Stockwinners Market Radar for July 31, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:10 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: SunPower (SPWR) up 19.8%... Surmodics (SRDX) up 13.7%... Boot Barn (BOOT) up 13.5%... Five9 (FIVN) up 13.4%... TiVo (TIVO) up 10.2%... Rubicon (RUBI) up 9.1%... Skyline Champion (SKY) up 8.2%... Acadia Pharma (ACAD) up 6.4%... Cirrus Logic (CRUS) up 6.0%... W&T Offshore (WTI) up 5.4%... Warrior Met Coal (HCC) up 5.1%... Cerus Corp (CERS) up 5.1%... Laredo Petroleum (LPI) up 5.1%.. Alteryx (AYX) up 3.6%... Kinross Gold (KGC) up 3.2%... Freightcar America (RAIL) up 3.1%... Cognizant Technology (CTSH) up 2.9%... Western Digital (WDC) up 2.8%... Adaptive Biotechnologies (ADPT) up 2.4%... McKesson (MCK) up 2.2%... MetLife (MET) up 1.5%. ALSO HIGHER: RPC Inc (RES) up 8.3% after entering S&P SmallCap 600. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Conformis (CFMS) down 34.8%... Plural Sight (PS) down 29.9%... Whiting Petroleum (WLL) down 16.3%... Fitbit (FIT) down 14.3%... Cimpress (CMPR) down 12.4%... Nautilus (NLS) down 11.9%... Concho Resources (CXO) down 10.2%... Basic Energy (BAS) down 10.1%... Compass Diversified (CODI) down 6.3%... Qualcomm (QCOM) down 4.8%... Tetrak Tech (TTEK) down 4.1%... Trimble (TRMB) down 3.5%... Park Hotels (PK) down 3.3%... Qualys (QLYS) down 3.0%... Antero Resources (AR) down 2.8%... Lam Research (LRCX) down 2.4%... Dexcom (DXCM) down 2.1%. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:43 EDT TCF Financial lowers prime rate to 5.25% from 5.50%, effective August 1

18:25 EDT Martin Marietta CEO: We're careful on our costs, we've never cut our dividend - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Martin Marietta CEO C. Howard Nye said: We've had an incredibly steady run for 25 years... We're in the right places with the right products... We are located in places where people are currently moving... Georgia has doubled its transportation spending over the past three years.

18:02 EDT Deutsche Bank decreases prime lending rate to 5.25% - Deutsche Bank announced that its New York Branch, Deutsche Bank New York, and its subsidiary Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas have decreased their prime lending from 5.50% to 5.25% effective tomorrow, August 1, 2019.

18:01 EDT SunTrust cuts prime lending rate to 5.25% - Following the Federal Reserve's announcement to lower the Federal Funds rate, SunTrust Bank announced it has lowered its prime lending rate to 5.25% from 5.50%, effective August 1, 2019. The prime rate is a benchmark used to set interest rates on various forms of consumer and commercial loans. The prime rate last changed on December 20, 2018.

17:54 EDT Western Digital CEO sees FY20 capex below $500M vs. $1.36B in FY19

17:48 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $315.6M Air Force contract for F-16 contractor logistics - Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $315.6M cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for F-16 contractor logistics support phase four. This contract provides the contractor logistics support and establish a training detachment at Balad Air Base, Iraq, for the government of lraq. Work will be performed at Balad Air Base, Iraq and Greenville, South Carolina, and is expected to be complete by December 31, 2022. This contract involves 100% foreign military sales to the country of Iraq. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $29.82M are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.

17:45 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $799.96M Air Force contract for F-16 aircraft production - Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $799.96M firm-fixed-price incentive contract for F-16 aircraft production. This contract provides for the production and support of 14 Slovak Republic F-16 block 70 aircraft. Work will be performed at Greenville, South Carolina and is expected to be completed by January 31, 2024. This contract award involves 100% foreign military sales to the Slovak Republic. This award is the result of a Slovak Republic conducted competition. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $799.96M are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.

17:40 EDT Associated Banc-Corp lowers prime rate to 5.25% from 5.50%, effective August 1

17:38 EDT Western Digital CEO: Seeing more stable pricing environment for flash business - Says flash market reached a "secular trough".

17:36 EDT Northrop Grumman awarded $481.58M Army contract - Northrop Grumman was awarded a $481.58M hybrid contract for common infrared countermeasure quick reaction capability 3. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.

