Stockwinners Market Radar for July 09, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:08 EDT Barrick Gold says reviewing SRK report on Acacia - Barrick Gold provided an update in relation to Acacia Mining. Barrick has continued to discuss the proposal to acquire all of the Acacia shares it does not already own through a share for share exchange of 0.153 Barrick shares for each ordinary share of 10 pence each in Acacia with the Independent Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Acacia. Barrick said it is confirming that, having so requested of the board of Acacia and following a subsequent request from Acacia to the UK Takeover Panel, the Panel has, under Rule 2.6 (c) of the Takeover Code, approved an extension of the deadline for the announcement of a firm intention to make a firm offer under Rule 2.7 of the Code to 5:00 p.m. on July 19, 2019. Barrick notes that the report by SRK Consulting Limited on Acacia's geological and resource modelling, and the preparation of its Life of Mine plans and mineral resource and reserve statements, was also published today. Barrick is currently reviewing this report against its own due diligence study of Acacia's assets. Barrick notes that the risk factors listed in the SRK report corroborate the importance of the issues raised in "Barrick's View of Acacia's Mine Plans" as set forth in Barrick's June 18, 2019 press release, not least since the valuations of Bulyanhulu assume the successful conversion of a large portion of deep high grade inferred mineral resources to mineral reserve. Barrick intends to meet early next week with representatives of Acacia and SRK to discuss the SRK report and related matters. Shareholders will be provided with an update not later than the end of next week.

18:59 EDT Harmonic enters licensing agreement with Comcast affiliate - In a regulatory 8-K filing, Harmonic announced earlier that "Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC, an affiliate of Comcast Corporation (CMCSA), has elected enterprise license pricing for the company's CableOS software. In connection with the Election, which is effective as of July 1, 2019, CCCM committed to $175M in software license fees over the four year term of the enterprise license, subject to certain incentive credits that may be earned by CCCM pursuant to other purchases of CableOS-related products. CCCM will pay the initial $50M of the enterprise license fees in 2019."

18:23 EDT IBM CEO: The Red Hat deal is about being multi-Cloud - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, IBM (IBM) CEO Ginni Rometty said: Red Hat (RHT) extends our reach into the Cloud... This deal is about being multi-Cloud... Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst said: We've gotten to know each other better over past eight months... This is two cultures working to make something unique that we couldn't before... VMware (VMW) is a big partner for us.

18:15 EDT Olin sees Q2 net loss $15M-$22M - Sees Q2 adjusted EBITDA $200M-$210M. The company said the update reflects the following: Caustic soda prices in Olin's system declined more than anticipated, falling approximately 3% from first quarter 2019 levels; Chlorine and chlorine derivative sales to refrigeration, titanium dioxide, and agricultural customers were lower than anticipated; Epoxy results were negatively impacted by approximately $10 million to $15 million, due to lingering customer issues resulting from the Intercontinental Terminals Company storage terminal fire in the Houston, Texas area, reduced production in Europe resulting from a utility supplier unplanned outage, and weaker than expected demand, particularly in Europe; Charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities are expected to be approximately $20 million higher than first quarter 2019, primarily related to future spending at a legacy manufacturing site; As forecast, second quarter 2019 included approximately $40 million of higher planned maintenance turnaround costs compared to first quarter 2019.

17:49 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 794.08MT from 795.80MT - This is the third consecutive decline and the lowest level of holdings since June 28th.

17:32 EDT Man Group takes 5.87% passive stake in Aclaris Therapeutics - Man Group disclosed a 5.87% stake in Aclaris Therapeutics, which represents over 2.42M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

17:24 EDT AP Moller Maersk awarded $170.12M U.S. Transportation Command contract - Maersk has been awarded an estimated $170.12M indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity fixed-price contract for international ocean and intermodal distribution services. Work will be performed worldwide as specified on each individual order and is expected to be completed August 31, 2020. Type of appropriation is FY19 and FY20 transportation working capital funds to be obligated on individual task orders. U.S. Transportation Command is the contracting activity.

17:18 EDT T-Mobile to replace Red Hat in S&P 500 at open on 7/15 - International Business Machines (IBM) is acquiring Red Hat (RHT) in a deal that closed on 7/9.

16:54 EDT Franklin Resources reports preliminary AUM $715.2B as of June 30 - Compared to $695B at May 31. The increase in assets under management was attributable to strong market gains that more than offset modest net outflows. Preliminary average assets under management for the quarter ended June 30 were $710.8B.

16:34 EDT Diplomat Pharmacy launches Empower Ecosystem patient support digital library - Diplomat Pharmacy announced the launch of Empower Ecosystem, an online collection of services and tools to help patients and caregivers manage the physical, social, and emotional impact of their, or their loved ones, condition. Empower Ecosystem, available at diplomatpharmacy.com/empower, was developed to empower patients and caregivers by providing access to condition, lifestyle, and nutrition information. Empower Ecosystem strengthens Diplomat's commitment to putting the patient first by providing a reliable hub of relevant information. Empower Ecosystem is now available with new resources added regularly. "We have all been touched by serious medical conditions and know how hard that road can be without a support system," said Senior Director of Product Development Melina Cortes-Nmili. "Empower Ecosystem moves beyond medication to address the patient's daily life - building on Diplomat's legacy of patient-focused care. We look forward to enhancing this resource over time to continue to provide holistic care for patients."

16:30 EDT Integrated Core Strategies takes 5.3% passive stake in Dynavax - Integrated Core Strategies disclosed a 5.3% stake in Dynavax, which represents over 3.46M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:18 EDT Flowers Foods recalls some of its products due to plastic pieces found in them - Flowers Foods is voluntarily recalling hamburger and hot dog buns and other bakery products due to the potential presence of small pieces of hard plastic that may have been introduced during production. Consumption of product may cause a choking hazard. The products being recalled were distributed to retail customers under a variety of brand names and distributed in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The company initiated the recall following the discovery of small pieces of hard plastic in production equipment. No related injuries or illnesses have been reported. Following is a list of the products, UPC numbers, "best by" dates, and the first three digits of the lot number for the products involved in this recall.

16:16 EDT Berkshire Hills Bancorp names new Chief Human Resources officer - Berkshire Hills Bancorp announced the promotion of Jacqueline Courtwright to Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Berkshire Bank. She will report directly to Sean Gray, the Banks' President and COO.

16:15 EDT Kadmon announces first patient dosing in Phase 2 trial of KD025 in SSc - Kadmon Holdings announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2 clinical trial of KD025, the company's ROCK2 inhibitor, in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis, or SSc. SSc is a chronic immune disorder characterized by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, affecting approximately 75,000 to 100,000 people in the United States.

16:13 EDT Albireo expects Odevixibat PEDFIC 1 phase 3 topline data mid-2020 - Albireo Pharmaprovided an update on the progress of the development of odevixibat for pediatric cholestatic liver diseases and elobixibat for NASH. The odevixibat PEDFIC program in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, PFIC, consists of two clinical trials. PEDFIC 1 is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, global multicenter clinical trial designed to enroll approximately 60 patients with PFIC type 1 or type 2. PEDFIC 2 is an open-label extension study designed to assess long-term safety and durability of response in a cohort of patients rolled over from PEDFIC 1, and it includes a second cohort of PFIC patients who are not eligible for PEDFIC ."We are extremely encouraged with the recruiting efforts by the participating sites in our Phase 3 trial for odevixibat in PFIC, as we have now enrolled over half of the study. We also have a potentially sufficient number of patients currently in screening and prescreening to complete the study, and we expect to have topline data mid-2020. Approximately one third of the recruited patients to-date have been screen failures, which is higher than expected, but importantly, this provides greater homogeneity of the PFIC type 1 or type 2 patients who ultimately enroll in the trial, which preserves the integrity of the study," said Ron Cooper, President and Chief Executive Officer of Albireo. "In addition, we're excited to have screened the first patients in the Phase 2 study with once-daily elobixibat in NAFLD/NASH, as we believe elobixibat has the potential to find a significant place in the emerging NASH treatment landscape." PEDFIC 1 is a global study with 44 sites actively recruiting. The company expects topline data in mid-2020 and will provide a further update when the study has been fully enrolled.

