receive clearance from the FDA for our Quidel Triage TOX Drug Screen, 94600 toxicology test and are optimistic that this assay will drive growth in the Triage business by delivering a more reliable, higher quality product to the customer, as well as creating further growth in the installed base of MeterPro instruments out in the field."

17:54 EDT Chubb CEO sells 215.6K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Chubb disclosed that its CEO Evan Greenberg sold 215.6K shares of common stock on June 19th. The total transaction size was $32.1M.

17:37 EDT Farallon Capital takes 5.0% passive stake in Altaba - Farallon Capital disclosed a 5.0% stake in Altaba, which represents over 28.3M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

17:31 EDT Granite Construction awarded $39M dam project in Texas - Granite announced that is has been awarded a $39M contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for modifications to the Lewisville Dam in Lewisville, Texas. Granite will book the project into its second quarter 2019 backlog. Scope of work includes the construction of upstream embankment modifications, crest road improvements, conduit filter, waterline relocations, seepage collection systems, improved roadway system and associated work.

17:14 EDT Oracle sees 1% revenue headwind from currency in Q1

17:10 EDT 22nd Century VP Thomas James sells 48K shares of company stock - 22nd Century VP Thomas James disclosed in a filing that he had sold 48,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $2.11 per share on June 17. The total transaction value of the sale was $101,198.

17:03 EDT Jensyn Acquisition stockholders approve Peck Electric combination - Jensyn Acquisition and Peck Electric Co announced that their business combination was approved by Jensyn's stockholders. At the Special Meeting, more than 87% of the issued and outstanding shares which voted were in favor of the business combination. The transaction is expected to close on June 20, 2019.

16:52 EDT Target Hospitality acquires three Permian Basin communities - Target Hospitality is acquiring three communities in the Delaware Basin, within the Permian Basin, from Superior Lodging. This transaction adds 575 rooms across the Permian Basin. The transaction closed in June and is expected to be accretive to the company's earnings within the first year. Two of the three communities are located in Orla, Texas and add 395 rooms to the company's Permian Basin lodging network. Target Hospitality has managed these communities since mid-2018. The third community has 180 rooms and is located in Kermit, Texas.

16:35 EDT Wesco Aircraft announces chemical management services agreement with Leonardo - Wesco Aircraft announced that it has signed a new agreement with Leonardo. Under the new multiyear agreement, Wesco will provide chemical management services for Leonardo's joint strike fighter program in Cameri, Italy. The new agreement expands Wesco's existing support of hardware, chemical and electronic component products and services across multiple sites and major aerospace and defense programs for Leonardo globally.

16:32 EDT Papa John's announces investments into marketing, support for franchise system - Papa John's International announced increased investment in marketing and brand initiatives as well as an agreement to provide scheduled financial assistance for domestic franchisees ending in 2020. This program has the support of the company's elected Franchise Advisory Council. This announcement enhances the partnership between the company and franchisees by delivering needed investment in the brand and providing franchisees with certainty on the schedule of remaining royalty relief, as outlined in the agreement. Under the agreement, Papa John's will invest an additional $80M in the long-term strength of its brand and domestic franchisees, beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2019. The company will make significant, additional contributions to the National Marketing Fund to amplify the brand's differentiated position and activate its new ambassador, Shaquille O'Neal. Papa John's will also extend financial assistance to its traditional domestic franchisees in the form of lower royalties, royalty-based service incentives, and targeted relief. The company's announcement of a multi-quarter support package helps franchisees plan and manage their businesses into the future.

16:30 EDT Steelcase down 11.4% to $15.75 after Q1 results missed estimates - The midpoint of the company's FY19 EPS guidance also missed estimates.

16:28 EDT Semtech VP Mark Costello sells almost $550M in company shares - Semtech VP Mark Costello disclosed in a filing that he had sold 12,046 shares of company stock at an average price of $45.46 per share on June 18. The total transaction value of the sale was $547,659.

16:18 EDT CACI CEO sees FY20 'build' on FY19 organic revenue growth, expanded profits - CEO John Mengucci says: "Our FY20 guidance builds on our strong FY19 performance of organic revenue growth, expanded profitability, and strong contract awards. In FY20, we expect to double our organic revenue growth, further expand margins, and continue generating robust cash flow. Our addressable market continues to expand, and we have positioned CACI as a strong performer, well-aligned with key budget priorities. I am confident that CACI will continue to generate long-term shareholder value."

16:16 EDT AIG announces formation of AIG Re - American International Group, Inc. announced the formation of AIG Re, which consolidates the company's assumed Reinsurance operations, including Validus Re, AlphaCat and Talbot Treaty into one global business. The company also announced that Christopher Schaper has been appointed CEO of AIG Re, effective July 1, 2019. In this new role, Mr. Schaper will oversee implementation of AIG's assumed Reinsurance strategy with a focus on continuing to develop, market and deliver innovative reinsurance and capital market solutions to clients on a global basis. Mr. Schaper will report to Peter Zaffino, President and CEO, AIG General Insurance, and Global Chief Operating Officer, AIG. Mr. Schaper will be based in Bermuda.

16:11 EDT DiaMedica Therapeutics announces interim results for DM199 trial - DiaMedica Therapeutics announced interim results of the Phase 1b study from 28 evaluable participants with moderate and severe chronic kidney disease, or CKD. DM199 was observed to be safe and well tolerated with no drug-related serious adverse events, or SAEs, consistent with earlier DM199 studies in healthy volunteers. The study also demonstrated a dose range which the company believes will restore normal KLK1 levels in CKD patients. The pharmacokinetic, or PK, profile in CKD subjects after dosing was similar to the PK profile in healthy volunteers. Early signals in estimated glomerular filtration rate, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio and other biomarkers were also observed in the study, which the company believes show drug activity, consistent with the DM199 mechanism of action, and may represent initial proof-of-mechanism. The randomized, multi-center U.S., single dose open label trial enrolled CKD participants in two cohorts with moderate and severe renal function impairment and Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study was designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of single subcutaneously administered DM199, assess PK, PD and guide the design of Phase II CKD studies over 11-days. The study has enrolled 31 adult CKD subjects from which 28 subjects are currently evaluable.DM199 was observed to be well tolerated with no dose-limiting tolerability. There were no deaths, no discontinuations due to a treatment-related adverse event and no treatment-related SAEs. AEs were minor and consistent with standard treatments in the CKD patient population. The most common AE was orthostatic hypotension that resolved without intervention. PK was evaluated over 11 days. The company believes that it has identified a dose range to normalize KLK1 levels in both moderate and severe CKD patients. DiaMedica reported that the PK profiles were similar between moderate and severe CKD patients, as well as previous healthy subjects, dosed at the 3microg/kg. Therefore, the company does not believe dosing adjustments is warranted, based on severity of disease. PD was evaluated through exploratory biomarkers as pre-defined secondary endpoints for this study. Although subjects only received a single dose in the study, overall results were observed including short-term improvements at approximately 24 hours after DM199 administration including nitric oxide, average increase of 35.2%, Prostaglandin E2 average increase of 41.2%, eGFR, average increase of 4.08 mL/min/1732, and UACR, average decrease of 18.7%. No similar discernable changes in blood pressure, glucose or MMP9 levels were observed in study participants.

16:08 EDT Oracle reports Q4 adjusted operating margin 47% - Reports Q4 GAAP operating margin was 38%.

16:07 EDT Sonoma announces timing of 1-for-9 reverse split of its common stock - Sonoma Pharmaceuticals announced the timing for a 1-for-9 reverse split of its outstanding common stock which will be effected on June 19 at 5:00 pm EDT. Sonoma common stock will begin trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on a 1-for-9 adjusted basis when the market opens on June 20. The reverse stock split was previously approved by the company's stockholders at the company's special meeting on May 30 and June 11. The company's board approved the implementation of a reverse stock split and determined the reverse stock split ratio on June 14.

16:05 EDT Hibbett Sports receives Nasdaq notification of non-compliance - Hibbett Sports announced that, as expected, it received a standard notification letter dated June 19, 2019, from Nasdaq stating that, as a result of not having timely filed its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended May 4, 2019, the company no longer complies with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250c1, which requires timely filing of periodic financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This notice has no immediate effect on the listing of the company's common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Although Nasdaq's listing rules provide the company with 60 calendar days from the date of the notice to submit a plan to regain compliance, the company expects to file its Form 10-Q within the 60-calendar day period.