17:35 EDT Lam Research falls after Q4 report, quarterly guidance - Shares of Lam Research are down $5.30 or 2.54% in after-hours trading to 203.31 per share.

17:27 EDT HSBC Bank USA, affiliates cut prime rate to 5.25% - HSBC Bank USA, N.A. and its affiliates announced that they have lowered their prime and reference rates to 5.25% from 5.50%, effective August 1, 2019.

17:18 EDT RPC, Inc. to replace Control4 in S&P 600 at open on 8/6 - SnapAV is acquiring Control4 in a transaction expected to be completed soon pending final conditions.

17:17 EDT Domino's names Lisa V. Price chief HR officer - Domino's Pizza (DPZ) announced that Lisa V. Price will be joining the company as executive vice president, chief human resources officer, effective Aug. 26. Price will be a part of Domino's executive leadership team and will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Ritch Allison. Price joins Domino's from Nordstrom (JWN), where she most recently served as senior vice president of human resources.

17:14 EDT Welltower expands relationship with Discovery Senior Living - Welltower announced that it has expanded its relationship with Discovery Senior Living through an off-market acquisition of three infill seniors housing campuses. Located in the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio metropolitan statistical areas, the communities offer the full continuum of care in large, high-end residential settings. The portfolio, recently developed by South Bay, a well-respected developer, was acquired for $216M ($280,000 per unit) through a newly formed joint venture between Discovery Senior Living and Welltower. The last phase of the Alliance Town Center development in Dallas-Fort Worth will open in the fourth quarter of 2019. Upon completion, the total cost of the portfolio will be $237M ($273,000 per unit). In-place occupancy throughout the recently built portfolio (excluding the last phase of the Alliance Town Center) was 72% upon acquisition, with acceleration in lease-up anticipated. Units are equipped with high-end condo style finishes and offer access to a variety of lifestyle options including multiple dining areas, swimming pools, outdoor patios, along with fully equipped fitness centers and banquet rooms. As part of this transaction, Discovery agreed to manage the acquisition portfolio and its existing portfolio with Welltower, which Welltower acquired in 2016, under Welltower's next generation management contract. Further, as part of the transaction, Welltower signed a $1B exclusive development agreement with Discovery, under which Welltower and Discovery are currently reviewing two new projects. In addition, Welltower is under contract to fund three newly opened assets located within Discovery's core footprint in Florida for $92.7M ($255,000 per unit). These three buildings achieved certificates of occupancy in the second quarter.

17:12 EDT Fifth Third decreases prime lending rate to 5.25% - Fifth Third Bank announced it will decrease its prime lending rate to 5.25 percent, effective immediately.

17:08 EDT PNC Financial lowers prime lending rate to 5.25% from 5.5%, effective August 1

17:07 EDT Welltower recapitalizes Benchmark Senior Living portfolio - Welltower and Benchmark Senior Living announced that Benchmark has recapitalized the Benchmark Senior Living portfolio, previously owned in partnership with Welltower, with private institutional capital for a gross sale price of $1.8B. As part of the recapitalization, Welltower has fully exited the portfolio and has the potential to receive an additional $50M in earnout proceeds, subject to certain future hurdles. The recapitalization closed in early July. The 4,137-unit seniors housing portfolio consists of 48 assisted living properties located in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, and had $24M of secured debt that was extinguished at closing. As part of the recapitalization, Benchmark will invest significant capital into the assets to further enhance the resident experience. Benchmark will continue to manage the portfolio under a new management agreement with the new capital partner

17:04 EDT MetLife announces new $2B stock buyback program - MetLife announced that its board has approved a new $2B authorization for the company to repurchase its common stock. MetLife has approximately $20M remaining under the $2B repurchase authorization announced by the company in November 2018.

16:59 EDT Exelixis sees FY19 R&D cost of $330M-$350M - Exelixis is providing the following updated financial guidance for the full year 2019. Cost of goods sold is expected to be between 4% and 5% of net product revenues. Research and development expenses are now expected to be between $330 million and $350 million given the impact of the recent business development activities and include non-cash expenses related to stock-based compensation of $25 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses are expected to be between $220 million and $240 million and include non-cash expenses related to stock-based compensation of $40 million. Guidance for the effective tax rate in 2019 is between 21% and 23%.