16:09 EDT QCR Holdings names Reba Winter as new CIO - QCR Holdings (QCRH) announced that effective July 29, Ms. Reba Winter will assume the role of Chief Information Officer for QCR Holdings. Ms. Winter was most recently Vice President, Information Technology at Qualcomm (QCOM).

16:05 EDT Aspen Group reports FY19 bookings up 90% - CEO Michael Mathews says: "We delivered year-over-year enrollment growth of 36% in fiscal year 2019, but as a result of our business plan to drive the majority of enrollment growth in our highest LTV units, the company was able to increase its bookings by 90% from $34.8M to $66.1M. This sets the stage for sustained revenue growth and will expedite the achievement of our near-term goal of producing positive Adjusted EBITDA for FY20."

16:04 EDT Aspen Group reports Q4 bookings up 90% - CEO Michael Mathews says: "We delivered year-over-year enrollment growth of 36% in fiscal year 2019, but as a result of our business plan to drive the majority of enrollment growth in our highest LTV units, the company was able to increase its bookings by 90% from $34.8M to $66.1M. This sets the stage for sustained revenue growth and will expedite the achievement of our near-term goal of producing positive Adjusted EBITDA for FY20."

15:01 EDT Kimberly-Clark appoints Alison Lewis to newly created Chief Growth Officer role - Kimberly-Clark (KMB) announced the appointment of Alison Lewis to the newly created position of Chief Growth Officer. Lewis joins Kimberly-Clark from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), where she served as Chief Marketing Officer of the Global Consumer business since 2013. She will join Kimberly-Clark at the end of July, the company reported.

14:32 EDT Cummins increases dividend 15% to $1.311 per share - Cummins' board approved an increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend on common stock of 15% to $1.311 from $1.14 per share. The dividend is payable on September 3 to shareholders of record on August 21.

13:08 EDT General Mills notes accelerating organic net sales growth among FY20 priorities - General Mills announced in a press release that it updated investors and analysts on the company's fiscal 2020 priorities at its annual Investor Day, held today. In FY20, General Mills said it will focus on delivering balanced top and bottom-line growth with innovation and brand building at the center of its agenda. Priorities include: Accelerating organic net sales growth through improved performance in its North America Retail segment and continued strong growth in its Pet segment; Maintaining strong margins, fueled by benefits from Holistic Margin Management and Strategic Revenue Management initiatives; and reducing leverage through a disciplined focus on cash and debt repayment to achieve its FY20 leverage target of 3.5 times net-debt-to-adjusted EBITDA.

13:01 EDT WarnerMedia names upcoming DTC service HBO Max - AT&T's (T) WarnerMedia unveiled HBO Max as the name of its new streaming service, which will offer a direct-to-consumer experience for everyone ranging from families with young children to adults of all ages. The new service will be "Maximized" with an extensive collection of exclusive original programming and the "best-of-the-best from WarnerMedia's enormous portfolio of beloved brands and libraries," the company said. New deals with Warner Bros. Television and others for HBO Max include: The exclusive streaming rights at launch to all 236 episodes of "Friends"; The exclusive streaming rights at launch to all episodes of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "Pretty Little Liars"; The exclusive streaming home to a string of new Warner Bros.' produced dramas for The CW beginning with the fall 2019 season, including the new DC Entertainment series "Batwoman," and "Katy Keene"; New exclusive movie production deals with Greg Berlanti and Reese Witherspoon. Berlanti will produce an initial four movies focused in the young adult space, while Witherspoon will produce at least two films. HBO Max, scheduled to launch commercially in spring of 2020, is anticipated to premiere with 10,000 hours of premium content.

12:49 EDT Enterprise Products increases Q2 quarterly distribution to 44c - Enterprise Products Partners said its board declared an increase in the quarterly cash distribution paid to limited partners with respect to Q2 to 44c per common unit, or $1.76 per unit on an annualized basis. This distribution, which represents a 2.3% increase over the distribution declared with respect to Q2 of 2018, will be paid Tuesday, August 13, to unitholders of record as of the close of business Wednesday, July 31.

12:31 EDT Washington D.C. attorney general sues Marriott over pricing, resort fees - Washington D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine filed a lawsuit against Marriott International for "hiding the true price of hotel rooms from consumers and charging hidden resort fees to increase profits." The Office of the Attorney General alleges that Marriott's "deceptive and misleading pricing practices and failure to disclose fees harmed consumers and violated the District's consumer protection laws," Racine said in a statement. The lawsuit seeks to force Marriott to advertise the "true prices of its hotel rooms up-front, provide monetary relief to tens of thousands of harmed District consumers, and pay civil penalties." Reference Link

12:17 EDT AAR Corp. reports four-year MRO contract with Royal Netherlands Air Force - AAR announced it has been awarded a four-year contract by the Royal Netherlands Air Force to perform maintenance, repair and overhaul of the Chinook APU for Logistics Centre Woensdrecht.

12:00 EDT NeoPhotonics rises 8.2% - NeoPhotonics is up 8.2%, or 35c to $4.63.

11:53 EDT Bayer says on track with plans to exit animal health business - Bayer (BAYRY) told media outlets in a statement, "Bayer is on track with its plan to exit the analyst health business. Following a strategic review of exit options, the primary focus is on a sale. However, Bayer also continues to consider all value-maximizing options. We will not be making any further comments at this stage." The statement follows a report from Reuters that Bayer is seeking to merge its animal health unit with Elanco Animal Health (ELAN). Shares of Elanco are off their highs but remain up 26c to $33.62 in midday trading. Reference Link

11:44 EDT North American Palladium announces results from surface drilling program - North American Palladium announced results from its surface drilling program adjacent to its Lac des Iles Mine ,LDI, located 90 km north of Thunder Bay, Ontario.Highlights:15,451 meters of drilling from 34 holes have been completed on the East Mine Block so far in 2019. 30% of drilled holes have complete assay results, which include the following highlights:Hole 19-022 that intersected the Creek Zone returned 24.0 m with 1.37 g/t Pd, including 5.0 m at 3.98 g/t Pd with 3m at 5.23 g/t Pd; Hole 19-022 also intersected the North VT Rim Zone, returning 18.0 m with 1.70 g/t Pd, including 8.0 m with 3.33 g/t Pd, within which are higher-grade sub-intervals of 5.0 m with 4.50 g/t Pd and 2.0 m with 8.19 g/t Pd.-- Hole 19-024 returned 20.2m with 1.49 g/t Pd, including 5.0 m with 3.34 g/t Pd.-- Hole 19-026 returned 14.0 m with 1.53 g/t Pd, including 6.0 m with 2.26 g/tPd.-- Hole 19-017 intersected 116 m with 1.01 g/t Pd,including 10.0 m with 2.04 g/t Pd... Both the Creek Zone and the North VT Rim Zone continue to expand, demonstrating similar grades and thicknesses to some of the palladium resources extracted during previous surface mining at LDI. "Our recent surface exploration efforts at LDI are yielding encouraging results from several areas, which support our belief that significant near-surface mineral potential remains on the property," said Jim Gallagher, President and CEO of North American Palladium. "Discovering new near-surface palladium resources remains a top priority for our exploration team.

