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

18:50 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: CrowdStrike (CRWD) up 13.8%... Skechers (SKX) up 11.4%... Exponent (EXPO) up 4.7%... Microsoft (MSFT) up 2.5%... Chewy (CHWY) up 2.1%. ALSO HIGHER: Red Robin (RRGB) up 16.1% after Vintage Capital disclosed offer to purchase company at $40 per share... Gannett (GCI) up 11.8% after WSJ speculation the company is in late-stage merger talks with GateHouse Media... InflaRX (IFRX) up 8.9% after disclosing "robust anti-inflammatory activity" in Phase 2b study of IFX-1... Boeing (BA) up 2.3% after announcing $4.9B charge related to 737Max grounding. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: MicroVision (MVIS) down 12.8%... Bank OZK (OZK) down 2.9%... Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) down 1.6%. ALSO LOWER: Alcoa (AA) down 1.1% after being downgraded to Hold at Jefferies. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:30 EDT National Australia Bank names Ross McEwan as new CEO - National Australia Bank announced the appointment of Ross McEwan as Group CEO and Managing Director. The New Zealand-born, former Australian banking industry executive has been CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland since 2013. Mr McEwan announced his resignation from RBS in April 2019 and will start with NAB once his obligations to his current employer have been discharged, no later than April 2020. He will be invited to join the NAB Board at this time.

18:06 EDT Molson Coors raises quarterly dividend to 57c from 41c per share - Molson Coors declared a regular quarterly dividend on its Class A and Class B common shares of 57c per share, payable September 13 to shareholders of record on August 30.

18:02 EDT Basic Energy announces record setting lateral completion in Permian Basin - Basic Energy Services announced that one of its high-spec, 24-hour rig and equipment packages recently completed a record-setting Wolfcamp A well for Surge Energy US Holdings Company, one of its top customers in the Permian Basin. Rig #1826, based in Big Spring, Texas, along with a bundled Basic high-spec ancillary equipment package successfully drilled out frac plugs over a total horizontal displacement of 17,935 feet. To date, this well marks the longest known lateral completed in the Permian Basin. Rig #1826, a high-spec, 600-horsepower Taylor well servicing unit, coupled with Basic's twin 2,250 horsepower pumps and high-performance ancillary equipment, completed the drill-out of the Medusa Unit C 28-09 3AH safely and efficiently in six days.

18:02 EDT WiLAN unit acquires patent portfolio from Vidiator - Wi-LAN announced that WiLAN's wholly-owned subsidiary, Adaptive Streaming, has acquired a portfolio of patents from Vidiator Enterprises. The patents are related to Adaptive Bitrate Streaming, which is the primary way in which video is delivered over the Internet. All other terms of the agreement are confidential.

17:53 EDT Red Robin confirms $40.00 per share cash buyout proposal from Vintage Capital - Red Robin confirmed it has received an unsolicited conditional proposal from Vintage Capital Management to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Red Robin for $40.00 per share in cash. Red Robin's Board of Directors and management team are committed to acting in the best interests of the company and all shareholders. Consistent with its fiduciary duties and in consultation with its independent legal and financial advisors, the Red Robin Board will carefully review and consider the proposal to determine the course of action it believes is in the best interests of the company's shareholders.

17:46 EDT Harvard Bioscience names Michael Rossi CFO - Harvard Bioscience has named Michael Rossi CFO, effective immediately. Rossi most recently served as CFO of Laborie Medical Technologies, a global medical devices company. Prior to serving at Laborie Medical Technologies, he served as CFO of Medical Specialties Distributors, a healthcare supply chain management solutions company for over three years.

17:38 EDT Intuitive Surgical falls after Q2 report, despite earnings beat - Shares of Intuitive are off their lows in post market trading, but still down over 1.3% to $529.50. Shares of the company closed up 2.5% for the regular session.

17:13 EDT RCI Hospitality auditor BDO resigns, company files Nasdaq compliance plan - RCI Hospitality announced that BDO USA informed the company's board that effective July 12, it has resigned as RCI's independent registered public accounting firm. RCI also announced its search to identify a new independent registered public accounting firm and that it has submitted a plan to Nasdaq detailing plans to regain compliance with Listing Rule 5250(c), as it has not yet filed its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, as required. In addition, RCI expects next week to report on the status of the independent internal review into allegations raised anonymously by articles in forums associated with the short-selling community, and also report preliminary Q2 financial results in more detail. If the Nasdaq compliance plan is accepted, Nasdaq may grant RCI an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the 10-Q's due date, or until November 6, to regain compliance. The company's common stock will continue to trade under its current symbol RICK on Nasdaq pending review of the plan.

17:01 EDT Cubic receives extension on simulation services contract in Australia - Cubic Corporation announced its Cubic Global Defense business division's Australian operations, Cubic Defence Australia, received an extension as the contractor to provide a managed workforce solution for the Australian Defence Simulation and Training Centre Simulation Support Services. ADSTC designs and delivers end-to-end joint and combined training exercises using world-class simulations to enhance realism, stimulate command, control and communications as well as distributed mission training for the Australian Defence Force. The SSS contract is a key enabler for the Australian Defence Force's future simulation capability.

16:50 EDT Intuitive Surgical says 74% of systems placed in Q2 were da Vinci XIs - Says team has done a nice job of fixing manufacturing stalls. Says acquisition of Scholly Fiberoptic's robotic endoscope business will increase manufacturing capacity. Says Q2 procedure growth was driven by general surgery in the U.S. and urology worldwide. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

16:47 EDT Zynga to expand India market with larger space in 'central hub' Bengaluru - Earlier on Thursday, Zynga announced the move of its India studio into a new, larger office near MG Road in Bengaluru and is actively hiring for game development roles for this key location. Zynga's India studio drives the development and management of a renowned portfolio of mobile and web titles, including FarmVille, FarmVille 2, FarmVille 2: Country Escape, FarmVille 2: Tropic Escape, Black Diamond Casino, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Slots, Empires & Allies, Draw Something and more. "Bengaluru is a central hub for game development with talented professionals who drive innovation," said Matt Bromberg, COO at Zynga. "It is also home to passionate gamers who love to play and build great products. Harnessing this combined passion and talent will further fuel the studio and Zynga as a key development leader in India."

16:37 EDT First Financial Bancorp increases dividend 1c to 23c per share - First Financial Bancorp increased its quarterly dividend from 22c to 23c per share, payable on September 16 to shareholders of record as of September 2.

16:33 EDT Boeing to record $4.9B or $8.74 per share Q2 charge on 737Max grounding - Boeing will record an after-tax charge of $4.9B or $8.74 per share in connection with an estimate of potential concessions and other considerations to customers for disruptions related to the 737 MAX grounding and associated delivery delays. This charge will result in a $5.6B reduction of revenue and pre-tax earnings in the quarter. While the entire estimated amount will be recognized as a charge in the second quarter, the company expects any potential concessions or other considerations to be provided over a number of years and take various forms of economic value. Additionally, Boeing's estimated costs to produce the aircraft in the 737 accounting quantity increased by $1.7B in Q2, primarily due to higher costs associated with a longer than expected reduction in the production rate. The increased 737 program costs will reduce the margin of the 737 program in Q2 and in future quarters. Boeing continues to work with civil aviation authorities to ensure the 737 MAX's safe return to service, and these authorities will determine the timing of return to service. For purposes of the second-quarter financial results, the company has assumed that regulatory approval of 737 MAX return to service in the U.S. and other jurisdictions begins early in Q4 of 2019.

16:32 EDT Dragon Victory receives Nasdaq staff deficiency letter - Dragon Victory International Limited announced that on July 16, 2019, it received a Nasdaq staff deficiency letter notifying the company that it was no longer in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550a2. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550a2 requires listed securities to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share, and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810c3A provides that a failure to meet the minimum bid price requirement exists if the deficiency continues for a period of 30 consecutive business days. Based on the closing bid price of the company's ordinary shares for the 30 consecutive business days prior to the date of the Nasdaq Letter, the company no longer meets the minimum bid price requirement. The Nasdaq Letter has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the company's ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market and, at this time, the ordinary shares will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "LYL."

