Stockwinners Market Radar for July 15, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

21:02 EDT NetEase acquires minority stake in Behaviour Interactive, terms not stated - NetEase Games announced that it has acquired a strategic minority stake in Behaviour Interactive Inc., Canada's largest independent video game developer. Following this investment, Montreal-based Behaviour will continue to operate independently under the leadership of Remi Racine, its President and Executive Producer, and NetEase Games will nominate a director to Behaviour's board.

19:46 EDT Chevron ordered to stop oil spill in California by State Regulator - California Natural Resources Agency Department of Conservation orders Chevron to perform all actions to stop an oil spill after recent occurrences of surface expressions were observed on May 10th, June 8th, and June 23rd. Reference Link

19:04 EDT PayPal launches international money transfer service Xoom - PayPal launched Xoom-its international money transfer service-in 32 markets across Europe. Xoom customers can send up to EURO$10,000 in a single transaction.

18:42 EDT Triumph Group selected by leading airline as MRO provider - Triumph Group announced that its Product Support business unit was selected by a leading U.S. airline to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul, or MRO, services on interior components. Triumph's new Interiors Center of Excellence, based in Atlanta, Georgia, will provide interior parts, as well as maintenance and repair support for seats, passenger service units and sidewalls for the airline's fleet of narrow body aircraft. The new 78,000 square foot Interiors facility enables Triumph to provide interior refurbishment and repair for multiple aircraft platforms.

18:29 EDT Rio Tinto cuts FY19 Pilbara ore shipments view to 320M-330M tons - Prior view was 333M-343M tons.

18:24 EDT VMware: We have momentum across the board - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, VMware COO of Customer Operations Sanjay Poonen said: We had a great quarter... We are in the golden age of software... We have focused on making the data center software driven... There is no one hardware player that is the majority of our business... Our view is always a long one and we have momentum across the board now... We allow the data center to look like a public cloud... We are not seeing the China tariffs impacting our business.

17:37 EDT Innovate Biopharmaceuticals gives corporate update, undertakes CEO search effort - Innovate Biopharmaceuticals announced the commencement of succession planning activities for its CEO. The company expects to search for a permanent CEO to work with the management team on progressing the current Phase 3 celiac disease trial of larazotide acetate and identifying and pursuing potential non-dilutive sources of capital. Dr. Anthony Maida III, the independent director expected to chair the search efforts for a new CEO noted, "Dr. Laumas stepped into the CEO role at a critical time for Innovate and has been successful on a number of fronts, including with respect to financing, starting the Phase 3 for larazotide acetate, key R&D collaborations and building out the management team. His continued service to the company as executive chairman is appreciated by all. We look forward to a thorough process in identifying our CEO." Sandeep Laumas, M.D., currently the executive chairman and CEO, said, "When I stepped into the chief executive officer role earlier this year, we anticipated that after completing certain company milestone events, we may search for a new chief executive officer. Given our recent progress, we believe it is now time to identify and bring on a new person to fill the chief executive officer role." Dr. Laumas continued, "Our recent addition of an experienced public company CFO further strengthens our internal controls, reporting, analysis and forecasting capabilities."

17:24 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $492.11M Army contract for M142 launchers - Lockheed Martin was awarded a $492.11M fixed-price-incentive contract for high mobility artillery rocket systems M142 launchers and support requirements to include product data definition package maintenance, training, support equipment, qualification testing, initial spares/repair parts and software. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work has an estimated completion date of May 30, 2023. FY19 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $66,40M were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.

17:08 EDT vTv Therapeutics jumps 20% after saying it will make presentation at AAIC - vTv Therapeutics announced that it will make an oral presentation at the 2019 Alzheimer's Association International Conference,AAIC, held in Los Angeles, California, July 14 -18. The presentation will highlight data from the phase 3 Steadfast study and preceding phase 2b study of azeliragon to further support the biological hypothesis for the potential beneficial effects of azeliragon on the ADAS-cog and CDR-sb in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes. Shares the company jumped 20% to $1.58 per share in after-hours trading after the announcement.

16:52 EDT Arrow Electronics down over 4% at $66 per share after Q2 pre-announcement

16:44 EDT Standard General to tender 13M shares from Twin River Worldwide - Twin River Worldwide Holdings announced that Standard General has informed the Company that it will tender 13,083,391 Shares in the Company's modified Dutch auction tender offer to ensure that Standard General's percentage ownership does not increase as a result of the Offer. The Purchase Price in the Offer will be calculated without regard to the Shares tendered by Standard General or any other tendering Shareholder that elects to tender under the option for "Shares Tendered at Price Determined Pursuant to the Offer." The proration factor will be calculated based on all Shares tendered and not withdrawn in the Offer at or below the Purchase Price, including Shares tendered by Standard General and other Shareholders that do not specify a price.

16:39 EDT Global Payments establishes new credit agreement to support merger with TSYS - Global Payment (GPN) closed a new senior unsecured $2B term loan and an unsecured $3B revolving credit facility on July 9 in connection with its previously announced merger with Total System Services, TSYS,(TSS). The facilities will be available for borrowing on the date the merger becomes effective and are expected to replace Global Payments' existing secured credit facilities and TSYS' unsecured revolving credit facility. Under the terms of the facilities, the interest rate margin currently applicable to Global Payments' existing facilities is expected to be reduced by 12.5 basis points, subject to future adjustments based on a ratings-based pricing grid. The $3 billion revolving credit facility represents an increase of $1.5B over the company's existing revolver capacity, providing Global Payments with ample capacity to continue to pursue its strategy post-closing of the merger. Further, the new facilities will mature five years following the effective date of the merger. The agreements include certain financial covenants that are customary in investment grade credit facilities. "We are delighted to announce the execution of our new investment grade credit facilities, creating substantial flexibility to support the needs of the business upon the closing of our merger with TSYS," stated Cameron Bready, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "This is an important milestone in establishing the new capital structure for our combined company and highlights the confidence our bank partners have in the strength of the pro forma business."

16:27 EDT Cancer Genetics sells its Biopharma business - Cancer Genetics (CGIX) announced the sale of its BioPharma business. The Company's junior secured lender, Partners for Growth IV conducted a consensual private foreclosure of the assets relating to the Company's BioPharma business under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code and sold them to Interpace Diagnostics Group (IDXG). The gross purchase price is $23.5M in addition to the assumption by IDXG of approximately $5M of liabilities relating to the BioPharma business, before working capital and closing adjustments. IDXG paid PFG $13.8M in cash at closing. IDXG also issued a promissory note to CGIX in the amount of $7.7M, subject to certain post-closing adjustments. The note is due upon the approval by IDXG's shareholders, and subsequent consummation, of an investment by Ampersand Capital Partners in IDXG, which was simultaneously announced by Interpace in conjunction with this transaction. In addition, IDXG is assuming approximately $5M of CGI liabilities related to the Biopharma business. As part of the Article 9 transaction, PFG has extinguished its junior secured debt and fully retired the Company's senior secured loan to Silicon Valley Bank. PFG has remitted approximately $2.3M in cash to CGIX which CGIX intends to use to settle other liabilities of the Company.

16:20 EDT Kemet says Tantalum Polymer capacitors no longer subject to Chinese tariffs - Kemet announced that its request to have Tantalum Polymer capacitors excluded from the Section 301 Chinese tariffs has been approved by the U.S. Trade Representative. Effective immediately, Tantalum Polymer capacitors will no longer be subject to the special 25% tariff on Chinese imports.

16:19 EDT People's United Financial to buy United Financial Bancorp for $759M in stock - People's United Financia (PBCT), the holding company for People's United Bank, announced to an agreement to acquire United Financial Bancorp, (UBNK), the holding company for United Bank, in a 100% stock transaction valued at approximately $759M. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals and the approval of United Financial Bancorp shareholders. "We are excited to welcome United Bank to People's United," said Jack Barnes, Chairman and CEO, People's United Financial. "With the fourth largest deposit market share in the combined Hartford and Springfield market, a complementary array of commercial and retail capabilities and a shared legacy of community giving, United will solidify our presence in the Central Connecticut market and strengthen our franchise in Western Massachusetts." People's United expects the transaction to be $0.07 accretive to earnings per common share based on fully phased-in cost savings, with a tangible book value earn-back of approximately 2.3 years and an IRR of approximately 18%. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2019. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been approved by both companies' boards of directors, United Financial Bancorp, Inc. shareholders will receive 0.875 shares of People's United Financial stock for each United Financial Bancorp, Inc. share. The transaction is valued at $14.74 per United Financial Bancorp, Inc. share, based on the closing price of People's United's common stock on July 12.

16:18 EDT AquaVenture to acquire Carolina Pure Water Systems, terms not stated - Quench, an operating segment of AquaVenture Holdings Limited, announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Carolina Pure Water Systems, LLC, a point-of-use water filtration company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. This acquisition adds more than 2,200 customers to Quench's customer base in the high growth Raleigh-Durham metro area.

16:17 EDT TopBuild acquires Viking Insulation - TopBuild has acquired Viking Insulation, an insulation installation company, based in Burbank, California. For the trailing twelve months ended March 31 Viking generated approximately $9.0M in revenue.

16:16 EDT Intuitive Surgical to buy Scholly Fiberoptic's robotic endoscope business - Intuitive Surgical announced the acquisition of Scholly Fiberoptic's robotic endoscope business. This acquisition will integrate Scholly's robotic endoscope manufacturing line, and two Scholly sites into Intuitive operations: the robotic-related manufacturing line from Denzlingen, Germany; the manufacturing site in Biebertal, Germany; and the repair site in Worcester, Mass., USA.

