Stockwinners Market Radar for July 30, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:04 EDT TransUnion CEO sells over 44,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, TransUnion president and CEO Christopher A. Cartwright disclosed the sale of 44,040 common shares of the company at a price of $83.30 per share.

18:45 EDT Microsoft CAO Brod sells 4,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Microsoft chief accounting officer Frank H. Brod disclosed the sale of 4,000 common shares of the company at a price of $141.054 per share.

18:25 EDT Levi Strauss CEO says 'we had a great quarter' - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Levi Strauss CEO Charles Bergh said: We're running this business for the long term... U.S. wholesale was up 2% if you back out the impact of Sears... The Levi's brand is incredibly strong... We have some strong collaborations going into the fall... We're letting clients customize their purchases... Sustainability is very important for us.

17:48 EDT Apple CEO: Seeing broader engagement with the Services ecosystem in China market - Says emerging markets had a rebound - on a constant-currency basis, emerging market revenue grew in Q3. Says continue to focus on Enterprise market, which remains a "big opportunity." Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call Q/A.

17:35 EDT Investar Holding to acquire Bank of York for $15M - Investar Holding announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bank of York, an Alabama state bank headquartered in York, Alabama. According to the terms of the agreement, Investar will pay a total amount of cash merger consideration to shareholders of Bank of York equal to $15M. Bank of York will also be permitted under the agreement to make regular and special pre-closing cash distributions to its shareholders in an aggregate amount of approximately $1M. At June 30, Bank of York had approximately $99.5M in assets, $46M in net loans, $82.3M in deposits with $19.6M in noninterest-bearing accounts, $11.2M in stockholders' equity and a loan-to-deposit ratio of 56.53%. Bank of York offers a full range of banking products and services to the residents and businesses of Sumter and Tuscaloosa Counties. Its operations in Alabama include a main office in York, a branch in Livingston and loan production office in Tuscaloosa, which is expected to be converted into a full service branch after the closing of the transaction. Investar's acquisition of Bank of York would expand Investar's branch footprint along the I-20 corridor in Alabama, further bolstering its core deposit base and positioning Investar to continue to build. Although Bank of York will transition to the Investar name, the Bank of York staff is expected to remain intact.

17:25 EDT Apple CFO says Q3 iPhone revenue was up sequentially in 15 of 20 markets - Says well on the way to reaching 500M mark in Services users next year. Says seeing increase in Service revenue attach rates. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

17:20 EDT Apple CEO: Seeing 'tremendous demand' for Air Pods - Says happy with double-digit revenue growth from Mac.

17:12 EDT Electronic Arts says subscription services could be 'transformative' for players - Says "FIFA 20" set to expand "FIFA" platform. Says "FIFA 20" will continue to have broad selection of teams. Says 2020 expected to be "huge year" for "Sims 4" content. Says subscriptions could be "transformative" to gameplay experience, as they offer players more gaming options. Says continually adding to EA Access. Says working to expand EA subscription program to other platforms. Says has started pre-alpha testing for "Plants vs. Zombies 3."

17:08 EDT Apple CEO says remain on track to double Services revenue by FY20 - Says benefiting from global secular move to Over-the-top services. Says Apple Pay now adding more users than Paypal (PYPL), completing over $1B in transactions per month - more than double from last year.

17:04 EDT Apple CEO says happy with results across the board, return to growth in China - Encouraged by results from initiatives announced in January including iPhone trade-ins. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:01 EDT C.H. Robinson says long-term goals remain unchanged - "We expect the soft freight environment to continue through the balance of 2019," Biesterfeld stated. "Despite the current freight environment, our long-term goals remain unchanged. We remain focused on taking market share, automating core processes while delivering industry-leading quality service to our customers and carriers, and improving operating leverage in our businesses."

16:56 EDT NuVasive up 7% after Q2 results beat estimates, FY19 profit guidance raised

16:49 EDT Amgen reports Q2 total product sales down 2% y/y

16:43 EDT McDermott, Baker Hughes awarded contracts for Ichthys gas field development - McDermott International (MDR) and Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE) announced that the companies were awarded contracts to provide a joint URF and SPS solution for the INPEX-operated Ichthys Liquefied Natural Gas field development, located off the northwest coast of Western Australia. The award includes a joint URF and SPS EPCI solution, comprising a new subsea well gathering system, tied back to the existing central processing facility. In addition to the GS4 scope, the award includes in-fill URF EPCI scope involving the development of new subsea wells tied-in to the existing gathering systems. Water depths in the field range from 787 to 885 feet (240 to 270 meters). McDermott and BHGE will lead the project from the joint Project Management and Engineering office in Perth, Australia. Fabrication of the subsea URF equipment will be carried out at McDermott's fabrication facility in Batam, Indonesia. Utilizing the Subsea Connect execution model, BHGE will deliver the SPS scope, including vertical christmas trees, associated production control systems, distribution equipment and topside controls as well as associated installation and commissioning support services. This award follows an earlier award granted to BHGE in 1Q 2019, including four christmas trees and associated SPS equipment for in-fill development. Offshore installation of the URF and SPS equipment will commence in 2020 and be completed in 2023. The field development will be carried out using state-of-the-art assets, including McDermott's derrick lay vessel, DLV 2000.

16:40 EDT Yum China says 'we expect overall sales growth to moderate' - "We are pleased to report another set of strong operating results for the second quarter, reflecting the resilience of our business model and our ability to capitalize on our digital, data and delivery capabilities," said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China. "We delivered a 10% increase in system sales in constant currency, marking our eleventh consecutive quarter of system sales growth since the spin-off. This strong result was driven by solid second quarter sales performance at both core brands with KFC and Pizza Hut delivering 5% and 1% same-store sales growth, respectively, and an ongoing acceleration of new store openings at KFC. We are also pleased to have delivered a 14% increase in operating profit in constant currency despite margin pressure from ongoing promotions and chicken and wage inflation. Looking forward, we expect overall sales growth to moderate as KFC begins to lap several key sales drivers, including successful value campaigns that we initiated in the second half of 2018. However, we remain confident that our strong foundation and commitment to innovation throughout our business will power continued growth for Yum China. We will continue to create new and exciting menu items, and leverage our leadership in digital, data and delivery to meet the evolving needs of our consumers." Jacky Lo, CFO of Yum China, added, "We continued to capitalize on market opportunities across China with aggressive, KFC-led store expansion and achieved a total store count of 8,751 at the end of the second quarter. With a strong cash payback period for new KFC stores and many untapped opportunities, we intend to continue to rapidly expand our store footprint in the second half of the year. We now expect full year 2019 gross new store openings to be between 800 and 850 units with accelerating development of new units across multiple brands. The ongoing expansion and strong operating performance fueled robust free cash flow generation in the second quarter, enabling us to return capital to our shareholders by repurchasing $75 million of shares and paying $45 million in dividends during the period. We are confident that our focus on profitable and sustainable growth will enable us to continue to generate significant value for our shareholders over the long term."

16:38 EDT Invitation Homes reports Q2 Same Store NOI up 6.1% over last year

16:37 EDT Apple CFO says year-over-year business performance improved - Apple CFO Luca Maestri said, "Our year-over-year business performance improved compared to the March quarter and drove strong operating cash flow of $11.6 billion. We returned over $21 billion to shareholders during the quarter, including $17 billion through open market repurchases of almost 88 million Apple shares, and $3.6 billion in dividends and equivalents."

16:37 EDT Western Mids lowers adjusted EBITDA view to $1.675B-$1.75B from $1.80B-$1.90B - Reaffirms FY19 CapEx view $1.30B-$1.40B. The Partnership is revising its 2019 outlook primarily related to the impacts of lower Delaware Basin throughput forecasts due to higher customer field downtime and changing well delivery timing to our systems, lower natural gas and NGL prices, and lower estimated revenues from revised revenue recognition forecasts related to cost of service contracts. "While recognizing the updates to our guidance, we remain confident in the long-term potential of our highly integrated asset base, including our diverse set of equity investments, and the core basins in which we operate," said the company.

16:34 EDT Apple CEO Cook calls results 'promising across all our geographic segments' - Apple CEO Tim Cook says, "This was our biggest June quarter ever - driven by all-time record revenue from Services, accelerating growth from Wearables, strong performance from iPad and Mac and significant improvement in iPhone trends. These results are promising across all our geographic segments, and we're confident about what's ahead. The balance of calendar 2019 will be an exciting period, with major launches on all of our platforms, new services and several new products."

16:33 EDT Yum China sees 800-850 gross new units in 2019 - The company is updating its fiscal year 2019 targets as follows: Between 800 and 850 gross new units. The increased store count reflects the accelerating development of multiple brands with the majority of the incremental new units coming from KFC and the new inclusion of COFFii & JOY. Capital expenditures between $475M-$525M. The company continues to expect a fiscal year 2019 effective tax rate below 28%, excluding any impact from the company's equity investment in Meituan Dianping.

16:32 EDT Apple reports Q3 iPhone revenue $25.99B vs. $29.47B last year - Reports Q3 Mac revenue $5.82B vs. $5.26B last year. Reports Q3 iPad revenue $5.02B vs. $4.63B last year. Reports Q3 Wearables, Home and Accessories revenue $5.53B vs. $3.73B.

16:31 EDT Yum China reports Q2 SSS up 4% in constant currency - Same-store sales grew 4% year over year, with a 5% increase at KFC and a 1% increase at Pizza Hut, excluding F/X.

16:30 EDT Axis Capital reports Q2 gross premiums written $2.41B vs. $2.41B last year - Reports Q2 combined ratio 89.1% vs. 90.7% last year.