16:04 EDT Oracle reports Q4 short-term deferred revenues $8.4B

16:03 EDT Oracle reports Q4 Cloud Services and License Support revenues $6.8B - Cloud Services and License Support revenues were $6.8B, while Cloud License and On-Premise License revenues were $2.5B. Total Cloud Services and License Support plus Cloud License and On-Premise License revenues were $9.3B, up 3% in USD and 6% in constant currency.

16:02 EDT Amgen and Institute For Protein Design enter strategic research partnership - Amgen and the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design, or IPD, which is creating custom-designed proteins from scratch, announced a broad collaboration that will cover multiple projects with a goal of testing new technologies and creating protein-building approaches that can be broadly applied to the search for new medicines. Amgen has provided initial funding for three sponsored research projects that will seek to apply IPD's de novo design technique to increase the versatility of traditional protein-based medicines. This will include optimizing Amgen's repertoire of BiTE antibodies, with the goal of expanding the types of tumors that can be targeted with these molecules. In the longer-term, the broad-based collaboration aims to "help shape the discovery and development of protein-based therapies".

15:59 EDT Harley-Davidson partners with China firm to make smaller bike, accessing Asia - Harley-Davidson announced another step in its strategy to build more riders globally and expand access into Asia through a collaboration with Qianjiang Motorcycle Company Limited to launch a smaller, more accessible Harley-Davidson motorcycle for sale in Harley-Davidson dealerships in China by the end of 2020. This collaboration joins Harley-Davidson's global motorcycle leadership with the capabilities of Qianjiang to co-develop a premium 338cc displacement Harley-Davidson motorcycle for sale first in the China market with additional Asian markets to follow. Harley-Davidson selected Qianjiang based on its experience developing premium small displacement motorcycles, established supply base, proven capabilities in emerging markets, and ability to meet consumer requirements.

14:55 EDT Red Robin says will review Vintage Capital request for special meeting - In a filing, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers provided the following statement in response to a request by Vintage Capital Management to hold a special meeting of Red Robin stockholders: "Red Robin's board and management team are committed to acting in the best interests of the company and all stockholders. The board will carefully review Vintage's request to convene a Special Meeting of Red Robin stockholders and respond in due course. Red Robin's board comprises established industry leaders with deep operational, financial, leadership and marketing expertise, among other skillsets, that align with the company's strategic plan to position Red Robin for significant, sustained stockholder value creation and long-term success. The board is composed of seven directors, six of whom are independent and all of whom are actively engaged and committed to enhancing stockholder value. Since January 2019, Red Robin's board has realigned the company's executive team to ensure that the company has the right leaders and organizational capabilities in place to oversee the continued execution of Red Robin's strategic plan, including the appointment of an interim CEO, a new CFO and a new COO. The board has been working closely with The Elliot Group, a leading executive search firm in the restaurant industry, in searching for a new CEO and is actively interviewing a number of highly qualified candidates. The board is pleased with its progress to date and confident it will identify an excellent leader for Red Robin."

14:22 EDT Tesla CEO says $1,000 charge for black vehicles to start next month - Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, tweeted: "Starting next month, Tesla will charge $1000 for color black (same price as silver)" Reference Link

13:39 EDT Pareteum announces commercial launch of Pareteum Experience Cloud - Pareteum Corporation announced the commercial launch of the Pareteum Experience Cloud. The company says, "A single source for the creation, delivery and rapid scaling of a multitude of API-driven communications experiences, the Pareteum Experience Cloud brings to market an unrivaled combination of service breadth, management control, and geographic reach. It delivers a rich combination of mobility, customer engagement, and analytics and intelligence services for customers including IoT and Smart City service providers and developers, communications service providers, enterprises, and consumer brands." "Pareteum enables our customers to deliver mobile experiences that are unique, unbounded, and unified, and these are the core characteristics of Experience Cloud. We are executing across all areas of our business and have quickly integrated our recent acquisitions to create a single-source cloud communications platform that is unmatched in the market. We are seeing rapid customer uptake while experiencing solid expansion, which is leading to strong growth and financial performance," said Hal Turner, Pareteum Founder, Chairman, and CEO.

13:17 EDT JDP says Brookfield Business offer for Teekay Offshore 'abusive, self-dealing' - JDP Managing Partner Jeremy Deal commented in a press release after the firm released a presentation on its website: "Our presentation makes a compelling case that even a conservative valuation of Teekay Offshore (TOO) would put the value well above $4 per share based on contracted cash flows with oil majors, a strong balance sheet, and a sector in the early stages of a major rebound. Based on Teekay Offshore's Conflicts Committee Charter, JDP does not believe the Committee is structurally incentivized to protect minority investors from Brookfield Business Partner's (BBU) tender offer of $1.05 per unit for the remaining 27% of the company. Due to the abusive and self-dealing nature of the offer, we are asking that The Committee elect a Minority Unit Holder Representative to provide input and review to the fairness opinion process in order to ensure independence of the outcome."

13:03 EDT California American Water desalination project wins $10M state grant - The California Department of Water Resources announced they will provide a $10M grant to public utility, California American Water, to help build the seawater desalination component of the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project, the company's solution to the Monterey Peninsula's long-standing water shortage. "We are extremely grateful to DWR for supporting our project," said California American Water president Rich Svindland. "This grant will reduce costs to our customers for this project, which is urgently needed to protect the local river and groundwater and to meet the demands of the community in a sustainable way." The Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project is a $329M project featuring a portfolio of water supply components to address the area's water needs. In 2009, the California State Water Resources Control Board issued a Cease and Desist Order to limit pumping from the Carmel River, the community's major source of water supply and home to threatened species. The Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project includes a seawater desalination facility relying on slant well technology, which eliminates harm to marine life in the process of drawing ocean water for treatment. Other aspects of the project include recycled water, continued conservation and aquifer storage of excess winter river flows. The company received approval for the project from the California Public Utilities Commission in September of 2018. Additional permits are required, including approval from the California Coastal Commission, anticipated later this year.

13:01 EDT Teva announces U.S. launch of generic version of Tracleer - Teva Pharmaceutical announced the launch of a generic version of Tracleer tablets, 62.5 mg and 125 mg, in the U.S. Bosentan tablets are an endothelin receptor antagonist indicated for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH, in adults to improve exercise ability and to decrease worsening of the condition.

12:56 EDT Sycamore Partners lowers takeover offer to Chico's to $3.00 per share - In a regulatory filing, it was confirmed that on June 19, Sycamore Partners sent a letter to the chair of the board of Chico's pursuant to which Sycamore revised its offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of the company to a price of $3.00 per share in cash and requested due diligence access to the company. The letter stated in part: "Chico's FAS has declined to engage with us despite its continued poor performance. Since our prior offer on May 10th, the company's trailing twelve month EBITDA has fallen almost $35M through the first quarter and management has lowered its guidance for the year. This continues a pattern of the company lowering its guidance and then not meeting it. Sycamore Partners is now revising its offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company to a price of $3.00 per share in cash. This represents a significant premium to what we believe the unaffected trading price of your stock would be absent takeover speculation, and it offers a compelling opportunity to lock-in certain value for your shareholders in the face of further deterioration in your business and the volatility in the market...Engaging with us so we can perform our due diligence will create an attractive and certain alternative for your shareholders, which we believe is in their best interest given the company's deteriorating performance and share price. Your most recent full year guidance requires a significant improvement in performance trends and an increase in EBITDA of $10M, or 25%, in the second half of the year. Should our due diligence provide us the confidence that this plan is achievable, we would be prepared to increase our offer. If you provide us with due diligence access, we would be prepared to sign a customary confidentiality agreement with a standstill through the end of this year."

12:49 EDT Chico's erases gains after Bloomberg says Sycamore again lowered bid - Chico's in midday trading is now down 2c to $3.09.

12:00 EDT Global Cord Blood falls -6.6% - Global Cord Blood is down -6.6%, or -38c to $5.39.

12:00 EDT Mogu falls -8.1% - Mogu is down -8.1%, or -27c to $3.07.