16:13 EDT Arrow Electronics initiates $130M expense reduction program - Arrow Electronics has initiated separate and distinct actions to reduce its annual operating expenses, which are expected to generate approximately $130M in annualized cost savings. Substantially all of the cost actions will be completed by the end of 2019. The company expects to recognize approximately $45M in costs related to cash severance as well as approximately $4M in other non-cash asset impairments and approximately $10M in cash contract termination costs. Substantially all of the severance, assets impairments, and termination costs are expected to be recognized in Q3.

16:10 EDT United Financial trading halted, news pending

16:08 EDT Arbutus Biopharma reports preliminary results for CHB treatment AB-506 - Arbutus Biopharma announced preliminary results from a Phase 1a/1b clinical trial in healthy subjects and two cohorts of chronic hepatitis B, CHB subjects who received AB-506 monotherapy. A detailed analysis of these Phase 1a/1b preliminary results will be submitted for presentation at a future scientific meeting later this year. William H. Collier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Arbutus, stated, "Preliminary results from this first Phase 1a/1b clinical trial demonstrate that AB-506 is a potent oral capsid inhibitor. These results also support our confidence in its potential to contribute to the inhibition of HBV replication as part of a combination regimen."

16:05 EDT Medical Properties Trust announces $1.75B investment in hospital facilities - Medical Properties Trust announced that it has entered into definitive agreements with two new operators and completed a transaction with a third new operator involving in the aggregate 24 hospital facilities for a total investment of approximately $1.75B. With these transactions, MPT has surpassed its 2019 acquisition guidance of $2.5B, with a total investment of $3.0B at a blended GAAP rate of 8.2%, within its previously estimated range of 7.5% to 8.5%.

16:03 EDT J.B. Hunt reports Q2 operating income $193.1M, down 10% from last year

14:37 EDT Altair beneficial owner George Christ sells $1.5M in company shares - Altair beneficial owner George Christ disclosed in a filing that he had sold 35,660 shares of company stock at an average price of $42.24 per share on July 11. The total transaction value of the sale was $1,506,161.

14:11 EDT Citi reports June credit loss rate 2.56% vs. 2.74% last month - Reports June 30-plus day delinquencies 1.51% vs. 1.57% last month.

14:07 EDT Mnuchin says Treasury has 'serious concerns' about Facebook's Libra, bitcoin - Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, in a press conference, said the Treasury department has "serious concerns" that Facebook's (FB) Libra currency could be misused. The department has told Facebook and bitcoin companies that they must enact safeguards against illicit use and money laundering. Mnuchin continues presenting about the Treasury department's stance on Libra, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

14:00 EDT Hercules Capital reports separation agreement with Manuel Henriquez - In a regulatory filing earlier, Hercules Capital disclosed that on July 13 the company entered into a separation agreement with Manuel Henriquez, the company's former Chairman and CEO, which agreement becomes effective on July 23, unless revoked by Mr. Henriquez pursuant to California law before such date. Under the terms of the separation agreement, Henriquez is no longer an employee of the company and has relinquished his claims to 1,287,006 restricted stock units and shares of restricted stock whether vested or unvested, plus all related dividend equivalent units, all of his performance restricted stock units, which at target performance represented 812,348 units and could have ranged from 406,174 units at minimum performance to 1,624,696 units at maximum performance, and all severance benefits under the retention agreement. In exchange for relinquishing his claims under, and the termination of, each of the retention and other award agreements between the company and Mr. Henriquez, Henriquez will receive 692,841 shares of the company's common stock and three cash payments from the company of $1,500,000 promptly after the effective date of the separation agreement, $500,000 on the six-month anniversary of the effective date if Henriquez has complied with all of the covenants and $500,000 on the one-year anniversary if Henriquez has complied with all of the covenants. "The cost of the settlement does not have a material impact on the company's financial results for the quarter ending June 30, 2019 and it does not materially exceed the amounts that the company has already expensed with respect to the awards and related agreements that Mr. Henriquez will no longer receive. Other than the two future $500,000 cash payments noted above in connection with the separation agreement, the company's financial results will not be adversely impacted after the quarterly period ended June 30, 2019 by the expenses associated with the retention and other award agreements previously issued to Henriquez," the filing stated. On March 13, 2019, the company previously announced that Henriquez had voluntarily stepped aside as Chairman and CEO.

13:09 EDT Osram announces interest from AMS, sees 'rather low' probability of deal - Osram Licht said it received a "non-binding, preliminary expression" of interest of AMS to engage in discussions about a public takeover of Osram by AMS. Subject to the results of detailed due diligence and success in securing the required financing commitments for the transaction, AMS preliminarily values Osram at EUR 38.50 per share. AMS indicated that the funding of the offer shall be supported by a temporary bridge-loan facility of EUR 4.2B, which in part shall be refinanced at a later date by a capital increase in the amount of at least CHF 1.7B. Currently, neither the bridge-loan nor the equity portion are supported by binding commitments, the company added. On the basis of the information as per today, the Managing Board of Osram "does regard the probability of this transaction materializing as rather low." However, Osram said it will enable AMS to perform due diligence within "strict compliance of anti-trust requirements in order to possibly remove the substantial uncertainties pertaining to the funding of the transaction intended by AMS." In addition, Osram will urge AMS "to agree to honor the well-established interests of the company and other important stakeholders, and commit to enter into a respective legally binding agreement."

13:03 EDT Conn's settles with SEC over underwriting policies, bad debt provisions - Conn's announced that it has reached a settlement with the SEC. The settlement arises from the previously disclosed SEC investigation commenced in November 2014 into the company's underwriting policies and bad debt provisions from July 31, 2012 to July 31, 2014. In connection with the settlement process, the SEC filed a civil complaint and agreed judgment against the company and a former officer in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the SEC's complaint, the company consented to the entry of a final judgment pursuant to which it will pay a civil monetary penalty of $1.1M to the SEC. There will be no current period financial impact on the company's results, as an accrual for this amount was previously established and expensed.

13:02 EDT Blackstone agrees to acquire Vungle, terms not disclosed - Blackstone announced that private equity funds managed by Blackstone have agreed to acquire Vungle, a performance marketing platform for in-app video advertisements on mobile devices. "Vungle is trusted by publishers of more than 60,000 mobile apps worldwide, including top brands such as Rovio, Zynga, Pandora, Microsoft, and Scopely, among others. The company serves more than 4 billion video views per month on over a billion unique devices, and is consistently ranked #1 for cross-platform user retention by industry mobile performance indexes," said Blackstone. In connection with the transaction, Vungle has also reached a settlement agreement with founder Zain Jaffer and "is pleased to have this matter resolved," the company stated. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close later this year, subject to customary closing conditions.

12:52 EDT Facebook's Marcus says company won't immediately profit from Libra - In testimony for the Senate Banking Committee, David Marcus, who oversees Facebook's blockchain efforts, will say that the company will not immediately profit from Libra, according to prepared remarks ahead of the hearing. "Our first goal is to create utility and adoption, enabling people around the world -- especially the unbanked and underbanked -- to take part in the financial ecosystem," Marcus will say. He will add that Facebook won't make money in the early phases of Calibra and will ensure that "customers' account and financial information will not be shared with Facebook, Inc., and as a result cannot be used for ad targeting." Reference Link

12:18 EDT GE Aviation says GE9X engine sets Guiness World Records title for thrust - GE Aviation said via Twitter: "The GE9X engine set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for thrust to become the most powerful commercial aircraft jet engine (test performance) after reaching 134,300 pounds." Reference Link

12:02 EDT Barnes & Noble Education trading resumes

12:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN rises 9.1% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is up 9.1%, or $11.82 to $142.03.

11:54 EDT Zovio announces WSCUC approval for Ashford independence - Earlier, Zovio announced that WASC Senior College and University Commission, or WSCUC, approved Ashford University's application for a change of ownership and legal status. "This approval is an important milestone in the process to separate and transform both Ashford and Zovio. In a separate action, the Commission voted to reaffirm Ashford University's accreditation for six years following the completion of the WSCUC Institutional Review Process," the company said. Andrew Clark, Founder, President and CEO of Zovio, which currently owns Ashford University, said: "This approval is as an important step towards Ashford University returning to its status as an independent, nonprofit institution. This also paves the way for Zovio to continue focusing on its vision of becoming a leading education technology services company once the two organizations have separated."

11:35 EDT Citi says some aspects of Facebook's Libra raise questions

11:28 EDT Barnes & Noble Education trading halted, news pending

11:01 EDT Seelos Therapeutics receives grant for funding DLS-005 program - Seelos Therapeutics announced the receipt of a grant from Team Sanfilippo Foundation. The grant will be used towards the funding of Seelos' planned FDA/EMA Open-Label Phase IIb/III Study in Sanfilippo Syndrome type A and B and the separate expanded access study for Sanfilippo type C and D as well as type A and B patients who do not meet the trial entry criteria.