16:25 EDT Encore Wire says capital expenditures plans delayed by highway project issues - The company said, "The U.S. economy appears strong, as is construction activity. Based on discussions with our distributor customers and their contractor customers, we believe there is a good outlook for construction projects for the next year. We believe our superior order fill rates continue to enhance our competitive position. As orders come in from electrical contractors, the distributors can count on our order fill rates to ensure quick deliveries from coast to coast. Our balance sheet is very strong. We have no long-term debt, and our revolving line of credit is paid down to zero. In addition, we had $184.8 million in cash at the end of the quarter. We have plans on the drawing board for significant capital expenditures, but these plans have been delayed by issues arising in connection with a proposed new highway project which may bisect our property. We also declared a cash dividend during the quarter."

16:23 EDT Castlight Health names Maeve O'Meara as CEO, replacing John Doyle - Castlight Health announced that Maeve O'Meara has been named as the company's CEO and to a seat on its Board of Directors, and that Siobhan Nolan Mangini will serve as the company's President and retain her position of CFO. Maeve and Siobhan have worked at Castlight for nine years and seven years respectively, leading a wide variety of corporate functions during their tenures. John Doyle is stepping down from his role as CEO and Director. These changes are effective immediately.

16:21 EDT Imax provides FY19 outlook - "IMAX's guidance for full-year 2019 is as follows: IMAX global box office is expected to experience low double-digit growth compared to the $1,032.1 million recorded in full-year 2018. Operating expenses, defined as selling, general and administrative expenses less stock-based compensation plus research and development costs are expected to be in-line with the $110.7 million recorded in full-year 2018. The effective tax rate is expected to be approximately 23%. Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be approximately 41% to 42%. Total theater installations are expected in the range of 185 to 190, consisting of new theater installs of 140 to 145 systems and upgrades to IMAX with Laser of approximately 45 systems. New theater installs are heavily weighted toward the fourth quarter of 2019. Total theaters equipped with IMAX with Laser are expected to grow to approximately 140 systems."

16:20 EDT J.C. Penney appoints James DePaul executive VP of stores - J. C. Penney Companyannounced that James DePaul, a field executive with nearly 25 years of retail experience, has been named executive VP of stores, effective August 5, reporting directly to CEO Jill Soltau. He will be responsible for improving in-store and omnichannel operations as part of the company's focus on transforming the customer experience to grow traffic, engagement and customer retention. Mike Robbins, executive VP of stores and supply chain, will be leaving the organization effective August 3.

16:18 EDT EyePoint presents 'positive' data on Yutiq at ASRS meeting - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of data supporting the company's Yutiq 0.18 mg three-year micro-insert for chronic, non-infectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment of the eye. The data were presented in three oral sessions at the 37th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists, or ASRS. "The supportive, 36-month follow-up data of YUTIQ continues to reinforce our confidence in its long-lasting potential for this difficult to treat ocular disease, as well as its favorable safety and tolerability profile," said EyePoint CEO Nancy Lurker. "Uveitis specialists have shared our enthusiasm regarding YUTIQ's commercial launch, which is supported by these positive data, with several of these physicians specifically highlighting the consistent dosing and one-time administration of YUTIQ compared to local corticosteroids. We look forward to further expanding the commercial reach and adoption of YUTIQ across the U.S. for patients with non-infectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment of the eye." Data included in all three presentations at ASRS are from the first double-masked, randomized Phase 3 trial of Yutiq, which enrolled 129 patients in 16 centers in the U.S. and 17 centers outside the U.S. 87 eyes were treated with Yutiq and 42 eyes received sham injections.

16:16 EDT Farmers National Banc announces 1.5M share stock buyback - Farmers National Banc approved a share repurchase program under which the company is authorized to repurchase up to 1.5M shares of its common stock in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, subject to market and other conditions. The Program supersedes the company's prior share repurchase program initially approved in 2012 which authorized the purchase of up to 920K shares of common stock.

16:14 EDT Alcoa says ASI certifies three locations - Alcoa Corporation announced that the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has certified three Alcoa-operated locations, one in each of the company's three business units. The ASI certifications are valid for three years and include the Juruti bauxite mine in Brazil, the Alumar alumina refinery near Sao Luis, Brazil, and the aluminum smelter in San Ciprian, Spain.

16:13 EDT A10 Networks hires Bank of America to advise on potential sale - A10 Networks said, "The Strategy Committee is tasked and empowered with overseeing and executing specific activities directed to increasing shareholder value. In furtherance of these activities, the company has retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch to advise the company and the Board on strategic matters, including a near term exploration of a potential sale or change of control transaction. No assurance can be given that such a transaction will be consummated in the near term or at all." As part of the election of Eric Singer to its board, the company has formed Strategy Committee, which consists of Singer, existing director Peter Chung and existing director Tor Braham.

16:12 EDT Denny's sees FY19 same store sales growth of 1%-3% - Sees FY19 same-store sales growth at company and domestic franchised restaurants between 1%-3%.

16:11 EDT Boyd Gaming backs FY19 total adjusted EBITDAR of $885M-$910M

16:10 EDT Maxim Integrated names Brian White as CFO - Maxim Integrated Products announced that Brian White will join Maxim on August 12. He will be appointed CFO after the filing of Maxim's fiscal year 2019 Annual Report, estimated to be filed on August 16. Maxim Integrated's current CFO, Bruce Kiddoo, will serve in an advisory role through October 2, after which he will retire to support non-profit causes.

16:09 EDT Denny's reports Q2 domestic same-store sales up 3.8% - Reports Q2 domestic system-wide same-store sales grew 3.8%, including increases of 4.4% at company restaurants and 3.7% at domestic franchised restaurants.

16:08 EDT Maxim Integrated raises quarterly dividend 4% to 48c per share - A cash dividend of 48c per share will be paid on September 13 to stockholders of record on August 29.

16:06 EDT Hawaiian Holdings sees FY19 ASMs up 1.5% - 2.5% -

16:05 EDT Hawaiian Holdings sees Q3 ASMs down 1.5% - Up 0.5% -

16:04 EDT Amgen sees FY19 CapEx about $700M

16:00 EDT Aclaris Therapeutics trading halted, news pending

15:56 EDT Ford acquires Journey Holding, terms not disclosed - To support its commitment to deliver integrated solutions that support cities and their transportation systems, Ford Smart Mobility LLC announced an agreement to acquire Journey Holding Corporation. Journey Holding, a technology company that specializes in software solutions for intelligent transportation systems, will integrate its offerings with FSM's TransLoc, a provider of technology solutions for on-demand and fixed route systems for public and private transit operations. Journey Holding CEO Justin Rees will lead the new operation. The name of the combined organization will be announced at a later date. The terms of this acquisition are not being disclosed.

15:37 EDT Maxar, Lockheed, others selected by NASA to advance moon, Mars technology - NASA announced that it has selected 10 U.S. companies for 19 partnerships to "mature industry-developed space technologies and help maintain American leadership in space." NASA centers will partner with the companies, which range from small businesses with fewer than a dozen employees to large aerospace organizations, to provide expertise, facilities, hardware and software at no cost. The partnerships will advance the commercial space sector and help bring new capabilities to market that could benefit future NASA missions. The selections were made through NASA's Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity released in October 2018. They will result in non-reimbursable Space Act Agreements between the companies and NASA. The selections cover the following technology focus areas, which are important to America's Moon to Mars exploration approach. Among the companies selected were Lockheed Martin (LMT), Spirit AeroSystem (SPR), Blue Origin, SpaceX, Maxar Technologies (MAXR), and Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJRD). In particular, Maxar will work with Langley to build a breadboard for a deployable, semi-rigid radio antenna and will test lightweight solar cells for flexible solar panels using facilities at Glenn and Marshall that mimic the environment of space. Reference Link

14:25 EDT Amazon announces plans for 15th Pennsylvanian operations facility - Amazon.com announced earlier that it plans to open its 15th Pennsylvanian operations facility in Pittsburgh, "creating more than 800 new, full-time jobs starting at $15 an hour with comprehensive benefits." The fulfillment center will be more than 1 million square feet and Amazon employees will pick, pack and ship larger customer items, the company stated.

13:46 EDT BB&T boosts quarterly dividend by 11% to 45c per share - BB&T Corporation declared a quarterly common stock cash dividend increase of 4.5c to 45c per share, payable Sept. 3, to shareholders of record at the close of business Aug. 14.

13:27 EDT Brown-Forman, Bacardi to end UK cooperation agreement in 2020 - Bacardi and Brown-Forman confirmed earlier that they have agreed not to renew their UK agreement set to expire at the end of April 2020. "Both Bacardi and Brown-Forman have grown their respective positions in the UK marketplace since they began their agreement 17 years ago and both agree that the time is now right for the two companies to take control of their own businesses and portfolios in the UK," the companies stated. Bacardi will dedicate 100% of its resources and focus on "delivering the full potential of its premium portfolio," while Brown-Forman plans to establish its own distribution company in the UK, the companies noted.

13:16 EDT Disney says 'The Lion King' will cross $1B in sales today - With an estimated $999M worldwide through yesterday, Disney's "The Lion King" will cross the $1B mark today in its 19th day of release, the company said in a statement. It added, "Along with Aladdin, it's the second Disney-branded live-action release to reach the $1 billion threshold this year and the sixth ever to do so, following Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, and the second and fourth Pirates of the Caribbean films. It is also The Walt Disney Studios' fourth billion dollar release this year." Reference Link

13:02 EDT Network-1 receives new patent expanding Cox portfolio to include 33 patents - Network-1 Technologies announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 10,367,885. The claims of the newly issued patent is generally directed towards methods of content extraction and identification, including performance of actions following therefrom. The newly issued '885 patent arises from a patent application contained in the patent portfolio acquired by Network-1 from Professor Ingemar Cox in 2013. The Cox Patent Portfolio includes patents relating to enabling technology for identifying media content, such as music and videos, and taking further actions to be performed based on such identification including, among others, the insertion of advertisements and the facilitation of the purchase of goods and services relating to the media content. Since the acquisition of the Cox Patent Portfolio, Network-1 has filed thirty-two additional patent applications, twenty-eight of which have been issued bringing the total Cox Patent Portfolio of granted patents to thirty-three. Four applications relating to the original specification are still pending and Network-1 anticipates further issuances of additional claims for its Cox Patent Portfolio.