12:00 EDT Embraer announces KLM intention for up to 35 E195-E2 jets - Embraer announced, at the 53rd International Paris Air Show, KLM Cityhopper's intention to purchase up to 35 E195-E2 jets, 15 firm orders with purchase rights for a further 20 aircraft of the same model. This intention, which still requires a Purchase Agreement, has a value of $2.48B based on Embraer's current list prices. The order will be added to Embraer's backlog as soon as a firm contract is completed. "With a fleet of 49 E-Jets, KLM is already the largest Embraer operator in Europe and adding KLM to the E2 family of operators would be a huge vote of confidence in Embraer, our after sales care, and the E2 program. The aircraft uses 30% less fuel per seat compared to KLM Cityhopper's current E190s. And in terms of aircraft noise, the aircraft is the quietest in its class both internally for passengers, and externally, by a significant margin," said John Slattery, President and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation.

12:00 EDT Axalta Coating rises 14.6% - Axalta Coating is up 14.6%, or $3.77 to $29.59.

11:48 EDT China Customer Relations Centers trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:37 EDT Genmab says BlackRock increases total ownership to 5% - Genmab A/S (GMXAY) announces under reference to Section 30 of the Danish Capital Markets Act that BlackRock (BLK) informed it that, as of June 18, BlackRock has increased their total ownership in Genmab A/S to 3,086,679 shares, which amounts to 5.00% of the share capital and voting rights in Genmab A/S.

11:28 EDT BeiGene announces updated results from Phase 2 trial of zanubrutinib in China - BeiGene announced results from two ongoing clinical studies of its investigational BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib in patients with mantle cell lymphoma in two presentations at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma. Summary of Updated Clinical Results from the Pivotal Phase 2 Trial Being Conducted in China: This single-arm, open-label, multi-center, pivotal Phase 2 trial of zanubrutinib as a monotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory MCL is being conducted in China, and enrolled 86 patients who had received a median of two prior lines of therapy. Patients were treated with zanubrutinib, dosed at 160 mg orally twice-daily. The primary endpoint of the trial was overall response rate assessed by independent review committee using PET-based imaging according to the Lugano Classification 2014. As of the February 15, 2019 data cutoff, 52 patients remained on study treatment. The median follow-up time for patients enrolled in the trial was 18.4 months. Results included:The investigator-assessed ORR was 83.7%; the complete response rate was 77.9% and the partial response rate was 5.8%. At an earlier data cutoff in March 2018, the ORR, CR and PR were 84.7%, 72.9%, and 11.8% per investigator assessment, and 83.5%, 58.8%, and 24.7% per IRC assessment, respectively; The 15-month progression-free survival by investigator was estimated at 72.1%; median PFS follow-up was 19.1 months. With 16.4 months median follow-up, the duration of response by investigator at 15 months was 67.4%; Zanubrutinib tolerability was generally consistent with previous reports of zanubrutinib treatment in patients with various B-cell malignancies. The majority of treatment-emergent adverse events were grade 1 or 2 in severity, with the most frequently reported being neutrophil count decreased, upper respiratory tract infection, rash, white blood cell count decrease, and platelet count decrease; Grade 3 TEAEs were reported in 36 patients, with the most frequently reported being neutrophil count decrease, lung infection, white blood cell count decrease, and anemia; Five patients had TEAEs leading to death; and Among TEAEs of special interest for BTK inhibitors, hypertension was reported in 13 patients, petechiae/purpura/contusion in four patients, and major hemorrhage in three patients; no cases of atrial fibrillation/flutter, secondary primary malignancy, or tumor lysis syndrome were reported in this trial.

11:13 EDT Seneca Foods trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:08 EDT Karyopharm reports updated data from Phase 2b SADAL study - Karyopharm Therapeutics reported updated results from the Phase 2b SADAL study evaluating selinexor, the company's first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export compound, in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after at least two prior multi-agent therapies and who are ineligible for transplantation, including high dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue and CAR-T therapy. The data were highlighted in an oral presentation at the 2019 International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma being held June 18-22. Top-line results for the SADAL study were previously presented at the American Society of Hematology 2018 Annual Meeting in December 2018. The results being presented at ICML remain consistent with those reported at ASH and include efficacy results from the final 12 patients who had not reached their first response assessment in time to be included in the previously released top-line efficacy analyses. For the SADAL study's primary endpoint, single-agent selinexor achieved an overall response rate of 28.3%. Two additional patients achieved a complete response since the ASH presentation for a total of 13 CRs and a CR rate of 10.2% in these patients with heavily pretreated relapsed or refractory DLBCL. Key secondary endpoints included a median duration of response in the responding patients of 9.2 months and median overall survival across the entire study population of 9.0 months. Karyopharm expects to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency in the first half of 2020. These submissions will include requests for accelerated approval and conditional approval, respectively, of selinexor as a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL after at least two prior multi-agent therapies and who are ineligible for stem cell transplantation, including CAR-T therapies. In addition to Orphan Drug Designation, selinexor was granted Fast Track designation by the FDA in 2018 for the patient population evaluated in the SADAL study.

10:07 EDT Sound that BRANDS says Emmis to provide round of funding - Sound That BRANDS, the Los Angeles-based podcasting studio specializing in branded audio content for national advertisers, announced that Emmis Communications will provide a round of funding that will allow rapid expansion. "We've monitored the early stages of global brands telling audio stories through branded podcasts that dramatically enhances loyalty and preference," said Emmis Chairman and CEO Jeff Smulyan. "Sound that BRANDS has already become a leader in branded podcasting and is uniquely positioned to work with marquee brands to build episodes that make you laugh, feel and think in a way that reinforces the brand. Dave is a great audio storyteller, and we look forward to helping him accelerate Sound that BRANDS' growth."

10:04 EDT Newmark acquires ACRES, terms not disclosed - Newmark Group announced that it has acquired ACRES, which has operated as Newmark Grubb ACRES through an alliance agreement with NKF. ACRES' Southwest footprint includes Utah offices in Salt Lake City, Davis/Weber County and Utah County, and additional presence in Boise, Idaho and Reno, Nevada. Acquiring ACRES further strengthens Newmark Group's position in the Southwest. Founded by Mike Falk, Kyle Roberts, Paul Keyser, Zach Anderson, and Steve Condie in 2000, ACRES has grown to a total of five offices and upwards of 45 broker professionals providing landlord and tenant representation, investment sales and asset management services to nearly 10 million square feet, focusing on the Utah, Boise and Reno markets.

10:01 EDT Apple annouces partnership with Best Buy for expanded repair service - Apple (AAPL) announced the completion of "a major expansion" of its Apple authorized service network. "With nearly 1,000 Best Buy (BBY) stores across the US now providing expert service and repairs for Apple products, customers have even easier and more convenient access to safe and reliable repairs...By expanding to every Best Buy store across the US, customers in cities including Yuma, Arizona; Sioux City, Iowa; Twin Falls, Idaho; Casper, Wyoming and Bismarck, North Dakota will have more convenient access to Apple repairs. Plus, Best Buy's Geek Squad has nearly 7,600 newly Apple-certified technicians ready to make same-day iPhone repairs or to service other Apple products," the comapny stated in a press release posted to its corporate website. "At Apple, we're dedicated to providing the best customer service in the world. If a customer ever needs to repair their products, we want them to feel confident those repairs are done safely and correctly. We're always looking at how we can reliably expand our network of trained technicians and we're excited to partner with every Best Buy store so it's even easier for our customers to find an authorized repair location near them," said Tara Bunch, Apple's vice president of AppleCare.

10:00 EDT NL Industries falls -5.8% - NL Industries is down -5.8%, or -21c to $3.39.

10:00 EDT Energizer falls -7.7% - Energizer is down -7.7%, or -$3.21 to $38.60.

10:00 EDT Jabil rises 8.5% - Jabil is up 8.5%, or $2.31 to $29.63.

09:59 EDT Apple annouces partnership with Best Buy for expanded repair service

09:53 EDT Spark Networks expects to achieve over $50M of adjusted EBITDA in 2020 - Spark Networks 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. 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.

09:47 EDT Aspen Aerogels falls -4.1% - Aspen Aerogels is down -4.1%, or -25c to $5.77.

09:47 EDT Energizer falls -7.1% - Energizer is down -7.1%, or -$2.97 to $38.85.

09:47 EDT ASE Technology rises 7.6% - ASE Technology is up 7.6%, or 28c to $3.98.