10:50 EDT Nomura to pay misled bond customers $25M to settle SEC charges - The Securities and Exchange Commission instituted two related enforcement actions against Nomura Securities International, which has agreed to repay approximately $25M to customers for its failure to adequately supervise traders in mortgage-backed securities. According to the SEC's orders, several Nomura traders misled customers about the prices at which Nomura had bought securities, the amount of profit Nomura would receive on the customers' potential trades, and who currently owned the securities, with traders often pretending that they were still negotiating with a third-party seller when Nomura had, in fact, already bought a security. The SEC's orders further find that Nomura lacked compliance and surveillance procedures that were reasonably designed to prevent and detect this misconduct, which inflated the firm's profits on CMBS and RMBS transactions at its customers' expense. The SEC previously filed charges against two CMBS and three RMBS traders at Nomura, whose misrepresentations are described in the SEC's orders.

10:31 EDT Citi sees lower expenses in 2H - Sees y/y growth in accrual businesses in Q3 in the ICG unit. Says Q3 markets and investment banking revenue should reflect overall environment.

10:23 EDT Citi says expects about $2B of growth in net interest revenue growth y/y

10:21 EDT Citi sees 'modest' pretax loss in corporate other for remainder of year

10:13 EDT Citi CFO says wants to keep current mix in card balances

10:07 EDT Citi sees tax rate 22%-23% in 2H19

10:00 EDT Teva falls -7.7% - Teva is down -7.7%, or -71c to $8.54.

10:00 EDT Circor falls -14.0% - Circor is down -14.0%, or -$5.92 to $36.40.

10:00 EDT New Oriental Education rises 4.9% - New Oriental Education is up 4.9%, or $4.56 to $97.38.

09:50 EDT Carolina Trust Bank trading resumes

09:47 EDT Callon Petroleum falls -9.8% - Callon Petroleum is down -9.8%, or -62c to $5.78.

09:47 EDT TAL Education rises 3.8% - TAL Education is up 3.8%, or $1.35 to $37.25.

09:47 EDT Barnes & Noble Education rises 11.0% - Barnes & Noble Education is up 11.0%, or 39c to $3.95.

09:34 EDT Intel says Pohoiki Beach system available to broader research community - Intel announced that an 8 million-neuron neuromorphic system comprising 64 Loihi research chips - codenamed Pohoiki Beach - is now available to the broader research community. Intel said in a statement, "With Pohoiki Beach, researchers can experiment with Intel's brain-inspired research chip, Loihi, which applies the principles found in biological brains to computer architectures. Loihi enables users to process information up to 1,000 times faster and 10,000 times more efficiently than CPUs for specialized applications like sparse coding, graph search and constraint-satisfaction problems."

09:32 EDT LGC Capital announces Health Canada awards cultivation license to Trichomed - LGC Capital announces that Health Canada, on July 12th, awarded Trichomed Corporation, its long awaited license to cultivate cannabis seeds and plants at its newly constructed facility in Brownsburg, Quebec. As per the terms of its agreement with Trichomed, LGC is, now entitled to convert the first ranking secured loan it provided to Trichomed in December 2017 into a 49% direct equity interest, and a five percent royalty of Trichomed's net sales of cannabis and cannabis-related prodcuts which covers actual sales less any arm's length third-party discounts, merchandise returns and rebates. In addition as per the agreement, LGC is entitled to representation on Trichomed's board.

09:26 EDT Premier announces supply chain partnership with Boston Children's Hospital - Boston Children's Hospital has partnered with Premier to foster optimal management of its supply chain portfolio. The hospital signed a multi-year agreement with Premier for access to its supply chain services. The financial impact of the agreement was not disclosed.

09:23 EDT Entegris acquires MPD Chemicals for $165M - Entegris announced it has acquired MPD Chemicals. This acquisition will grow Entegris' engineered materials portfolio, which was recently expanded with the acquisition of Digital Specialty Chemicals, or DSC. Along with the recent acquisition of DSC, the acquisition of MPD Chemicals will expand Entegris' capabilities in the development and production of new organosilane, and organometallic materials. These materials are "critical to innovation" in the specialty chemical and semiconductor industries. Entegris acquired MPD Chemicals for approximately $165M in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. Entegris funded the acquisition from its available cash. MPD Chemicals will be a part of the specialty chemicals and engineered materialssegment.

09:18 EDT Genius Brands to launch branded merchandise for Rainbow Rangers, Llama Llama - Genius Brands International announced that it is has entered the next phase of its growth, expanding beyond content development, production and distribution into product merchandising, as licensed consumer products tied to the Company's two hit flagship series, Rainbow Rangers and Llama Llama, begin to hit shelves in Q3 and Q4 2019. On 2019 through 2020, Genius Brands plans to debut over 450 SKUs of branded merchandise combined for Rainbow Rangers, which currently airs on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr., and Llama Llama, available on Netflix. The first products from the extensive Rainbow Rangers program began rolling out this month, including apparel from Bentex, available on Amazon; and bicycles from Dynacraft, available at Walmart.com, Target.com, and Kohl's.com, which will be available in August with plans to expand distribution through storefront channels. In September, the Company will unveil Halloween costumes from Disguise at Walmart, Party City and online retailers; and a Halloween retail program with Rainbow Rangers' costumes will be available in approximately 1,200 Spirit stores. Additional Rainbow Rangers' products planned to launch this year include stationery items from Inkology, all-natural chewable vitamins from Integrity Vitamins and more.

09:15 EDT Construction Partners acquires hot mix asphalt manufacturing plant in Alabama - Construction Partners announced that it has acquired a hot mix asphalt manufacturing plant and paving company located near Gadsden, Alabama. The acquired business is expected to benefit from geographic synergies resulting from its proximity to the Company's current operations in the state and to marginally increase the Company's revenue and earnings.

09:13 EDT Bank of America reports June card default rate 2.71% vs. 2.83% last month - Reports June 30-plus day delinquencies 1.56% vs. 1.56% last month.

09:11 EDT Fortinet selected by Government of Canada for Enterprise Perimeter Services - Fortinet announced that the Government of Canada's Shared Services Canada has selected Fortinet to secure its Enterprise Perimeter Services to safeguard the Internet edge, including cloud and data center services with capabilities of 100Gbps+ of scalable threat protection for all traffic, for SSC and its clients. Previously, the Government of Canada and SSC selected Fortinet to secure its Information Technology Infrastructure. This most recent SSC contract builds off of and standardizes on, the proven performance of Fortinet's Security Fabric and is a proof point to Fortinet's ability to provide the most innovative, highest-performing Security Fabric, to secure and simplify IT infrastructures, management and operations.

09:09 EDT Symantec sinks 18% to $21 after CNBC says Broadcom takeover talks have ended - Shares of Broadcom are up 3% to $294.35.

09:08 EDT Synopsys announces contract extension from DARPA for POSH program - Synopsys (SNPS) announced a contract extension from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for the Posh Open Source Hardware program to continue innovations in analog/mixed-signal (AMS) verification as part of the second phase of the Electronics Resurgence Initiative, in partnership with Lockheed Martin (LMT). The next phase of ERI builds on the initiative's existing goals to enforce electronics security and privacy and provide access to differentiated electronics design capabilities to benefit aerospace and defense interests. As part of the POSH program, Synopsys is partnering with Lockheed Martin to provide systems and security expertise to improve efficiency of complex circuits. Synopsys' first year in the POSH program produced the industry's first automated flow for AMS emulation using Synopsys' market-leading ZeBu FPGA-based emulation technology. These innovations build on existing commercial products and promise a direct and fast path from DARPA-funded to commercialization. AMS emulation has great interest from aerospace and defense companies like Lockheed Martin and a growing number of commercial companies.

09:05 EDT Carolina Financial to acquire Carolina Trust BancShares for approx. $100.1M - Carolina Financial Corporation (CARO) and Carolina Trust BancShares, Inc. (CART) announced today the signing of a definitive merger agreement. Subject to the terms of the merger agreement, Carolina Trust shareholders will receive 0.3000 shares of Carolina Financial common stock, or $10.57 in cash for each share of Carolina Trust's common stock outstanding, subject to election and proration such that the aggregate consideration will consist of 90 percent Carolina Financial stock and 10 percent cash. Based on Carolina Financial Corporation's closing stock price of $35.62 as of July 12, 2019, this equates to an aggregate deal value of approximately $100.1M. Carolina Trust, which is headquartered in Lincolnton, North Carolina, currently operates 11 banking locations and a loan production office in and around the Charlotte - Concord - Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan statistical area. As of March 31, 2019, Carolina Trust reported assets of $621M, gross loans of $474M and deposits of $523M. Upon completion of the acquisition, the combined company will have over $4.5B in assets, $3.1B in loans and $3.3B in deposits. This transaction will further solidify Carolina Financial's position as one of the largest Carolinas-based community banks. Jerry Ocheltree, President and CEO of Carolina Trust, will be named President of CresCom Bank's North Carolina Commercial Banking Operations. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of each company. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020 and is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approval and Carolina Trust shareholder approval. Upon completion of the transaction, Mr. Johnathan Rhyne, Carolina Trust's current Chairman of the Board, will be appointed to the Carolina Financial and CresCom Bank boards of directors.