16:31 EDT Old Point Financial chairman Robert F. Shuford, Sr. announces retirement - Robert F. Shuford, Sr., Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Old Point Financial Corporation, has announced his intent to retire in January of 2020. Hired in 1965 as Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors, he was named President of Old Point National Bank in 1967. He became Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Old Point Financial Corporation upon its creation in 1984. The Board of Directors has selected Robert F. Shuford, Jr., Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Old Point National Bank, to succeed Robert F. Shuford, Sr. Hired as Vice President and then serving as Chief Operating Officer, Robert F. Shuford, Jr. has over 20 years of leadership experience at Old Point National Bank.

16:25 EDT Red Robin up 8% at $33 per share after Vintage Capital disclosed offer

16:22 EDT Vintage Capital proposes to acquire Red Robin at $40 per share - In a regulatory filing, Vintage Capital - a holder of 11.6% stake - disclosed it has offered to acquire Red Robin at $40 per share, stating: "Vintage Capital hopes to continue to engage constructively with the Issuer regarding this proposal. However, should the Issuer fail to meaningfully engage on this proposal or with respect to Vintage Capital's request that the Issuer explore an auction process in which Vintage Capital can participate, Vintage Capital remains willing to pursue its prior request to convene a special meeting of stockholders of the Issuer."

16:18 EDT Global Ship Lease announces new charter agreement - Global Ship Lease announced that it has agreed a new charter for the 2003-built, 2,207 TEU GSL Keta. Commencing in late July, the vessel will be chartered for minimum 50 days / maximum 90 days to OOCL at a fixed rate of $8,700 per day. Ian Webber, Chief Executive Officer of Global Ship Lease, commented, "We are pleased to have signed this charter at an improved rate with a top-tier counterparty in OOCL. With strong fundamentals driving continuing improvements across the ship sizes that make up our fleet of high-quality, mid-sized and smaller containerships, Global Ship Lease is in an excellent position to realize additional benefits for our shareholders."

16:18 EDT Microsoft up 1% after Q4 earnings beat - In afterhours trading, Microsoft shares are up $1.46, or 1.1%, to $137.88.

16:16 EDT Accenture names Jimmy Etheredge as Chief Executive of North America unit - Accenture has appointed James Etheredge as group chief executive - North America. He succeeds Julie Sweet, who will become Accenture's chief executive officer. Martin Rodgers will succeed Etheredge as senior managing director - US Southeast. These changes are effective Sept. 1, 2019.

16:15 EDT Capital One up 5% to $93.25 after Q2 results beat estimates

16:15 EDT Skechers up 7% after Q2 earnings beat, above-consensus Q3 guidance

16:12 EDT Microsoft reports Q4 More Personal Computing revenue $11.3B - Revenue in More Personal Computing was $11.3B and increased 4%, up 6% in constant currency. Windows OEM revenue increased 9%, up 9% in constant currency. Windows Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 13%, up 16% in constant currency. Surface revenue increased 14%, up 17% in constant currency. Search advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 9%, up 10% in constant currency. Gaming revenue declined 10%, down 8% in constant currency, with Xbox software and services revenue down 3%, down 1% in constant currency.

16:11 EDT 1st Source raises quarterly dividend 8% to 27c per share - At its July 2019 meeting, the board of directors approved a cash dividend of 27c per common share, up 8.0% from the 25c per common share declared a year ago. The cash dividend is payable to shareholders of record on August 5, 2019 and will be paid on August 15, 2019.

16:09 EDT Intuitive Surgical says shipped 273 da Vinci Surgical Systems in Q2 - The Company shipped 273 da Vinci Surgical Systems, an increase of 24% compared with 220 in the second quarter of 2018. Also, the Company grew its installed base to 5,270 systems as of June 30, 2019, an increase of 13% compared with 4,666 as of the end of the second quarter of 2018.

16:08 EDT Microsoft reports Q4 Productivity and Business Processes revenue $11.0B - Revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was $11.0B and increased 14%, up 17% in constant currency. Office Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 14%, up 16% in constant currency, driven by Office 365 Commercial revenue growth of 31%, up 34% in constant currency. Office Consumer products and cloud services revenue increased 6%, up 8% in constant currency, and Office 365 Consumer subscribers increased to 34.8M. LinkedIn revenue increased 25%, up 28% in constant currency, with record levels of engagement highlighted by LinkedIn sessions growth of 22%.

16:07 EDT Skechers reports Q2 SSS up 4.9% - Q2 comparable same store sales increased 4.9%, including increases of 4.2% domestically and 6.7% internationally. Reports Q2 gross margin 48.5% vs. 49.4% last year. The company states: "gross margins decreased as a result of promotional efforts to clear seasonal merchandise in select international markets. This was partially offset by higher domestic margins from improved retail pricing and product mix in our direct-to-consumer and domestic wholesale businesses."

16:06 EDT Chico's names Bonnie Brooks as CEO

16:05 EDT InflaRx reports additional analysis of SHINE phase IIb results in HS - InflaRx reported additional in-depth analysis of the completed double blind, placebo controlled part of the ongoing international SHINE Phase IIb study to supplement InflaRx's top line disclosure of results reported on June 5, 2019. The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of IFX-1, a first-in-class anti-human complement factor C5a monoclonal antibody, in patients suffering from moderate to severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), a painful and debilitating chronic inflammatory skin disease with limited treatment options. Prof. Niels C. Riedemann, CEO and Founder of InflaRx, commented: "While we were very disappointed about missing our primary endpoint in the SHINE study, our in depth post-hoc data analysis suggests a robust anti-inflammatory activity in the high dose IFX-1 treatment group across numerous efficacy measures which were not reflected by the HiSCR. The company has made significant efforts to research the available data set and has engaged with US and European experts to assist in the analysis and interpretation of these findings. Based on this, our team continues to work on the development of IFX-1 in HS. We look forward to discussions with the regulatory authorities upon completion of the open label extension portion of the ongoing SHINE study," he added.

16:03 EDT Willamette Valley Vineyards CFO retiring - Willamette Valley Vineyards CFO Rich Goward has notified the company of his intention to retire from his role by the end of 2019. Goward will remain in his role until a successor is appointed. Following his retirement as CFO, Goward will remain with the company as a senior advisor assisting with the leadership transition, working on issues related to the winery's public company status and governance issues. Willamette Valley Vineyards is conducting an external search for its next CFO/Business Manager.

16:00 EDT Honeywell says Bloomberg story on flight safety 'highly inaccurate' - Honeywell issued a statement in response to a Bloomberg story about alleged issues with Wi-Fi and cell phone use on certain aircraft, stating in part: "Honeywell is thoroughly disappointed with Bloomberg's decision to publish an inaccurate, highly misleading story about use of Wi-Fi or cell phone devices on certain aircraft as it relates to Honeywell display units. Despite our cooperation with the reporter to ensure she had the available information on hand to understand a complex technical issue, the publication chose to ignore the facts and sensationalize the story...Honeywell has proudly served the Aerospace industry for more than 100 years with an ironclad commitment to flight safety that we take very seriously. We have been fully transparent on the issue covered in this article, which has been well known to the industry and has been addressed. We stand by our products."

15:47 EDT Woodson Capital reports 5.2% passive stake in Crocs - In a regulatory filing, Woodson Capital disclosed a 5.2% stake in Crocs, which represents about 3.8M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

15:03 EDT GAMCO Investors announces plan to tender Circor shares - GAMCO Investors (GBL) announced that certain of its affiliates are participating in Crane Co.'s (CR) revised tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Circor International's (CIR) common stock for $48.00 per share in cash. The tender offer is scheduled to expire at midnight, New York City Time, on July 19. GAMCO "again encourages CIRCOR's Board of Directors to engage with Crane as well as any other interested parties for the benefit of all stockholders. GAMCO's proxy voting committee will continue to monitor the actions of CIRCOR's Board as it considers the submission of director nominations at the company's 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders," the investor stated.