11:27 EDT PNC Financial raises quarterly cash dividend 21% to $1.15 per share - The board of directors of The PNC Financial Services Group declared a quarterly cash dividend on the common stock of $1.15 per share, an increase of 20c per share, or 21%, from the second quarter dividend of 95c per share. The dividend will be payable Aug. 5, 2019 to shareholders of record at the close of business July 19, 2019.

11:24 EDT Elanco Animal Health trading resumes

11:05 EDT Boeing reports 90 commercial airplane deliveries in Q2 - Boeing announced deliveries across its commercial and defense operations for the second quarter of 2019. Major program deliveries during the second quarter, including deliveries under operating lease, included: 24 deliveries of 737s; 2 deliveries of 747s; 10 deliveries of 767s; 12 deliveries of 777s; and 42 deliveries of 787s, for a total of 90 commercial airplane deliveries in Q2.

11:02 EDT MiX Telematics appoints John Granara as CFO - MiX Telematics (MIXT) announces the appointment of John Granara as CFO and EVP, effective July 8, 2019. Granara will succeed Paul Dell, who has filled the role of interim CFO since early 2017. Dell will continue at MiX Telematics in an alternative senior role. Most recently, Granara held the position of CFO at Ameresco (AMRC) where he held oversight of all corporate finance accounting, financial analysis, planning, M&A, internal audit, tax, treasury, investor relations and structured finance.

10:16 EDT Google to acquire enterprise cloud file storage provider Elastifile - Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud, announced in a blog post that the company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Elastifile, a provider of scalable, enterprise file storage for the cloud. "The acquisition of Elastifile is expected to be completed later this year and is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals. Upon the close of the acquisition, Elastifile will join Google Cloud...Elastifile is a pioneer in solving the challenges associated with file storage for enterprise-grade applications running at scale in the cloud. They've built a unique software-defined approach to managed Network Attached Storage, enabling organizations to scale performance or capacity without cumbersome overhead. Building on this technology, our teams are excited to join together and integrate Elastifile with Google Cloud Filestore," Kurian stated in the post. Reference Link

10:07 EDT TruBridge announces customers for Chronic Care Management Service - TruBridge, a subsidiary of CPSI, announced that Franklin County Memorial Hospital in Meadville, Mississippi, and Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital Rural Health Clinic in Sweetwater, Texas, have both purchased the new TruBridge Chronic Care Management Service. The TruBridge CCM Service was created to help providers improve the health outcomes of their chronically ill population while boosting their revenue.

10:00 EDT CannTrust falls -6.5% - CannTrust is down -6.5%, or -25c to $3.58.

10:00 EDT AquaVenture falls -8.7% - AquaVenture is down -8.7%, or -$1.64 to $17.20.

10:00 EDT Mogu rises 5.8% - Mogu is up 5.8%, or 19c to $3.48.

09:57 EDT Tesla CEO Elon Musk refutes Model S and X refresh rumors - Tesla CEO Elon Musk refuted rumors of an upcoming refresh of the Model S and X vehicles, saying via Twitter: "There is no 'refreshed' Model X or Model S coming, only a series of minor ongoing changes. Most significant change in past few years was to use high efficiency Model 3 rear drive unit as S/X front drive unit. That went into production 3 months ago." Reference Link

09:47 EDT CannTrust falls -7.4% - CannTrust is down -7.4%, or -28c to $3.55.

09:47 EDT Graham rises 3.7% - Graham is up 3.7%, or 72c to $20.40.

09:47 EDT NeoPhotonics rises 5.1% - NeoPhotonics is up 5.1%, or 22c to $4.50.

09:32 EDT Trivago names James Carter as Product and Technology Officer - trivago announced that James Carter has joined the company as its Chief Product and Technology Officer. In this new role, Carter joins the trivago leadership team as the head of hotel search. Carter was most recently an Engineering Director at Google working on its Hotel Ads product. "We are excited to welcome someone of James' caliber to the team," said Rolf Schroemgens, Managing Director and CEO, trivago. "His accomplishments across transformational business environments will be invaluable as we work to grow the smartness of future product offerings."

09:28 EDT Optical components makers rally after Cisco acquires Acacia for 46% premium - After Cisco Systems (CSCO) this morning announced the acquisition of Acacia Communications (ACIA) for a 46% premium, or $70 per share in cash, shares of optical components makers are moving higher. Lumentum (LITE), Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI), NeoPhotonics (NPTN), Finisar (FNSR), Ciena (CIEN) and Infinera (INFN) are among the names set to open higher.

09:26 EDT MYnd Analytics, Emmaus say merger, spin-off transaction to close by end of July - MYnd Analytics and Emmaus Life Sciences provided an update on the planned merger and spin-off transaction announced on January 7, 2019. The respective special stockholder meetings will be held today, July 9, 2019, to consider approval of the proposed merger and spin-off transaction. Subject to approval by holders of record of the companies at the respective special stockholder meetings, MYnd will issue a number of shares of common stock to the current Emmaus shareholders, which will result in MYnd shareholders retaining 5.9% of the fully diluted shares of the 'New Emmaus' post-closing and a pro rata distribution of one share of Telemynd's common stock for each share of MYnd common stock held at the end of trading on July 16, 2019. The companies have set a new Spin-Off Record Date of July 15, 2019 in order to comply with certain NASDAQ and DTC requirements. Those individuals who hold shares at the close of trading on the 16th of July will receive the Telemynd dividend. MYnd shares will trade ex-dividend on July 17, which means that persons who purchase MYnd shares on July 17 will not receive shares of Telemynd. It is expected that on July 16 and July 17, the necessary steps will occur to spin off Telemynd with the current MYnd assets, effectuate the merger and any adjustments needed to meet NASDAQ listing standards and commence trading on July 18, 2019 under the new symbol "EMMA." A registration statement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which includes the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus of MYnd and Emmaus, which was declared effective by the SEC.

09:20 EDT Green Growth Brands expects to close Moxie transaction within six months - The Transaction is structured to include the formation of GGB LP, a new Ontario limited partnership of which GGB will be the general partner, with the operating companies of GGB being placed under the partnership. Payment of the Purchase Price will be satisfied through the issuance of common shares of GGB and exchangeable limited partnership units in GGB LP as follows: through the issuance of GGB Common Shares to the shareholders of MXY C and MXY D; through the issuance of either GGB Common Shares or Exchangeable LP Units to the unitholders of Moxie; and through the issuance of Exchangeable LP Units to the holders of the Pure Entities. The Exchangeable LP Units are exchangeable into GGB Common Shares on a one-for-one basis for no additional consideration; however, the Exchangeable LP Units may not be exchanged for GGB Common Shares for the first year following the closing of the Transaction. The total number of securities issuable as payment under the Transaction is equal to that number determined by dividing the Purchase Price by the 30-day volume-weighted average price of GGB Common Shares ending on the third trading day prior to the closing such that following the issuance of the GGB Common Shares and Exchangeable LP Units, the former Moxie members, the shareholders of MXY C and MXY D and the holders of the Pure Entities will hold between approximately 30% and 42% of the fully-diluted equity of GGB with the majority of such securities to be subject to lock up agreements for a period of 12 months from the completion of the Transaction with staggered releases. The Agreement may be terminated in certain circumstances including by mutual agreement of the parties; by either party for a significant breach by the other party that would cause the closing conditions not to be met; by either party if the Transaction has not been effected by June 30, 2020; by Moxie, if it does not receive a legal opinion from counsel regarding the United States federal income tax consequences of the exchange of certain units of Moxie for Exchangeable LP Units or, by GGB, if GGB enters into an agreement regarding an acquisition transaction. Subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Agreement, if either party terminates as a result of a significant breach by the other party, the breaching party will pay a termination fee of US$10M or if the Agreement is terminated by Moxie in the event of an Opinion Termination, it will pay GGB a termination fee of US$10 million. If the Agreement is terminated by GGB in the event of an Acquisition Termination, GGB will pay to Moxie a termination fee of US$17.5M. GGB will satisfy payment of its termination fee, in either case, in GGB Common Shares, and Moxie will satisfy payment of its termination fee, in either case, through forgiveness of the Loan and a cash payment. The closing of the Transaction is expected to occur within the following six months, but remains subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approval for the transfer of the cannabis-related licenses of Moxie by local and state authorities in each of the markets where Moxie's assets and licenses are held; approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange for the listing of GGB Common Shares issuable in connection with the Transaction; that all required securityholder approval for Moxie, MXY C and MXY D is received and certain pre-closing transactions have been effected; that the Lock-Up Agreements have been entered into; there has been no material adverse effect in respect of either Moxie or GGB; and, that all documents required in connection with the transfer of Moxie, MXY C and MXY D securities have been delivered to GGB. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be consummated. On closing, the controlling members of Moxie will be entitled to nominate two directors of GGB and, in connection with the foregoing, the Company and certain shareholders of GGB, will enter into a nomination rights and voting agreement with respect to matters relating to the nomination and election of such nominees. Management of Moxie will continue to lead the company as part of GGB, with key management joining GGB. As part of the Transaction, Moxie has agreed to make available a loan of US$5M to GGB in order to fund certain pending acquisitions and the parties have agreed to enter into a distribution agreement. The Loan will bear interest at 6% and, if the Transaction is terminated, will be repaid within 12 months of termination. The Distribution Agreement provides that GGB will distribute Moxie CBD products through its kiosk and dispensary network for a period of up to thirty months.