09:01 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO), up 10% after agreeing to be acquired by Callon Petroleum (CPE) in an all-stock transaction valued at $3.2B... Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR), up 92% after announcing that a pre-specified interim analysis performed on 6-month data from the HOPE-2 trial showed statistically significant results across several independent clinical measures... Galapagos (GLPG), up 19% after announcing that they have entered into a 10-year global research and development collaboration with Gilead (GILD). Galapagos will receive a $3.95B upfront payment and a $1.1B equity investment from Gilead... U-R Energy (URG) and Energy Fuels (UUUU), up 13% and 12%, respectively, after President Trump announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce found that imports of uranium are a threat to U.S. national security. LOWER: Callon Petroleum (CPE), down 11% after entering the agreement to acquire Carrizo... Teva (TEVA), down 4% after Morgan Stanley analyst David Risinger downgraded the stock to Underweight from Equal Weight and cut his price target for the shares to $6 from $16... Circor (CIR), down 17% after Crane (CR) announced it is ceasing its efforts to acquire the company and will not extend its $48 per share tender offer scheduled to expire on July 19... Endo (ENDP), down 3% after Morgan Stanley analyst David Risinger downgraded shares to Underweight from Equal Weight and cut his price target for the stock to $3 from $8... International Paper (IP), down 3% after KeyBanc analyst Adam Josephson downgraded the stock to Underweight from Sector Weight with a $38 price target.

08:55 EDT Carolina Trust Bank trading halted, news pending

08:49 EDT Avalon GloboCare plans to launch first-in-human clinical trial for AVA-201 in Q4 - Since the discovery of saliva-based exosome-containing miR-185 as "liquid biopsy" diagnostic biomarker for oral leukoplakia and oral cancer, Avalon has further developed a novel therapeutic candidate, AVA-201, for oral cancer. Using engineered mesenchymal stem cells as the "bio-factory" to mass-produce miR-185, which functionally serves to suppress cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration, in the cell culture system, the resulting miR-185 enriched exosomes were isolated and externally applied to the oral leukoplakia lesions in animal models as a proof-of-concept study. The compelling result of inhibiting cancer progression by AVA-201 was recently published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology: An International Journal, titled "Delivery of Mesenchymal Stem Cells-Derived Extracellular Vesicles with Enriched miR-185 Inhibits Progression of OPMD," which was also presented at the 2019 ISEV Conference in Kyoto, Japan. Avalon plans to launch the first-in-human clinical trial for AVA-201 during Q4 of 2019 with the expectation to move toward regulatory filing in Q4 of 2020.

08:47 EDT Avalon GloboCare initiated first-in-human clinical trial of AVA-001 in July - Avalon initiated its first-in-human clinical trial of CD19 CAR-T candidate, AVA-001, in July 2019 at the Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital and Beijing Lu Daopei Hospital in China, the world's single largest CAR-T treatment network with over 600 patients being treated with CAR-T, for the indication of relapsed / refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The significance of CAR-T cells is that they have been engineered to express a receptor that recognizes a specific cancer surface target to attack. Unlike traditional small molecule or biologic treatments, the autologous CAR-T therapies are specifically manufactured for each individual patient. The Avalon clinical trial AVA-001 could result in a more powerful delivery mechanism designed to treat the individual patient. The AVA-001 candidate uses the 4-1BB co-stimulatory signaling pathway, conferring strong anti-cancer activity as demonstrated during the pre-clinical study. It also features a shorter bio-manufacturing time. This process starts with the extraction of T cells from the individual patient which are turned into CAR-T cells that are targeted to recognize and destroy cancer cells. A shortened development cycle empowers the clinicians to provide treatment sooner to patients with hematologic malignancy. Avalon is projected to recruit 20 patients for safety and efficacy studies.

08:44 EDT Rent-A-Center to acquire Merchants Preferred for $47.5M in cash, stock - Rent-A-Center announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Merchants Preferred, a nationwide provider of virtual rent-to-own services. The acquisition of Merchants Preferred has been unanimously approved by Rent-A-Center's board and is subject to customary closing conditions. The company expects the acquisition to close in Q3. Total consideration consists of $28M in cash and a minimum of 701,918 shares of Rent-A-Center common stock. The acquisition is valued at approximately $47.5M, based on Rent-A-Center's closing stock price on July 12 of $27.83. The total consideration and the number of shares issued will depend upon the stock price at closing but, the number of shares are expected to be as stated above. The impact to 2019 earnings from the acquisition is not expected to be material. Merchants Preferred's technology, back office infrastructure and service enable competitive customer and retailer value propositions. Rent-A-Center's acquisition of Merchants Preferred is expected to accelerate the expansion of Acceptance Now's virtual rent-to-own offering and provide a scalable solution designed to capture additional share in the greater than $20B dollar virtual rent-to-own market.

08:38 EDT Odyssey Marine acquires 79.9% equity interest in Bismarck Mining - Odyssey Marine Exploration has acquired a 79.9% equity interest in Bismarck Mining Corporation in exchange for 249,584 shares of Odyssey's common stock. Bismarck's primary asset is an exclusive exploration license covering approximately 320 square kilometers of subsea area containing at least five prospective exploration targets in two different mineralization types: seamount-related epithermal and modern placer gold. In connection with the acquisition by Odyssey, Bismarck and the seller entered into a royalty agreement that provides for Bismarck to pay the seller a 2.496% net smelter royalty on minerals mined from the license area. The license area is adjacent to Lihir Island in Papua New Guinea where one of the world's largest known terrestrial gold deposits is currently being mined and processed by a major international mining company.The deposit has significant strategic value to Odyssey and adds valuable diversification to the company's mineral property portfolio. Previous exploration expeditions in the license area, including a survey conducted by Odyssey, indicate a polymetallic resource with commercially viable grade gold content likely exists. Additionally, the two subaqueous debris fields within the area and adjacent to the terrestrial Ladolam Gold Mine are believed to have originated from the same volcanogenic source that is currently being mined on Lihir. Odyssey is immediately beginning to advance Bismarck's exploration plan to validate and quantify the precious and base metal content of the prospective resource. The company is also planning environmental surveys and studies accruing to environmental permitting in compliance with Papua New Guinea requirements. Odyssey President and COO, John Longley, and an Odyssey advance team spent the past week in Papua New Guinea meeting with regulatory authorities and establishing baseline business functions essential for a successful program. The team also met with specialists in local mining and environmental law and logistics support service companies for upcoming marine operations in the license area.

08:37 EDT Teva announces FDA approval of AirDuo Digihaler - Teva announced that the FDA has approved AirDuo Digihaler inhalation powder, a combination therapy digital inhaler with built-in sensors that connects to a companion mobile application to provide information on inhaler use to people with asthma. AirDuo Digihaler is indicated for the treatment of asthma in patients aged 12 years and older. AirDuo Digihaler is not used to relieve sudden breathing problems and won't replace a rescue inhaler. AirDuo Digihaler contains built-in sensors that detect when the inhaler is used and measure inspiratory flow rates. This data is then sent to a companion mobile app using Bluetooth so that patients can review their data over time, and if desired, share it with their healthcare providers.

08:36 EDT Applied Energetics awarded multi-phase program contract for fiber laser system - Applied Energetics announced that the Company has been awarded a multi-phase program contract by a top 10 global defense contractor spanning feasibility analysis, proof of principle, initial system design, and lab-based test and evaluation of a frequency agile fiber laser system, utilizing various nonlinear processes to demonstrate laser output across multiple bands in the spectrum. This system could also be coupled to currently deployed technologies to assist in a number of critical U.S. Department of Defense mission areas and shows promise for multiple advanced commercial applications. At the request of the customer, further details about this contract are considered confidential.

08:34 EDT Neurotrope finishes data collection in Phase 2 trial of Alzheimer's candidate - Neurotrope has concluded data collection in its confirmatory Phase 2 double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial of Bryostatin-1 in the treatment of moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease. Data from the previous exploratory Phase 2 trial demonstrated clear safety and showed greater than baseline improvements in Severe Impairment Battery scores that were sustained for patients in the 20microg Bryostatin-1 dose group not on memantine. The current confirmatory Phase 2, multi-center trial is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of Bryostatin-1 as a treatment for cognitive deficits in 108 patients with moderate to severe AD who are not currently taking memantine. The primary efficacy endpoint is the change in the SIB score between the baseline and week 13. The company expects to report top-line data from this study during Q3.

08:33 EDT Kaleido Biosciences appoints Theo Melas-Kyriazi to board of directors - Kaleido Biosciences announced that Theo Melas-Kyriazi, Executive Partner at Flagship Pioneering, has been appointed to its Board of Directors. In addition, the Company announced that Noubar Afeyan, Ph.D., co-founder of Kaleido and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, is stepping down after serving as a Board member since Kaleido's founding within Flagship Labs in 2015. Mr. Melas-Kyriazi joined Flagship in April 2019, and also serves as Chief Financial Officer of Levitronix Technologies.

08:31 EDT National Retail Properties raises quarterly dividend 3% to 51.5c per share - Payable August 15 to common shareholders of record on July 31.

08:28 EDT National MI receives approval to insure CalHFA loans - National Mortgage Insurance Corporation, a subsidiary of NMI Holdings, has been approved to provide private mortgage insurance on conventional mortgage loans backed by the California Housing Finance Agency, effective September 5, 2019.

08:23 EDT NetSol Technologies goes live with NFS Ascent Retail Platform for automaker - NETSOL Technologies has successfully gone live with its NFS Ascent Retail Platform for a major American auto captive in China. This deployment covers the complete Ascent Retail Platform, including its Omni-Point of Sale and Contract Management System. This multi-million-dollar contract marks the second successful implementation of NETSOL's next-gen, flagship product in China specifically.