14:29 EDT Alkermes, Janssen accuse Luye Pharma of patent infringement - In a lawsuit filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, Alkermes (ALKS) and Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) Janssen Pharmaceuticals accused Luye Pharma Group, Nanjing Luye Pharmaceutical and Shandong Luye Pharmaceutical of infringement of United States Patent No. 6,667,061, arising from the defendants' filing of an NDA with the FDA seeking approval to market defendants' extended release risperidone injections before the expiration patent protection on Risperdal Consta. Alkermes and Janssen asked for a permanent injunction restraining and enjoining Luye against the commercial manufacture, use, offer for sale, sale in, and/or importation into the U.S. of Luye's Risperidone product until the day after the expiration of the '061 patent and an award of damages or other relief if the company sells the drug prior to the patent expiration, according to a filing on the court's website.

13:54 EDT Adamis Pharmaceuticals, kaleo Inc agree to settle all litigation - Adamis Pharmaceuticals announced that Adamis and kaleo Inc. agreed to settle all previously announced litigation between the parties, including the case filed by kaleo in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in which kaleo claimed specified aspects of Adamis' ZIMHI naloxone product infringed certain kaleo-owned patents, and the case filed by Adamis in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in which Adamis claimed specified actions by kaleo infringed Adamis' SYMJEPI trademark. As part of the resolution of the current litigation, kaleo agreed not to bring future action against Adamis relating to ZIMHI so long as Adamis does not reference kaleo's product in a future filing with the FDA, and Adamis agreed not to bring future action against kaleo for acts that occurred prior to the settlement date. The parties agreed to the language contained in this press release and have each filed a copy of the settlement agreement along with a request of voluntary dismissal in the Delaware and Virginia courts, as appropriate, and expect the respective judges to accept and dismiss both cases in due course.

12:34 EDT Chico's FAS initiates Fort Myers lockdown after call over active shooter threat - Chico's FAS issued the following statement regarding a lockdown at its corporate campus in Fort Myers: "Earlier today, Chico's FAS security personnel received an anonymous call regarding the threat of an active shooter in the area around its corporate headquarters facility in Fort Myers. The security and safety of our employees is of paramount importance to Chico's FAS. Local law enforcement and other emergency personnel were immediately notified, and are presently on site. As a precaution, and consistent with existing security protocols and policies, all employees were notified of the situation in real-time. A lockdown of all facilities has been initiated, and employees at the site have been instructed by local law enforcement to shelter in place at a secure location. No actual shooter has been identified, and the Company is currently unaware of any injuries. Chico's FAS is working closely with local authorities to provide all information to ensure the corporate facilities are secure, investigate the threat and monitor the situation."

12:28 EDT United to resume service between New York/Newark and Delhi and Mumbai - United Airlines (UAL) announced it is resuming its daily nonstop service between New York/Newark and Delhi and Mumbai on Sept. 6, 2019, and Sept. 7, 2019. Tickets are now available for purchase. United has operated service between the United States and India since 2005, and in December will become the only U.S. airline to offer nonstop service between the U.S. West Coast and Delhi. The new flight will connect customers from more than 80 U.S. cities to India with just one stop in San Francisco. United is the only U.S. airline offering nonstop service to Mumbai and Delhi from New York/Newark. Seasonal service between San Francisco and Delhi begins Dec. 5, 2019, with Boeing (BA) 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

12:08 EDT BAE Systems names Travis Garriss as CIO, Alice Eldridge as general counsel - BAE Systems (BAESY) announced three appointments to its senior leadership team, including Alice Eldridge as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, Travis Garriss as senior vice president and chief information officer, and Leslie Jelalian as senior vice president of Strategy & Corporate Development. Eldridge succeeds Ian Graham, who departed the company in May, as senior vice president and general counsel. In addition to her role as general counsel, Eldridge has been appointed to the BAE Systems, Inc. Board of Directors and will serve as the board secretary. In the newly created position of senior vice president and CIO, Garriss will lead efforts to invest in and maintain critical systems to meet the company's expanding high-technology requirements, while preserving strong information security and governance. Garriss most recently served as CIO and vice president of User and Functional Enablement at Honeywell (HON). Jelalian will fill a restructured role as senior vice president of Strategy and Corporate Development, focused on pursuing strategic growth through domestic and international business opportunities and identifying key initiatives to strengthen BAE Systems' portfolio with appropriate acquisitions, divestitures, and organic investments.

11:51 EDT Volkswagen to end production of Golf Alltrack and Golf SportWagen in 2019 - Volkswagen of America announced yesterday that the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack and Golf SportWagen will end production with the 2019 model year. Volkswagen will continue building the Alltrack at the Puebla, Mexico plant through December 2019 to provide enthusiasts additional opportunity to own an affordable, European-designed wagon. Over the past several years, demand among American consumers has shifted from wagons to SUVs, the car maker said. Through the first half of 2019, SUVs account for 47% of the industry sales, and more than 50% of Volkswagen sales, it said. Volkswagen plans to release three new SUV models in the next 24 months. The five-seater Atlas Cross Sport will be unveiled later this year, and the ID. CROZZ electric SUV debuts early next year. Last week, Volkswagen announced a new smaller SUV model expected to arrive in 2021 that will slot beneath the Tiguan. "SUVs have definitely assumed the mantle of family haulers from the station wagons and minivans we remember from our childhoods," said Scott Keogh President and CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "But as we look towards the future, both our expanded SUV lineup and the upcoming ID. family of electric vehicles will bring the opportunity to combine the style and space people want in a variety of ways. As the ID. BUZZ concept demonstrates, the flexibility of our EV platform gives us the ability to revive body styles of the past, so anything is possible."

11:34 EDT Akerna announces partnership agreement with Leafly - Akerna Corp. and Leafly have partnered to provide real-time data updates. With the integration, MJ Platform users will see their inventory and menus automatically update on Leafly.com, Akerna said in a statement. Through the partnership between Akerna and Leafly, the millions of visitors to Leafly's website will view up-to-date inventory and pricing for their local dispensaries, supporting informed decision-making and stream-lined supply chain management, the company said.

11:05 EDT Spring Bank reports agreement for HBV antisense oligonucleotide compounds - Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals announced that it has entered into a research agreement with The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to evaluate Spring Bank's hepatitis B virus antisense oligonucleotide compounds.Spring Bank has entered into a non-clinical evaluation agreement to access NIAID's preclinical services program to further evaluate Spring Bank's HBV antisense oligonucleotide compounds. Under the agreement, NIAID-funded contractors will evaluate Spring Bank's lead compounds in the HBV transgenic mouse model, a well-established preclinical model to assess compound efficacy. NIAID has previously supported the evaluation of several of Spring Bank's HBV antisense oligonucleotide compounds in antiviral in vitro assays. Spring Bank retains exclusive rights to these compounds. "We are grateful to NIAID for their support of our HBV oligonucleotide antisense program," said Kris Iyer, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Spring Bank. "The research supported by this prestigious institution will enhance our knowledge of the non-clinical efficacy profile for our HBV antisense oligonucleotide R&D program."

11:02 EDT Xerox wins multiyear intelligent workplace services contract - Xero has been awarded a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract administered by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' secretariat leading the digital transformation of the Executive Branch. With the agreement, Xerox will provide Intelligent Workplace Services, a Xerox offering that transcends traditional Managed Print Services to enhance security, support compliance, reduce its environmental impact and improve productivity for the 43,000 employees the EOTSS serves across the Commonwealth.

10:39 EDT Slack resets passwords for 1% of its users because of 2015 hack - Slack published details about a password reset operation related to the company's 2015 security breach. In a statement on its website, Slack said it is resetting passwords for approximately 1% of Slack accounts. The company said: "This announcement affects you only if you: created your account before March 2015, AND have not changed your password since, AND your account does not require logging in via a single-sign-on provider. In other words, if you're one of the approximately 99% who joined Slack after March 2015 or changed your password since then, this announcement does not apply to you." Slack explained: "In 2015, unauthorized individuals gained access to some Slack infrastructure, including a database that stored user profile information including usernames and irreversibly encrypted, or "hashed," passwords. The attackers also inserted code that allowed them to capture plaintext passwords as they were entered by users at the time. Immediately following the incident, we reset passwords for the small number of Slack users we confirmed to be affected... Today we are resetting passwords for all accounts that were active at the time of the 2015 incident, with the exception of accounts that use SSO or with passwords changed after March 2015. We have no reason to believe that any of these accounts were compromised, but we believe that this precaution is worth any inconvenience the reset may cause. However, we do recognize that this is inconvenient for affected users, and we apologize." Reference Link

10:02 EDT PPG approves 6% increase in dividend to 51c per share - The board of directors of PPG has approved a 3c per-share, or 6%, increase in the company's dividend, declaring a regular quarterly dividend of 51c per share, payable Sept. 12 to shareholders of record Aug. 12, the company announced. PPG's prior quarterly dividend was 48c per share.