09:46 EDT Sysco says continues to see some 'choppiness' in June - Says volume was "a little bit softer" in both April and May, and said it continues to see some "pretty significant" traffic challenges across the industry. Says has seen that "choppiness" in the quarter, and in June. Says "feeling better" following some recent discussions between the U.S. and Mexico. Says will see some impact from African swine flu relating to pork and bacon. Comments taken from the Jefferies Consumer Conference.

09:17 EDT Eros International announces review of strategic alternatives - Eros International announced that its Board of Directors has decided to enter into a formal review process to evaluate and explore strategic alternatives for the Company. Eros has engaged Citigroup Global Markets Inc. as its strategic advisor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as legal advisor. There can be no assurance that this review process will result in any transaction or that any transaction, if pursued, will be completed. The company has not set a timetable for the conclusion of its review and does not currently intend to disclose further developments with respect to this process, unless and until its Board of Directors approves a specific transaction or otherwise concludes the review of strategic alternatives, or has determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required by law.

09:09 EDT Marlin Business, AINA Wireless partner to create financing program - Marlin and AINA Wireless announced a partnership to provide financing options for AINA Wireless customers. Marlin's financing options will be available to commercial customers through its direct sales channel and authorized AINA Wireless distributors. The new strategic alliance will enable customers to acquire AINA Bluetooth speaker-microphones that are financed through Marlin's fast, convenient approval process.

09:07 EDT Horizon Bancorp raises quarterly dividend 20% to 12c per share - Horizon Bancorp announced that its Board of Directors has approved an increase in its quarterly dividend from 10c to 12c per share. This represents a 20.0% increase and a dividend yield of 3.02% based on the price per share of $15.91 as of the close of business on June 18, 2019. The dividend will be paid on July 19, 2019 to shareholders of record on July 5, 2019.

09:05 EDT Ra Medical Systems to conduct RESULTS study to demonstrate DABRA - Ra Medical Systems will conduct a study to demonstrate the destruction of arteriosclerotic blockages by laser radiation ablation, or DABRA, excimer laser system delivers results and a low reintervention rate for patients with peripheral artery disease, or PAD. The study will gather data two years post-treatment in up to 2,500 patients. DABRA is a minimally invasive excimer laser photoablation system that non-thermally, photochemically ablates channels in vascular blockages. The study is named RESULTS. It is a multi-site registry study, including up to 50 U.S. hospital or office-based lab sites and 2,500 patients with Rutherford Classification 2-6. Each patient will receive follow-up at six-month intervals for a total subject participation of two years.

09:03 EDT J. Alexander's shareholder Ancora's proxy card vote recommended by Egan-Jones - J. Alexander's shareholder Ancora Advisors, which beneficially owns approximately 8.76% of the outstanding shares of J. Alexander's, making it one of the company's largest shareholders, announced that proxy advisory firm Egan-Jones has recommended that shareholders vote at the company's upcoming annual meeting on June 20 to withhold their votes from management's incumbent nominees, Timothy Janszen and Ronald Maggard, two current members of the J. Alexander's board. This follows both ISS and Glass Lewis also recommending that shareholders vote Ancora's gold proxy card. In its full report, Egan-Jones joined ISS and Glass Lewis in reaffirming Ancora's significant concerns regarding J. Alexander's, ranging from its share price performance to a lack of accountability to the Board's inherent conflicts of interest. Egan-Jones raised questions about the Board's integrity and independence and declared that "it is time for the Board and management to evaluate strategic alternatives". Egan-Jones also recommended that shareholders vote against the amendment to J. Alexander's 2015 Equity Incentive Plan due to, among other things, the "maximum amount of shareholder equity dilution this proposal could cause," and recommended that the Board "work to reduce the cost of any similar plan that may be proposed in the future."

09:02 EDT ON Semiconductor completes acquisition of Quantenna Communications - ON Semiconductor (ON) announced that the company has completed its previously announced acquisition of Quantenna Communications (QTNA) for $24.50 per share in an all cash transaction. "The combination of Quantenna's industry leading Wi-Fi technologies and ON Semiconductor's leadership in power and analog semiconductors, coupled with the combined company's broad sales and distribution reach, creates a formidable platform to address connectivity applications in industrial, automotive, and carrier markets," said Keith Jackson, president and CEO of ON Semiconductor. "I am pleased to welcome the employees of Quantenna to ON Semiconductor, and I look forward to the opportunities this acquisition will create for our customers, shareholders, and employees." Quantenna will be integrated into ON Semiconductor's Analog Solutions Group, headed by Vince Hopkin.

08:58 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Axalta Coating (AXTA), up 16% after announcing a review of strategic alternatives... U.S. Steel (X), up 4% after providing Q2 EPS and EBITDA guidance and stating that it is idling two blast furnaces in the United States and one blast furnace in Europe to better align production "in response to current market conditions."... TripAdvisor (TRIP), up 3% after SunTrust analyst Naved Khan upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold with an unchanged $60 price target. The analyst notes that the market valuation is placing more emphasis on the company's EBITDA multiple of the slower-growing core business, even though its experiences segment has generated annual growth of over 30% and now represents nearly a third of total sales... STMicroelectronics (STM), up 4% after Morgan Stanley analyst Dominik Olszewski started shares with an Overweight rating. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Adobe (ADBE), up 5%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Winnebago (WGO), down 3%. ALSO LOWER: Macom (MTSI), down 9% after cutting 20% of workforce and issuing Q3 guidance... Kura Oncology (KURA), down 8% after its 5.9M share secondary priced at $17 per share... SunPower (SPWR), down 3% after Raymond James analyst Pavel Molchanov downgraded shares to Market Perform from Outperform given the stock's "lofty enough" valuation... YY (YY), down 5% after offering of $850M in convertible senior notes.

08:49 EDT Fluidigm to introduce three Imaging Mass Cytometry Maxpar panel kits in Q3 - Fluidigm Corporation announced that it will introduce three new Imaging Mass Cytometry Maxpar panel kits and an advanced CyTOF software solution in the third quarter to power immuno-oncology research. Developed using pathologist-verified antibodies, the panels can be mixed and matched to profile tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, immune cell activation states and tissue architecture. By combining them as a single 18-marker panel, researchers can broadly profile activated tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for single-cell analysis of the tumor architecture, all from a single tissue scan. Customization is also simplified using CyTOF technology, enabling researchers to easily add more than 10 markers to support specific translational and clinical research studies.

08:44 EDT Progenics says Velan Capital is issuing 'false claims' and 'misrepresentations' - Progenics Pharmaceuticals is mailing a letter to shareholders in connection with its upcoming 2019 Annual Meeting scheduled for July 11, 2019. The Progenics Board of Directors unanimously recommends that shareholders vote "FOR" ALL of Progenics' directors on the WHITE proxy card. The letter read, in part, "In its attempt to derail our significant progress and ultimately to gain control of your Board, Velan Capital now is resorting to issuing false claims and misrepresentations. We are writing to set the record straight...Myth: Progenics botched the commercialization of AZEDRA and has made questionable clinical program decisions. FACT: PROGENICS HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMMERCIALIZED AZEDRA AND MADE CLEAR AND RATIONAL CLINICAL PROGRAM DECISIONS...Myth: The Progenics Board and management team lack financial discipline. FACT: PROGENICS MAKES PRUDENT FINANCIAL DECISIONS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN LOWER SG&A EXPENSES THAN INDUSTRY PEERS...Myth: The Progenics Board is unqualified and lacks "skin in the game". FACT: YOUR BOARD HAS THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE TO LEAD THE COMPANY TO SUCCESS AND ITS INTERESTS ARE FULLY ALIGNED WITH SHAREHOLDERS...Myth: The Progenics Board invalidated Velan's nominations on a technicality. FACT: YOUR BOARD IS COMMITTED TO GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND HAS EARNED THE BEST QUALITY SCORE; VELAN'S NOMINATIONS DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE COMPANY'S BYLAWS WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF ALL SHAREHOLDERS...Myth: Velan has been reasonable in potential settlement negotiations. FACT: DESPITE REPEATED EFFORTS, INCLUDING AN OFFER TO ALLOW VELAN TO DESIGNATE TWO DIRECTORS, VELAN HAS BEEN UNWILLING TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH TO REACH A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE COMPROMISE...We urge you to not be distracted by the steady drumbeat of false claims and promoted misconceptions made by Velan in what we believe to be an attempt to disrupt the positive, shareholder wealth creating strategy your Board and management has developed and is executing upon. This is a critical moment in your Company's history. We strongly believe that we have the right Board with the right experience and the right strategy to lead Progenics to success."