09:18 EDT Green Growth Brands to combine with MXY Holdings in $310M transaction - Green Growth Brands announced that it has entered into a securities acquisition and contribution agreement, dated as of July 8, 2019, with, among others, MXY Holdings under which a new Ontario limited partnership, of which GGB will be the general partner, will acquire the operating companies of GGB and the issued and outstanding units of Moxie, an arm's length third party, in an all-equity interest transaction. As part of the Transaction, GGB will also be directly acquiring shares of MXY C, and MXY , Delaware entities within the Moxie structure, and interests in two entities, PurePenn LLC and Pure CA, LLC, with which Moxie has current acquisition agreements. The equity purchase price of the Transaction is $310M, and will be satisfied through the issuance of either GGB Common Shares or Exchangeable LP Units. The combination of Moxie and GGB would create one of the first cannabis companies to provide consumers a comprehensive product offering, including both CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol product lines and distribution that runs from mainstream retail to cannabis dispensaries, all led by management with decades of expertise and credibility.

09:07 EDT Citizens Deposit to acquire The First National Bank of Jackson for $14.8M - Premier Financial and The First National Holding Company of Jackson jointly announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Citizens Deposit Bank and Trust, Premier's wholly owned subsidiary, will acquire The First National Bank of Jackson, the wholly owned subsidiary of First Holding, in a cash purchase valued at approximately $14.8M. In conjunction with the acquisition by Citizens Deposit, Jackson Bank will be merged into Citizens Deposit. The resulting merger will expand Citizens Deposit's full service footprint into the Jackson, Kentucky market place. Under terms of the definitive agreement, Citizens Deposit will pay book value, or approximately $14.8M, in cash for Jackson Bank and will merge Jackson Bank's two branch locations into Citizens Deposit's operating system early in the Q4. The transaction, which is subject to satisfaction of various contractual conditions and requires approval by bank regulatory agencies and the shareholders of First Holding, is anticipated to close early in the Q4. Investment Bank Services, Inc. served as financial advisor to First Holding.

09:07 EDT United Health Products expects to complete enrollment for trial around mid-July - United Health Product announced updates on: Human Clinical Trial - HemoStyp is under study in the surgical setting, with the intent to seek a pre-market approval as a Class III, 510K device from the FDA. It expects to complete enrollment and all surgical procedures for its human clinical trial on or around mid-July 2019. Completion of the trial, which includes post-operative follow ups, is expected to occur approximately one month later. International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium - David W. Ramey DVM has prepared a presentation -How to Use a Hemostatic Gauze Product to Help Control Bleeding in Clinical Settings in the Horse- which will be published in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. In addition, Dr. Ramey will deliver an oral presentation of the same title at the 25th IVECCS on September 7. Bone Hemostatic Gauze Testing - UHP is performing a preclinical study to assess the effect of HemoStyp's effects on bone. More specifically, the company is conducting an animal study to evaluate the suitability of a hemostatic gauze material in contact with bone in the chronic swine model, and to validate this material and technique in the developmental process. This study should take approximately one month to complete. The study is being done as possible precursor to a human trial because products similar to HemoStyp, due to their low pH, are caustic to bone tissue, whereas HemoStyp maintains a balanced pH environment. Additionally, UHP is currently investigating areas of future study in laparoscopic surgery, where the 12 most common procedures represent 3,500,000 surgeries annually in the U.S. alone

09:04 EDT Sequential Brands signs partnerships for Caribbean Joe brand - Sequential Brands Group announced that it has signed several new partnerships for the Caribbean Joe brand in categories such as fragrance, kid's swimwear, women's pajamas and loungewear, and men's and women's sportswear. As part of the relaunch, the Company has signed a new partnership with Levy Group for men's and women's sportswear. In addition to the Levy Group, Caribbean Joe has signed a new partnership with Dreamwave for women's pajamas and loungewear as well as kid's swimwear, and a new fragrance partner with Bellevue Brands.

09:04 EDT RCI Hospitality reports Q3 same store sales up 9.9% vs. last year - RCI Hospitality Holdings announced total and same-store sales for its Nightclubs and Bombshells restaurants for the Q3 vs. Q3 of FY18: total club and restaurant sales $46.2M compared to $42.1M, up 9.9%; consolidated same-store sales $39.1M compared to $39.6M, down 1.4%; nightclubs total sales $37.5M compared to $34.9M, up 7.2%; nightclubs same-store sales $34.2M compared to $34.1M, 0.1%; bombshells total sales $8.8M compared to $7.1M, 8 units vs. 6, up 23.0%; and bombshells same-store sales $4.9M compared to $5.5M, down 10.6%. Effective Q3, Bombshells same-store sales now include locations open at least 18 months versus 12 months so the calculation is not affected by the "honeymoon" period experienced in the first six months of a new unit when revenues are higher compared to more normalized subsequent rates.

09:01 EDT Airgain enters partnership with Novotech - Airgain announced it has selected Novotech as its exclusive distribution partner for the Canadian market. "The new distribution arrangement means that Airgain resellers and customers across Canada will have local support in each province with dedicated contacts for technical and sales support. Through the agreement, Airgain customers will now gain access to Novotech's experienced wireless solution engineers for support on product and component selection as well as end-to-end project execution."

09:01 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Acacia Communications (ACIA), up 37% after announcing Cisco (CSCO) has agreed to acquire the company for $70.00 per share... Social Capital (IPOA), up 3% after announcing plans to merge with Virgin Galactic... Check-Cap (CHEK), up 19% after announcing final results from its recently completed post-CE approval study evaluating the clinical performance and safety of the C-Scan system... ElectraMeccanica (SOLO), up 14% after Roth Capital analyst Craig Irwin started coverage of the stock with a Buy rating and C$7.50 price target... Sarepta (SRPT), up 2% after Morgan Stanley analyst Matthew Harrison raised his price target for shares to $220 from $165 while keeping an Overweight rating. The company's Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy is positioned to be the first to market, taking a majority share of the ~$20B prevalent population in the U.S. and expanding internationally with a "significant" lead, Harrison tells investors.DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Lindsay (LNN), down 5%. ALSO LOWER: New Mountain Finance (NMFC), down 2% after 6M share secondary priced at $13.68 per share.