09:47 EDT Crown Castle falls -5.9% - Crown Castle is down -5.9%, or -$7.75 to $123.87.

09:47 EDT United Rentals falls -5.6% - United Rentals is down -5.6%, or -$7.42 to $124.07.

09:47 EDT Union Pacific rises 4.9% - Union Pacific is up 4.9%, or $8.13 to $172.68.

09:38 EDT PSEG chief human resources officer Margaret Pego to retire - Public Service Enterprise Group has announced that Margaret Pego, SVP of human resources and chief human resources officer, will retire at the end of 2019. Sheila Rostiac, VP, total rewards and talent management, will transition to the SVP of HR and CHRO role beginning Sept. 2.

09:28 EDT Osisko Gold announces closing of overallotment option in secondary offering - Osisko Gold Royalties announces today that the syndicate of underwriters led by CIBC Capital Markets and BMO Capital Markets have purchased an additional 1,177,500 common shares of Osisko held by Betelgeuse, a jointly owned subsidiary of certain investment funds managed by Orion Resource Partners, following the exercise in full of their option to purchase additional shares. The Over-Allotment Option was granted to the Underwriters in connection with Osisko's previously announced secondary offerings of 7,850,000 Common Shares, which closed on July 11, 2019. Under the terms of the Secondary Offering, Orion had granted the Underwriters the Over-Allotment Option, exercisable at any time up to 30 days from and including the date of closing of the Secondary Offering, to purchase up to 1,177,500 Option Shares at a price of $14.10 per Option Share for gross proceeds of $16,602,750. Osisko did not receive any of the proceeds of the Secondary Offering or from the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. Upon closing of the Over-Allotment Option, Orion's ownership of Osisko's issued and outstanding common shares has now been reduced to 6.2%. Orion has agreed with the Underwriters that its remaining common shares will be subject to a 180 day lock-up period, subject to customary exceptions.

09:26 EDT Michael Kors launches digital store on Alibaba's Tmall - Michael Kors, a subsidiary of Capri Holdings (CPRI), announced that it will open its digital store on Alibaba's (BABA) Tmall, which will be featured on Tmall luxury pavilion, Alibaba Group's platform for luxury and premium brands. The new online store marks the first third-party partnership for Michael Kors in China and will provide Tmall customers in China with exclusive access to special products launched only on Tmall as well as the entire range of Michael Kors women's and men's products.

09:24 EDT CarMax offers online car buying experience in Florida - CarMax announces its new personalized car buying experience is now available to CarMax customers in Florida. Customers can now choose to complete the entire car-buying experience from home and have the car delivered, including the ability to test drive, prior to purchase. The company plans to scale this new capability nationwide and anticipates having it available to the majority of CarMax customers by February 2020.

09:18 EDT Monaker Group integrates booking engine, rental inventory with travel company - Monaker Group reported that another travel company has completed its integration and certification of the Monaker Booking Engine. The travel company can now offer its customers instantly-bookable inventory of more than 2.6 million vacation rental properties through established channels

09:09 EDT Nemaura Medical appoints Chris Avery as VP, global business operations - Nemaura Medical announced the appointment of Chris Avery as VP of Global Business Operations to help oversee the commercial launch of SugarBEAT, including expansion of the company's global licensee and distributor relationships. Previously, Avery co-founded DiagnoSys Medical, a UK medical device distribution company.

09:08 EDT Sunrun awarded contract to help replace retiring Oakland power plant - Sunrun was awarded a contract by the East Bay Community Energy board of directors to help replace the retiring jet-fuel Oakland Power Plant in Oakland, California with home solar and battery systems on low-income housing in West Oakland and Alameda County. Through this project, Sunrun will bundle solar energy stored in home battery systems and send it back to the electricity grid, forming what's known as a "Virtual Power Plant" to help power the area. Sunrun will develop several megawatts of solar and more than two megawatt-hours of batteries on over 500 low-income housing units by 2022. This will deliver 500 kilowatts of grid reliability capacity to EBCE during a 10-year contracted period.

09:05 EDT Bryn Mawr Bank increases quarterly dividend 4% to 26c per share - The Board of Directors of the Corporation declared a quarterly dividend of 26c per share, payable September 1, 2019 to shareholders of record as of August 1, 2019.

09:02 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher acquires DPI Benefits - Arthur J. Gallagher has acquired of Manhattan, Kansas-based DPI Benefits. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Operating since 2008, DPI Benefits is an independent benefits broker and consultant offering qualified retirement plans and group benefits to hospitals and other businesses throughout the state of Kansas. Darrell Phillips and his associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Jerry Roberts, head of Gallagher's Heartland region employee benefits consulting and brokerage division, and Jeff Leonard, National Financial and Retirement Services practice leader.

08:55 EDT Honeywell says expects 'continued strong performance' in Aerospace in Q3 - Says: Many macro uncertainties clouding outlook... Cautious due to China GDP, tariffs, Brexit... No word from Chinese government that the company is on the sanctioned entities list... Does not expect to be sanctioned for Taiwan arms sale... Sees warehouse de-stocking continuing through 2019... Sees weakness in SPS unit moderating in Q4... Has multiple levers to further margin expansion.

08:52 EDT Onex to sell Jack's Family Restaurants, terms not disclosed - Onex Corporation and its affiliated funds announced they have agreed to sell Jack's Family Restaurants. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019 subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. In July 2015, the Onex Group acquired Jack's for a total equity investment of $234M. Upon completion of the transaction, the Onex Group will have received proceeds of approximately $835M, including prior distributions of $106M. This results in a gross multiple of invested capital of 3.6 times and a 38% gross rate of return. Onex invested $79M in Jack's as a Limited Partner in Onex Partners IV and will have realized $255M upon completion of the transaction, including prior distributions of $31M.

08:49 EDT MyoKardia re-acquires U.S. royalty rights to HCM programs from Sanofi - MyoKardia (MYOK) announced the re-acquisition of U.S. royalty rights to mavacamten and MYK-224 from Sanofi (SNY). As consideration for the buyback of the U.S. royalty rights to these programs, MyoKardia is paying Sanofi $50M upfront, with an additional $30M payable by June 30, 2020. Under the terms of the former license and collaboration agreement with Sanofi, Sanofi was eligible for tiered royalties, ranging from 5 percent to 10 percent, on U.S. sales of mavacamten and MYK-224 in HCM or any additional indications.

08:48 EDT MyoKardia expects to report topline data from EXPLORER-HCM trial in 2Q20 - MyoKardia announced updates related to its hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treatment portfolio, including lead therapeutic candidate, mavacamten. Patient screening has closed for the Phase 3 EXPLORER-HCM registrational clinical study to assess the effect of mavacamten in treating patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Clinical site engagement remains high, and enrollment into the pivotal trial is expected to be completed by mid-August. MyoKardia now anticipates reporting topline data from the EXPLORER-HCM trial in the second quarter of 2020, ahead of previous guidance of the second half of 2020.

08:44 EDT Morgan Stanley CFO says Q3 'off to a strong start'

08:43 EDT Morgan Stanley CFO says NII will depend on forward curve in Q4

08:41 EDT Morgan Stanley sees Q3 NII to be largely in line with last year

08:40 EDT Tetra Bio Pharma to offer Hemp Energy Drink in 700 additional stores - Tetra Natural Heath, announced that one of the largest food and convenience store chains in North America has committed to carry the Hemp Energy Drink in over 600 stores, bringing the total number of new stores offering the product in the past two weeks to approximately 700 stores located in five provinces of Canada including: British-Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

08:36 EDT Morgan Stanley says FICC trading was at lower end of expectations

08:35 EDT Morgan Stanley CEO says continues to invest in asset management unit

08:34 EDT VolitionRx commences lung cancer clinical study in China with NuQ platform - VolitionRx has executed a contract under the previously announced MoU with Shanghai Fosun Long March to help introduce the Nu.Q platform to China. Based on recent proof-of-concept data using Volition's product-grade Nu.Q assays, the parties have commenced a clinical study in China in lung cancer. Jasmine Kway, CEO of Singapore Volition, commented: "We are happy to have executed this agreement with Fosun Long March and are delighted that the clinical study is already underway and expected to be completed by the end of this year."