08:19 EDT HTG Molecular expands RUO profiling menu with two assays - HTG Molecular Diagnostics announced the introduction of two of its previously released assays, the HTG EdgeSeq DLBCL Cell of Origin Assay and the HTG EdgeSeq Lung Fusions RUO Assay, for use with the Thermo Fisher Scientific Ion Torrent Ion S5 next-generation sequencing platform. The HTG EdgeSeq DLBCL Cell of Origin Assay is designed to determine the molecular sub-type of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas using a gene expression-based classification system. Sub-typing DLBCL into Activated B-Cell-like and/or Germinal Center B-Cell-like has shown potential clinical importance in determining tumor behavior. The HTG EdgeSeq Lung Fusions RUO Assay is designed to measure and analyze mRNA ALK gene fusion events in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung tumor specimens from patients previously diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer.

08:16 EDT Provectus receives notice of allowance for cancer combination therapy patent - Provectusannounced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has allowed US patent application 15/804,357 for the combination of intratumoral PV-10 and systemic immunomodulatory therapy for the treatment of a range of solid tumor cancers. Intratumoral injection of oncolytic immunotherapy PV-10 can yield immunogenic cell death in solid tumor cancers that results in tumor-specific reactivity in circulating T cells.1-5 Drug development of PV-10 includes cutaneous melanoma and cancers of the liver, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic neuroendocrine tumors, and metastatic uveal melanoma, in both monotherapy and combination therapy settings. This prospective new patent is the third continuation of USP 9,107,887, Provectus' first and foundational cancer combination therapy patent granted by the USPTO in 2015. It is also related to USP 9,808,524 and USP 9,839,688, which are also continuations and the Company's second and third cancer combination therapy patents granted by the USPTO in 2017. Pfizer, Inc. (PFE) is a co-assignee on all four awarded and allowed patents. No formal or informal agreement exists between Provectus and Pfizer regarding potential or possible patent economics.

08:14 EDT Omnicell issues statement responding to GlassHouse Research report - Omnicell issued the following statement in response to a report issued on July 11 by short-seller GlassHouse Research: "... A recent report by GlassHouse Research makes numerous false and misleading statements about our company, all designed to diminish our stock price for the enrichment of GlassHouse... The GlassHouse report demonstrates a lack of understanding of our business model, the impact of our significant business expansion and the application of required accounting under U.S. GAAP. Omnicell's revenue is properly recognized and accounted for in accordance with U.S. GAAP, including ASC606 and ASC842. Our revenue recognition policies and controls are carefully and thoughtfully applied and are intended to prevent premature revenue recognition. We recognize revenue upon documented customer acceptance of installation for the majority of our products. Neither the timing of invoice nor customer payment affect the timing of revenue recognition for these products. We invoice products upon shipment and increase both accounts receivable and deferred revenue at that time. Deferred revenue is reduced as installation is accepted and revenue is then recognized. The timing of customer payment after acceptance can vary and accounts receivable is not reduced until payment is received. As our deal sizes have grown, some customers accept product installation in batches over multiple time periods, but do not pay as quickly as installations are completed. Therefore, as order sizes increase, accounts receivable can grow disproportionately to deferred revenue as each are impacted by different activities. In addition, over the last several years the Company's software revenue has significantly increased as Omnicell's business has evolved. Software revenue by nature does not flow through deferred revenue. DSO has increased as a result of the evolution of our business and following the adoption of new accounting standards. As mentioned earlier, our business has grown and we have expanded our product and service offerings; our average deal size has increased in both dollar amount and complexity. For example, average deal size of our bookings from the top 10 accounts in the fourth quarter of 2018 averaged $10.3 million, compared to $2.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2015. As is typical with the large hospital networks and similar organizations that purchase our products, payment cycles can be elongated. While this increases DSO, the timing of cash collections has no impact on revenue recognition. As GlassHouse acknowledges, our customers are creditworthy and have a long and consistent track record of paying their outstanding balances, underscored by the fact that our write-offs have been less than 0.5% of revenue per year since 2014. Inventory levels have increased as a result of the requirements to service our increasingly diverse product lines and growing installed base. Omnicell regularly reviews its inventory levels and considers its value in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We have a large installed base of equipment and maintain sufficient inventory levels required to meet customers' expectations of continued support of prior-generation automation. In addition, multiple new products that we have launched or added to our offering through strategic acquisitions over the past several years have materially increased our inventory, as our products now have less commonality of manufacturing and service parts compared to our prior offerings. Capitalized software development costs have increased as we have invested in more platform features and software-based services. We have made these investments to enhance products and increase the value of our platform for our customers, and we continue to invest in the platform and solution set to support the growth of our business. Capitalized software development costs are documented and accounted for in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We account for our sales commissions in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In 2018, we adopted ASC340-40, which requires the Company to capitalize prepaid commissions as long-term assets and amortize them over a period that covers the maintenance portion of the contract, including expected renewal periods. Prior to the adoption of ASC340-40, all prepaid commissions were recorded as current and expensed at the time automation products were installed. As a result of adopting the new standard, the amortization of commissions better matches the corresponding revenue. The impact of this change was disclosed in our Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2019."

08:12 EDT Overstock.com CEO says 'not in a place that we have to sell' retail business - Overstock.com released a letter to shareholders from CEO Patrick M. Byrne, which read in part: "Recent announcements have been substantial. Rather than wait until our earnings release is published to discuss these events, I write now to give shareholders an explanation of the significance of these events within the context of a general SITREP on certain aspects of Overstock.com. Some of the materials that follow have been previously disclosed in our last earnings call and elsewhere, but much of what follows is new. Because security tokenization is studied globally, I am going to start by talking about tZERO, then two other firms in the Medici Ventures keiretsu, and then a general comment on the rest of the keiretsu. I will then talk about Retail, which has rebounded more quickly than anticipated. I will finish by discussing strategic considerations.. I will lay out a case that represents the best possible outcome, for you to discount as you wish. At least shareholders will know why I have committed such a large portion of our firm's resources to pursue this idea... then in time, $500 trillion of assets will be tokenized. Maybe Greifeld is optimistic: maybe only all new issues will be tokenized in five years, but it may take another five for the roll-over from legacy to blockchain. But, in any case, it is a big number... If those $500 trillion in assets get tokenized, and if the exchanges that trade the tokens follow the 0.18% valuation rule, then the value of security exchanges globally will be $500 trillion x 0.18% = $ 900 billion...Of course, lots of things could prevent that from happening. Maybe Bob Greifeld is wrong and not everything on Wall Street gets tokenized. Maybe what happens on Wall Street does not happen globally. Maybe the 0.18% relationship will not hold. Meaning: I do not know what the value of security token exchanges is going to be in five years. But the arithmetic looks pretty compelling. As the lawyers say, "California highway mileage will be lower," and "Don't run with that stick, you'll poke someone's eye out."..I believe tZERO has a compelling lead in this race..Theoretically, the technology we are building has the capacity to handle immense volumes. The process of moving people from legacy NMS into tZERO's blockchain capital market, however, is where we want to be slow, careful, and methodical...I have made many mistakes over the years (most recently, trying to go toe-to-toe on growth with a copycat firm which by the end of 2019 will have lost $3 billion in its corporate history and shows no sign of slowing). Yet I got this one right. Years ago, we saw that security tokens were potentially the killer application of the blockchain space, and we moved heaven and earth to build what was needed. We bought the right foundational companies, SpeedRoute and PRO Securities. When it came time, we carved an army of technologists out of Overstock to build everything that tZERO needed, spent tens of millions of dollars on lawyers and regulatory work, and are now open for business. Trading will be infinitesimal to begin with, but I think that in the race to seize a share of that $900 billion value (or whatever value security token exchanges turn out to have), tZERO has the pole position...The core earning power of our retail business has snapped back more quickly than I expected. It is time to take honest stock of how we got here and where we are... Retail's recovery in 2019 has been exceeding expectations. I have raised our 2019 Retail Adjusted EBITDA estimate from $10 million to $15 million to (now) $17.5 million to reflect this growing strength...Assume we come through on this $120 million improvement this year. Then it is not hard to imagine some healthy fraction of that to follow next year ceteris paribus, given the way products develop. That means that for 2020, Retail should generate enough cash to substantially cover Blockchain's operating cash burn. Thus, an important strategic consideration to note is that we are not in a place that we have to sell...We will sell the Retail business if it makes sense and we get a good offer for a good home for it. Otherwise we will operate the retail business as though we are going to hold it forever. We will run it with a goal to maximize profit, which will fund our world-changing blockchain innovations, while we leverage its significant traffic to introduce our consumer-facing blockchain products to the world.."

08:09 EDT CME Group reports all time record international ADV in Q2 of 5.3M contracts - CME Group reported its highest quarterly international ADV on record, with 5.3 million contracts traded during Q2, up 25% year over year and surpassing the previous quarterly record of 4.9 million contracts traded in Q1 2018. This record, reflecting all trading done outside North America, was driven mainly by growth of Interest Rate, Equity Index and Agricultural products. EMEA quarterly ADV hit an all-time high of 4 million contracts per day in Q2, up 22% over Q2 2018. This surpassed the previous quarterly record of 3.9 million contracts set in 1Q18. APAC quarterly ADV hit an all-time high of 1.1 million contracts per day in Q2, up 28% year over year. The previous quarterly record of 932,000 contracts was set in 1Q18. LatAm quarterly ADV hit a record of 173,000 contracts traded in Q2, up 81% from 2Q18. This exceeded the previous quarterly record of 137,000 set in 1Q19. Globally, CME Group reached ADV of 20.9 million contracts during Q2, up 14% from 2Q18 and the second-highest quarterly volume on record.