08:48 EDT Marriott: UK ICO to issue fine of GBP99.2M in relation to Starwood incident - Marriott International (MAR) announced that the UK Information Commissioner's Office has communicated its intent to issue a fine in the amount of GBP 99,200,396 against the company in relation to the Starwood (STWD) guest reservation database incident that Marriott announced on November 30, 2018. Marriott has the right to respond before any final determination is made and a fine can be issued by the ICO. The company intends to respond and vigorously defend its position. Marriott International's President and CEO, Arne Sorenson, said: "We are disappointed with this notice of intent from the ICO, which we will contest. Marriott has been cooperating with the ICO throughout its investigation into the incident, which involved a criminal attack against the Starwood guest reservation database. "We deeply regret this incident happened. We take the privacy and security of guest information very seriously and continue to work hard to meet the standard of excellence that our guests expect from Marriott." The Starwood guest reservation database that was attacked is no longer used for business operations.

08:43 EDT IEC Electronics expands services with Defense Logistics Agency - IEC Electronics Corp. announced that it has expanded its services with the Defense Logistics Agency as a suitable equipped laboratory as part of the agency's Qualified Testing Supplier List. The QTSL Program maintains a list of pre-qualified sources for certain electronic components in which the suppliers demonstrate accepted counterfeit mitigation practices and quality assurance procedures consistent with industry quality standards. The IEC lab is now approved to perform the MIL-STD-202 Test Method which includes environmental, physical, and electrical tests for electronic and electrical component parts. Many of these test methods are used for authenticity and reliability testing to verify the integrity of electronic components.

08:43 EDT IBM closes acquisition of Red Hat - IBM (IBM) and Red Hat (RHT) announced that they have closed the transaction under which IBM acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Red Hat for $190.00 per share in cash, representing a total equity value of approximately $34B. "The acquisition redefines the cloud market for business... Together, IBM and Red Hat will accelerate innovation by offering a next-generation hybrid multicloud platform," the companies stated. The Red Hat acquisition is expected to contribute approximately two points of compound annual revenue growth to IBM over a five-year period. Red Hat will operate as a distinct unit within IBM and will be reported as part of IBM's Cloud and Cognitive Software segment. Red Hat's fiscal year 2019 revenue was $3.4B, up 15% year-over-year. Fiscal first quarter 2020 revenue, reported in June, was $934M, up 15% year-over-year. In that quarter, subscription revenue was up 15% year-over-year, including revenue from application development-related and other emerging technology offerings up 24% year-over-year. Services revenue also grew 17%.

08:41 EDT Plexus announces renovation of Livingston, Scotland facility - Plexus announced the renovation of its facility in Livingston, Scotland. This investment supports continued growth and technology offerings, in response to increased demand, for customers in European markets. This renovation completes Plexus' multi-year investment to expand and upgrade all eight of its global engineering facilities. Plexus' Engineering Solutions, rapid prototyping factory and electrical and mechanical laboratories are co-located in this purpose-built facility. This co-location fosters a high level of cooperation and an efficient way for customers to access Plexus' teams that support the development of highly complex products from conceptual design to manufacturing. Within the facility, Plexus continues to further expand engineering services, specifically within analogue and digital circuit design, mechanical modelling and prototyping, industrial design and internet of things platform development. This enables Plexus to maintain its leadership position within the fast-paced electronic engineering and manufacturing industry.

08:37 EDT ABM expands electrical power solutions to seven new markets - ABM announced that it is expanding its electrical power solutions offering into seven new markets: Austin, TX, Columbus, OH, Nashville, TN, Omaha, NE, Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, and Tulsa, OK.

08:37 EDT GAIN Capital reports June operating metrics - In the retail segment in June, OTC Trading Volume was down 23.6% sequentially and down 35.6% y/y. OTC Average Daily Volume was down 11.5% sequentially and down 32.4% y/y. 12 Month Trailing Active OTC Accounts were down 0.6% sequentially and were down 9.0% y/y. 3 Month Trailing Active OTC Accounts were down 0.4% sequentially and down 9.3% y/y.

08:36 EDT Netflix says 'Stranger Things 3' breaks record with 40.7M households viewing - The official Netflix US Twitter account tweeted last night: "@Stranger_Things 3 is breaking Netflix records! 40.7 million household accounts have been watching the show since its July 4 global launch - more than any other film or series in its first four days. And 18.2 million have already finished the entire season." Reference Link

08:35 EDT Adamis Pharmaceuticals provides update on U.S. retail launch of SYMJEPI - Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (ADMP) provided an update that Sandoz, a Novartis (NVS) division, announced the U.S. retail launch of SYMJEPI 0.3 mg and 0.15 mg Injections, making both the adult and pediatric doses immediately available in local pharmacies across the U.S. Sandoz launched SYMJEPI 0.3 mg Injection in the institutional channel earlier this year, and large wholesaler customers of Sandoz are now fully stocked to supply hospitals and clinics with both SYMJEPI 0.3 mg and 0.15 mg Injections inventory in the U.S.

08:34 EDT Apple announces updated MacBook Air, MacBook Pro with True Tone - Apple updated MacBook Air, adding True Tone to its Retina display "for a more natural viewing experience," and lowering the price to $1,099, with an even lower price of $999 for college students. In addition, "the entry-level $1,299 13-inch MacBook Pro has been updated with the latest 8th-generation quad-core processors, making it two times more powerful than before." It also now features Touch Bar and Touch ID, a True Tone Retina display and the Apple T2 Security Chip, and is available for $1,199 for college students.

08:33 EDT Cellectar Biosciences receives FDA Fast Track Designation for CLR 131 - Cellectar Biosciences announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track Designation for CLR 131 in relapsed or refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. CLR 131 is the company's small-molecule, cancer-targeting radiotherapeutic Phospholipid Drug Conjugate designed to deliver cytotoxic radiation directly and selectively to cancer cells and cancer stem cells. It is currently being evaluated in Cellectar's ongoing Phase 2 CLOVER-1 clinical study in patients with relapsed or refractory select B-Cell lymphomas.

08:31 EDT Sunworks to construct 370 kW solar project for New Life Church - Sunworks announced a new 370kW solar power construction project for the New Life Church in Bakersfield, California. Sunworks was contracted by The Foursquare Church, a non-profit organization helping to advance the Foursquare Church movement around the world. Through their Solar Lending Program, Foursquare creates investment projects to provide significant financial benefit to local churches. The program lends funds to local churches for the express purpose of installing solar systems to offset expensive electric bills. Sunworks' dedicated, in-house construction team will manage all of the engineering, procurement and construction for this rooftop mount project. Construction is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2019 and completed by year end.

08:26 EDT Red Hat trading halted, news pending

08:22 EDT Immutep raises A$10M via private placement, underwritten entitlement offer - Immutep has announced an equity financing to raise gross proceeds of approximately A$10M, or $7M comprising the following: a private placement of 190.5 million new fully paid ordinary shares in the Company to multiple new and existing Australian and other institutional and professional investors at an issue price of A$0.021 per Share, raising a total of A$4M before transaction-related expenses; and a 1 for 11.8 fully underwritten pro rata non-renounceable entitlement offer of new Shares at the Offer Price to raise approximately A$6M. Only persons holding ordinary shares of the Company and having a registered address in Australia or New Zealand are entitled to participate in the Entitlement Offer. U.S. persons who own, directly or indirectly, ordinary shares or American Depositary Shares of the Company may not participate in the Entitlement Offer. These capital raising transactions are subject to customary closing conditions in Australia. Settlement of the Shares in the Private Placement is expected to occur on July 16, 2019 and in the Entitlement Offer in early August 2019. The Company will use the proceeds received from the Private Placement and the Entitlement Offer to finance its LAG-3 related clinical program in immuno-oncology and autoimmune disease. This includes the ongoing clinical development of eftilagimod alpha, via its TACTI-mel, TACTI-002, and INSIGHT clinical studies, development of IMP761 and for general corporate purposes. Subject to sufficient and clinically meaningful data from the Company's most advanced and potentially pivotal clinical trial, AIPAC, the funds raised may also be applied to pursue the appropriate regulatory pathways for efti and to explore ways to bridge Immutep's research efforts in metastatic breast cancer to the United States.