08:32 EDT Heritage Insurance reports Q2 preliminary weather losses $21.5M - Heritage Insurance approximately $21.5M of net weather-related losses in Q2, primarily stemming from four wind and hail storms in the southeast. This compares to $9.4M of net weather-related losses in 2Q18.

08:27 EDT ICC International Cannabis enters supply agreement with NUBU Pharmaceuticals - ICC International Cannabis announced that the company has entered into an exclusive supply and commercial rights agreement with licensed New Zealand medical cannabis company, NUBU Pharmaceuticals. Under the terms of the Agreement, ICC will supply NUBU will a suite of full-spectrum pharmaceutical grade medical cannabis products including: Packaged and labelled medical cannabis including; oil/tincture and capsules in finished goods form; ICC Branded, co-branded and/or ICC labelled medical cannabis products under development including but not limited to: Cannabis oil; Capsules; Transdermal patches; Oral sprays; Inhalers; and Vaporizing cartridges; Hemp derived CBD adhering to the international standard of less than 0.3% THC, in both bulk form and finished good forms. In collaboration with NUBU, the Company is also in discussions about the distribution of a number premium value-add medicinal and wellness products from New Zealand to export markets internationally.

08:20 EDT Allegheny Technologies monetizes oil, gas rights in New Mexico - Allegheny Technologies announced it has completed the sale of a portion of its oil and gas rights in Eddy County, New Mexico and has reached an agreement to sell the remaining portion of these rights, both to the same undisclosed buyer. The completed Q2 sale and the definitive sales agreement, anticipated to close in Q3, are expected to generate over $90M in pretax income and cash for ATI. These oil and gas rights were initially acquired by the company in 1972 along with land purchased by Teledyne, which later became part of ATI. The land was subsequently sold, with the company retaining its underlying oil and gas rights.

08:14 EDT ABM initiates Energy Performance Contracting program for Saint Joseph County - ABM has initiated an Energy Performance Contracting program for Saint Joseph County, Michigan. ABM's customized solution is projected to save Saint Joseph County more than $2.6M in energy and operating costs over a 15-year period. Revenue from savings will address aging infrastructure needs, without having to raise taxes. Energy and operations savings will be achieved by implementing lighting, HVAC and control upgrades, and resealing buildings to control air and humidity infiltration throughout seven of the county's facilities. The upgrades are projected to save Saint Joseph County more than $139,000 in energy and operating costs in the first year alone. Savings are then projected to climb during the life of the 15-year program, resulting in an estimated total savings of $2.6M over the lifetime of the program.

08:12 EDT American Electric Tech. stockholders approve transaction with Stabilis Energy - American Electric Technologies announced that the AETI stockholders approved the proposals related to the pending share exchange transaction with Stabilis Energy LLC and its subsidiaries at the special meeting of AETI stockholders held earlier today. More than 99% of the shares voting at the AETI special meeting of stockholders voted in favor of the proposal to issue shares of AETI common stock in connection with the share exchange. The holders of Stabilis have already approved the transaction. Upon the closing of the share exchange, the owners of Stabilis will receive 90% of the shares of AETI to be outstanding at the completion date. AETI expects the closing of the transaction to occur promptly, subject to the satisfaction of all closing conditions.

08:10 EDT Union Pacific reports Q2 total revenue carloads down 4% - Second quarter business volumes, as measured by total revenue carloads, decreased 4% compared to 2018. Growth in industrial volumes were more than offset by flat agricultural products shipments as well as declines in energy and premium. Quarterly freight revenue declined 2%, compared to second quarter 2018, as core pricing gains were offset by lower volumes. Quarterly freight car velocity was 195 daily miles per car, a 4% improvement compared to the second quarter 2018.

08:09 EDT Saltstone Capital sends letter to board of Abraxas Petroleum - Saltstone Capital, a Dallas-based investor in energy equities, released a letter sent to the board of Abraxas Petroleum pressing for immediate change to unlock shareholder value. The letter said, "It has been a month since my initial letter requesting a swift implementation of our four-step process to unlock significant shareholder value at Abraxas (AXAS). As a top ten shareholder of the company - and an owner of more shares than any single member of management or the Board - I am discouraged by the lack of response and most importantly - lack of action. Saltstone's investors expect us to generate a return and we expect nothing less from the management teams of our portfolio companies. Utilizing our base case scenario, we think AXAS is worth ~150% more than where it is currently trading, and we believe our plan can bridge this vast disconnect. As shareholders representing 2,420,000 shares, or 558,515 more than the CEO, it is paramount that a well-defined strategic shift to AXAS's business model occurs immediately. The best time to proceed along this path was 19 months ago, and the second-best time is today. For your convenience, I have re-summarized our plan below... Callon Petroleum's (CPE) acquisition of Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO) completely removed any naysayer's ability to claim this market is not transacting. The merits of this merger were based on acreage and balance sheet scale. Since AXAS's capital structure does not allow for proper asset capitalization, we believe that every incremental well drilled is dilutive. It is in shareholders' best interests for AXAS to preserve undeveloped value for an acquirer by ceasing drilling activities and selling. We applaud CRZO's management team and think they did the appropriate thing for their investors by working tirelessly to consummate a deal... It is inexcusable for AXAS to trade at -$3,600 per net Permian acre, considering their footprint has better economics than CRZO's core acreage and AXAS's balance sheet metrics are more compelling.ii Since going public in 1991, AXAS has spent ~$1.8 billion in capital expenditures and ~$185 million in SG&A to build a company that currently has an enterprise value of ~$340 million. The company is worth 17 cents for each dollar it has invested in capital expenditures or paid the management team, despite WTI spot prices appreciating from an average of $21.54 in 1991 to $56.55 or 163%.iii The share count has increased from 978,979 on December 31, 1991 to 166,934,860 on December 31, 2018, growing at a CAGR of 21.0%. The management team has perpetually diluted shareholders to finance investments that fail to generate a positive return. Given the previously discussed track record, we are worried Bob Watson might issue a dilutive instrument to solve the liquidity crunch as opposed to enacting our plan. Our concern stems from Bob's limited investment in the company he founded over four decades ago. His misalignment with investors creates the potential desire for him to attempt a job preserving "Hail Mary" rather than act in shareholders' best interests given his annual cash compensation of $737,799 is very material relative to his $1,768,411 investment in the company.iv As supporting shareholders, we are adamant that the only route this company can take is by utilizing our four-step process and dissolving itself. I cannot stress enough how detrimental it would be if management transacted on a preferred equity deal (or something similar), creating a "loan-to-own" structure. This type of scenario has played out too many times in our sector, and given AXAS's premier asset base, I want equity holders to be assured it does not happen here. I have expressed my distaste for financial engineering to Bob over the past three years and wanted to inform you too. Thankfully, for all shareholders, AXAS does not need to desperately seek an alternative measure with two great assets. Our plan assures this is avoided and positions AXAS with the best path forward. It is our goal to make sure all shareholders are put first."

08:06 EDT Nucor CEO says demand 'remains strong in key end-use markets' - "Unusually wet weather and aggressive supply chain destocking impacted mill order rates in the first half of 2019. We have seen lower volumes during the first half of this year resulting in a more challenging price environment," said John Ferriola, Nucor's Chairman, CEO and President. Ferriola continued, "However, real demand for our products remains strong in key end-use markets. We see healthy conditions in end-use markets that typically account for more than two thirds of our steel shipments. For this reason, we are cautiously optimistic that pricing has bottomed for most products and that volumes should be more closely aligned with real end-use demand in the second half of the year."