12:59 EDT Gabelli mentions Madison Square Garden as stock pick, hopes for spin-off - Mario Gabelli is speaking on CNBC.

12:48 EDT Mario Gabelli says he would buy shares of National Fuel - Mario Gabelli is speaking on CNBC.

12:44 EDT Facebook says BCI program researchers at UCSF published study results - In a blog post, Facebook said that its team of researchers at University of California, San Francisco working to help patients with neurological damages speak again by detecting intended speech from brain activity in real time is sharing some of its findings in a Nature Communications article. The company said that the article provides insight into some of the work they've done so far and what's left to do to achieve fully non-invasive brain-computer interface as a potential input solution for augmented reality glasses. In the Nature Communications article, neurosurgeon Edward Chang and postdoctoral scholar David Moses published the results of a study demonstrating that brain activity recorded while people speak could be used to almost instantly decode what they were saying into text on a computer screen. While previous decoding work has been done offline, the key contribution in this paper is that the UCSF team was able to decode a small set of full, spoken words and phrases from brain activity in real time - a first in the field of BCI research, Facebook said. The researchers emphasize that their algorithm is so far only capable of recognizing a small set of words and phrases, but ongoing work aims to translate much larger vocabularies with dramatically lower error rates. In addition to providing funding, a small team of Facebook researchers are working directly with Chang and his lab to provide input and engineering support. UCSF oversees the research program and works directly with research volunteers. Facebook researchers have limited access to de-identified data, which remain onsite at UCSF and under its control at all times.

12:40 EDT Gabelli says CBS, Viacom merger has 'got to' happen - Mario Gabelli is speaking on CNBC.

12:31 EDT BB&T shareholders approve merger of equals with SunTrust - BB&T Corporation (BBT) shareholders have approved both the merger of equals between BB&T Corporation and SunTrust Banks Inc. (STI) and Truist Financial Corporation as the new name of the combined company. At a special meeting of shareholders held today, more than 98% of the shares voted were cast in favor of the merger of equals with SunTrust and more than 96% of the shares voted were cast in favor of the Truist name, the company said in a statement. "We're very pleased BB&T shareholders have overwhelmingly supported both the merger of equals with SunTrust and the new Truist name," said Chairman and CEO Kelly S. King. "This is an important milestone as we move toward our goal of creating a bold, transformative organization that benefits our shareholders, associates, clients and communities." As previously announced, BB&T received approval for the merger of equals from the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks on July 10. Completion of the merger is subject to certain additional customary closing conditions, including receipt of the remaining regulatory approvals. The companies expect the transaction to close late in the third quarter or in the fourth quarter of this year.

12:22 EDT RPC jumps 11% to $6.15 after Mario Gabelli pitches position on CNBC

12:08 EDT L'Oreal to buy back and cancel up to EUR750M of shares - Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L'Oreal, said the Board of Directors has decided, under the authorization voted by the Annual General Meeting of 18 April 2019, to set up a share buyback program amounting to a maximum of 750M euros and with a maximum number of shares to be acquired of 3M during the second half of 2019. All the shares bought back will be cancelled, the CEO noted.

12:01 EDT Gartner falls -19.5% - Gartner is down -19.5%, or -$33.29 to $137.44.

12:00 EDT McDermott falls -39.7% - McDermott is down -39.7%, or -$4.00 to $6.08.

12:00 EDT CNX Resources rises 17.4% - CNX Resources is up 17.4%, or $1.07 to $7.26.

11:46 EDT Air France announces firm order for 60 Airbus A220-300s - The Air France-KLM board of directors approved several strategic decisions concerning the development of the Air France fleet, following a meeting on July 30, the company announced. These include the firm order for 60 A220-300s, with 30 options and 30 acquisition rights, which will gradually replace Air France's A318 and A319 fleet; Retirement of the 10 A380s from the Air France fleet by 2022; and study of the replacement of A380s by new generation aircraft. Reference Link

11:41 EDT National Oilwell 'confident' Completion & Production unit found bottom in Q1 - Says order inflows improved significantly during March and the increased pace continued through Q2. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

11:31 EDT Horizon Pharma says appeals denied request for rehearing - In a regulatory filing, Horizon Pharma (HZNP) disclosed that on July 30, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals denied Horizon Therapeutics' request for a rehearing of the Court's invalidity ruling against the 6,926,907 and 8,557,285 patents for VIMOVO coordinated-release tablets. As a result, the company expects the District Court to enter judgment against the company, which could subsequently result in Dr. Reddy's (RDY) initiating an at-risk launch of a generic version of VIMOVO. "If Dr. Reddy's launches a generic version of VIMOVO, the company does not expect it would have any material impact to its 2019 guidance. Ongoing patent litigation between the two companies continues, including a separate court case involving Orange Book-listed patents expiring in May 2022," Horizon stated in the filing.

11:09 EDT Schneider National launches intermodal service in Barstow, California - Schneider said it has recently begun offering intermodal services at the BNSF Barstow, California, ramp. This new intermodal ramp service provides shippers in the eastern region of Southern California, Las Vegas and western Arizona with a cost-competitive transportation option to Chicago and northeastern U.S. markets, Schneider said in a statement. Service to and from the Barstow ramp will go directly to Chicago five days per week. The new ramp is located just northeast of San Bernardino, California.

11:01 EDT Rockwell Medical says proposed TDAPA changes could hurt Triferic NDA - Rockwell Medical disclosed that on July 29, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a preliminary proposed rule that proposes to update payment policies and rates under the End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System for renal dialysis services furnished to beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2020. The proposed rules contain certain proposed revisions to the eligibility requirements for the CMS Transitional Drug Add-on Payment Adjustment program, which has the potential to provide two years of add-on reimbursement for certain qualifying new drugs, Rockwell said. The FDA has not informed the company what the classification will be for its I.V. Triferic NDA, although it notes that the two prior Triferic NDAs that have been approved were Types 3 and 5. If the I.V. Triferic NDA is classified as either of these types, or any of the other excluded NDA types listed in the proposed rules, the company believes that it could be adversely impacted by the proposed rules. However, Rockwell says that its previously disclosed projections for the overall peak Triferic market opportunity in the United States have been based on an assumed market price for Triferic that is within the CMS reimbursement bundle and that does not assume a sustained, higher price based on TDAPA eligibility. CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rulesthrough September27 and Rockwell "plans to vigorously oppose this change in the TDAPA eligibility requirements."

10:28 EDT Tax Watch says Take-Two paid no corporation tax, claimed millions in subsidies - According to a report by Tax Watch, Take-Two has managed to pay no U.K. corporation tax and claim millions in government subsidies, "whilst making $$$ billions in profit." "Grand Theft Auto V is the most commercially successful product in the history of the entertainment industry, with total revenues estimated to be $6B since the game's release in 2013. The game is published by Take-Two Interactive Inc. under their Rockstar brand. [...] Despite the huge success of the title, our analysis shows that Rockstar and Take-Two companies based in the U.K. have not paid any corporation tax over the last ten years. Rockstar North Ltd, which led the game's development, has in fact claimed GBP42M in subsidies from the taxpayer over the last three years in the form of credits through the Video Games Tax Relief regime," the report reads. "Our analysis shows that the amount claimed by Rockstar North is the equivalent of 19% of the total relief paid to the entire video games industry in the U.K. since the program came into effect. This raises serious questions as to whether the relief is being properly targeted, at a time when the industry is lobbying for the relief to be expanded and made more generous. This report also raises questions as to whether an appropriate amount of profit has been allocated to the U.K. companies involved in the game's development. Seven active companies based in the U.K., using the Take-Two and Rockstar names, declared a total profit before tax of GBP47.3M in the U.K. between 2013 and 2018. However, over the same period we estimated the operating profit of games published by Rockstar to be in the region of $5B." Reference Link

10:00 EDT Under Armour falls -18.9% - Under Armour is down -18.9%, or -$4.60 to $19.79.

10:00 EDT McDermott falls -37.8% - McDermott is down -37.8%, or -$3.81 to $6.27.

10:00 EDT U.S. Silica rises 16.2% - U.S. Silica is up 16.2%, or $1.67 to $11.97.

09:53 EDT Ralph Lauren: NA retail environment has become more volatile in recent months

09:42 EDT Fluor awarded EPCM contract by Cupric Canyon Capital for Bostswana project - Fluor Corporation announced that it was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management contract by Cupric Canyon Capital for its Khoemacau copper and silver project in northwest Botswana. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the second quarter of 2019. Fluor's scope includes upgrading the existing copper concentrator plant and new mine surface infrastructure. The project is expected to produce an annual average of 62,000 metric tons of copper and 1.9 million ounces of silver with a life of mine in excess of 20 years.

09:33 EDT CarGurus announces CPO Partner Program in Canada - CarGurus announced the launch of its Certified Pre-Owned Partner Program with OEMs in the Canadian market. This new program distinguishes to consumers the difference between manufacturer-certified vehicles and dealer-certified vehicles on the CarGurus platform, with Kia Canada and GM Canada signing on as the first partners. Consumers will now be able to search in both English and French CPO inventories directly from the CarGurus homepage. Additionally, the OEM-certified vehicles will be easily identifiable on both the search results and vehicle display pages. CPO certification will also be considered as part of CarGurus' Deal Rating determinations for Canada listings, ascribing value to the OEM-certified vehicles due to the rigorous safety and maintenance inspections performed by the manufacturers.

09:32 EDT Ralph Lauren sees inventories in 2H more closely aligned to sales outlook - Sees about 600M in repurchases planned for FY20.