08:39 EDT Gilead, Nurix announce global collaboration to develop therapies - Gilead and Nurix Therapeutics announced a global strategic collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize a pipeline of targeted protein degradation drugs for patients with cancer and other challenging diseases. Dysregulated and/or mutated proteins play a central role in the development and progression of many human diseases. Nurix's technology platform is focused on the manipulation of the ubiquitin system and its component E3 ligases, the key enzymes responsible for controlling protein levels in human cells. Under the multi-year collaboration, Nurix will utilize its proprietary drug discovery platform to identify novel agents that utilize E3 ligases to induce degradation of specified drug targets and Gilead will have an option to license drug candidates directed to up to five targets resulting from the work. Nurix will retain the option to co-develop and co-detail up to two programs in the United States. The collaboration excludes Nurix's lead degradation program, for which Nurix retains all rights.

08:36 EDT PDS Biotechnology granted U.S., European patents for Versamune-GM-CFS combo - PDS Biotechnology Corporation announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office have granted U.S. Patent No. 10,286,064 and European Patent Publication No. 2861245 respectively. The patent includes claims that cover compositions of the immunologically active enantiomer of the cationic lipid R-1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethyl-ammonium-propane or its racemic mixture with Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor to reduce the population of myeloid derived suppressor cells within the tumor microenvironment. A portion of the work leading to this invention was carried out with support from the United States Government provided under the National Institutes of Health CRADA No. 2644. Therefore, the United States Government has certain rights in and to the present invention.

08:33 EDT Gilead, Nurix establish strategic collaboration to develop therapies for cancer - Gilead Sciences and Nurix Therapeutics announced a global strategic collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize a pipeline of innovative targeted protein degradation drugs for patients with cancer and other challenging diseases. Under the multi-year collaboration, Nurix will utilize its proprietary drug discovery platform to identify novel agents that utilize E3 ligases to induce degradation of specified drug targets and Gilead will have an option to license drug candidates directed to up to five targets resulting from the work. Nurix will retain the option to co-develop and co-detail up to two programs in the United States. The collaboration excludes Nurix's lead degradation program, for which Nurix retains all rights. Under the terms of the agreement, Nurix will receive an upfront payment of $45M and will be eligible to receive up to approximately $2.3B in total additional payments based on the successful completion of certain research, pre-clinical, clinical, regulatory and commercialization milestones as well as up to low double-digit tiered royalties on net sales. For those programs that Nurix opts in to co-develop and co-detail, the parties will split development costs as well as profits and losses 50/50 for the U.S., and Nurix will be eligible to receive royalties on ex-U.S. sales and reduced milestone payments.

08:29 EDT ArcelorMittal highlights concerns to Italian government over Crescita law decree - ArcelorMittal confirms that its Italian subsidiary has highlighted to the Italian government its concerns about the current text of the Crescita law decree. If ratified as currently drafted, the provision concerning the Taranto plant would impair any operator's ability to operate the plant while implementing the environmental plan approved by the Italian Government in September 2017, including for ArcelorMittal. The Taranto plant has been under seizure since 2012 and cannot be operated without legal protection until the environmental plan is implemented. The 2017 environmental plan is designed to address the Taranto plant's long-standing issues and transform it into a state-of-the-art European steel facility by applying best available techniques, with an overall environmental investment by AMI of over EUR$1.15B. The implementation of the agreed plan is proceeding according to schedule. However, the Crescita law decree removes the legal safeguards existing when ArcelorMittal agreed to invest in the Taranto plant. These safeguards are necessary until the company has completed the environmental plan to avoid incurring liability for issues that it did not create. The law decree is to be ratified into law by 29th June. AMI remains hopeful that, as part of the amendment process, legal certainty will be restored in the interest of the Italian economy and of the stakeholders of ArcelorMittal Italia, enabling AMI to continue to operate of the plant while completing the environmental requalification plan.

08:16 EDT Points International announces multi-year partnership with Home Chef - Points (PCOM) announced a multi-year partnership with Home Chef, one of the largest meal kit delivery companies in the U.S. United Airlines' (UAL) MileagePlus members will now earn frequent flyer miles when they sign up and make their first Home Chef purchase. When members sign up for Home Chef's weekly deliveries of ingredients, they combine home cooking with earning more of their chosen loyalty program points or miles, starting with United Airlines' MileagePlus. The transaction is powered by Points' industry standard Loyalty Commerce Platform.

08:11 EDT IntelGenx adds Kawartha Centre as Montelukast Versafilm Phase 2A trial site - IntelGenx announced that, the Kawartha Centre has agreed to participate in IntelGenx's Montelukast VersaFilm Phase 2a BUENA clinical trial in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease. Based in Peterborough, Ontario, the Kawartha Centre's corporate vision is to redefine healthy aging through expert, comprehensive, compassionate care for people facing memory loss, dementia and other related challenges. " BUENA is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2a "proof of concept" study designed to assess Montelukast VersaFilm in approximately 70 patients with mild to moderate AD. BUENA will evaluate the safety, feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of Montelukast buccal film following daily dosing for 26 weeks.

08:09 EDT Nasdaq seeks to update regulations for Non-Professional market data users - Nasdaq is proposing changes to the definitions of Professional and Non-Professional users of market data as used in the fee schedule for products regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The public is encouraged to submit comments on Nasdaq's proposed changes, which seek to update regulations to keep pace with technology, increase market participation, and reduce complexity and administrative burden. A top priority in Nasdaq's proposals is making certain that individuals investing their own money are not paying Professional fees. Main Street investors rely on the markets to build and protect wealth and should be given greater power to participate in the markets without paying fees intended for professional and institutional users. Nasdaq is considering four proposals to clarify the distinction between professional and non-professional investors to alleviate industry burden: Ensuring all Main Street investors are considered Non-Professionals; Allowing non-financial small businesses to operate as Non-Professionals; Eliminating compliance liability for distributors for good-faith errors in reporting; Ensuring that occupational traders are treated as Professionals. Nasdaq is seeking comment, input and guidance from the public, including investors, companies and their representatives pertaining to our position on this topic. Any feedback received will help ensure that all viewpoints are taken into account. Nasdaq plans to assess the industry's response to these ideas and file a set of proposals with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Nasdaq will also continue to push for reform on this topics at the Securities Information Processor. The SIP provides a consolidated equity data feed for the benefit of the investing public and also differentiates between Professional and Non-Professional users. It is governed by a coalition of exchanges and market participants and overseen by the SEC.

08:06 EDT Arcos Dorados CEO Sergio Alonso to step down, Marcelo Rabach to succeed - Arcos Dorados announced that its board has appointed Marcelo Rabach as Arcos Dorados' new CEO, effective July 1. Rabach succeeds Sergio Alonso who will remain as a member of the board. Prior to his promotion, Rabach was Arcos Dorados' COO, a position he assumed in August 2015. Rabach was also divisional president for the North Latin American division from 2013 to 2015. Luis Raganato, who currently serves Arcos Dorados as divisional president for its Caribbean division, will succeed Rabach and will be promoted to COO, also effective July 1. Raganato also began his career as a crew member at McDonald's Argentina in 1991.

08:05 EDT Genmab announces changes to BlackRock ownership - Genmab A/S (GMAXY) announces under reference to Section 30 of the Danish Capital Markets Act that BlackRock (BLK) has informed us that, as of June 14, 2019, BlackRock, Inc. increased their total ownership in Genmab A/S to 3,085,723 shares, which amounted to 5.0 % of the share capital and voting rights in Genmab A/S. However, at the same time they informed us that, as of June 17, 2019, BlackRock, Inc. has decreased their total ownership in Genmab A/S to 3,081,714 shares thereby falling below 5% of the share capital and voting rights in Genmab A/S.

08:04 EDT Spherix files Preliminary Proxy Statement for CBM Biopharma assets acquisition - Spherix has filed a Preliminary Proxy Statement with the SEC and announced a Special Meeting of Stockholders related to approving various items related to the proposed acquisition of substantially all of the assets of CBM BioPharma. CBM is a privately held pharmaceutical company with exclusive drug development rights from world partners like Wake Forest University and University of Texas. CBM has a team of drug development scientists who will be joining the Spherix Advisory Board. The CBM platform focuses on the treatment of numerous cancers, including Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and pancreatic cancer.Spherix recently acquired a 20% ownership interest in CBM. That 20% ownership stake puts Spherix in a position to benefit from any dividend distribution made by CBM from any potential sale of Spherix stock that CBM receives from the transaction.