16:56 EDT Welltower acquires five private pay seniors housing properties - Welltower announced that is has acquired five purpose-built, private pay seniors housing properties recently developed and managed by Sunrise Senior Living. Welltower previously funded 34% of the development cost for the communities through its joint venture and ownership of Sunrise Senior Living. The five communities were opened in 2017 and 2018, and upon acquisition had an occupancy of 67%. The communities are located in dense infill locations within the Washington, D.C., San Francisco and San Diego metropolitan areas and are leasing up rapidly. Two communities are eight and nine story mid-rise buildings in the affluent Washington D.C. submarkets of Chevy Chase and Bethesda. The remaining three communities represent the latest in Sunrise's mansion prototype and are the product of multi-year entitlement periods. Welltower's investment in the properties is $285M. Sunrise will continue to manage the communities under an incentive-based management contract.

16:55 EDT Olin sees FY19 adjusted EBITDA $1.075B-$1.175B

16:50 EDT PEDEVCO Corp. announces rebranding - PEDEVCO Corp. announced the business' rebrand as "PEDEVCO," relaunch of its redesigned logo and website, and the upcoming relocation of its Houston headquarters. Effective immediately, the company will no longer be doing business as "Pacific Energy Development," a decision which reinforces and highlights the company's balance sheet and management restructuring over the last 12 months which has seen the company emerge debt-free with new management in place, and the company's recent establishment of a significant and growing presence in the prolific Permian Basin. In addition, effective September 1, the company will be relocating its Houston headquarters to Energy Center II, 575 N. Dairy Ashford, Suite 201, Houston, Texas 77079, which larger office will better accommodate the company's growth as it has aggressively expanded over the last 12 months.

16:48 EDT Citi reduces base lending rate to 5.25% - Citibank, N.A. said it has reduced its base lending rate to 5.25% from 5.50%, effective tomorrow, Thursday, August 1, 2019.

16:48 EDT ISS, Glass Lewis urge TheStreet shareholders to vote for merger with TheMaven - TheStreet provided several updates with respect to its pending sale transaction. TheStreet reported that leading independent proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass, Lewis & Co. have each recommended that stockholders of TheStreet vote "FOR" the pending merger with TheMaven, a coalition of content producers operating on a shared digital publishing, advertising and distribution platform.

16:44 EDT Cboe Global Markets raises quarterly dividend 16% to 36c from 31c per share - The third-quarter dividend is payable on September 13 to stockholders of record as of August 30.

16:42 EDT KeyCorp lowers prime lending rate to 5.25% from 5.50%, effective August 1

16:36 EDT Westlake Chemical Partners raises quarterly distribution 2.9% to 45.79c per unit - The Board of Directors of Westlake Chemical Partners GP LLC, the general partner of Westlake Chemical Partners LP, declared a distribution of $0.4579 per unit, representing a 2.9% increase from the first quarter 2019 distribution. This is the twentieth quarterly distribution announced by the Partnership since its successful Initial Public Offering closing on August 4, 2014. The distribution will be payable on August 26, 2019, to unit holders of record on August 12, 2019.

16:33 EDT SB One Bancorp increases quarterly dividend to 8.5c per share - SB One Bancorp, the holding company for SB One Bank, announced that its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 8.5c per common share, which is payable on August 27 to common shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 13.

16:26 EDT IAA acquires DDI Technology for $17M - IAA announced its acquisition of DDI Technology, a leading electronic lien and title technology firm directly integrated with over 5,370 financial institutions as well as DMVs in 25 states. DDI's Premier Solutions suite of technology solutions are focused on several key areas of the title and lien release management including electronic vehicle registration, electronic lien and title processing, and electronic lien payoff. DDI is located in Lexington, SC. The company will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAA and will retain its current headquarters, employee base and management team members. The organization will report through Tim O'Day, President, IAA U.S. Operations. The purchase price for the transaction is approximately $17M, and could increase by an additional $4.1M over three years, contingent on certain terms, conditions and the achievement of various performance targets. Revenue for DDI was approximately $8.3M in the last twelve months.

16:25 EDT Northern Trust decreases prime rate to 5.25% - The Northern Trust Company has decreased its prime rate from 5.50% to 5.25%, effective Thursday, August 1, 2019.

16:24 EDT Seneca Foods completes acquisition of Paradise's fruit business - Seneca Foods Corporation and Paradise, Inc. announced that Seneca has completed the acquisition of Paradise's fruit business. This business, based in Plant City, Florida, is one of the leading providers of candied fruit products. Its product suite is sold to manufacturing bakers, institutions and retailers for use in home baking.

16:22 EDT Marriott Vacations boosts buyback by additional 4.5M shares - Marriott Vacations said its board authorized the company to repurchase up to 4.5M additional shares of its common stock under its share repurchase program. Combined with the shares not yet purchased under its previous authorization, the company is authorized to purchase up to 4.7M shares.