08:09 EDT Citi reports allowance for loan losses was $12.5B at quarter end - itigroup's allowance for loan losses was $12.5B at quarter end, or 1.82% of total loans, compared to $12.1B, or 1.81% of total loans, at the end of the prior-year period. Total non-accrual assets declined 9% from the prior-year period to $3.7B. Consumer non-accrual loans declined 7% to $2.2B and corporate non-accrual loans declined 13% to $1.4B. Citigroup's book value per share of $79.40 and tangible book value per share of $67.64, both as of quarter end, increased 10% from the prior year, driven by net income and the lower share count. At quarter end, Citigroup's CET1 Capital ratio was 11.9%, unchanged from the prior quarter, as net income was offset by common share repurchases and dividends. Citigroup's SLR for the second quarter 2019 was 6.4%, unchanged from the prior quarter.

08:07 EDT Everbridge announces FDEM signed 5-year extension of AlertFlorida - Everbridge announced that the Florida Division of Emergency Management, or FDEM, has signed a five-year extension of its statewide mass notification platform, AlertFlorida, to bolster Florida's ongoing hurricane preparedness efforts. "Managed by FDEM and operated by Everbridge, AlertFlorida distributes critical information to residents, businesses and visitors across the state, where it is currently deployed in 64 of Florida's 67 counties, at no cost to individual jurisdictions. This widespread adoption is critically important as the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season is well underway."

08:05 EDT Flir Systems appoints Sonia Galindo as Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer - FLIR Systems (FLIR) announced Sonia Galindo as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer. Galindo "will assume a key role on the executive team" reporting to President and CEO Jim Cannon, providing leadership and management of all legal and compliance matters in support of the company's business objectives. Galindo will lead FLIR's global legal team and serve as the primary legal advisor to senior management and to its board. Galindo joins FLIR from Rosetta Stone (RST) where she served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since 2015.

08:04 EDT Mereo BioPharma, FDA discuss design outline for Phase 2 trial of navicixizumab - Mereo BioPharma Group announces that it has held a successful Type B meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding a potential pathway for accelerated approval for navicixizumab for the treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Navicixizumab is an anti-DLL4/VEGF bispecific antibody and one of two product candidates Mereo acquired through its April 2019 merger with OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Navicixizumab has completed a Phase 1a monotherapy study in patients with various types of refractory solid tumors and is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1b study in combination with paclitaxel in patients with advanced platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. In the Type B meeting, Mereo and the FDA discussed, and agreed in principle, an outline for the design of a Phase 2 clinical trial that could potentially support the accelerated approval of navicixizumab in patients with ovarian cancer who have become resistant to their prior therapies. The primary endpoint of the study will be confirmed overall response rate. Secondary endpoints will include duration of response, safety, CA-125 response rate, progression free survival and overall survival. Patients who receive navicixizumab will be treated Q2W on days 0, 7, and 14 of every 28-day cycle. Jill Henrich, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Mereo BioPharma commented, "There are limited treatment options for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who have also failed multiple other therapies. We believe the 41% unconfirmed ORR seen in the Phase 1b study as of the last interim data cut at the end of Q1 2019 is encouraging and we are pleased that the FDA has recognized both the unmet medical need in this difficult-to-treat patient population as well as the potential of navicixizumab to provide a meaningful treatment option for these patients. In line with our corporate strategy to focus on the development of our rare disease product portfolio, we have commenced partnering discussions for navicixizumab and look forward to continued progress on this front."

08:03 EDT Lennox appoints Sherry Buck to board of directors - Lennox (LII) announced the appointment of Sherry Buck as a member of its board of directors, effective July 12. Buck is the Senior Vice President and CFO of Waters Corporation (WAT).

08:01 EDT AbbVie acquires Mavupharma, terms not disclosed - AbbVie announced that it has acquired Seattle-based Mavupharma, a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on novel approaches to target the STING pathway for the treatment of cancer. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

07:46 EDT Mapi Pharma to build sterile injectable production plant in Jerusalem - Mapi Pharma announced that is has signed a long term lease agreement at the Har-Hotzvim Hi-Tech Park in Jerusalem for the establishment of a new sterile production plant for GA Depot injectable products. The ~50,000 square foot plant was previously part of Omrix Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Company *JNJ) , and was an FDA-approved facility. The new leased area will be used for commissioning a commercial scale production facility for GA Depot and is a scale-up to the current Israeli Ministry of Health GMP approved facility the Company operates to supply the ongoing clinical trials. The plant includes clean-room infrastructure that was constructed to a very high standard. The new facility is partially funded by a grant of over $2.5M received in March 2019 from the Israeli Ministry of the Economy, as part of an overall investment in equipment of approximately $13M The plant is located in a Zone A region, allowing tax and grants benefits, and its establishment will lead to the hiring of tens of employees. All sales are expected to be exported. The new facility will be an important element in Mapi's production capacity which includes a GMP approved API facility in Neot Hovav and a GMP approved QA laboratory in Ness Ziona. In April 2018 Mapi Pharma partnered with Mylan (MYL) in an agreement which granted Mylan an exclusive license to commercialize GA Depot injection for relapsing multiple sclerosis. Under the term of the agreement, Mapi will supply GA Depot to Mylan for commercial sale.

07:38 EDT CGI Group awarded IT contract by Stockholm Public Transport Administration - CGI has been awarded a 10 year contract by trafikforvaltningen, the Public Transport Administration, in Stockholm, to provide an end-to-end IT management solution. The contract value is approximately 900 MSEK and involves a wide range of services including communications and IT management, consultancy services, end-user computing and cyber security services. The agreement includes communications and IT management, proactive end-point management, consulting services, and innovation support for developing new services.

07:35 EDT Biohaven Pharmaceutical's rimegepant Zydis for migraine featured in The Lancet - Biohaven Pharmaceutical announced that The Lancet published online positive results from a Phase 3 pivotal clinical trial of rimegepant Zydis orally dissolving tablet for the acute treatment of migraine. These data show that compared to placebo, patients treated with a single dose of the rimegepant ODT formulation experienced rapid and sustained clinical benefits. In this Phase 3 trial of rimegepant ODT, 1,375 patients were randomized and treated and 1,351 were evaluated for efficacy. The trial included endpoints to define the time course of the therapeutic actions of the rimegepant ODT. The use of endpoints earlier than two hours had not been previously investigated. Rimegepant was shown to be superior on 21 prespecified endpoints with statistical significance demonstrated on the co-primary endpoints of pain freedom and freedom from the most bothersome symptom at two hours post-dose, as well as numerous secondary endpoints defining early and sustained benefits. This is the third pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of rimegepant for the acute treatment of migraine. The results of all 3 trials show significant consistency in meeting the co-primary endpoints of pain freedom and freedom from most-bothersome symptoms at 2 hours. The trials were also consistent in showing meaningful gains over placebo in both pain relief and freedom from functional disability at two hours post-dose. Across the three trials, rimegepant was generally well tolerated, with the most frequent adverse event, nausea, occurring in 1.5% of rimegepant patients, as compared to 0.8% of patients on placebo. Additionally, rimegepant demonstrated a liver safety profile similar to placebo.

07:34 EDT Aemetis India expands revenues to $50M per year run rate - Aemetis announced that its Universal Biofuels India subsidiary ramped revenues to more than a $50M per year run rate after biodiesel shipments commenced in May pursuant to the previously announced $23M biodiesel supply contract to the three India government-owned Oil Marketing Companies. The Aemetis biodiesel plant in India recently completed the installation and commissioning of a pretreatment plant and related utilities upgrades to convert lower cost, waste feedstocks into high quality distilled biodiesel to supply the approximately 25 billion gallon diesel market in India.

07:32 EDT Cytokinetics announces completion of enrollment in GALACTIC-HF trial - Cytokinetics (CYTK) announced the completion of patient enrollment in GALACTIC-HF, the Phase 3 event driven cardiovascular outcomes clinical trial of omecamtiv mecarbil which is being conducted by Amgen (AMGN), in collaboration with Cytokinetics. Omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel investigational cardiac muscle activator, is being developed by Amgen in collaboration with Cytokinetics for the potential treatment of heart failure. GALACTIC-HF enrolled patients in 35 countries: approximately 40% in US and Canada, Western Europe, South Africa, and Australasia; 33% in Eastern Europe and Russia; 19% in Latin America and 8% in Asia. Approximately 25% of patients in GALACTIC-HF were hospitalized at the time of randomization.

07:30 EDT Alliance Data reports June net charge offs 5.8% vs. 6.3% last month - Reports June delinquency rate 5.2% vs. 5.0% last month.

07:24 EDT Flowr sees live resin vape offering as first product launch from Flowr Forest - Flowr remains committed to producing differentiated products and its dried flower products are expected to continue to be sourced exclusively from the purpose-built indoor facilities in Kelowna, whereas cannabis cultivated within Flowr Forest is expected to support Flowr's forthcoming extract business. Furthermore, with the recently announced changes to the regulatory framework and proposed timing for additional form factors to reach consumers in late 2019 or early 2020, the licensing of Flowr Forest positions the Company for a timely launch of its expanded adult-use recreational product line. The Company expects its first new product launch from Flowr Forest to be a live resin vape offering. The Company believes its deep expertise in cultivating superior plants positions it to produce exceptional flower for use in extraction. Building on Flowr's existing expertise, the Company is investing in the people, processes, and infrastructure to deliver a live resin vape product that will meet the expectations of cannabis consumers in Canada.