08:01 EDT Eastman Chemical to acqure INACSA, terms not disclosed - Eastman Chemical Company announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Industrias del Acetato de Celulosa, a Spanish producer of cellulosic yarn. The INACSA yarn business and assets are expected to support continued growth of Naia cellulosic yarn for the apparel market and will become part of the global Fibers segment supply base. Subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, Eastman will acquire the entire yarn business and assets from INACSA, including the plant and assets in La Batlloria, Spain, formulations and intellectual property and customer contracts. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2019. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

07:57 EDT Inovalon renews contract with Network Health for five additional years - Inovalon announced that Network Health, a health plan serving Medicare, ACA and Commercial membership across the state of Wisconsin, has extended its relationship with Inovalon for five additional years. The renewed contract, which supports key retrospective and prospective risk score accuracy and Star and HEDIS quality improvement initiatives, includes expanded use of the Inovalon ONE Platform to implement Inovalon's Clinical Data Extraction as a Service and Natural Language Processing as a Service. With this agreement, Network Health will be able to autonomously aggregate and recognize clinical insights derived from structured and unstructured data at large scale from across its marketplace to improve quality outcomes, efficiency and economic performance.

07:47 EDT Arch Coal, Peabody Energy to combine U.S. PRB and Colorado assets - Arch Coal (ARCH) and Peabody Energy (BTU) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine the companies' Powder River Basin and Colorado assets in a highly synergistic joint venture aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of coal against natural gas and renewables, while creating substantial value for customers and shareholders. The joint venture is expected to unlock synergies with a pre-tax net present value of approximately $820M. Average joint venture synergies are projected to be approximately $120M per year over the initial 10 years. The joint venture will be 33.5% owned by Arch and 66.5% owned by Peabody. Arch and Peabody will continue to operate the assets independently until closing of the transaction. Closing is subject to regulatory approval and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Upon closing, Arch and Peabody will each contribute its active Powder River Basin and Colorado mines, as well as related assets and liabilities, into the joint venture. Each company expects to proportionally consolidate the joint venture within their respective financial statements. In 2018, on a combined basis, the assets shipped 206M tons of coal. The assets are operated by a workforce of approximately 3,300, with combined proven and probable reserves totaling 3.4B tons as of December 31, 2018.

07:43 EDT Akari Therapeutics says Nomacopon demonstrates 'positive' early safety, efficacy - Akari Therapeutics announced positive results for Part A of TRACKER, a Phase I/II clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of topical nomacopan in moderate to severe atopic keratoconjunctivitis. AKC is a serious corneal and eye surface disease which frequently progresses to visual impairment. "The results from the first three patients included in Part A exceeded our expectations. The rapid response and the overall reduction of 55% in the composite clinical score by Day 56 despite the patients starting treatment while on long term maximal cyclosporin, is very encouraging in AKC which has no approved therapy and limited effective treatment options," said Clive Richardson, interim CEO. "AKC is often associated with severe dry eye disease and as such may be a potential gateway into the broader and significant multi-billion dry eye disease market". This early data in AKC further supports the therapeutic efficacy of nomacopan, a dual acting complement C5 and LTB4 inhibitor, observed in initial clinical data for the treatment of bullous pemphigoid and thrombotic microangiopathy after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation which, like AKC, have no approved treatments. In Part A of the Phase I/II study, three patients were treated with twice daily nomacopan eye drops in addition to standard of care for up to 56 days in order to establish the safety and tolerability of the drops in preparation for Part B, a randomized, double-masked placebo-controlled comparison in 16 patients. Of the three patients enrolled in the study, two completed 56 days of treatment and one completed 14 days and then withdrew for reasons unrelated to the study treatment. All patients, who were on the moderate/severe end of the AKC spectrum, had been on maximal topical cyclosporin, the standard of care, for at least three months prior to entry and continued on it during the trial. In the event of further disease progression, the next incremental step would normally have been systemic immunosuppression. The drops were found to be comfortable and well-tolerated throughout the trial for all three patients. There were no serious adverse events reported. On that basis, the independent safety committee has now given permission for the trial to proceed to Part B and recruitment has commenced. The secondary objective of the study was to determine efficacy, assessed by a standard composite scoring system consisting of five symptoms which were patient reported, and six signs of ocular damage which were graded by the clinician on a direct slit-lamp examination of the eye. Each sign or symptom was graded 0 to 3, where 0 = normal or absent and 3 is the most severe, such that with 11 measures the overall maximum severity score was 33. There was an overall improvement in clinical score of 55% composed of an improvement in symptoms of 62% and signs of 52% by Day 56. Symptoms consist of subjective occurrences such as discomfort and itching. Signs are objective manifestations of disease, such as conjunctival redness, growth of new blood vessels into the cornea and microscopic damage to the corneal surface. In addition, post-instillation comfort was reported by patients as excellent with high levels of acceptance of eye drops, which were described as comfortable and refreshing.

07:33 EDT Primoris announces pipeline award valued over $29M - Primoris Services Corporation announced a new pipeline award valued over $29M. The contract was secured by Vadnais Trenchless, part of the Pipeline & Underground segment. The award is for a microtunneling project to upgrade a water pipeline in central Oklahoma and was awarded by the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust. The project involves two deep access shafts, approximately 30 feet in diameter and 140 feet deep, with four separate large diameter tunnels totaling over 5,500 linear feet crossing beneath the Canadian River. Work is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2019 and to be completed in 1Q21.

07:32 EDT Pacira appoints Max Reinhardt as president - Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) announced the appointment of Max Reinhardt as the company's president. Reinhardt will report to Dave Stack, chairman and CEO of Pacira, and be responsible for overseeing all commercial and medical affairs functions at Pacira. Stack will maintain leadership of the Pacira commercial and corporate strategy. Reinhardt was most recently VP of marketing for DePuy Synthes, part of the Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Medical Devices Companies.

07:29 EDT CURE Pharmaceutical, Canopy Growth partner to develop CBD oral thin films - CURE Pharmaceutical (CURR) announced it is collaborating with Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) to develop a new low-dose cannabidiol oral thin film using CURE's patented CUREfilm technology for global distribution. This CUREfilm license gives Canopy a dosage form that is ideal for administering cannabinoids. CURE is registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to develop and manufacture cannabis-derived and synthetic cannabinoid-based products using its CUREfilm technology at its facility in Oxnard, Calif.

07:22 EDT Winnebago CEO says 'well positioned' to continue 'positive momentum' - CEO Michael Happe said, "As we transition into the final quarter of Fiscal 2019, we are well positioned to continue our positive momentum with top line sales and share gains. Our North American RV retail share is approaching 10%, up from 3% just three years ago. The imbalance between industry wholesale shipments and retail sales continues to improve and will continue to do so in the back half of calendar 2019. The materials cost environment remains volatile, as newly implemented and pending tariffs start to impact cost inputs in the back half of calendar 2019. We absorbed an unexpected challenge to our motorhome sales and profits during the quarter due primarily to a supply interruption of Class B chassis and we remain focused on seeing that situation improve. We are pleased with the recent pace of steady inbound RV orders from dealers. Additionally, Chris-Craft has launched several new models in the front half of 2019, which will continue their momentum forward in the marine industry. Our broader portfolio, combined with our operational resiliency as a company, are working to solidify our unique position within the outdoor lifestyle market and making Winnebago Industries a high-quality company that investors can trust to deliver value."

07:16 EDT Myriad receives second insurance reimbursement decision for BRACAnalysis - Myriad Genetic Laboratories (MYGN) announced the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare has granted a second manufacturing and marketing approval for Myriad's BRACAnalysis Diagnostic System as a companion diagnostic with the PARP inhibitor, Lynparza. Lynparza is marketed by AstraZeneca (AZN) and MSD (MRK). The decision allows physicians to use BRACAnalysis to identify women with ovarian cancer who have a germline BRCA mutation and are eligible for first-line maintenance therapy with Lynparza. BRACAnalysis previously was approved in Japan for use in patients with unresectable or recurrent breast cancer and is the only companion diagnostic test for a PARP inhibitor to receive regulatory approval in Japan. Myriad will continue to commercialize BRACAnalysis in exclusive partnership with SRL Inc., a subsidiary of Miraca Group, and one of the largest laboratory service providers in Japan.