16:18 EDT Rogers Corporation sees 2019 capital expenditures $50M-$60M

16:13 EDT STAAR Surgical submits European clinical trial data for EVO+ Visian ICL - STAAR Surgical Company announced the submission of its multi-site European pivotal clinical trial data for the EVO+ Visian ICL with Aspheric Optic, a lens that is designed to provide correction or reduction of myopia or hyperopia and presbyopia. Results from the clinical trial were submitted to DEKRA, the company's European Notified Body, earlier this month. If approved, STAAR's EDOF lens could be commercially available in countries recognizing the CE Mark in the second quarter of 2020.

16:13 EDT Warrior Met Coal sees 2019 coal sales 7.5M - 7.9M short tons - The company said, "In light of the Company's successful performance in the first and second quarters of 2019 and the expected market conditions for the remainder of 2019, Warrior updated its outlook for sales and production and noncash deferred income tax expense for the full year 2019." Warrior Met Coal sees 2019 Coal sales 7.5 - 7.9 million short tons and 2019 Coal production 7.5 - 7.9 million short tons.

16:11 EDT Nuvectra sees FY19 Algovita revenue $50M-$55M

16:10 EDT Nautilus implementing workforce reduction, sees annual savings $5M-$6M - Carl Johnson, Chairman of the Board and former Interim Chief Executive Officer, stated, "As anticipated, our second quarter results were impacted by continued softness in the Direct segment; however, we believe the appropriate improvements are being implemented into our overall business to address this trend. The primary actions taken include extensive, in-depth consumer insights research leading to a major repositioning of the Bowflex brand and a new advertising and communication campaign, which we expect will begin airing in the third quarter of 2019 across television, social media, other digital platforms. Additionally, we expect to launch many targeted new products across all our channels in the second half of 2019. In parallel, we plan to continue our digital transformation with updated digital experience platforms on key new products, moving toward our goal of having all our products with subscription-based digital experience offerings. Our second quarter Retail segment sales were below prior year sales, tracing to declines in the Max Trainer line, partially offset by growth in other modalities. We expect sales in the second half of 2019 will include planned new product introductions and in-store merchandising in key customers. The lower revenues and unfavorable product mix trends have impacted our gross margins through the first half of 2019 and the financial results were also affected by a non-cash impairment of goodwill and intangible assets related to the decline in our market capitalization. Additionally, as part of our ongoing efforts to right-size the business, we are implementing a workforce reduction and other shared support cost reductions expected to save the company $5 to $6 million on an annual basis."

16:10 EDT Altice USA authorizes new incremental $5B buyback program - Altice USA's board of directors authorized a new incremental 3-year $5B buyback program, the company announced with earnings.

16:07 EDT Luminex increases quarterly dividend 50% to 9c per share - Luminex increased its quarterly dividend by 50% to 9c/share with a record date of September 26 and a payment date of October 17.

16:04 EDT Whiting Petroleum announces organization redesign, to cut 254 jobs - Whiting Petroleum Corporation announced that it has conducted a comprehensive assessment of its organization, operations and cost structure and is implementing an organizational redesign and cost reduction strategy to better align Whiting's business with the current operating environment and drive long term value. The restructuring is focused on the following initiatives: Redesign the company's organization to improve costs and enhance execution; Streamline operations to expedite the delivery of peer leading returns and free cash flow; Implement new technologies and processes in the field to enhance operational efficiency; and invest in best in class data and technology to enhance planning and strategic insight which should lead to superior operational and financial performance. In connection with this restructuring, the company has reduced its workforce by 33%, or 254 positions. Of this total, 94 positions are executive and corporate positions. Whiting expects the restructuring to result in $50 million of annual cost savings. The cost reductions also include various non-employee expenses. In connection with this, the company expects to incur a one-time charge of approximately $8 million in the third quarter of 2019.

15:10 EDT Powell says not considering lifting Wells Fargo enforcement action - Fed Chair Powell said the regulator will lift Wells Fargo's growth cap when the Federal Reserve is satisfied its problems are fixed.

14:52 EDT Regions Financial reduces prime lending rate to 5.25% from 5.5% - Regions Bank announced it is reducing the Regions prime lending rate to 5.25% from 5.50%, effective Thursday, August 1.