08:06 EDT American Electric receives approval to accelerate plant emission reductions - American Electric announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio has approved a modified agreement that will accelerate emission reductions from the company's remaining coal-fueled power plants in the Midwest, eliminate a requirement to install high-cost emission reduction equipment at the company's Rockport Plant in Rockport, Indiana, and retire Rockport Plant Unit 1 by the end of 2028. The agreement is the fifth modification to a consent decree originally reached in December 2007. The original agreement settled allegations that AEP violated new source review provisions and made major modifications to its power plants without obtaining proper permits and installing best available technology to control emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. AEP denied the allegations. No final decision on liability was issued by the Court. As a result of this modification, AEP's Indiana Michigan Power operating unit will operate enhanced dry sorbent injection equipment on both generating units at Rockport Plant beginning in 2021 to accelerate SO2 emission reductions and achieve a plant-wide emissions rate of 10,000 tons or less a year. This change will accelerate SO2 emission cuts from Rockport by eight years. The previous agreement would have achieved the same levels of emission cuts in 2029. AEP will retire Rockport Unit 1 by the end of 2028. AEP also will cut the annual SO2 emissions from its coal-fueled plants in the Midwest to 89,000 tons per year by 2029, compared with the current cap of 113,000 tons per year.

08:05 EDT Chembio Diagnostics, Takeda enter collaboration to develop diagnostic test - Chembio Diagnostics (CEMI) announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TAK), to develop a novel POC diagnostic test to detect an undisclosed biomarker. Under terms of the agreement, Chembio will receive funding from Takeda, subject to satisfying certain milestones, to develop a quantitative POC test utilizing Chembio's patented DPP platform and hand-held optical analyzer. The development of the POC test will build upon Takeda's technical research on a unique set of biomarkers and is expected to provide quantitative results in approximately 15 minutes from a small 10microL drop of fingerstick blood. Chembio's DPP platform is the same technology used for the company's DPP HIV 1/2 Assay, which has achieved numerous regulatory approvals, including FDA-approval, CLIA-waiver, WHO prequalification, CE mark, and ANVISA approval.

08:04 EDT Nucor provides Q3 outlook - The company said, "The performance of the raw materials segment is expected to decrease in the third quarter of 2019 as compared to the second quarter of 2019 due to further margin compression in the Company's DRI businesses. The profitability of Nucor's steel products segment is expected to continue to improve during the third quarter of 2019 as compared to the second quarter of 2019. Nonresidential construction market conditions remain strong. In addition, recently implemented efficiency initiatives in rebar fabrication and metal buildings are enhancing performance from those businesses. We expect the performance of the steel mills segment in the third quarter of 2019 to be lower than this year's second quarter, due primarily to lower prices for flat rolled and plate steel. Prices for several key product lines have only recently reversed the downward trajectory that prevailed during the first half of the year due to weather conditions and service center destocking. We expect service center customers will resume more normal market demand-driven buying patterns during the third quarter of 2019."

08:02 EDT Union Pacific reports Q2 operating ratio 59.6%, up 3.4 points

07:51 EDT Generation NEXT intends to increase authorized shares to 200M from 100M - Generation Next will hold a meeting of its shareholders at its corporate headquarters in San Diego on Friday, August 2nd. The Company recently completed a filing with the SEC reflecting the intent to increase the authorized shares from 100M to 200M. This increase is accomplished through an amendment to the articles of incorporation which requires shareholder approval. "We require additional capital to fulfill the backlog of Reis & Irvy's robots and bridge the company to the point in time when we can generate positive cash flow from operations. Increasing the number of authorized shares gives us the opportunity to explore both debt and equity sources of capital," said CEO Nick Yates. "We want to take care of the Reis & Irvy's franchisees through the increased production and installation of kiosks; however, issuing new equity supports other objectives including a possible up-list to a senior exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ, and adding talent to our growing team. We also want to have the next robotic vending kiosk ready for launch after we have matured the Reis & Irvy's platform within the next 12-24 months." The Company also noted proceeds from its capital raise will also be used to fund operations and pay short term liabilities which include accounts payable to suppliers and obligations to franchisees lost because of the manufacturing delays and technical issues experienced with alpha units. Another key item on the shareholder meeting agenda is changing the company name to Generation Next. "

07:44 EDT Centrexion to present clinical trial results on CNTX-4975 administration - Centrexion Therapeutics announced that it will present new data from clinical trials of CNTX-4975, including an assessment of refinements of the company's proprietary method for CNTX-4975 administration, at the 2019 Florida Society for Interventional Pain Physicians Conference. In this presentation of the clinical trial, 10 patients with bilateral painful knee OA received an IA injection of CNTX-4975 in the first knee, followed by a treatment of the second knee seven days later. Mean pain with walking scores decreased from 5.9 at baseline to 1.6, using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale at day 42, for a 73% pain reduction. Five to six weeks post-procedure, seven patients reported a pain level less than or equal to2, and three patients reported no pain in either knee. All patients reported improvement in both knees using the Patient Global Impression of Change. These results are consistent with the pain reductions reported in the Phase 2 double-blind, randomized, controlled trial evaluating a single injection of CNTX-4975 1.0 mg in patients with moderate-to-severe OA knee pain. Ongoing Assessment of Methods to Optimize the CNTX-4975 Administration Procedure: Two cooling devices are being assessed in the ongoing Phase 3 VICTORY-3 open label, 8-week clinical trial to manage post-procedure comfort: an ice-water cooling pump with a knee wrap and an ice-gel pack knee wrap. This study also investigates shorter cooling times and the use of one- or two-injection techniques for lidocaine and 1.0 mg of CNTX-4975. In total, five variants of the administration procedure are incorporated into the trial. An interim analysis based on data from 719 patients of the planned 850, suggests overall post-procedure discomfort across the groups has been well managed and similar to that observed with the 1.0 mg CNTX-4975 group in the TRIUMPH trial. The average overall post-procedure discomfort 30-minutes after treatment was similar to or less than the average overall baseline knee pain at rest before the procedure and ranged from 1.4 to 2.0, depending on the group. IA injection technique using a single needle with lidocaine and CNTX-4975 injections separated by three minutes was as well tolerated as lidocaine and CNTX-4975 given with two separate injections, separated by 30 minutes of cooling.

07:42 EDT Watsco to acquire HVAC business of Peirce-Phelps, terms not disclosed - Watsco announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the HVAC business of Peirce-Phelps, Inc. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to occur within the next 30 days. Peirce-Phelps will operate as a separate business of Carrier Enterprisem a joint venture between Watsco and Carrier Corporation. Watsco owns 80% of Carrier Enterprise and Carrier owns 20%. Peirce-Phelps was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1926 and is one of the largest HVAC distributors in North America with current annual sales of approximately $206M. It currently serves over 9,000 customers from 19 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Its product offering includes residential and commercial HVAC equipment made by Carrier as well as parts, supplies and accessories sourced from approximately 350 vendors.

07:38 EDT Alliance Data says plans to launch 'modified dutch auction' near term - Melisa Miller, president and CEO of Alliance Data, commented, "We continued to execute on our business transformation in the second quarter and made progress on delivering our strategic plan to lead the market in the convergence of payments, data and marketing. Our second quarter results were mostly in line with expectations, although core EPS was negatively impacted by the timing of credit card portfolio acquisitions. We acquired several client portfolios aggregating over $900 million in June, which were expected to occur later in the year. While this pull-forward supports our receivables growth projections for the year, the impact of the provision build post-acquisition reduced second quarter core EPS. In keeping with our business transformation plans, I am pleased to say that we successfully completed the sale of Epsilon to Publicis Groupe on July 1st. As previously disclosed, we expect to use the net proceeds to retire $2.4 billion of corporate debt and repurchase up to $1.1 billion of our shares, per our recently announced Board-authorized plan. Towards that end, we anticipate launching in the next few days a "modified dutch auction" tender offer to acquire between $700 to $750 million of our common stock. The Epsilon divestiture underscores our stated commitments to move toward a more simplified and focused business model with the goal of returning to our more traditional growth profile." Miller continued, "In addition to my new role, Tim King, former CFO of our Card Services business, has succeeded Charles Horn as Alliance Data's CFO. I believe Tim will do a tremendous job leading the financial stewardship of the company and engaging with the investor community. I want to thank Charles for his ongoing support through his new role as Vice Chairman. During our extended transition, he will be focused on several key initiatives related to our business transition. I am deeply honored and excited to be in this new leadership position, and with the support of our Board, the commitment of our strong management team, and the dedication of our 10,000+ associates, Alliance Data is well positioned for our growth comeback."