07:13 EDT Ventas Investor Day presentation sees 'core portfolio growth' through 2024 - Sees 5%-7% FFO and 10%-12% TSR growth in 2019-2024. Says company pivoting to 4%-6% 5-year same-store net operating income growth. Sees 5-year occupancy growth of 3%-5% and RevPOR growth of 3%-4%. Reference Link

07:09 EDT Nabriva Therapeutics submits Type A Meeting Request to FDA for CONTEPO - Nabriva Therapeutics announced that it has submitted a Type A Meeting Request and Briefing Document to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to discuss the Complete Response Letter ddated April 30, 2019 for the New Drug Application seeking marketing approval of CONTEPO for injection for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, including acute pyelonephritis. As the FDA did not request any new clinical data and did not raise any other concerns with regard to the safety or efficacy of CONTEPO in the CRL, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss and gain clarity on the issues related to facility inspections and manufacturing deficiencies at one of Nabriva's contract manufacturers that were described in the CRL and other matters pertaining to the steps required for the resubmission of the NDA for CONTEPO. The Type A meeting, per regulation, is required to occur within thirty days of FDA's receipt of the meeting request. The company will provide an update on the timing of resubmission of the NDA for CONTEPO after receipt of the FDA's final meeting minutes, which should occur within thirty days after the date of the Type A Meeting.

07:08 EDT Sorrento Therapeutics CEO to provide updates on CD38 immunotherapies - Sorrento Therapeutics announces that its Chairman and CEO Henry Ji will be discussing the progress made, including innovative higher potency Dimeric Antigen Receptor technology and allogeneic knock-out/knock-in cell therapy manufacturing advances related to its CD38 immunotherapies at upcoming industry conferences, investor conferences and investor meetings. Key progress update areas that will be discussed include: Clinical Proof-of-concept Study for Anti-CD38 Autologous CAR-T Cell Therapy:The Sorrento suite of anti-CD38 immunotherapies is based on a fully human anti-CD38 antibody mined from the Sorrento G-MAB antibody library. The company said, "This antibody has demonstrated unique functional binding properties, which make it a promising candidate for therapeutic applications.Dr. Evren Alici's research team at the Karolinska Institutet and Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, has generated preclinical data demonstrating that this anti-CD38 antibody can be effectively used in chimeric antigen receptors and antibody-drug conjugates retaining its anti-tumor activity against multiple myeloma cells obtained from patients who had previously failed anti-CD38 therapy with daratumumab. The current anti-CD38 CAR construct has also enabled successful manufacturing of autologous CAR-T cells using retrovirus-based cGMP manufacturing processes. The CAR-T cells obtained in this traditional approach have been successfully administered to multiple myeloma patients. Patient recruitment is currently ongoing at two clinical sites and additional sites will be opened in the second half of 2019." Next-Generation Anti-CD38 Non-viral KOKI Allogeneic DAR-T Cell Therapy: The key components/steps of current state-of-the-art CAR-T cell therapy programs are: CAR architecture;viral-based transduction of the CAR construct into the T cells; and using the patients as their own source for these autologous T cells. Sorrento has developed disruptive next-gen technology platforms to address each of these components/steps. The research and development team at Sorrento has pioneered an allogeneic cell therapy technology that utilizes healthy donor T cells and genetically modifies them with a novel DAR construct. The company said, "Our proprietary design of the dimeric antigen receptor is based on utilizing the complete antigen-binding fragment of the parental antibody. It is generally accepted that Fabs more closely mimic the functional and biophysical properties of natural antibodies. Utilizing the same antibody binding domain sequence, we have compared CAR constructs to their corresponding DAR constructs. Our data showed that the DAR-T cells exhibited a higher cytotoxicity against target-expressing tumor cells as compared to CAR-T cells. In preclinical mouse models, the DAR-T cells demonstrated increased anti-tumor potency as well. Our non-viral KOKI technology may offer several potential benefits over existing virus-based technology, such as transgene-encoding lentiviruses or retrovirus, to introduce antigen receptor constructs into pre-screened healthy donor cells. These potential advantages of our non-viral KOKI technology include: site-specific integration of transgenes into a pre-selected locus in the T cell genome; enhanced clonal expansion of the DAR-T cells; and streamlined method for transgene construct production without need for laborious and time-consuming virus production, release and validation processes, resulting in a shorter research and development timelines for IND-enabling activities."

07:06 EDT Seres Therapeutics provides statement regarding FDA safety alert for FMT use - Seres Therapeutics provided a statement on a safety alert from the FDA regarding bloodstream infections with multi-drug resistant organisms, or MDROs, transmitted through fecal microbiota transplantation, or FMT. On June 13, the agency stated that two immunocompromised adults who received FMT developed invasive infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. coli and that one individual died. The donor stool used was not tested for the pathogen linked to the infection. The company said, "Seres' investigational therapeutic candidates, highly purified consortia of spore based commensal bacteria, are fundamentally distinct from FMT and are not impacted by the FDA alert. In contrast to unapproved FMT, Seres' therapeutic candidates are being evaluated in controlled clinical studies conducted under an Investigational New Drug application (IND) with rigorous safety monitoring and reporting procedures. The Company's therapeutic candidates are manufactured under GMP conditions and quality-controlled using stringent standards to ensure product quality and consistency. Unapproved FMT is widely used under an FDA Enforcement Discretion policy for the treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection (CDI) not responsive to standard therapies. This policy does not require the safety monitoring and oversight that are standard requirements for investigational therapies under an IND. The new FDA safety alert indicated that additional protections are needed for any investigational use of FMT, including appropriate donor screening questions, testing of donor stool for MDROs and informing patients of the potential risk of infection and serious adverse reactions. The agency encourages healthcare providers to report suspected adverse events to the FDA. Until a safe and effective FDA-approved microbiome drug is available for the treatment of C. difficile, Seres remains supportive of continued patient access to FMT, particularly for those patients who may lack access to clinical trials. However, Seres believes that all FMT use should be performed under an IND using pre-specified and mandatory safety reporting requirements appropriate for unapproved investigational therapies. In addition, Seres also supports increased FDA scrutiny regarding unproven promotional claims related to FMT efficacy and safety."

07:03 EDT PLx Pharma says 'on track' to file VAZALORE submission by year-end - PLx Pharma announced that it recently conducted a Type C meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in a written response only format, regarding its April briefing package submission for VAZALORE. The Type C meeting confirmed the information needed for the approval of VAZALORE and thus the Company remains on track to file by year-end, as planned. The Company is currently manufacturing registration batches that will provide data to meet this regulatory milestone. "We are pleased with the outcome of the meeting with the FDA, as it confirms the regulatory pathway leading up to our launch in mid-2020. We believe that VAZALORE has the potential to offer a superior benefit risk profile and an innovative alternative to today's aspirin therapies," said CEO Natasha Giordano.

07:02 EDT Catalent tu purchase Bristol-Myers' manufacturing facility in Italy - Catalent (CTLT) has agreed to purchase Bristol-Myers Squibb's (BMY) oral solid, biologics, and sterile product manufacturing and packaging facility in Anagni, Italy. The companies anticipate completing the transaction by the end of 2019, subject to regulatory approvals, the information and consultation procedure with the unions, and the satisfaction of certain other customary closing conditions. Upon closing, Catalent will continue to manufacture Bristol-Myers Squibb's current product portfolio at the site. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Anagni facility is a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, situated in an industrial area one hundred kilometers southeast of Rome. The site opened in 1966. The Anagni facility manufactures and packages cardiovascular, neuroleptics, anticancer, metabolic and anti-inflammatory medicines as well as non-penicillin-based antibiotics, antivirals, analgesics as injectables and biologics.

06:56 EDT Qatar Airways to purchase five additional Boeing 777 Freighters for $1.8B - Qatar Airways announced a commitment to purchase five additional 777 Freighters from Boeing. The deal, valued at $1.8B at list prices, was unveiled at the Paris Air Show. Qatar Airways has grown its air cargo operations to serve more than 60 global destinations. The latest freighter deal builds on the airline's 777 Freighter order book. It currently operates 23 freighters, including 16 Boeing 777 Freighters.