09:29 EDT NanoString, Mayo Clinic enter joint development agreement for novel assays - NanoString Technologies and Mayo Clinic Laboratories have announced a collaboration to develop clinical tests using NanoString's new GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler. GeoMx combines spatial and molecular profiling technologies by generating a whole tissue image at single cell resolution while also providing digital profiling data for tens to thousands of RNA or protein analytes for up to 16-20 tissue slides per day. This combination of spatial profiling enables researchers to rapidly assess the biological implications within tissue samples. As part of the collaboration, the two organizations will use NanoString's nCounter platform and the GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler. An initial cross-site study will use the GeoMx DSP technology to investigate the immune architecture of high-risk hormone receptor positive HER2-negative breast tumor samples to understand the biology of breast cancer. Understanding the biology is necessary to develop prognostic or predictive biomarkers and new therapies. A second study will evaluate the use of NanoString's fusion assays on the nCounter platform as a scalable and cost-effective alternative to conventional FISH assays in the study of leukemia.

09:27 EDT Ralph Lauren: NA traffic trends 'disappointing' in Q1, particularly in May - Expects drive AUR over next 3 quarters in low to mid single digit range. Expects declines in international shoppers to pressure NA digital comps for rest of year. Still expects Q1 to be strongest quarter of the year for North America.

09:26 EDT Energy Focus awarded $3M contract for LED solutions - Energy Focus announced that it has been awarded a new $3M contract to supply LED solutions to a leading healthcare organization based in northeast Ohio. This award is an extension to an existing contract with this client. The Company has also received its first orders of approximately $500,000 under the new contract.

09:23 EDT RespireRx sends notice to Therapix Biosciences over patent rights - RespireRx Pharmaceuticals announces that it has sent a formal notice to the Board of Directors of Therapix Biosciences Ltd. The company said, "In public disclosures on the Therapix' website and in its press releases, Therapix has repeatedly made public statements that it intends to develop THX-110, a combination of dronabinol and PEA, for treating obstructive sleep apnea in the United States and other markets. RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc has licensed and is in possession of patents and patent applications for treating any sleep related breathing disorder, including OSA, using any cannabinoid alone or in combination with any other molecule or drug. Our existing patents and IP assets in development for related formulations and drug combinations, expressly exclude all use, production, sale or offer for sale of Therapix's proposed THC/PEA combination for OSA. To the extent Therapix violates RespireRx's patent rights, anywhere in the world where these patents are applicable, we will vigorously enforce these rights, including through formal litigation with Therapix and against any of its affiliates, successors or assigns who may collaborate with Therapix to violate our intellectual property rights."

09:19 EDT GeoVax Labs offers novel Ebola vaccine gratis following WHO declaration - GeoVax Labs responded to the World Health Organization's recent declaration of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a global public health emergency. The Company is offering its novel Ebola preventive vaccine, gratis, for public health use, contingent upon WHO or related agencies advancing the vaccine into human clinical evaluation. GeoVax believes its vaccine to be distinctly superior to the experimental vaccine currently in use in failing attempts to contain the epidemic. GeoVax has demonstrated that a single intramuscular dose of GEO-EM01 provided 100% protection in rhesus macaques challenged with a lethal dose of Ebola virus. This is the first report that a replication-deficient MVA vector can confer full protection against a lethal EBOV challenge after a single-dose vaccination in macaques. GEO-EM01 is based on the Company's novel Modified Vaccinia Ankara Virus-Like Particle platform, which generates noninfectious VLPs in the individual being vaccinated. VLPs mimic a natural infection, triggering the body to produce a robust and durable immune response with both antibodies and T cells. There is currently no licensed vaccine to protect people from the Ebola virus. An experimental vaccine with a limited supply is currently being used in the DRC. This vaccine can protect after a single dose but has caused mild to moderate adverse side effects that included headache, fatigue, and muscle pain in half of the vaccinated subjects. The experimental vaccine also has the logistical challenge of limited stability under conditions of normal refrigeration or room temperature storage. In contrast, GEO-EM01 avoids the logistical challenges that exist with the current experimental vaccine in use. David Dodd, GeoVax CEO, stated, "We recognize the critical medical and humanitarian need for a preventive vaccine against Ebola and are pleased to offer GEO-EM01, gratis, to WHO and other public health agencies with the resources and commitment to advance the vaccine into human evaluation and use as soon as possible. To date, all the development evidence in support of GEO-EM01 suggests the potential for single-dose prevention without the need for refrigeration and other challenges related to distribution and use within the endemic areas. Our goal and commitment is to ensure the highest level of prevention and protection for those at risk of infection from the Ebola virus. We believe that GEO-EM01 provides a significant step forward in addressing the Ebola global health emergency and we are proud to extend this offer."

09:16 EDT U.S. Gold commences 2019 exploration drill program at Keystone project - U.S. Gold Corp announced that it has commenced the first phase of its previously announced targeted drilling program at its Keystone project on the Cortez Trend, Nevada. This exploration drilling program is expected to consist of an initial phase of 9 reverse circulation holes and 1 core hole for a total of approximately 20,000 feet. The first phase will focus on specific targets identified through detailed geology, geochemistry, geophysics and drilling throughout the 650 lode claims covering 20 square miles of mineral rights. Drilling targets identified through comprehensive technical studies and mapping are described in reports previously released and available on the U.S. Gold Corp. website. All permits have been obtained, including Bureau of Land Management approvals. The phase one program is expected to take approximately two months. Phase one drilling will focus on the Sophia, Tip Top and Nina Skarn target areas as previously detailed on the following map:

09:15 EDT D.R. Horton sees FY19 'spec homes' up to 5,600 from 3,800

09:13 EDT Ralph Lauren says monitoring global retail environment closely - Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

09:10 EDT Oncotelic to provide clinical development updates for OT101, OXi4503 - Oncotelic, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mateon Therapeutics, announced that its team members will participate and provide clinical development updates at upcoming medical-scientific conferences regarding the clinical development plans for the portfolio drugs OT101 and OXi4503 aimed at their regulatory approval. OT101, a first-in-class RNA therapeutic designed to abrogate the immunosuppressive actions of TGF-b2, is Oncotelic's lead anti-brain tumor drug candidate. OT101 has been granted orphan designation by the FDA under the Orphan Drug Act. In October 2019, Dr. Vuong Trieu, Ph.D., co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oncotelic will deliver a keynote speech at the Global Congress on Pharmacology and Therapeutics in Paris, France. His presentation will focus on the anti-sense platform for drug development and the Oncotelic pipeline of RNA therapeutics, including OT101. Dr. Trieu will also attend the October 2019 Medicinal Chemistry Strategy Meeting US West Coast that will be held in San Francisco, California to lead an executive roundtable discussion about the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms in new drug discovery and lead optimization, design of biomarker-driven clinical studies as well as identification of biomarker-enriched patient populations most likely to respond to new anti-cancer drug candidates, such as OT101. In October 2019, Oncotelic team will also attend the upcoming AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Boston, Massachusetts. The Oncotelic CED platform appears to be the only reported platform that allows for the delivery of a brain tumor drug directly into the patients' tumors via an extended continuous infusion for repeated treatment cycles for up to 6 months. Other CED systems in clinical development allow only short-term drug delivery for days to a few weeks. In November 2019, Oncotelic will attend the 24th Annual Meeting of the Society for NeuroOncology in Phoenix, Arizona to report on the safety and efficacy of OT101 along with a multivariate analysis of predictive parameters for favorable overall responses and prolonged survival outcome. Dr. Uckun will also present a plenary talk at the 2nd International Precision Medicine Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. The safety and clinical potential of the lead anti-leukemia drug candidate OXi4503 was evaluated as part of a 2-drug combination regimen in a multi-institutional Phase IB clinical study at 4 academic centers in the USA. 29 relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia and myeloid dysplastic syndrome patients were evaluated and objective responses - including 4 complete responses - as well as extended survival were observed in some of the patients. These results will be presented by Dr. Uckun during the 3rd International Hematologists Summit in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, as part of his invited plenary talk. FDA granted orphan status as well as fast-track designation to OXi4503 for AML.

09:06 EDT Blink Charging's fast AC charging station approved for NY rebate initiative - Blink Charging Co. announced the inclusion of their newest product, the fast Level 2 AC EV charging station, the Blink IQ 200, into the list of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's approved product offerings in its Charge Ready NY initiative. Charge Ready NY provides $4,000 per vehicle charging port for public or private employers, building owners, municipalities and non-profit organizations to install Level 2 charging stations in New York State. The Blink IQ 200 is the company's newest 80 Amp Level 2 AC charging station, capable of delivering more than 65 miles of charge per hour for cars capable of receiving 19.2 kW. It features an intuitive touch screen, energy certified, network connectivity, and sleek low-profile design. The inclusion of Blink's newest generation of equipment will help to bring New York's EV driver's access to more Blink owned EV charging stations, as well as provides a significant subsidy for those who wish to purchase Blink equipment and bringing the cost of deployment down for potential EV charging destinations.

09:05 EDT Waste Connections sees Q3 adjusted EBITDA $442M

09:04 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Proctor & Gamble (PG), up 5%... Merck (MRK), up 3%... U.S. Silica (SLCA), up 7%... Ralph Lauren (RL), up 3%. ALSO HIGHER: Valeritas (VLRX), up 16% after announcing results from a preclinical pharmacokinetic study of cannabidiol, or CBD, subcutaneous infusion with two dosing regimens delivered via its h-Patch wearable drug delivery device. The company believes this study represents the first report of CBD delivered via subcutaneous infusion in any preclinical model. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Under Armour (UAA), down 15%... Cummins (CMI), down 7%... Corning (GLW), down 3.5%... GrubHub (GRUB), down 3%... A.O. Smith (AOS), down 5%... Beyond Meat (BYND), down 16%. ALSO LOWER: Capital One (COF), down 5% after announcing there was unauthorized access by an outside individual who obtained certain types of personal information relating to people who had applied for its credit card products and to Capital One credit card customers. The company said over 100M people were affected.