07:35 EDT Accuray signs agreement with Swiss Medical Network - The Swiss Medical Network has signed a multi-system, multi-clinic agreement to purchase Accuray's radiation therapy delivery systems as well as RaySearch's treatment planning system and oncology information system. This is the first multi-system agreement by a hospital for the purchase of both the Accuray and RaySearch products. The purchase includes the Accuray Radixact and CyberKnife M6 Systems, as well as the RaySearch RayStation TPS and RayCare OIS. Together, these complementary systems will help enable the Swiss Medical Network team to provide optimal treatments for patients who may benefit from highly precise radiation therapy. The first patient treatments using the combination of the Radixact System and RayStation by the Swiss Medical Network are anticipated to take place in 2020.

07:26 EDT Verizon launches exclusive Inseego 5G MiFi M1000 nationwide - Verizon (VZ) debuted its fifth 5G-enabled device with the launch of the Inseego (INSG) MiFi M1000. When connected to Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network, the device, exclusively available to Verizon customers, provides the large bandwidth and fast download speeds required for applications like 4K/8K video streaming, virtual reality and augmented reality , mobile workforce, industrial IoT and more. Verizon also launched 5G Ultra Wideband mobility service in St. Paul, Minnesota, joining Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis and Providenc as the fifth of more than 30 Verizon 5G mobility cities Verizon plans to launch in 2019. The Inseego 5G MiFi M1000 is available for $27.08 a month for 24 months on device payment or $499.99 with a two-year contract. Verizon consumer customers with an active Unlimited smartphone plan can add a 5G MiFi M1000 to their account and get 50GB of 5G Ultra Wideband data and 15GB of 4G LTE data for $30 a month, an increase of only $10 over 4G LTE service rates. Connected device only plans start at $85 a month.

07:16 EDT Arvinas to present preclinical tau-directed PROTAC protein degrader data - Arvinas announced it will present preclinical data from its tau-targeted PROTAC protein degrader program at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. Angela Cacace, Ph.D., Vice President of Neuroscience and Platform Biology at Arvinas, was selected to chair the session entitled, Molecular and Cell Biology: Tau Biology, Aggregation and Spreading. In this session, Dr. Cacace will give an oral presentation entitled "A New Therapeutic Strategy for Tauopathies - Discovery of Highly Potent Brain-Penetrant PROTAC Degrader Molecules That Target Pathologic Tau Protein Species." This presentation will also discuss Arvinas' strategy in creating PROTAC targeted protein degraders for neurological disorders. The preclinical studies show a tau-targeted PROTAC protein degrader eliminated more than 95% of disease-causing tau protein in the brain of a well-characterized mouse tauopathy model, following parenteral administration. The data further indicate that the tau protein degradation is dose and concentration dependent, signifying the tau-targeted PROTAC protein degrader molecule effectively crosses the blood brain barrier. Tau has been implicated in several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. At AAIC, Dr. Cacace will detail Arvinas' strategy in neuroscience, which will include initially pursuing indications that are "pure" tauopathies, such as progressive supranuclear palsy and genetic tauopathies, such as frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism-17, to prove the effectiveness of tau-directed PROTAC protein degraders. Arvinas has additional preclinical neuroscience programs, including alpha-synuclein, as well as a robust, clinical-stage oncology pipeline.

07:12 EDT Honeywell sees FY19 segment margin 20.7%-21%, up 110-140 bps

07:10 EDT Honeywell sees FY19 adjusted free cash flow $5.7B-$6B

07:05 EDT CTI BioPharma announces outcome from FDA meeting on pacritinib - CTI BioPharma announced the outcome of a Type B, End-of-Phase-2a meeting with the FDA for the continued development of its investigational myelofibrosis treatment candidate, pacritinib. Following this meeting, CTI plans to evaluate 200 mg of pacritinib administered twice daily in 180 patients with myelofibrosis and severe thrombocytopenia. The company plans to initiate the Phase 3 Pacifica study in Q3 and anticipates topline Phase 3 efficacy and safety results in mid-2021. The randomized, open-label Phase 2 PAC203 dose-finding study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of three dosing regimens of oral pacritinib in 150 patients with myelofibrosis. An ad-hoc analysis showed that 23% of patients administered pacritinib had a greater than or equal to 35% spleen volume reduction, compared to 2% given the best available therapy. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events of any grade occurring in 20% or more of patients treated with pacritinib trials were generally manageable diarrhea, nausea and vomiting and anemia and thrombocytopenia. The company is currently amending the protocol for the ongoing Phase 2 PAC203 study to include the new PACIFICA Phase 3 portion, in which CTI intends to compare the safety and efficacy of 200 mg of pacritinib administered twice daily to Physician's Choice in 180 myelofibrosis patients with severe thrombocytopenia at approximately 120 sites worldwide.

07:02 EDT IDEX Corp. acquires Velcora Holding AB for about $137M - IDEX Corporation announced the acquisition of Velcora Holding AB and its Roplan and Steridose businesses from FSN Capital Partners for cash consideration of about $137M.

07:00 EDT Becton Dickinson provides update on voluntary recalls of Alaris Pump Modules - BD provided an update on two voluntary recalls related to certain Alaris Pump Modules Model 8100 manufactured between April 2011 and June 2017 and certain model codes and lot numbers of the Alaris Pump Infusion Sets used with the Alaris Pump Model 8100. BD has already notified customers affected by these recalls. Both products were formerly marketed under the CareFusion brand, which BD acquired in March 2015. Both actions have been designated as a Class I recall by the FDA. Both recalls have been associated with medical device reporting (MDR) submissions, several of which are associated with serious injuries.

06:58 EDT Mallinckrodt to make $5M equity investment in Silence Therapeutics - Mallinckrodt (MNK) and Silence Therapeutics (SLNCF) announce that, further to the collaboration announced earlier, Mallinckrodt, acting through a subsidiary company, has agreed to make an equity investment of $5M in Silence Therapeutics. Mallinckrodt is subscribing for a total of 5,062,167 new ordinary shares at an issue price of 79 pence per share, representing a 10% premium to Silence's 20-day, volume-weighted average price. Application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for the admission of the 5,062,167 new ordinary shares to be subscribed for trading on AIM2. It is expected that dealings will commence on July 24. Immediately following admission, Mallinckrodt's shareholding will represent 6.5% of Silence Therapeutics' enlarged, issued share capital which will be 77,285,652 ordinary shares. As part of this equity investment Mallinckrodt will take a non-executive director seat on the Silence board and it has been proposed that Steven Romano, executive VP and chief scientific officer at Mallinckrodt fulfill this position. A further announcement, including the disclosures required under Rule 17 and Schedule Two of the AIM Rules for companies, will be made at the time of Romano's appointment to the board. The separate collaboration between Mallinckrodt and Silence Therapeutics announced earlier will allow the companies to develop and commercialize RNAi drug targets designed to inhibit or silence the complement cascade, a group of proteins that are involved in the immune system and that play a role in the development of inflammation. These proteins are known to contribute to the pathogenesis of many diseases, including autoimmune diseases.