08:17 EDT CorMedix says Neutrolin Phase 3 clinical development complete after FDA feedback - CorMedix announced that it has received feedback from the U.S. FDA regarding the submitted statistical analyses of data and additional information requested by the FDA for the primary and secondary efficacy endpoints of the Company's LOCK-IT-100 clinical study. LOCK-IT-100 examined the safety and effectiveness of the investigational new drug Neutrolin as a catheter lock solution compared to heparin for the prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infection in hemodialysis patients. Based on the FDA's feedback, the Company believes it has completed Phase 3 of clinical development for Neutrolin in hemodialysis patients and does not need to conduct another clinical trial at this time. In its feedback, the FDA did not raise any additional questions regarding the analyses provided and indicated that it would conduct a thorough review of all of the clinical data when the clinical study report is submitted for LOCK-IT-100. In FDA's response to the Company's question on whether LOCK-IT-100 is adequate as a single study to support a New Drug Application, the FDA stated that while the data from LOCK-IT-100 and supporting information may be sufficient, it cannot confirm that the data from LOCK-IT-100 are adequate to support an indication for prevention of CRBSI in hemodialysis patients until it has completed its review of the NDA. The Company will continue discussions with the FDA concerning the chemistry, manufacturing and controls data that will be needed to support Neutrolin's NDA. FDA's feedback on the CMC data is an important regulatory requirement prior to the Company requesting a pre-NDA meeting.

08:15 EDT Zebra Technologies selected by Purolator to enhance digital experience - Zebra Technologies announced Purolator will use its mobile devices for drivers, retail and hub operations and ShipTrack's software for track and trace, dispatch and hub management operations. The technology will be supported by a customized solution as a service model developed by Zebra, ShipTrack and PiiComm, which incorporates enterprise mobile devices and software to improve delivery time and increase operational efficiency. Purolator will deploy ShipTrack's software platform on Zebra enterprise mobile computers and tablets to streamline dispatch, route optimization, as well as track and trace and reporting throughout its field, hub and retail operations. Zebra ring scanners will be deployed in the hub to enable hands-free operations. PiiComm and Zebra will jointly provide end-to-end lifecycle management for the mobile devices with Zebra's Lifeguard for Android software security solution.

08:13 EDT Actuant trading resumes

08:11 EDT XBiotech announces funding from MRC for Phase 2 study of bermekimab - XBiotech announced that the Medical Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, has awarded funding to study bermekimab therapy in a Phase 2 multi-center study in advanced cancers. The MRC will provide funding for all clinical costs of the Phase 2 study to treat patients with advanced lung, pancreatic and ovarian cancers. The phase 2 study will be conducted at multiple cancer centers across the UK. Patients will receive eight weekly doses of bermekimab and be assessed for tumor-related wasting and other quality of life symptoms, The study was developed in conjunction with the National Institute for Health Research Cancer & Nutrition Collaboration and the National Cancer Research Institute Supportive and Palliative Care Group. Bermekimab targets the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1a and has been used in other innovative oncology studies. The Company previously met its primary endpoint in a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study with bermekimab for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. The primary endpoint in the study was a novel symptom cluster, which assessed a combination of physical symptoms-pain, fatigue, anorexia and muscle wasting-that are key measures of patient quality of life and predictors of survival. Patients treated with bermekimab were significantly more likely to achieve the primary endpoint compared to placebo; moreover, patients who achieved the primary endpoint had one-fifth as many serious adverse events, were twice as likely to have stable disease, showed significant and clinically relevant improvement in all life quality measures, and had almost three-fold increase in survival compared to failures.

08:08 EDT PepsiCo CEO says sees international as 'huge' growth opportunity

08:07 EDT Actuant to sell EC&S segment to One Rock affiliate for $214.5M - Actuant announced that it has taken a step in its previously announced plan to focus on its Enerpac industrial tools and services, or IT&S, business. The company entered into a securities purchase agreement, or SPA, with an affiliate of One Rock, pursuant to which the affiliate of One Rock will acquire the engineered components and systems, or EC&S, segment at a purchase price of approximately $214.5M. The businesses included in this segment and SPA are power-packer, Elliott manufacturing, Weasler engineering, CrossControl, Maximatecc and Gits Manufacturing. Consistent with Actuant's capital allocation priorities, proceeds from the sale will be used to continue driving organic growth in its existing Enerpac Tools and Services platform, reduce debt, pursue complementary strategic tools acquisitions and return excess capital to shareholders through opportunistic share repurchases. The order of these priorities may vary based on share price, market conditions, the existence of attractive acquisition opportunities, available capital and other factors. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory and other approvals and is expected to close in Q4. Employee representative consultations are to be conducted in certain jurisdictions prior to the final sale.

08:06 EDT electroCore announces NICE draft guidance on use of gammaCore - electroCore announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published draft guidance on the use of gammaCore, a non-invasive vagus nerve stimulator for preventing and treating cluster headache in adults, which concludes that "evidence supports the case for adopting gammaCore to treat cluster headache in the NHS. gammaCore reduces the frequency and intensity of cluster headache attacks and improves quality of life." In the draft guidance, NICE highlights that the use of gammaCore in addition to standard care therapy could save the NHS GBP 450 per patient in the first year compared to standard care alone. The guidance also states that gammaCore should be used following a three-month trial period where it has shown to be effective in reducing cluster headache symptoms. Additionally, clinical experts suggest that around 25,000 people in the U.K. with cluster headache are likely to respond to treatment with gammaCore. In order to finalize its medical technology guidance documents, NICE will solicit comments from stakeholders on the draft guidance. After the end of this consultation period, the review committee will meet to discuss whether to amend its draft recommendations in view of the consultation comments.

08:04 EDT Ocular Therapeutix appoints Patricia Kitchen as COO - Ocular Therapeutix announced the appointment of Patricia Kitchen as COO. Prior to joining Ocular, Kitchen held a number of senior management positions at Mundipharma.

08:03 EDT BioDelivery Sciences announces further insurance coverage for BELBUCA - BioDelivery Sciences International announced that several regional health care plans improved patient access to BELBUCA, CIII, during the second quarter of this year. Several prominent regional U.S. insurance plans representing an additional six million covered lives enhanced BELBUCA's coverage to preferred status or initiated coverage for BELBUCA. These six million covered lives brings the total number of commercial lives with access to BELBUCA to more than 165 million, representing more than 90% of the U.S. commercial insurance market. BELBUCA, CIII, is approved in the U.S. for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment for which alternative treatment options are inadequate. BELBUCA utilizes BDSI's patented BioErodible MucoAdhesive drug delivery technology to deliver buprenorphine, which is a Schedule III medicine. Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Schedule III drugs abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs.

08:02 EDT SkyWest reports June block hours up 8.6% vs. last year - SkyWest reported SkyWest Airlines operating statistics for the month of June 2019. SkyWest Airlines reported 127,415 block hours in June 2019, an increase of 8.6% from June 2018. SkyWest Airlines' higher production was primarily due to the incremental E175 aircraft, CRJ900 aircraft and CRJ700 aircraft added to SkyWest Airlines' fleet since June 2018.

07:59 EDT PepsiCo CFO says pace of reinvestments to accelerate over the course of 2019 - Says pace of reinvestments will accelerate over the balance of 2019, will be reflected in core EPS, operating margin performance.