09:00 EDT TransMedics announces successful transplantation of donor lungs using OCS - TransMedics Group announced the OCS Lung technology was used in two successful lung transplants using donor lungs from Hawaii that initially were declined for transplantation due to time and distance limitations of standard cold storage preservation. Donor lungs retrieved from Hawaii that initially were not accepted for transplantation due to limitations of cold static storage were successfully transplanted after using the OCS Lung System. The OCS was used to reduce the ischemic injury, monitor continuously, and assess the function of the donor lungs from the time they left the donor body until they were transplanted successfully into matched recipients on the national transplant waiting list. The first pair of lungs was transplanted in North Carolina 20+ hours after retrieval from a donor in Hawaii. The second transplant was performed in Arizona after 9+ hours from donor to recipient. Both transplant recipients have been discharged from the hospital.

08:57 EDT Procter & Gamble says sees 90% free cash flow productivity in FY20 - Says will continue to return cash to shareholders.

08:55 EDT Overstock.com declares dividend on one digital share for every ten held - Overstock.com announces that its Board of Directors has declared a dividend payable in shares of its Digital Voting Series A-1 Preferred Stock. The record date for the Dividend will be September 23, 2019, and the distribution date for the Dividend will be November 15, 2019. The Dividend will be payable at a ratio of 1:10, meaning that one share of Series A-1 will be issued for every ten shares of common stock, Series A-1 or Voting Series B Preferred Stock held by all holders of such shares as of the record date. "Five years ago, we set out to create a parallel universe: a legal, blockchain-based capital market. We've succeeded," said Overstock.com founder and CEO Patrick M. Byrne. "The approximately 40,000 holders of the currently outstanding 37 million shares of Overstock will be issued a dividend of 3.7 million of these new digital shares to trade in that new capital market. Because the bundle of legal rights represented by each of these new A-1 shares is similar to the bundle of legal rights embodied in shares of our common stock that trades on NASDAQ, I might normally expect these blockchain-based A-1 shares to trade in rough approximation with OSTK. However, our legacy OSTK shares trade in a capital market with trading and settlement mechanisms about which I have long made my criticisms and doubts known to the public, whereas our new blockchain-based A-1 shares trade in a blockchain-based capital market which I believe is resistant to such dynamics. I cannot predict what kind of trading parity, if any, will emerge between the two. Perhaps arbitrageurs will notice and explore such matters, and in the process, punch a wormhole between the universe of legacy NMS and new universe of a blockchain capital market. I am going to be as interested as anyone else to see what the result of that will be."

08:53 EDT Auris Medical announces randomization of first patient in AM-125 Phase 2 trial - Auris Medical Holding announced that the first patient has been randomized in its "TRAVERS" Phase 2 trial of AM-125, the Company's investigational drug for the treatment of acute vertigo. The TRAVERS trial will enroll a total of 138 patients who suffer from acute vertigo following surgical removal of a vestibular schwannoma, a tumor growing behind the inner ear. In Part A of the trial, five ascending doses of AM-125 or placebo, administered three times daily over a total of four weeks, will be tested in 50 patients. In addition, oral betahistine 48 mg will be tested in 16 patients under open-label conditions for reference. Based on an interim analysis, two doses will be selected and tested in an estimated 72 patients in Part B of the trial. The TRAVERS trial is being conducted in six European countries and Canada.

08:51 EDT Principia Biopharma expects to announce data from Phase 2 trial in Q4 - Principia Biopharma announced updates to its immune thrombocytopenia program for PRN1008. The ongoing open-label, dose-finding clinical trial investigating PRN1008 in patients with ITP who are refractory or relapsed with no available treatment options, was designed to test safety and activity across multiple doses - 200mg once-a-day, 400mg once-a-day, 300mg twice-a-day and 400mg twice-a-day. The protocol has been modified to add a long-term extension cohort for responders and, if needed, to enroll additional patients to inform the design of the Phase 3 program. The company plans to announce top-line data from this trial during the fourth quarter of 2019.

08:49 EDT Izea partners with IRI to launch InfluenceImpact - IZEA Worldwide announced it is joining forces with IRI to launch InfluenceImpact, a new offering that allows IZEA clients to measure the impact of influencer marketing on retail sales. InfluenceImpact is primarily designed for IZEA's national consumer packaged goods customers and provides them with actionable insights to optimize their influencer marketing spend.

08:48 EDT NewLink Genetics announces retirement of Chairman, CEO, CSO Charles Link - NewLink Genetics provided an update on clinical and corporate developments, including a transition of management. Charles J. Link, Jr, M.D. has chosen to retire from his posts as Chairman, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, and has also resigned from the Board, effective August 3, 2019. Dr. Link cofounded NewLink Genetics in 1999 and served as the company's Chief Scientific Officer until his additional appointment to CEO and Chairman in 2003. NewLink Genetics' Board of Directors has established an Office of the CEO. Effective August 3rd, members of the Office of the CEO will lead the company to advance its strategic goals. The Board of Directors has elected Carl Langren, CFO; Eugene Kennedy, M.D., Chief Medical Officer; Brad Powers, General Counsel; and Lori Lawley, Vice President, Finance and Controller to the Office of the CEO. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the members of the Office of the CEO have been given full executive authority and will oversee the execution of the company's operations and strategic initiatives."I am grateful and deeply honored to have had the opportunity to lead NewLink Genetics and work alongside some incredibly talented people on projects dedicated to patients with great unmet medical need," said Charles J. Link Jr, M.D. "I have confidence that the company and its leadership have the resources to move forward and succeed and I look forward to watching the company's progress. I plan to enjoy spending more time with my family as well."

08:46 EDT Foamix announces $64M capital financing investment - Foamix Pharmaceuticals announced that it has secured up to $64M in financing from Perceptive Advisors and OrbiMed. The financing consists of term loans of up to $50 million under a Credit Agreement, with $15 million provided immediately upon satisfaction of certain closing conditions, $20 million available upon the achievement of certain regulatory milestones and $15 million available upon the achievement of certain revenue milestones. Additionally, the Company will receive $14 million in gross proceeds from Perceptive Advisors through a direct registered offering of the Company's ordinary shares. Proceeds from the transactions are expected to be used to fund the Company's filing of a New Drug Application with the FDA for FMX103 for the treatment of papulopustular rosacea as well as, assuming FDA approval is received, the anticipated product launches of FMX101 for the treatment of moderate to severe acne and FMX103, as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes. The FDA has established October 20th, 2019 as the Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date for FMX101, and Foamix is in the final stages of preparation for the NDA submission for FMX103. Under the Credit Agreement and Guaranty between Foamix and affiliates of Perceptive Advisors and OrbiMed, there are no required payments of principal amounts until July 2023. In connection with the Credit Agreement, Foamix issued to affiliates of Perceptive Advisors and OrbiMed warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,100,000 of its ordinary shares, par value NIS 0.16 per share, at an exercise price of $2.09 per share, which represents the 5-day volume weighted average price as of the trading day immediately prior to the closing. In addition, on July 29, 2019, Foamix entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with an affiliate of Perceptive Advisors pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell, in a registered offering by the Company, an aggregate of 6,542,057 shares of the Company's ordinary shares, par value New Israeli Shekels 0.16 per share at a purchase price equivalent to $2.14 per share, representing the closing share price on the last trading day prior to signing, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $14 million, before deducting offering expenses. The issuance and sale of the Shares is expected to close on July 31, 2019, subject to certain closing conditions.

08:43 EDT D.R. Horton sees Q4 profit margin up sequentially - Management says Q3 profit margins up due to lower incentives and lumber costs. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

08:42 EDT NV5 Global awarded $20M in power utility contracts - NV5 Global announced that it was awarded $20M in recent contracts by California utilities to provide infrastructure design and engineering, land surveying and other engineering support services. The contracts build upon the strong growth NV5 has experienced in the energy sector and support its ENERGY 2021 initiative. Approximately $8M of these contracts support fire risk mitigation efforts through hardening service areas most prone to wildfires. Under these agreements, NV5 will provide engineering design, surveying, permitting support, geotechnical engineering and feasibility studies. NV5 will also provide $4M in engineering and design services for the installation of vehicle charging stations throughout California. The expansion of charging station infrastructure is designed to help the State of California meet its goals of reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased electric vehicle usage. Another $3 million of contract wins will support generator and substation rebuilding and expansion efforts through distribution design, engineering design and permitting assistance. NV5 also secured a contract award of $5M to provide a full range of land surveying services for a west coast utility through its WHPacific subsidiary, which was acquired by NV5 in July 2019.

08:39 EDT I.D. Systems helps AIM with PowerFleet for Logistics - I.D. Systems is helping American Intermodal Management extend the value proposition of the chassis beyond a piece of equipment to integrate itself into its clients' supply chains. With the most recent order, AIM will now have its entire 11,000-unit fleet powered by PowerFleet. Working with AIM since 2016, PowerFleet for Logistics by I.D. Systems continues to collaborate on technology to streamline core business intelligence and tailor asset management solutions that work to improve operational efficiency, increase agility and achieve a greater overall business value. PowerFleet's chassis tracking and sensor solutions help AIM's lease and rental customers maximize chassis utilization - offering greater visibility and comprehensive, reliable data. Targeted benefits include reduced transit cycle times, improved operations, enhanced productivity and lower operational cost.

08:37 EDT Predictive Oncology subsidiary executes next phase of agreement with Interpace - Predictive Oncology (POAI) announced its Helomics division has executed on an agreement between the company and Interpace Diagnostics Group, Inc. or Interpace (IDXG), collectively known as 'the Companies", to build AI-driven models of thyroid cancer in order to enhance diagnosis of as well as therapeutic options for thyroid cancer. This phase of the agreement is expected to leverage real world clinical data from Interpace's two thyroid products, ThyGeNEXT and ThyraMIR, coupled with drug response profiles of thyroid tumors from Helomics' patient-derived tumor profiling platform to build D-CHIP AI-driven models of thyroid cancer. The models will help identify potential druggable targets for treatment of indolent and aggressive thyroid cancers. Ultimately, the companies hope to develop a full pipeline of products that work seamlessly together to both diagnose and assess risk for thyroid cancer in addition to providing appropriate therapy recommendations.