14:46 EDT Avery Dennison VP Anne Hill sells over $2.1M in company shares - Avery Dennison VP Anne Hill disclosed in a filing that she had sold 18,631 shares of company stock at an average price of $114.98 per share on July 30. The total transaction value of the sale was $2,142,192.

14:18 EDT Agilent announces expanded FDA approval for companion diagnostic - Agilent Technologies (A) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the company's PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx assay for expanded use. The assay is now approved as an aid in identifying patients with ESCC for treatment with Keytruda, an anti-PD-1 therapy manufactured by Merck (MRK). Keytruda is approved for patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic ESCC whose tumors express PD-L1 as determined by an FDA-approved test, with disease progression on or after one prior line of systemic therapy. This is the sixth cancer type for which PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx has gained FDA approval in the United States, Agilent noted.

13:29 EDT Nordstrom up 9% after WSJ says controlling family considering raising stake

13:26 EDT Alphabet's DeepMind says developed algorithm to predict kidney condition risk - Alphabet's AI-focused unit DeepMind Health said in a blog post that said that, alongside experts from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it has developed technology that, in the future, could give doctors a 48-hour head start in treating acute kidney injury, a condition that is associated with over 100,000 people in the U.K. every year. These findings come alongside a peer-reviewed service evaluation of Streams, our mobile assistant for clinicians, which shows that patient care can be improved, and health care costs reduced, through the use of digital tools. Together, they form the foundation for a transformative advance in medicine, helping to move from reactive to preventative models of care. Working with the VA, the DeepMind team applied AI technology to a comprehensive de-identified electronic health record dataset collected from a network of over a hundred VA sites. The research shows that the AI could accurately predict AKI in patients up to 48 hours earlier than it is currently diagnosed. Importantly, the model correctly predicted 9 out of 10 patients whose condition deteriorated so severely that they then required dialysis. This could provide a window in the future for earlier preventative treatment and avoid the need for more invasive procedures like kidney dialysis. The model has also been designed so that it might, in the future, generalise to other major causes of diseases and deterioration such as sepsis, a life-threatening infection. To address the 'black box' problem - one of the key barriers for the implementation of AI in clinical practice - the model also provides the clinical information that was most important in making its predictions of deteriorating kidney function. It also provides predicted future results for several relevant blood tests. This information may help clinicians understand the reasoning behind the AI-enabled alert and anticipate future patient deterioration. However, these predictions can't help real patients without the right tools to alert specialists. Clinicians routinely use pagers, paper records and fax machines to communicate with each other, but better technology is desperately needed so that critical information can be delivered to the right specialist at the right time. That's why the company also reported that the results of a peer-reviewed evaluation of its mobile medical assistant Streams has also been published today. This work was conducted by researchers at University College London. Streams is a mobile medical assistant for clinicians, and has been in use at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust since early 2017. Reference Link

13:03 EDT Jazz granted orphan status for idiopathic hypersomnia treatment - The FDA granted orphan status to Jazz Pharmaceuticals Ireland Limited for its treatment of idiopathic hypersomnia, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid. Reference Link

12:28 EDT Cooperman discusses AMC Networks long position on CNBC - Leon Cooperman of Omega Family Office is speaking on CNBC.

12:09 EDT Turkcell trading resumes

12:01 EDT Belden falls -14.1% - Belden is down -14.1%, or -$7.95 to $48.34.

12:00 EDT Era Group rises 20.7% - Era Group is up 20.7%, or $1.83 to $10.66.

12:00 EDT Quad/Graphics rises 29.8% - Quad/Graphics is up 29.8%, or $2.57 to $11.19.

11:47 EDT Ubisoft acquires 70% stake in Green Panda Games, terms not disclosed - Ubisoft has acquired a 70% stake in Green Panda Games, a publisher of free-to-play mobile games, specialized in hyper-casual games. Green Panda Games develops and publishes games in the idle genre, including games such as "Sushi Bar" and "Terrarium." The acquisition was completed on July 31, 2019 and its underlying agreements give Ubisoft the option of raising its stake in Green Panda Games to 100% in the coming four years. None of the other acquisition terms have been disclosed.

10:55 EDT Fluor awarded front-end design for INEOS' processing plant in the UK - Fluor Corporation announced that it was awarded the front-end engineering and design for INEOS' new processing plant at the Saltend Chemicals Park in Hull, UK. The plant will produce vinyl acetate monomer, a key component for laminated wind screens, toughened glass, adhesives, films, coatings and textiles. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the second quarter of 2019. The new plant will be designed to have the capacity to produce 300,000 metric tons of VAM per year.