06:53 EDT Mallinckrodt, Silence Therapeutics announce RNAi drug collaboration - Mallinckrodt (MNK) and Silence Therapeutics (SLNCF) announced a collaboration that will allow the companies to develop and commercialize RNAi drug targets designed to inhibit the complement cascade, a group of proteins that are involved in the immune system and that play a role in the development of inflammation. These proteins are known to contribute to the pathogenesis of many diseases, including autoimmune diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Mallinckrodt will obtain an exclusive worldwide license to Silence's C33 complement asset, SLN500, with options to license up to two additional complement-targeted assets in Silence's preclinical complement-directed RNAi development program. Silence will be responsible for preclinical activities, and for executing the development program of each asset until the end of Phase 1, after which Mallinckrodt will assume clinical development and responsibility for global commercialization. Mallinckrodt has agreed to provide Silence with an upfront payment of $20M. Silence is also eligible to receive up to $10M in research milestones for SLN500 and for each optioned asset, in addition to funding for Phase 1 clinical development including GMP4 manufacturing. Silence will fund all other preclinical activities. The collaboration provides for potential added clinical and regulatory milestone payments of up to $100M for SLN500, as well as commercial milestone payments of up to $563Mfor SLN500. Should Mallinckrodt opt to license one or two additional assets, Silence could receive up to $703M in similar clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments per asset. Silence would also receive tiered, low double-digit to high-teen royalties on net sales for SLN500 and each optioned asset.

06:51 EDT Qualcomm to appeal EC finding to General Court of EU - Qualcomm announced that the European Commission's Directorate General for Competition, after a 10-year investigation, issued a finding that Qualcomm engaged in predatory pricing practices for some sales of three cellular baseband chipsets to two customers during a few calendar quarters between 2009 and 2011, and fined Qualcomm EUR 242M. Qualcomm plans to appeal the finding to the General Court of the European Union. Qualcomm intends to provide a financial guarantee in lieu of paying the fine while the appeal is pending. "The Commission spent years investigating sales to two customers, each of whom said that they favored Qualcomm chips not because of price but because rival chipsets were technologically inferior. This decision is unsupported by the law, economic principles or market facts, and we look forward to a reversal on appeal," said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm. "The Commission's decision is based on a novel theory of alleged below-cost pricing over a very short time period and for a very small volume of chips. There is no precedent for this theory, which is inconsistent with well-developed economic analysis of cost recovery, as well as Commission practice. Contrary to the Commission's findings, Qualcomm's alleged conduct did not cause anticompetitive harm to Icera, the company that filed the complaint. Icera was later acquired by Nvidia for hundreds of millions of dollars and continued to compete in the relevant market for several years after the end of the alleged conduct. We cooperated with Commission officials every step of the way throughout the protracted investigation, confident that the Commission would recognize that there were no facts supporting a finding of anti-competitive conduct. On appeal we will expose the meritless nature of this decision."

06:48 EDT Sonoco lowers FY19 operating cash flow view to $435M-$455M - As a result of the after-tax cash flow impact from the voluntary contribution to the company's U.S. defined benefit pension plans, full-year 2019 operating cash flow guidance has been lowered to a range of $435M-$455M, down from the previous range of $600M-$620M. Also, the company now expects free cash flow to be $60M-$80M, compared with previous guidance of $225M-$245M.

06:44 EDT Precision BioSciences opening in-house cGMP manufacturing facility in U.S. - Precision BioSciences opened its Manufacturing Center for Advanced Therapeutics, the first in-house current Good Manufacturing Process compliant manufacturing facility in the U.S. dedicated to genome-edited, off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy products. This is part of a larger investment by the company in its cancer immunotherapy platform and facilities expansions in North Carolina in 2019. Currently, the new facility is undergoing commissioning, qualification, and validation in preparation for cGMP manufacturing to begin in Q4. It is a multi-product facility designed to produce three different drug substances: allogeneic CAR T cells, messenger RNA and adeno-associated viral vectors. Precision intends to initially use this new manufacturing center to create clinical trial material for its Phase I/II clinical trials in 2020.

06:38 EDT Bristol-Myers, Bayer and Ono Pharmaceutical announce clinical collaboration - Bayer (BAYRY), Bristol-Myers (BMY) and Ono Pharmaceutical (OPHLY) announced the three companies have entered into a clinical collaboration agreement to evaluate the combination of Bayer's kinase inhibitor Stivarga and Bristol-Myers Squibb's / Ono's anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, Opdivo in patients with micro-satellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer, or MSS mCRC, the most common form of mCRC. Regorafenib as monotherapy has demonstrated an overall survival benefit versus placebo in the pivotal Phase III CORRECT study and has shown activity irrespective of micro-satellite status in a retrospective analysis from this study, though with limited responses observed. Despite progress in the treatment of CRC, including the advance of effective immuno-oncology, or I-O, treatments for certain subsets of CRC, around 95% of mCRC patients have MSS tumors, for which I-O monotherapy treatment approaches have shown limited activity.4 Thus, the need for additional treatment options including combination approaches remains high.4 Encouraging early data have been seen with the combination of regorafenib and nivolumab. In a Phase 1b investigator sponsored trial from Japan called REGONIVO, the combination of regorafenib and nivolumab has shown preliminary efficacy results. The detailed data of the study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO. Further terms of the clinical collaboration were not disclosed.

06:35 EDT HEXO Corp Chief Brand Officer Adam Miron steps down - HEXO Corp announces that HEXO co-founder, Adam Miron, has decided to step down from his position as Chief Brand Officer. These changes are effective on 7/18.. Adam Miron co-founded HEXO six years ago with Sebastien St-Louis and has played a key role not only in building the company, but as an innovative leader in the cannabis industry. Adam will retain his seat on the HEXO Board of Directors and will continue to serve as President of the Board of Directors of HEXO MED, the company's Greek affiliate. Adam will transition his internal responsibilities to members of the leadership team and will remain committed to fulfilling planned external obligations as HEXO's representative.

06:18 EDT SM Energy narrows FY19 production view to 47-47.8 MMBoe from 45-48 MMBoe - Sees FY19 capital spend $1B-$1.05B. Sees FY20 capital spend similar to FY19.

06:15 EDT SM Energy reports Q2 production 12.4 MMBoe, or 136.5 MBoe/d - Reports Q2 costs incurred in oil and gas activities of $269M and total capital spend of $261M. Permian volumes were up 37% year-over-year and up 15% sequentially. Oil sales were 75% of production revenue in Q2.

06:11 EDT Hecla Mining reports Q2 production of 3.0M oz. silver, 58,390 oz. gold - Hecla Mining reported preliminary Q2 production results, changes to its revolving credit agreement and its hedge position for gold and silver. Reports Q2 silver production of 3.0 million ounces, and gold production of 58,390 ounces. Silver equivalent production was 11.0 million ounces and gold equivalent production of 125,359 ounces. Lead production was 5,514 tons and zinc production of 13,315 tons. At June 30, cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were approximately $10M, with a draw on the revolving line of credit of $52M. Announces an amended revolving credit agreement to allow higher debt to EBITDA ratios for the next year. Established hedges that utilize put options on expected gold and silver sales through 1Q20, locking in a minimum average price of $1,400 per gold ounce and $15.13 per silver ounce.

06:06 EDT JAGGAER partners with J.P. Morgan - JAGGAER is partnering with J.P. Morgan to deliver a Single-Use Accounts virtual commercial card that is fully integrated with the JAGGAER ONE spend management platform, to streamline purchasing processes, reduce costs and increase purchasing oversight for business users. The partnership is expected to be available to clients in Q4, when the J.P. Morgan SUA is integrated into the JAGGAER ONE platform.

06:02 EDT Hercules Capital appoints Scott Bluestein as CEO and President - Hercules Capital has appointed Scott Bluestein as CEO and President, effective immediately. Bluestein has served as Hercules' interim CEO since March and as Chief Investment Officer since 2014. From 2010 through c2013, Bluestein served as the company's Chief Credit Officer. Bluestein has also been elected to Hercules' board of directors.

06:01 EDT Qualcomm fined EUR242M by EU for engaging in 'predatory pricing' - The European Commission has fined Qualcomm EUR$242M for abusing its market dominance in 3G baseband chipsets. Qualcomm sold below cost, with the aim of forcing its competitor Icera out of the market. This is illegal under EU antitrust rules. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: "Baseband chipsets are key components so mobile devices can connect to the Internet. Qualcomm sold these products at a price below cost to key customers with the intention of eliminating a competitor. Qualcomm's strategic behaviour prevented competition and innovation in this market, and limited the choice available to consumers in a sector with a huge demand and potential for innovative technologies. Since this is illegal under EU antitrust rules, we have today fined Qualcomm EUR$242M."