08:34 EDT Commvault says 'not pleased' with Q1 results - Commvault CEO Sanjay Mirchandani said he was not pleased with Q1 results, but added that he thinks the company has the tools needed to improve future performance. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:30 EDT Pfizer sees Array BioPharma deal dilutive to adjusted EPS by 4c in 2019 - Pfizer expects the transaction to be dilutive to Pfizer's Adjusted Diluted EPS by 4c in 2019, 4c-5c in 2020, neutral in 2021 and accretive beginning in 2022, with additional accretion and growth anticipated thereafter.

08:26 EDT Cambrex to double size of Edinburgh solid form screening facility - Cambrex Corporation announced that it is expanding its solid form screening and crystallization process development facility in Edinburgh, Scotland, doubling the current footprint to 15,000 sq. ft. The site currently has 50 employees and the expansion will add additional laboratory space to enable the recruitment of up to 40 more scientists, with the potential for further growth in the future. Fit out is expected to begin in late August 2019 with a target completion date of the end of the year. Cambrex's Edinburgh site is a world-leader in providing solid form development services for drug substance and drug product. These include solid state investigations such as salt, co-crystal and polymorph screening, in addition to crystallization process development and GMP analytical services. The expanded laboratory space will allow the installation of additional instruments and reactors for larger scale crystallization studies and solid form screening capabilities. Plans are in place for the installation of new ultra-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography instruments, as well as additional process analytical technology tools.Edinburgh became part of Cambrex's global network of development and manufacturing facilities after the acquisition of Avista Pharma Solutions earlier this year. The facility was formerly known as Solid Form Solutions, an industry leader in solid state services, prior to the acquisition.

08:21 EDT Western Copper announces acquisition of Canadian Creek Property for C$2.78M - Cariboo Rose Resources Ltd. and Casino Mining Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Copper and Gold Corp. are pleased to announce that they have entered into a property purchase agreement dated July 29, 2019 whereby Casino Mining has agreed to purchase the 311 mineral claims that comprise the Canadian Creek Property owned by Cariboo Rose. The Property lies directly adjacent to Western's Casino Project. The total consideration to be paid to Cariboo Rose for the Property will consist of the issuance of 3 million common shares of Western at a deemed price of C$0.928 per Share for an aggregate Acquisition cost of C$2.78M. KEY HIGHLIGHTs: Potential Extension of the Casino Project: The Acquisition would secure critical ground immediately adjacent to the Company's Casino Project, and there is likelihood that the Casino deposit will extend into the Property. The immediate plan following closing would be to begin drilling on Canadian Creek as part of the current drill program at Casino in hopes of identifying additional mineralization. The primary target is a 700 meter untested area between the most westerly Casino drill holes and the closest drill-holes on the Canadian Creek Property. The nearest four holes on the Canadian Creek Property to Casino have moderate potassic alteration to strong propylitic alteration, leach capping or incipient leaching, weak enrichment and hypogene copper-gold-molybdenum mineralization, which are typical of that occurring at the outer edges of a porphyry copper - gold - molybdenum deposit. Additional Exploration Potential: An additional target for porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum mineralization is the Ana Zone lying 1.5 kilometers west of the primary target. The historical drill holes testing the Ana Zone show consistent moderate to strong propylitic to potassic alteration associated with anomalous levels of copper, gold and molybdenum. Within this alteration are small bodies of intrusion breccia and Patton Porphyry, both closely associated with mineralization at the Casino deposit. The Ana Zone measures 1.5 by 1.0 kilometers with no historical drill holes in the centre of the area of interest. The Property also hosts structurally controlled gold-bearing zones in the northern half of the property similar in style to the Coffee Project. Strategic Land Package: The Property is strategically positioned between the Casino Project and Newmont Goldcorp's Coffee Project. The Property shares a 6 kilometer long north-south boundary on its eastern side with the Casino Project and a 12 kilometer long east-west boundary on its north side with the Coffee Project. The Coffee-Casino connector road, as identified by the Yukon Government as part of the Gateway Project, also partially lies on these claims.

08:19 EDT Anadarko filing provides details on Occidental's finances - Anadarko Petroleum (APC) said in a regulatory filing on Monday that Occidental Petroleum (OXY) does not expect to generate enough cash to cover its shareholder payments until 2022. Anadarko said in the SEC filing it amended its merger proxy in response to a lawsuit alleging it had failed to provide its shareholders with full details of the cash-and-stock sale. The revisions include projections that the filing said was provided by Occidental's management and adjusted by Anadarko's executives showing the standalone company's free cash flow would fall below dividend payments in each of the next three years.

08:13 EDT Fifth Third extends existing partnership with Cardtronics - Fifth Third Bank (FITB) has agreed to extend its existing partnership with Cardtronics (CATM), placing the bank's brand on each of the 299 Cardtronics ATMs in Michigan Speedway stores. The branding, which will be completed before the end of 2019, will significantly expand the bank's visible presence, building on the almost 200 Fifth Third branches in the state. Through its partnership with Cardtronics, Fifth Third has already branded over 800 ATMs in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio Speedway stores. With the new extension into Michigan, the partnership will include over 1,100 Cardtronics ATMs across a four-state area. In addition to ATM branding, Fifth Third is also a member of Allpoint Network, Cardtronics' surcharge-free ATM network with 55,000 cash access points across the country and around the world. The combination of Allpoint Network membership and ATM branding provides Fifth Third cardholders with fee-free cash wherever they need it while building brand awareness that drives customer engagement and new customer acquisition.

08:11 EDT OneMain says will consider all forms of capital return to shareholders

08:10 EDT Embraer delivered 51 jets in Q2 - Embraer delivered a total of 51 jets in the Q2 of which 26 were commercial aircraft and 25 were executive jets. As of June 30th, the firm order backlog totaled $16.9B compared to $16.0B at the end of Q1. Embraer's 2Q19 backlog increase is largely due to continued market demand, mainly for the new family of Praetor jets in Executive Aviation.

08:10 EDT OneMain Holdings says well within 'comfortable' leverage range

08:06 EDT Great Panther reports 10 holes returned intersections such as 15.35 g/t Au - Great Panther reports that the first results from in-mine exploration since the Company acquired the Tucano Gold Mine on March 5 are returning high gold grades over notable widths below the existing TAP AB3 open pit. Results from 10 of the first 12 holes have returned intersections such as 15.35 g/t Au over 13.55 metres, including 30.94 g/t Au over 5.35 metres, in hole 19TABDD001; and 13.00 g/t Au over 25.50 metres, including 63.40 g/t Au over 5.00 metres, in hole 19TABDD010.

08:04 EDT Citius Pharmaceuticals to develop Mino-Wrap as a drug though IND process - Citius Pharmaceuticals reported the Company's decision to develop Mino-Wrap as a drug through the Investigational New Drug, or IND, process. The FDA's IND program is the means by which a pharmaceutical company obtains permission to start human clinical trials and to ship an experimental drug across state lines before a marketing application for the drug has been approved.

08:03 EDT Regulus appoints Cris Calsada as CFO - Regulus Therapeutics announced the appointment of Cris Calsada as its new CFO effective August 30. Calsada joins Regulus from Sanifit where she has served as CFO since December 2017. Calsada brings to Regulus' senior management team a unique combination of financial, operational and managerial experience. She has over 20 years of leadership experience in the life sciences and technology industries. Prior to her employment with Sanifit, Calsada was self-employed as a finance consultant to various life sciences companies. From 2004 until its acquisition in 2015, she served in positions of increasing responsibility with Ambrx, most recently serving as its COO and Vice President of Finance.

07:57 EDT Nephros surpasses $1M in revenue during the month of July - Nephros announced that it will publish its second quarter 2019 financial results on Wednesday, August 7, 2019 and will host a conference call that same day at 4:30 PM ET, during which management will discuss the company's financial results and provide a general business overview. The company also announced that it has surpassed $1M revenue in one month for the first time, during the month of July. "Warmer months correlate with higher levels of water borne pathogens, which can lead to pathogen outbreaks," said Daron Evans, President and CEO of Nephros. "In July, our outbreak response business and our pathogen prevention business combined to exceed $1 million in total revenue for the first time in the company's history. We thank our customers and strategic partners, who are aligned with us in the goal of protecting patients from the risk from water borne pathogens."

07:45 EDT MasterCard CEO says continuing to execute well against strategy - "We continue to execute well against our strategy and had another strong quarter of revenue and earnings growth. We are driving growth in our core products with key wins around the globe, and our recent acquisitions, such as Transfast, and new partnerships, like P27 in the Nordics, will help us address our customers' evolving payments needs, particularly in the areas of real-time account-to-account and cross-border payments," said Ajay Banga, Mastercard president and CEO.

07:36 EDT Infinity Pharmaceuticals sees FY19 net loss $40M-$50M - The company expects to end 2019 with a year-end cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities balance ranging from $40M-$50M. Based on its current operational plans, Infinity expects that its existing cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities will be adequate to satisfy the company's capital needs into second half of 2020. Infinity's financial guidance excludes additional funding or business development activities.

07:32 EDT Alkermes and Biogen announce results from EVOLVE-MS-2 Phase 3 study - Alkermes (ALKS) and Biogen (BIIB) announced positive topline results from EVOLVE-MS-2, a large, randomized, double-blind, five-week, Phase 3 study of diroximel fumarate, an investigational, novel oral fumarate with a distinct chemical structure, for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, or RRMS, compared to TECFIDERA, or dimethyl fumarate. Diroximel fumarate was statistically superior to dimethyl fumarate on the study's pre-specified primary endpoint, with patients treated with diroximel fumarate self-reporting significantly fewer days of key gastrointestinal, or GI, symptoms with intensity scores greater than or equal to2 on the Individual Gastrointestinal Symptom and Impact Scale, or IGISIS, as compared to dimethyl fumarate. The most common adverse events, or AEs, reported in the study for both treatment groups were flushing, diarrhea and nausea.