07:19 EDT Aleafia Health receives Health Canada license amendment for outdoor cultivation - Aleafia Health annnounced it's wholly-owned subsidiary, Aleafia Farms, secured a License Amendment under Health Canada's Cannabis Regulations authorizing cannabis cultivation for the entirety of the Company's Port Perry Outdoor Grow facility. The Licence immediately increases the Company's licensed and operational outdoor cultivation area from 292,000 sq. ft. to over 1.1 million sq. ft. As previously announced on June 10, 2019, Aleafia Farms received approval for cultivation in Zone 1 of the Outdoor Grow facility, and days later completed the planting of Canada's first legal, large-scale outdoor crop. The License now adds Zones 2, 3 and 4 which encompasses the full 1.1 million sq. ft. cultivation area. The License is effective as of July 12, 2019 and expires on October 13, 2020. The Company expects to commence planting the newly licensed area on July 15, 2019, using approximately 7,000 cannabis plants currently growing in pots in Zone 1. The Outdoor Grow operation will be overseen by Aleafia Health's proven, experienced cultivation team, which together have led the build-out and operations of seven cannabis cultivation facilities. It is intended that the cannabis grown at the Company's Outdoor Grow facility will be processed at the Company's Paris Facility, for the extraction and production of high-margin products within a closed loop ecosystem.

07:15 EDT First Majestic appoints Sophie Hsia as general counsel - The Company announced the appointment of Sophie Hsia as general counsel. Hsia was most recently general counsel and VP Risk at Imperial Metals Corporation. In addition, the company has hired Jose Figueroa as VP of Information Technology to manage all IT solutions and enterprise applications. Prior to joining First Majestic, Figueroa worked at Goldcorp as director of IT.

07:12 EDT First Majestic announces Q2 total production of 6.4M silver equivalent ounces - First Majestic Silver announces total production in the second quarter of 2019 reached 6.4M silver equivalent ounces, representing a 2% increase compared to the prior quarter. Total production consisted of 3.2M ounces of silver, 33,576 ounces of gold, 2.5M pounds of lead and 1.4M pounds of zinc. In the first half of 2019, total production reached 12.7M ounces, or approximately 49% of the Company's guidance midpoint of producing 24.7 to 27.5M silver equivalent ounces in 2019. "Our two primary assets, the San Dimas and Santa Elena mines, saw strong growth during the quarter producing approximately 80% of our total metal production," said Keith Neumeyer, President and CEO. "San Dimas continues to exceed guidance due to higher than expected grades and mining rates from the Jessica and Victoria veins. At Santa Elena, the newly installed HIG mill is in its final commissioning stage and is expected to ramp up to reach design capacity of 3,000 tpd in the third quarter. The HIG mill is anticipated to improve overall metallurgical recoveries and lower energy costs compared to traditional ball milling. These two operations will continue to be a major focal point for future production growth and capital investments. Last but certainly not least, I'm very proud to announce that in May we received Ermitano's DTU permit. This was the final permit required before initiating development activities at this high-grade gold/silver deposit near our Santa Elena mill. Underground development activities are now expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2019 with initial production in late 2020. Ermitano's high grade resources are expected to significantly increase Santa Elena's production profile and extend mine life for years to come."

07:10 EDT Barrick Gold says ICSID awards $5.84B in damages to Tethyan Copper Company - Barrick Gold announced that the World Bank International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes has awarded $5.84 billion in damages to Tethyan Copper Company Pty Limited, a joint venture held equally by Barrick and Antofagasta plc, in relation to the arbitration claims filed against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan following the unlawful denial of a mining lease for the Reko Diq project in Pakistan in 2011. Damages include compensation of $4.087B in relation to the fair market value of the Reko Diq project at the time the mining lease was denied, and interest until the date of the award of $1.753B. Compound interest continues to apply at a rate of US Prime +1% per annum until the award is paid. Prior to denial of the mining lease application, TCC had completed a feasibility study showing that Reko Diq is one of the world's largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits, with a potential mine life of over 50 years and an estimated initial capital investment of over $3B.

07:09 EDT China Lending Corp. partners with Rui Xin Insurance in online financial platform - China Lending Corporation has entered into a five-year strategic partnership agreement with Rui Xin Insurance Technology, a financial technology company providing comprehensive insurance solutions. Through the partnership, each party expects to jointly grow their businesses and help each other to expand their customer base. China Lending will work with Rui Xin to develop its own consumer financial platform. In collaboration with Rui Xin and its partners, the company expects to provide value-added consumer financial services to insurance consumers of Rui Xin and its partners. In addition, China Lending and Rui Xin will also explore collaboration opportunities in areas such as insurance consumer acquisition, development of insurance products, expansion of insurance business, and customization of consumer financial solutions. Moreover, China Lending will benefit from Rui Xin and its partners' technological capabilities in big data and artificial intelligence to improve its risk management and enhance its customer experience. Rui Xin will be able to explore new business opportunities and increase its competency to eventually expand its customer base in the insurance industry by benefiting from China Lending's financial service expertise, bank credit facility resource, and client base in certain regional markets.

07:07 EDT Enviva CEO issues statement following approval of permit for Lucedale build - On July 9, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Permit Board, after an extensive review process that included an extended public comment period, a well-attended public hearing in Lucedale, and hundreds of public comments, unanimously approved Enviva's permit to begin construction on its Lucedale, Mississippi wood pellet plant. Enviva's Chairman and CEO John Keppler issued the following statement: "We want to thank the community of Lucedale. We received overwhelming support from community members, small business owners, and environmental and conservation leaders. We want to thank the state of Mississippi and George County. We have been in the Amory, Mississippi community for almost a decade, so we already know that Mississippi is a great place to do business. We appreciate the support of the many elected officials who have encouraged us to grow in this state. We want to solve big challenges. Renewable wood energy is an important part of the renewable energy sector. Enviva, and the broad forest products industry in Mississippi, are moving us toward a more sustainable future. We want to help grow more forests. The key to keeping forests as forests is strong demand for forest products. That raises the value landowners can get from keeping their land as managed forests. Because of this strong market, private forest owners in the Southeast are growing 40% more wood than they remove every year. We want to create products here in America that we can export to other countries. Wood pellets are an export success story, and the new $60 million shipping terminal we're building in Pascagoula, Mississippi is a part of this great story. We want to create more jobs in rural communities. We are starting construction on the Lucedale facility soon, and are proud to have the opportunity to create about 90 direct jobs in Lucedale, 30 direct jobs in Pascagoula, and hundreds of additional indirect and construction jobs. We want to continue to be a good partner in the communities where we work and live. We have worked hard not only to provide good jobs and promote environmental stewardship, but also to listen to the needs of our neighbors, partners, suppliers, and associates. We want to be a sustainable resource for every community we are in. Whether that's working with local schools, emergency responders, non-profit organizations, or conservation groups, we believe this is the responsibility of every company. You have our commitment: We will work tirelessly -- every day -- to be a company that Lucedale is proud to have in its community. Thank you for welcoming us home."

07:05 EDT Aurora Cannabis obtains two licences for outdoor growing operations in Canada - Aurora Cannabis has received Health Canada licenses for outdoor cultivation at two Canadian sites. The new sites in Quebec and British Columbia will be used for cultivation research to develop new technology, genetics and intellectual property in order to drive sustainable outdoor production. Aurora purposefully chose the outdoor sites because they represent two different growing environments. The newly-named Western facility will be called Aurora Valley and is a 207-acre operation in Westwold, British Columbia. The Eastern facility, a 21,000 square foot operation at the Aurora Eau facility in Lachute, is the first approved outdoor grow operation for cannabis in Quebec. The two sites are an extension of the scientific research Aurora will be conducting at its new Comox facility, which will be ready in the fall of 2019. In addition to the two new outdoor production sites, Aurora has received the Health Canada processing license for its Aurora Air facility located near the Edmonton International Airport and Aurora Sky. Aurora Air will be home to several of the new production lines for edible products such as gummies and chocolates, to be introduced to the Canadian consumer market in December 2019.

07:05 EDT EyePoint appoints Wendy DiCicco to board of directors - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Wendy DiCicco, CPA, to the company's Board of Directors and Audit Committee, where she will serve as Chair of the Committee. She most recently was chief operating and financial officer of Centinel Spine, a privately-held designer, developer and worldwide distributor of spinal implants.

07:03 EDT Emerald Health Therapeutics receives cultivation license for outdoor grow area - Emerald Health has received its cultivation license from Health Canada for the 12-acre outdoor grow area at its new organic cannabis operation in Metro Vancouver, BC. The outdoor grow area is expected to be capable of producing approximately 10,000 kg of cannabis annually with multiple crops during a full growing season. With this license effective as of July 12, 2019, Emerald is positioned to deliver one harvest and a portion of the expected full production volume this year. The 12 acres of outdoor cultivation are part of an overall 20-acre site that includes 156,000 sq. ft. in two greenhouses. This operation was purposefully designed for organic cultivation with the goal of exceeding 20,000 kg of annual production. There is also the prospect of securing and licensing an additional adjacent 12 acres of outdoor grow area, with potential for an additional approximately 10,000 kg of annual production. With the organic operation's first greenhouse ready for cultivation and the second greenhouse near completion, Emerald will continue to apply for license amendments to expand its licensed cultivation areas. Emerald is also working to complete the requirements for municipal permitting. Separately, Health Canada also approved Emerald's amendment application to increase its processing footprint at one of its two Victoria, British Columbia facilities, allowing Emerald to expand processing and storage capabilities.