07:58 EDT PepsiCo: Q2 was Quaker's strongest quarter of organic rev. growth in 3 years

07:53 EDT Actuant trading halted, news pending

07:49 EDT PepsiCo CEO says on track to achieve FY productivity savings - Comments taken from the Q2 earnings conference call.

07:37 EDT Tradeweb Markets reports June aggregate ADV $859.2B - Tradeweb Markets reported a new monthly record for average daily volume, or ADV, of $859.2B in aggregate for the month of June. Activity on Tradeweb trading platforms in June included: ADV of $87.6B in U.S. government bonds and $25.6B in European government bonds representing new monthly records, $188B ADV in mortgages representing a new monthly record, $298.9B ADV in rates derivatives representing a new monthly record, ADV of $3.3B in U.S. credit and $1.4B in European credit, $1.1B ADV in Chinese bonds representing a new monthly record, $8.5B ADV in credit derivatives, $213.1B ADV in repurchase agreements and ADV of $2.9B in U.S. exchange-traded funds and $1.6B in European ETFs.

07:33 EDT GNS Healthcare raises $23M led by Cigna Ventures - GNS Healthcare announced a $23M Series D fundraising round led by Cigna Ventures, a strategic corporate venture capital partner and wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Cigna (CI). Joining the Cigna Ventures-led funding round were Amgen Ventures, Celgene (CELG), Echo Health Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, as well as former Caesar's (CZR) CEO and Aetna Division President Gary Loveman.

07:19 EDT Acreage Holdings announces departure of CMO Harris Damashek - Acreage announced that Harris Damashek, Acreage's chief marketing officer, is no longer employed at Acreage effective July 5, 2019. Acreage has initiated a search for a new CMO, who will report to Acreage's COO Bob Daino.

07:18 EDT Acreage Holdings plans to construct greenhouse in Baker County, Florida - Acreage Holdings announced the appointment of Rhonda Kratz as General Manager in the State of Florida. Kratz joined Acreage in April 2019, coming from Nationwide Vision, where she served as SVP and led sales and operations for 109 stores across the nation from 2018 to April 2019. Acreage has achieved the following milestones subsequent to its 1Q19 earnings call: Acreage closed on a cultivation and production facility in Sanderson, a community in Baker County, FL. The location sits on 15.4 acres of land and comes with a 109,000 square foot building able to accommodate the build out a processing facility with the capabilities of Form Factory, Acreage's recently acquired subsidiary. Acreage tentatively plans to construct a 100,000 square foot greenhouse on the property. Seven dispensary locations have been secured via lease agreements with locations in Hollywood, Spring Hill, Daytona, Orange Park, North Miami Beach and two locations in Miami. Of the two in Miami, the Miami Beach dispensary will be Acreage's flagship location in the state of Florida. Additional details will be provided as to when Acreage expects these locations to become operational.

07:13 EDT Gilat Satellite selected by Globe Telecom in Philippines - Gilat Satellite Networks announced that Globe Telecom, the leading telecom company in the Philippines, has chosen Gilat for a three-year multi-million US dollar contract, to enable WIFI service over satellite to schools and hospitals, in addition to cellular backhaul throughout the Philippines. The WIFI Broadband multi-million US dollar award comes two years after Globe chose Gilat to deliver cellular backhaul over satellite in a five-year multi-million US dollar managed service project for 2G/3G/4G connectivity and for emergency response.

07:10 EDT Summit says DDS-04 Enterobacteriaceae program demonstrates in vivo efficacy - Summit Therapeutic announces that it has demonstrated the potential of its DDS-04 series of new class antibiotics as an Enterobacteriaceae-targeted treatment through in vivo proof of concept data in sepsis and pneumonia animal models. These data build on the previously published proof of concept preclinical study for DDS-04 in urinary tract infections. Enterobacteriaceae are a family of Gram-negative bacteria that cause severe and often deadly infections. In the sepsis infection model, mice were infected with E. coli. Intravenous treatment with a representative compound of the DDS-04 series cured the infection. For the pneumonia infection model, mice were infected with K. pneumoniae. Intravenous treatment with a representative compound of the DDS-04 series resulted in a significant reduction in bacterial burden in the lungs. Summit's preclinical data indicate that DDS-04 compounds have the potential to treat Enterobacteriaceae infections in all three key infection sites of urinary tract, bloodstream and lung. However, it is the latter two where there is the greatest unmet patient need. Further details are expected to be published at an upcoming scientific meeting. The DDS-04 series is undergoing lead optimisation.

07:06 EDT Cara Therapeutics initiates Phase 2 trial of Oral KORSUVA - Cara Therapeutics announced the initiation of a Phase 2 trial of Oral KORSUVA for the treatment of pruritus in patients with atopic dermatitis. AD is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases with prevalence rates of up to 5% in adults and approximately 25% in children. The Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Oral KORSUVA for moderate-to-severe pruritus in approximately 240 adult subjects with AD. Subjects will be randomized to three tablet strengths of Oral KORSUVA: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg taken twice daily vs. placebo for 12 weeks followed by a 4-week active extension phase.The primary efficacy endpoint is the change from baseline in the weekly mean of the daily 24-hour Itch Numeric Rating Scale score at Week 12 of the treatment period. Secondary endpoints include change from baseline in itch-related quality of life scores at the end of Week 12 as assessed by the total Skindex-10 and 5-D itch scales, as well as the proportion of patients achieving an improvement from baseline of greater than or equal to4 points with respect to the weekly mean of the daily 24-hour I-NRS score at Week 12.

07:04 EDT Innovative Industrial Properties acquires Michigan property for $4.8M - Innovative Industrial Properties, or IIP, announced that it closed on the acquisition of a property in Lansing, Michigan, which comprises approximately 145,000 square feet of industrial space. The purchase price for the Michigan property was approximately $4.8M. Concurrent with the closing of the purchase, IIP entered into a long-term, triple-net lease agreement with a subsidiary of Ascend Wellness, or AWH, which intends to operate the property as a licensed medical-use cannabis cultivation and processing facility upon completion of redevelopment. AWH is expected to complete tenant improvements for the building, for which IIP has agreed to provide reimbursement of up to $15M. Assuming full reimbursement for the tenant improvements, IIP's total investment in the property will be approximately $19.8M. This Michigan property represents IIP's second real estate transaction with AWH.

07:02 EDT Etsy plans to make free shipping a core part of shopping experience - Etsy announced plans to make free shipping a core part of the Etsy shopping experience. Etsy is providing sellers with tools and support to help them guarantee free shipping to U.S. buyers who spend at least $35 in their shop. By making it easy for sellers to offer free shipping, Etsy will empower them to better meet buyer expectations and more effectively win customers in today's changing retail landscape. Sellers around the world are able to participate in this initiative. Etsy will be providing sellers globally with tools and educational resources to help them adopt a free shipping guarantee for U.S. buyers. In addition, beginning on July 30, Etsy will give priority placement in U.S. search results to items that ship free and to shops that guarantee U.S. buyers free shipping on orders of $35 or more. This means that shoppers in the US will primarily see items that ship free and shops that offer free shipping on orders of $35 or more in the top and most visible rows of search. Etsy will begin actively marketing this free shipping initiative to buyers starting in September, with the goal of driving more traffic to the Etsy marketplace and sellers' shops. Given the timing of the launch, this initiative is currently expected to have modest upside to Etsy's previously announced 2019 gross merchandise sales guidance. The projected impact of this initiative will be shared when Etsy reports its second quarter financial results.

07:00 EDT MasterCard completes acquisition of Transfast - Mastercard announced the completion of the acquisition of Transfast, a global payments company with significant cross-border network reach. Mastercard originally declared the intent to buy Transfast on March 8.