07:29 EDT OneMain Holdings updates FY19 net charge-offs view to 6.1%-6.3% - Sees FY19 net charge-offs 6.1%-6.3% vs. previous outlook of less than 6.5%. Still sees FY19 operating expense +3%, "stable" yield. Sees C&I ending net receivables +8%-10% vs. previous outlook of +5%-10%, tangible leverage 6.0x. Comments from slides being presented on the Q2 earnings conference call.

07:25 EDT SSR Mining updated its exploration activities - SSR Mining provides an update on its exploration activities and results at its Marigold mine in Nevada, U.S., Seabee Gold Operation in Saskatchewan, Canada and Pitarrilla project in Durango, Mexico for the period from October 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019. Highlights include: Exploration drilling in 2018 and geotechnical drilling and engineering completed in 2019 support the conversion of Red Dot Mineral Resources; expecst Red Dot to extend the current Marigold life of mine plan into the early 2030's without the need for expansion capital; expects to report conversion of Red Dot Phases 2 and 3 Mineral Resources at year-end 2019, complementing the reported 350,000 ounces of gold Mineral Reserves at Red Dot, referred to as Phase 1, in our year-end 2018 Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources estimate; and exploration and permitting activities are underway at North and South Red Dot, Valmy, East Basalt and Trenton Canyon areas aimed at extending known mineralization and discovery during 2019 and beyond.

07:23 EDT Garrett Motion sees FY19 organic sales down 1% to up 1% - Sees FY19 adjusted EBITDA $600M-$620M.

07:21 EDT Berry Global sells Sal for Life business to Arsenal Capital Partners for $330M - Berry Global Group announced it had completed the sale of its Seal for Life business to Arsenal Capital Partners for approximately $330M. The SFL business has annual sales of approximately $120M.

07:20 EDT Hamilton Lane closes latest strategic opportunities fund series - Hamilton Lane announced the final closing of Hamilton Lane Strategic Opportunities Fund V. The Fund represents more than $760M in commitments from a wide range of global LPs including repeat as well as new investors from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North and South America. The Series is focused on making credit-oriented investments with consistent cash yield, shorter duration and attractive risk-adjusted returns. Consistent with previous vehicles, the Fund is comprised of a diverse set of institutions, including Taft-Hartley pension funds, insurance companies, high-net-worth individuals and endowments and foundations.

07:18 EDT Corning says all business segments on track for sales growth in 2019 - Environmental Technologies second-quarter sales growth of 15% year over year significantly exceeded expectations; results position business segment to surpass previous full-year growth expectations. Display Technologies second-quarter sales grew 9% year over year; glass pricing environment better than expected with full-year 2019 price declines now expected to further improve to a low- to mid-single digit percentage. Optical Communications met second-quarter expectations; continues to grow approximately twice as fast as the passive optical market despite lowered full-year 2019 growth expectations. Specialty Materials sales grew 8% year over year; Life Sciences sales increased 6% year over year; both business segments remain on track to meet full-year growth expectations.

07:17 EDT Vacasa to acquire Wyndham Vacation Rentals for $162M - Vacasa and Wyndham Destinations announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Vacasa will purchase Wyndham Vacation Rentals for approximately $162M. The transaction is expected to close this fall, subject to customary closing conditions. Vacasa will finance the acquisition through a combination of cash and equity. The sale will be comprised of $45M cash at closing, up to $30M of Vacasa equity, and the remaining balance in either seller financing or cash at closing. Vacasa expects to complete the full integration with Wyndham Vacation Rentals by fall 2020. PJT Partners acted as financial advisor and Weil, Gotshal & Manges acted as legal advisor to Wyndham Destinations in connection with the transaction. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati acted as legal advisor to Vacasa.

07:16 EDT ION Geophysical, iSEISMIC announce plans to collaborate on seabed technology - ION Geophysical announced a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on seabed acquisition technologies. iSEISMIC plans to utilize the full suite of ION's next generation 4Sea ocean bottom acquisition and imaging technology to deliver a step-change in the safety, efficiency, quality and turnaround time of seabed surveys. This agreement will enable ION to commercialize its new 4Sea technology and provides an opportunity to realize the benefits of our technology to acquire ocean bottom multi-client programs more quickly and cost-effectively with an experienced service provider. The companies are looking forward to successfully deploying 4Sea and significantly expanding the use of superior seabed data to enhance clients' reservoir decision-making.

07:12 EDT Penske acquires Warner Truck Centers, expects to add $1.1B to revenues - Penske Automotive Group announced the acquisition of Warner Truck Centers, which is expected to add over $1.1B in annualized revenues. In July, the company's Premier Truck Group subsidiary acquired Warner Truck Centers, a retailer of Freightliner and Western Star medium and heavy-duty commercial trucks located in Utah and Idaho. Warner Truck Centers consist of six dealership locations, including a flagship operation in Salt Lake City, Utah. "This is an outstanding acquisition for our business and our customers, further solidifying our relationship with Daimler Trucks North America," said Premier Truck Group President Richard Shearing. "Warner Truck Centers operate within key transportation corridors across the central northern U.S. market, providing our business with additional scale and leverage opportunities through an expanded footprint now representing 25 dealerships."

07:07 EDT ConocoPhillips sees Q3 production 1,290-1,330 MBOED - Sees FY19 production 1,310-1,340 MBOED. Raises FY19 operating plan capital to $6.3B from $6.1B, attributable to additional exploration and appraisal drilling in Alaska and the addition of a drilling rig in the Eagle Ford Field at mid-year.

07:04 EDT Cantel Medical expects Hu-Friedy acquisiiton to be accretive - Under the terms of the acquisition, Cantel will pay $725 million upfront for Hu-Friedy, up to $60 million of which will be paid in Cantel stock with the remainder to be paid in cash. An additional $50 million in potential cash and stock earnout payments may be payable to Hu-Friedy shareholders upon achievement of certain commercial milestones in the eighteen months following closing of the transaction. As a result of the transaction structure, the acquisition will generate an anticipated tax benefit, which Cantel has valued at more than $100 million. Cantel expects this tax benefit to positively impact cash flows over approximately 15 years. Net of this tax benefit, the total consideration implied would be $625 million upfront and up to $675 million including earnout payments. The combination is expected to generate annual cost synergies of at least $10 million by the third year following closing of the transaction. The acquisition is also expected to unlock potential for significant accelerated revenue growth. Cantel expects to realize potential revenue synergies by integrating Crosstex's best-in-class infection prevention consumables with Hu-Friedy's IMS product offering in new and existing IMS users. In addition, Hu-Friedy's strong presence in dental and hygiene schools represents a key opportunity to cross-sell the Cantel consumables portfolio. Cantel expects the acquisition of Hu-Friedy to be accretive to the Company's overall financial outlook. The transaction is expected to be dilutive to GAAP earnings per diluted share in fiscal year 2020 due to acquisition-related costs, but is expected to be accretive to GAAP earnings per diluted share in fiscal year 2021 and beyond. On a non-GAAP earnings basis, Cantel expects the transaction to be approximately 10 percent accretive in its fiscal year ended 2020, with mid-teens accretion in fiscal year 2021 and further accretion thereafter. The acquisition is also expected to be accretive to margins at both the divisional and Cantel levels. The Company expects the transaction to exceed its cost of capital by the fourth year after closing. The cash portion of the transaction is being financed through a combination of the net proceeds of the Company's amended and restated credit facility, new term loan financing and cash on hand. Cantel anticipates that the Company's enhanced financial profile and scale following closing of the transaction will enable strong cash flow generation and accelerated deleveraging. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is expected to close in the first quarter of Cantel's fiscal year 2020, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

07:02 EDT Sirius XM says added 290,000 net new self-pay subscribers in Q2 - SiriusXM added 290 thousand net new self-pay subscribers in the second quarter to end with more than 29.3 million self-pay subscribers. Total net subscriber additions in the second quarter were 174 thousand, resulting in more than 34.3 million total SiriusXM subscribers at the end of the period. Paid promotional subscribers decreased due to declines in shipments from automakers offering paid promotional subscriptions. Self-pay monthly churn for the quarter was 1.7%, compared to 1.6% in the second quarter of 2018.

06:58 EDT Procter & Gamble CEO says 'met or exceeded' core targets in FY19 - "We met or exceeded each of our going-in core targets for sales, profit and cash in fiscal 2019. We built sales, market share and profit margin momentum throughout the year, ending with our strongest quarter of organic sales growth in well over a decade. Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on superiority, productivity, constructive disruption and improving P&G's organization and culture to deliver sustainable, balanced top-line and bottom-line growth along with strong cash generation in a challenging competitive and macroeconomic environment," said David Taylor, Chairman, President and CEO of P&G.

06:52 EDT Columbus McKinnon sees Q2 revenue unchanged to slightly improved vs. last year - The company said, "While recent industrial market weakness is well reported, the Company believes that its Blueprint for Growth strategy is offsetting these headwinds. In addition, simplification and operational excellence are expected to drive margin expansion and operating leverage. The Company expects revenue in the Q2 to be unchanged to slightly improved over the prior-year period. Q2 revenue adjusted for divestitures and foreign currency translation at current rates was $206M."