07:03 EDT Callon Petroleum to acquire Carrizo Oil & Gas in all-stock deal valued at $3.2B - Callon Petroleum (CPE) and Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO) announced that their Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Callon will acquire Carrizo in an all-stock transaction valued at $3.2B. This highly complementary combination will create a leading oil and gas company with scaled development operations across a portfolio of core oil-weighted assets in both the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale. Under the terms of the agreement, Carrizo shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 2.05 Callon shares for each share of Carrizo common stock they own. This represents $13.12 per Carrizo share based on Callon's closing common stock price on July 12 and a premium of 18% to Carrizo's trailing 60-day volume weighted average price. Following the close of the transaction, Callon shareholders will own approximately 54% of the combined company, and Carrizo shareholders will own approximately 46%, on a fully diluted basis. The all-stock transaction is intended to be tax-free to Carrizo shareholders. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors at both Callon and Carrizo. In addition, each of the Carrizo directors has committed to vote his or her shares in favor of the transaction. Upon closing, the Board of Directors of the combined company will consist of 11 members, including Callon's eight current Board members and three to be appointed from the Board of Carrizo. The combined company will be led by Callon's executive management team and will remain headquartered in Houston, Texas. The transaction, which is expected to close during the fourth quarter, is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, including the approval of shareholders of both companies.

07:00 EDT Callon Petroleum to acquire Carrizo Oil & Gas in all stock deal valued at $3.2B

06:57 EDT Sierra Metals reports Q2 production results - Sierra Metals reports Q2 production results featuring the highest level of quarterly throughput to date at its Bolivar and Cusi Mines in Mexico. Results are from Sierra Metals' three underground mines in Latin America: The Yauricocha polymetallic mine in Peru, and the Bolivar copper and Cusi silver Mines in Mexico. Reports Q2 silver production 0.8 million ounces, up 21% year-over-year; lead production of 8.1 million pounds, up 14% y-o-y; Q2 gold production of 2,540 ounces, up 40%; copper production of 9.7 million pounds, up 13%; Q2 zinc production of 16.6 million pounds; down 18% y-o-y; zinc equivalent production of 57.6 million pounds, up 4%; record quarterly throughput at the Bolivar and Cusi Mines in Mexico. The Yauricocha Mine experienced a 10% reduction in throughput during Q2 compared to Q2 2018 due to the illegal strike action initiated by members of the Union of the Mine and Metallurgical Workers of Minera Corona on March 19. This illegal strike was resolved on April 12. Management believes that any production lost during this strike action should not materially affect the company's annual production guidance.

06:54 EDT Endeavour Silver acquires rights to two properties near Guanacevi Mine, Mexico - Endeavour Silver announces it has acquired the exploration and exploitation rights to two properties adjacent to the Guanacevi Mine in Durango State, Mexico. Both properties cover possible extensions of Endeavour orebodies. The El Porvenir property sits adjacent to the operating Porvenir Norte mine and covers the updip extension of the Porvenir Norte orebody. Endeavor had a similar exploration and exploitation right on this property between 2006 and 2008, during which time the Company conducted exploration drilling and small scale mining. Previously estimated reserves and resources remain available for development and production, albeit at higher silver prices. The El Curso property lies adjacent to the now closed Porvenir Cuatro mine and covers any possible northwest extension of the Porvenir Cuatro orebody. Porvenir Cuatro was previously Endeavour's highest grade mine in the district. Mining at Porvenir Cuatro ended in 2018 at the boundary with the El Curso property. The current mine access ramp from Porvenir Cuatro to Milache crosses the entire El Curso property so Endeavour has existing underground access and infrastructure to facilitate the exploration, development and production of El Curso.

06:41 EDT Circor down 16% to $35.50 after Crane ceases acquisition efforts

06:37 EDT Crane ceasing efforts to acquire Circor - Due to the failure of Circor (CIR) board to engage in any discussions on behalf of Circor shareholders, Crane Co. (CR) is ceasing its efforts to acquire Circor and will not extend its $48 per share tender offer scheduled to expire on July 19.

06:35 EDT Thor Industries executive chairman Peter Orthwein to step down - Thor Industries announced that as part of the board's strategic succession plan, Peter Orthwein, Thor Industries' co-founder and executive chairman, has informed the board that he will step down as executive chairman effective at the company's fiscal year end, July 31. As part of the transition, the board has named Orthwein chairman emeritus effective as of the date of his transition from executive chairman. Orthwein will remain an active member of the board. The company will announce its new chairman before the end of its fiscal year.

06:33 EDT Air Lease announces delivery of Airbus A320-200neo aircraft to Atlantic Airways - Air Lease announced the delivery of one new Airbus A320-200neo aircraft on long-term lease to Atlantic Airways, the national airline of the Faroe Islands. This aircraft is the first of two A320-200neos confirmed to deliver to the airline from ALC's order book with Airbus. The second A320-200neo is scheduled to deliver to Atlantic Airways in Spring 2020.

06:32 EDT ReneSola agrees to sell 12.3MW of China rooftop DG projects - ReneSola announced that it had entered into an agreement to sell two project companies - including ten rooftop DG projects located in Zhejiang Province - to Shanghai Hongzuo New Energy Company. The ten rooftop projects have an aggregate capacity of 12.3MW. Shanghai Hongzuo is a subsidiary of Far East Horizon Company. The project companies being sold by ReneSola are Ningbo Qixu New Energy Company, Ltd. and Taizhou Dehong New Energy Technology Company, Ltd.

06:13 EDT Neon Therapeutics' Neoantigen vaccine shows prolonged Progression-Free Survival - Neon Therapeutics announced top-line results from the Phase 1b clinical trial evaluating NEO-PV-01, Neon's personal neoantigen vaccine candidate, in combination with Opdivo in patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma, smoking-associated non-small cell lung cancer and bladder cancer. Across all three distinct tumor types, results demonstrated prolonged and consistent improvements in progression-free survival that compare favorably to that observed with checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy. At 13.4-month median follow-up in 34 patients with metastatic melanoma, median PFS had not yet been reached. In 27 patients with metastatic NSCLC, median PFS was 5.6 months; and in 21 patients with metastatic bladder cancer, median PFS was 5.6 months. These top-line data support further development of NEO-PV-01, including randomized Phase 2 trials of NEO-PV-01 in metastatic disease settings. In the 60 patients who had received at least one vaccine dose, no serious adverse events were observed that were related to the NEO-PV-01/Opdivo combination. Neon plans to initiate a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a biomarker-defined population of first-line metastatic melanoma patients in 2020.Neon has completed enrollment in NT-002, its Phase 1b clinical trial evaluating NEO-PV-01 in combination with the current standard of care, Keytruda and chemotherapy, in first-line patients with untreated advanced or metastatic NSCLC. Neon expects to report immune monitoring and clinical outcome data from this trial by the end of 3Q20, which will inform future randomized clinical trials.

06:10 EDT Lockheed Martin says plans to expand Milwaukee plant workforce by 15% - Lockheed Martin said via Twitter: "We proudly hosted @POTUS at our facility in Milwaukee. We plan to expand our workforce there by more than 15% this year. Another example of how we're creating jobs and fueling economic growth." Reference Link

06:05 EDT Zosano Pharma presents Migraine-ACT scores for Qtrypta therapy - Zosano Pharma announced the presentation of Migraine-ACT scores for Qtrypta therapy used over 6-12 months. The Migraine Assessment of Current Therapy questionnaire is a standardized evaluation completed by patients to assess the effectiveness of a patient's acute treatment of migraine therapy, with the highest achievable score being a four. Data from 294 Qtrypta study participants were included in the analysis, which demonstrated that Migraine-ACT scores averaged greater than three throughout the trial, indicating an excellent response to Qtrypta therapy. At their 48-week visit, 89% of participants scored greater than three on the Migraine-ACT questionnaire, while more than 75% scored a four out of four, suggesting optimal acute treatment and no need to change that treatment. The detailed results were presented at AHS 61st Annual Scientific Meeting in a presentation entitled, "Assessing the Long-Term Effectiveness of Qtrypta using the Migraine-ACT; Correlation with Electronic Diary Scores."

06:03 EDT NanoString announces collaboration with MODEL-AD consortium - NanoString announced a collaboration with the MODEL-AD consortium that has resulted in the development of two nCounter gene expression panels for use in Alzheimer's disease research, and the presentation of data from several studies at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2019 meeting. The development of the panels is described in detail, highlighting that data from AD patients was used to identify the key gene groupings to be assayed in animal models. In addition, the panel was used for initial characterization of novel mouse models of late-onset AD.

05:51 EDT American Midstream anticipates closing of merger on July 23 - American Midstream Partners announced that it has notified the New York Stock Exchange of the anticipated closing date of the previously-announced merger transactions contemplated by that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated March 17, by and among the Partnership, American Midstream GP, LLC and affiliates of ArcLight Energy Partners Fund V, L.P. The Partnership anticipates that the merger will close on July 23. Upon the closing of the merger on the terms and conditions set forth in the merger agreement, the Partnership will be a wholly owned subsidiary of the Purchaser. Following completion of the merger, the common units of the Partnership will cease to be listed on the NYSE and will be deregistered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.