06:48 EDT AstraZeneca announces Breztri Aerosphere approved in Japan for COPD - AstraZeneca announced that Breztri Aerosphere, formerly PT010, has been approved in Japan as a triple-combination therapy to relieve symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. "This is the first global regulatory approval for Breztri Aerosphere and is the first approval by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for a triple-combination therapy in a pressurised metered-dose inhaler, which uses the innovative Aerosphere delivery technology," the company said. The Chinese National Medical Products Administration has granted a priority review to Breztri Aerosphere, with an expected regulatory decision in the second half of 2019. The medicine is also under regulatory review in the US and EU with anticipated regulatory decisions in 2020.

06:48 EDT Secoo Holding jointly establishes AI laboratory with CAS - Secoo announced it has jointly established "CAS X SECOO AI Laboratory: with the Institute of Computing Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, or CAS. The two sides will take advantage of big data and artificial intelligence technology to develop an intelligent authentication system and smart content tagging system. Both teams will cooperate to address the development of the luxury industry through e-commerce with the authentication experience of Secoo and the research and talent strength of CAS. The collaboration will not be limited to AI authentication and content identification. The laboratory will continue to research new technologies on consumer insights, big data and artificial intelligence.

06:46 EDT Tapestry names Joanne Crevoiserat as CFO, effective August 1 - Tapestry (TPR) announced the appointment of Joanne Crevoiserat as CFO, effective August 1. Crevoiserat joins from Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) where she served as Executive Vice President and COO from February 2017 to June 2019.

06:34 EDT Ares Management-financed DCR subsidiary investing up to $165M in drilling JV - A Development Capital Resources-managed subsidiary, capitalized by funds managed by affiliates of Ares Management, has entered into a drilling and development joint venture with a private operator in the Permian Basin. The DCR-managed entity will invest up to $165M in the joint venture and will participate as a working interest owner in the drilling and completion of identified drilling locations in the Permian's Wolfcamp formation. The drilling program has commenced, and it is anticipated to continue through 2020. DCR was formed in early 2017 to provide capital to the North American exploration and production industry and, in partnership with funds managed by affiliates of Ares, has been involved in four transactions representing more than $1.3B to acquire and fund participating interests in joint ventures across projects in Texas, Oklahoma, and California.

06:20 EDT Greenlane partners with Mary's Nutritionals to offer CBD products - Mary's Nutritionals announced its partnership with Greenlane. Under the new partnership, Greenlane now offers the majority of Mary's hemp-based CBD wellness and relief products in select stores nationwide. Greenlane currently has the largest distribution footprint for vaporizers and smoking accessories in North America with over 7,000 customers that represent approximately 11,000 retail locations. Among the locations where Mary's wellness and relief products are now available include Greenlane's location in Chelsea Market, New York, and at Greenlane's recently opened, second store in Ponce City Market, Atlanta.

06:18 EDT Gamida Cell, Lonza enter strategic manufacturing agreement - Gamida Cell and Lonza announced that the companies have entered into a strategic manufacturing agreement. The agreement provides for the future commercial production after potential FDA approval of omidubicel, Gamida Cell's investigational advanced cell therapy currently in clinical development designed to enhance the life-saving benefits of hematopoietic stem cell transplant. An international, randomized Phase 3 study of omidubicel in patients with hematologic malignancies is currently ongoing, and omidubicel has not yet been approved for marketing in the United States or any other jurisdiction. This agreement follows a successful multi-year clinical manufacturing relationship and provides Gamida Cell with a path to commercial supply of omidubicel. Under this multi-year agreement, Lonza will construct and dedicate production suites at its Geleen, NL site, for the anticipated commercial launch. Additionally, the agreement enables Gamida Cell to increase the number of dedicated production suites over time to ensure commercial supply. Gamida Cell also has the option of expanding further into Lonza's global cell and gene therapy manufacturing network.

06:13 EDT Google says to commit $1B to boost housing construction in Bay Area - Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced in a blog post that the company will commit $1B to boost housing construction in the San Francisco Bay Area. Pichai said: "Google is one of the Bay Area's largest employers. Across the region, one issue stands out as particularly urgent and complex: housing. The lack of new supply, combined with the rising cost of living, has resulted in a severe shortage of affordable housing options for long-time middle and low income residents. As Google grows throughout the Bay Area-whether it's in our home town of Mountain View, in San Francisco, or in our future developments in San Jose and Sunnyvale-we've invested in developing housing that meets the needs of these communities. But there's more to do." Pichai added: "First, over the next 10 years, we'll repurpose at least $750 million of Google's land, most of which is currently zoned for office or commercial space, as residential housing. This will enable us to support the development of at least 15,000 new homes at all income levels in the Bay Area, including housing options for middle and low-income families. (By way of comparison, 3,000 total homes were built in the South Bay in 2018). We hope this plays a role in addressing the chronic shortage of affordable housing options for long-time middle and low income residents. Second, we'll establish a $250 million investment fund so that we can provide incentives to enable developers to build at least 5,000 affordable housing units across the market. In addition to the increased supply of affordable housing these investments will help create, we will give $50 million in grants through Google.org to nonprofits focused on the issues of homelessness and displacement." Reference Link

06:09 EDT ObsEva says expects to start Phase 3 trial for nolasiban in Q4 or early 2020 - ObsEva announced that the company's recent End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the U.S. FDA provided clarification on a number of key development issues for its oral oxytocin receptor antagonist nolasiban. The company anticipates beginning its U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial in the fourth quarter of this year or early 2020. The EOP2 meeting addressed a range of issues important to the trial design of nolasiban for increasing the rate of live births in women undergoing single blastocyst transfer following in vitro fertilization. The official meeting minutes, reflect alignment between the company and FDA on many issues, and useful dialogue on topics that are the subject of ongoing discussions. Based on the meeting, ObsEva anticipates working with FDA regarding certain issues, including timing of randomization and number of previous IVF failures. The company said, "We expect to submit the IMPLANT 3 trial protocol with an updated IND in the third quarter of 2019."

05:59 EDT Boeing, ASL report agreement for 20 737-800 Boeing converted freighters - ASL Aviation Holdings and Boeing have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for 20 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters, bringing the Next-Generation 737-800 freighter conversion to 120 orders and commitments, from eight customers. The agreement includes 10 firm orders and 10 purchase rights. "Having operated two leased 737-800BCFs across our wide European network, we are very pleased with how the flexibility and reliability of these freighters fulfill our operational needs in meeting our customer requirements," said Hugh Flynn, CEO, ASL Aviation Holdings. "The aircraft is highly efficient and right-sized for our developing operations on behalf of our express cargo customers who are experiencing growing demand. The 737-800BCF will also give us access to new markets."

05:58 EDT Boeing says JetBlue, United to deploy crew management solutions across fleets - Boeing (BA) announced new orders and agreements for digital solutions that harness the power of big data to significantly expand fleet capability and cost savings for commercial and government customers. Boeing's digital solutions are powered by Boeing AnalytX, a collection of software and consulting services that transform raw data into efficiency, resource and cost savings in every phase of flight, the company said. Air Peace and EnterAir join a global roster of 105 Airplane Health Management customers. Boeing AnalytX powers AHM to provide customers the real-time maintenance and engineering support necessary to make operations decisions for their Boeing aircraft. Delta Air Lines (DAL) has signed a multiyear agreement for Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro navigation services. JetBlue Airways (JBLU) has signed for multiple digital solutions to increase operational efficiency, including renewal agreements for digital navigation charting and Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro electronic flight bag services and optimized crew planning operations through use of Jeppesen Crew Pairing tools. United Airlines (UAL) has signed for Jeppesen Calibration services to optimize crew planning operations across their global fleet. Powered by Boeing AnalytX, Calibration analyzes historical flight performance data, over long periods of time, to identify patterns and gain insights into where adjustments can be made to future crew plans that increase on-time departures and decrease crew-related delays.

05:55 EDT Raytheon, AirMap collaborate on safe drone integration - Raytheon has signed a strategic agreement with AirMap to collaborate on future projects to safely integrate unmanned aerial systems, commonly referred to as drones, into the national airspace system and unlock the positive economic and social benefits of expanded commercial drone operations. The two companies are working toward an integrated demonstration that will showcase how AirMap's unmanned aircraft traffic management platform can increase air traffic controllers' awareness of potential conflict between drones and manned aircraft near airports to ensure overall safety of the airspace.