06:51 EDT Teleflex announces results from multi-center study of UroLift - Teleflex announced the publication of positive results from a multi-center study reaffirming the safety and effectiveness of the minimally invasive UroLift System for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, in real-world patient populations. This is the largest, most comprehensive study to examine a minimally invasive BPH procedure in a real-world setting. Results were published in the Journal of Endourology. The randomized L.I.F.T. clinical trial demonstrated that treatment with the UroLift System provides patients rapid and durable symptom relief. The minimally invasive procedure, which works without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue, demonstrates an excellent safety profile and preserves sexual function. Unlike BPH thermal therapies such as the most recent steam treatment, the real-world results for the UroLift System treatment showed complication rates and a patient experience that were consistent with controlled clinical trials.

06:47 EDT Merck: FDA accepts six sBLAs for KEYTRUDA dosing schedule - Merck announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted for review six supplemental Biologics License Applications to update the dosing frequency for KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, to include an every-six-weeks dosing schedule option. Merck is seeking FDA approval of a 400 mg Q6W dose infused over 30 minutes for KEYTRUDA indications in melanoma, classical Hodgkin lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. If approved by the FDA, the Q6W dose would be available for use in adults in addition to the currently approved dose of KEYTRUDA 200 mg every three weeks infused over 30 minutes. The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or target action, date of Feb. 18, 2020.

06:37 EDT Check-Cap announces final results from post-CE approval study of C-Scan system - Check-Cap announced final results from its recently completed post-CE approval study evaluating the clinical performance and safety of the C-Scan system. The multi-center, open label, home monitoring, prospective study was designed to determine the performance characteristics of Check-Cap's capsule-based screening test, the C-Scan system, for detecting pre-cancerous polyps compared with the fecal immunochemical test, or FIT, a commonly used non-invasive colorectal cancer screening test; in each case using colonoscopy as the reference method. The study included 90 evaluable patients who either had known polyps or were considered to be of average risk. Each patient ingested a C-Scan capsule and also underwent a FIT and a comparative colonoscopy performed by independent gastroenterologists, who were blinded to the corresponding test's results. The C-Scan clinical evaluation was obtained using the evaluable patient population implementing a gender-based motility analysis and the results of both C-Scan and FIT were compared to colonoscopy. The primary efficacy endpoint of the study was sensitivity and specificity of the C-Scan system compared to FIT in detecting subjects with polyps greater than or equal to 10 mm. The results demonstrate that C-Scan achieved a sensitivity of 76% in patients with polyps greater than or equal to 10 mm, while FIT achieved a sensitivity of 29% in patients with polyps greater than or equal to 10 mm. C-Scan achieved a specificity of 82% in all patients, while FIT achieved a specificity of 96% in all patients. In addition, C-Scan detected all 4 patients with polyps greater than or equal to 40 mm, while the FIT detected only one of the four patients with polyps greater than or equal to 40mm. Overall, C-Scan achieved a sensitivity of 66% in all patients, including patients with polyps less than 10mm, while FIT achieved a sensitivity of 23% in all patients, including patients with polyps less than 10mm. In total, 142 patients enrolled in the study and after factoring in technical and physiological dropouts and protocol violations, the number of evaluable patients was 90. No serious adverse events were reported, and the adverse events were mild in severity. Check-Cap is currently conducting a pilot study in the U.S. to evaluate the safety, usability and subject compliance of the C-Scan system at the New York University School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic. In addition, Check-Cap intends to continue collecting clinical data in additional studies in preparation for its planned pivotal study. Assuming positive pilot study results, the company plans to initiate a pivotal study in people of average risk for polyps and colorectal cancer in mid-2020. The C-Scan system has received CE marking and approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health, the Medical Device Division for marketing in Israel.

06:32 EDT Northrop Grumman board names Kathy Warden as Chairman, effective August 1 - The board of directors of Northrop Grumman has elected Kathy Warden as its chairman, effective August 1. Warden will serve as chairman, CEO and president. Warden succeeds Wes Bush, who has served as chairman since July 2011. As previously announced, Bush will retire from the company and resign from the board on July 31. Donald Felsinger will continue to serve as the company's lead independent director.

06:23 EDT Instagram announces feature to protect account from 'unwanted interactions' - Instagram is attempting to crack down on bullying with a new way to stop people from commenting publicly on users' photos without having to block them, Instagram said in a statement. The app will let users "restrict" people's comments with a mute-style feature, and use AI to flag offensive comments before they're posted, Instagram head Adam Mosseri says. "We wanted to create a feature that allows people to control their Instagram experience, without notifying someone who may be targeting them. Soon, we will begin testing a new way to protect your account from unwanted interactions called Restrict. Once you Restrict someone, comments on your posts from that person will only be visible to that person. You can choose to make a restricted person's comments visible to others by approving their comments. Restricted people won't be able to see when you're active on Instagram or when you've read their direct messages." Reference Link

06:18 EDT Social Capital Hedosophia to merge with Virgin Galactic, merger valued at $1.5B - Virgin Galactic, or VG, and Social Capital Hedosophia, or SCH, a public investment vehicle sponsored by Social Capital and Hedosophia, announced that the boards of directors of each company have approved a definitive agreement under which VG and SCH will merge, with the current shareholders of SCH expected to own up to approximately 49% of the combined company. Upon closing of the transaction, which is expected in the second half of 2019, VG will be introduced as the first and only publicly traded commercial human spaceflight company. Virgin Galactic has developed a set of technologies designed to enable a safe and familiar flying experience for customers to go into space and become officially designated astronauts. Virgin Galactic's technologies have created the first vehicle built for commercial service to put humans into space. Virgin Galactic already has customer reservations from more than 600 people in 60 countries representing approximately $80M in total collected deposits and $120M of potential revenue. Virgin Galactic has already been granted its FAA commercial space launch license, and the New Mexico Spaceport has also received its Spaceport license. Pro forma enterprise value of the merger is $1.5B. Social Capital Hedosophia Founder and CEO, Chamath Palihapitiya, will invest an additional $100M in the transaction and will become chairman of the combined entity. As part of its commercial operations, VG has exclusive access to the principal assets at Spaceport America, New Mexico. Spaceport America is the world's first, purpose built commercial spaceport. As announced on May 10, VG is moving more than 100 spaceline staff and its space vehicles to Spaceport America, which will become the new location of its operational headquarters. Spaceport America will be the site of VG's initial commercial spaceflights and where the company will deliver a customer experience over the multi-day pre-flight period. As part of this transaction, the existing management team of VG will remain in place following the close of the transaction with George Whitesides remaining as CEO, while a new board, comprised of seven directors, will be augmented by the addition of Chamath Palihapitiya, as chairman and Adam Bain.

06:10 EDT Social Capital, Virgin Galactic merged company to be publicly traded

06:05 EDT Ideaya Biosciences promotes Paul Stone to CFO - Ideaya Biosciences announced the promotion of Paul Stone as CFO. Stone previously served as senior VP, general counsel and head of operations. As CFO, he will lead the finance, investor relations, and public relations functions and will continue as the principal financial and accounting officer. Stone will also continue to oversee the legal function as general counsel. Prior to joining Ideaya, Stone was with 5AM Ventures in various capacities including as partner, general counsel, and COO and held early management and operating roles in companies launched at 5AM Ventures.

05:29 EDT Dr. Reddy's announces launch of OTC store-brand equivalent of Mucinex D - Dr. Reddy's Laboratories announced the launch of an over-the-counter, or OTC, store-brand equivalent of Mucinex D Extended Release Tablets in two strengths-Guaifenesin 600 mg and Pseudoephedrine HCl 60 mg, and Guaifenesin 1200 mg and Pseudoephedrine HCl 120 mg-in the United States market, as approved by the FDA.