06:51 EDT CNX Resources raises FY19 production view to 510-530 Bcfe from 495-515 Bcfe

06:43 EDT D.R. Horton reports 29,200 homes in inventory at June 30 - The company had 29,200 homes in inventory at June 30, 2019, and its homebuilding land and lot portfolio totaled 303,000 lots, of which 39% were owned and 61% were controlled through land purchase contracts. The company ended the third quarter with $577.9M of homebuilding unrestricted cash and a homebuilding debt to total capital ratio of 18.5%. Homebuilding debt to total capital consists of homebuilding notes payable divided by stockholders' equity plus homebuilding notes payable. Donald Horton, Chairman of the Board, said, "The D.R. Horton team delivered strong results in our third quarter. Our consolidated revenues increased 11% to $4.9 billion, and our pre-tax profit margin was 12.8%. The spring selling season was solid, and our homebuilding gross margin improved sequentially. Our continued strategic focus is to consolidate market share while growing our revenues and profits, generating strong annual cash flows and returns and maintaining a flexible financial position. Our balance sheet strength, liquidity and earnings growth are increasing our strategic and financial flexibility, and we plan to maintain our disciplined, opportunistic position to enhance the long-term value of our company. With our experienced operational teams, industry-leading market share, broad geographic footprint and affordable product offerings across multiple brands, we are well-positioned for the remainder of fiscal 2019 and future years."

06:38 EDT Eaton raises FY19 operating cash flow view to $3.3B-$3.5B - Represents a $200M increase above prior guidance.

06:31 EDT BP reports Q2 reported oil and gas production 3.8M BPD - Reported oil and gas production for the quarter averaged 3.8 million barrels a day of oil equivalent, 4% higher than a year earlier. With the start-up of Culzean in the North Sea this quarter, four Upstream major projects have begun production in the first half of the year. Underlying replacement cost profit for the second quarter of 2019 was $2.8 billion, similar to a year earlier. The quarter's result largely reflected continued good operating performance, offset by oil prices lower than in the second quarter of 2018.

06:25 EDT Zebra Technologies board approves new $1B share repurchase program - Zebra Technologies announced the company's Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $1B of shares of Zebra Technologies Corporation Common Stock. This authorization replaces the previous purchase authorization which was announced in November 2011.

06:18 EDT U.S. Silica sees FY19 capital expenditures of approximately $125M - For Oil & Gas proppants, volumes are expected to increase by approximately 10% sequentially in Q3, although some softening is to be expected in Q4 as exploration and production company budgets are stretched and activity levels decline. The company said, " As the Company continues to generate healthy cash flow from operations and following a significant growth initiative that was successfully executed over the last two years, the Company has decided to focus on reducing the level of its outstanding indebtedness. While investments will be made on an ongoing basis to increase the scale of the Company's Industrial and Specialty Products business, the Company anticipates that some of its free cash flow after capital expenditures and the regular payment of dividends will be used to strengthen the Company's balance sheet. Despite a slowdown in U.S. economic growth, the Company hasn't observed any material changes to customer demand. Indeed, there is continued strong demand for ground silica products, and the Company continues to expand its capacity in both ground silica products and functional coatings. The Company has appointed new management for EP Minerals and plans to drive organic growth above historical rates through the introduction of new products and entry into new market segments. In particular, the Company is currently pursuing several potential growth platforms in areas like high purity filtration for uses in the pharmaceutical industry and the rubber and polymers industries."

06:11 EDT Sequans expects Q3 revenue to continue improvement trend - The company said, "Sequans expects revenue for the Q3 to continue the trend of sequential improvement and also expects that this trend will continue through the balance of the year."

06:06 EDT Eli Lilly announces Verzenio demonstrates improvement in overall survival - Eli Lilly announced that Verzenio demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall survival in the Phase 3 MONARCH 2 clinical trial. These results were from a pre-planned interim analysis. MONARCH 2 evaluated Verzenio in combination with fulvestrant for the treatment of women with hormone receptor-positive, or HR+, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, or HER2-, advanced or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with endocrine therapy. The study included both pre/peri- and postmenopausal women. The analysis showed that treatment with Verzenio in combination with fulvestrant met its secondary endpoint of overall survival. The MONARCH 2 study previously demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival, the trial's primary endpoint which served as the basis for its approval of this regimen in more than 50 countries around the world. No new safety signals were observed in this analysis of MONARCH 2, consistent with the established safety profile of Verzenio. Lilly plans to submit these data to regulatory authorities and present the detailed data at an upcoming medical meeting later this year.

06:03 EDT Qualcomm announces strategic cooperation with Tencent Games - Qualcomm Wireless Communications Technologies China Limited (QCOM), a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, announced the cooperation with Tencent Games (TCEHY). The two companies have signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding for a strategic cooperation wherein they are expected to have comprehensive collaborations in the field of digital entertainment. The cooperation includes joint efforts anticipated to optimize future projects including Qualcomm Snapdragon based mobile gaming devices, game content and performance optimizations, Snapdragon Elite Gaming enhancements, cloud gaming, AR/VR, 5G gaming use case developments and additional relevant technologies. Frank Meng, Chairman of Qualcomm China, said: "With 30 years of innovation under our belt, we're ushering in a new age of gaming. Mobile gaming, an important 5G use case, will soon take advantage of the next generation of connectivity. Faster speeds, more bandwidth, and cutting edge ultra-low latency will support real-time, multi-player and immersive gaming experience. We look forward to this new cooperation with Tencent Games to enrich lives and transform gaming behaviors on a global scale."

05:50 EDT Philip Morris issues statement regarding WHO report on tobacco use - The following is a statement from Philip Morris International. On July 26, the World Health Organization released a report on global tobacco use which urges governments to step up efforts to help smokers quit. There is no question that the best choice is never to start using cigarettes or nicotine-containing products or if someone has, they should quit altogether. By encouraging governments to double down on efforts to help men and women who smoke quit, the WHO takes an admirable stance. But the reality is that even with the best treatments available today, many people will not succeed. In any given year, about nine out of 10 men and women who are already smoking will continue to do so; in turn, their risk of smoking-related disease will continue to increase. We, as a society, cannot turn our backs on those people. Surprisingly, this report, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, fails to acknowledge the robust science and innovation behind alternatives to smoking cigarettes. The WHO misses a critical scientific point: It is the burning of tobacco that produces the vast majority of the harmful chemicals that cause smoking-related diseases, not tobacco itself. Hundreds of millions of men and women who don't quit stand to gain the most from less harmful alternatives to cigarettes. In fact, a global survey of 31,000 people in 31 countries found that 88 percent of respondents think smokers should have access to less harmful alternatives to cigarettes. https://www.pmi.com/media-center/news/public-supports-alternatives-to-cigarettes. PMI's alternatives alone have already helped 8 million people abandon cigarettes entirely. "The WHO is failing the 1 billion men and women around the world that continue to smoke by continuing to ignore the science behind better alternatives to cigarettes," said Dr. Moira Gilchrist, Vice President of Strategic and Scientific Communications, Philip Morris International. "There is no question that scientifically substantiated smoke-free alternatives are better than cigarettes. The WHO is perfectly situated to encourage independent research and provide science-based recommendations to smokers. Instead they seem to be closing down dialogue on promising alternatives to continued smoking, choosing instead to focus solely on pharmaceutical industry products." In 1997, the UN Focal Point on Tobacco or Health recommended that "in order to assist smokers who are so heavily dependent that they cannot possibly stop smoking, every effort should be made to reduce the toxicity of existing tobacco products." The same report also recommends that "the WHO is requested to consider the above recommendations in future policy-development activities, including the drafting of a framework convention on tobacco control." PMI heeded the call for reduced toxicity products and for more than 20 years has been working on developing and scientifically assessing less harmful alternatives to cigarettes that do not create smoke, because they do not combust. PMI's scientific assessment program is inspired by the well-recognized practices of the pharmaceutical industry and in line with the draft guidance of the U.S. FDA for Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) Applications. Our scientific studies resulted in more than 340 references in peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals and book chapters. We encourage rigorous assessment of our scientific research, which is made transparently available for just that purpose. To date, there have been 73 independent studies and scientific reviews from universities and government research institutes in countries like Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. In general, the conclusions from these studies and reviews are in line with PMI's own data. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, outlines in his own vision statement that "under my leadership an enhanced and independent WHO will take a science-led and innovation-based approach that is results-oriented and responsive, maximizes inclusive partnerships, and ensures collective priority setting with all stakeholders. One has to ask, why does the WHO not apply these same principles to tobacco control? "We remain committed to having an open and transparent dialogue based on science," said Dr. Gilchrist. "We cannot change the past, but we can change the future for the 1 billion people around the world who continue to smoke." Our smoke-free strategy complements efforts by the WHO to tackle smoking. Our aspiration is that, by 2025, at least 40 million people who would otherwise have smoked cigarettes will have switched to our smoke-free products (approximately 8 million people to date globally), reducing the number of smokers of PMI cigarette brands by a total 55 million by 2025. Our aspiration is to reduce smoking almost four times faster than the target set by WHO. "We are shifting our business toward science-based better alternatives. We look forward to working with decision-makers in governments around the world and organizations such as the WHO to accelerate this transformation," said Dr. Gilchrist. "Despite the WHO report, we remain steadfast in our commitment to unsmoke the world."

05:37 EDT Newell Brands appoints Ravi Saligram as CEO - Newell Brands (NWL) announced the appointment of Ravi Saligram as President and CEO, and a member of the Newell Brands board, effective October 2. He is currently CEO and a director of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RBA).

05:34 EDT Ares Management, Black Mountain acquire building in City of London - A joint venture between real estate private equity funds managed by affiliates of Ares Management and London-based real estate group Black Mountain Partners announced the acquisition of the iconic 68 King William Street, London EC4. The 11-story office and retail building is located at the head of London Bridge and was often referred to as "the gateway to the city." Located directly above Monument station and in one of the busiest pockets of the Square Mile, it is currently home to a diverse mix of office, food and beverage, and retail tenants.

05:17 EDT Ballard Power announces order from Solaris Bus for 12 fuel cell modules - Ballard Power announced a purchase order from Solaris Bus & Coach for 12 FCmove-HD fuel cell modules to power 12 buses to be deployed with SASA Bolzano, the public transport operator in Bolzano, Italy under the Joint Initiative For Hydrogen Vehicles Across Europe funding program.