10:53 EDT Marathon Petroleum 'welcomes' settlement with AG of the Commonwealth of Kentucky - Marathon Petroleum Corporation said it "welcomes the resolution of the long-standing litigation with the Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Kentucky." The company said, "Marathon Petroleum Company and Speedway dispute the allegations made against them by the Attorney General's office and expressly deny any liability, wrongdoing or violation of the law. With this resolution, and the Attorney General's Office acknowledgment of no admission of liability or wrongdoing, we welcome putting our differences behind us. Marathon Petroleum Company and Speedway are proud to serve Kentuckians, and have done so for over 20 years, providing more than 3,500 jobs across the state. As a past Kentucky Manufacturer of the Year, a NE Region Business Conservation Partner of the year, and a trusted partner with emergency responders, the safety of our employees and the local communities is our priority. That's why we've joined with the Attorney General in recommending the distribution of the settlement funds for the purpose of improving rural roads, navigable waterways, and/or emergency management to mitigate the impact of weather events."

10:44 EDT Purple Innovation Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:21 EDT MMTec Inc trading resumes

10:11 EDT MMTec Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:09 EDT Groupon says initial indicators for Groupon Select program 'positive' - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:02 EDT 2U trading resumes

10:00 EDT Groupon says taking actions to buffer traffic headwinds - Groupon says in its quarterly shareholder letter that it continues to see traffic headwinds, including email and SEO, and is taking actions to buffer them. The company says that as it expands its rollout of AMC theaters, it will begin offering Select members 25% off movie tickets and members-only pricing on Groupon Goods. More than 150,000 members have joined the Groupon Select program so far, it adds.

10:00 EDT Unisys rises 17.2% - Unisys is up 17.2%, or $1.81 to $12.34.

09:58 EDT Groupon sees 2020 adjusted EBITDA about $300M - Expects to generate significant free cash flow for the full year 2019. Expects long-term free cash flow growth to trend with Adjusted EBITDA growth. Expects traffic headwinds to persist in 2019. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

09:49 EDT Travelers says customers can now receive claim payments via PayPal - Travelers (TRV) announced that its Auto, Property and General Liability customers can now receive claim payments through the digital payments platform PayPal (PYPL). Travelers' link to PayPal comes through Global Digital Disbursements, a service provided by Global Transaction Services at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC), the insurer stated.

09:47 EDT FTS International falls -9.5% - FTS International is down -9.5%, or -39c to $3.70.

09:47 EDT Acco Brands rises 10.3% - Acco Brands is up 10.3%, or 83c to $8.97.

09:47 EDT Quad/Graphics rises 26.2% - Quad/Graphics is up 26.2%, or $2.26 to $10.88.

09:30 EDT Therapix Biosciences issued license for TheraPEA in Canada - Therapix Biosciences announced the issuance of a product license for its proprietary Palmitoylethanolamide - PEA - oral tablet CannAmide by Health Canada's Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate for the recommended use as an anti-inflammatory and to help relieve chronic pain. This license is issued by Health Canada under the authority of the Natural Health Products Regulations. CannAmide was approved for the use as an anti-inflammatory to help relieve chronic pain.

09:24 EDT Johnson Controls to continue with plan to repurchase stock in Q4/FY19 - Comments provided in Q3 earnings conference call.

09:17 EDT BioLargo Engineering awarded additional U.S. Air Force subcontract - BioLargo announced that its engineering subsidiary has been awarded a third subcontract to provide air quality environmental engineering services to the United States Air Force. This new contract, for bases in Kansas and Illinois, follows the recent award of subcontracts to provide services to USAF bases in Texas and Arizona. The subcontracts are a result of "teaming agreements" with Bhate Environmental Associates, as prime-contractor, to prepare bids for submission to the U.S. General Services Administration for environmental services on Air Force bases throughout the country. Bhate assembled a multi-disciplinary team of four companies, including BLEST, to provide services to the USAF in what is commonly referred to as "fence-to-fence environmental services" call orders. These fence-to-fence projects include a menu of environmental engineering services, which focus on hazardous waste, hazardous materials, air quality, water quality, natural and cultural resources. The total value of this contract awarded to Bhate is approximately $3M over a five-year term, of which the subcontractors will receive a portion. In addition to this awarded contract, BLEST is working closely with Bhate to pursue similar environmental projects for the USAF which are in various stages of bids and consideration.

09:15 EDT Elixinol Global acquires global IP rights for microencapsulation technology - Elixinol announced that it has acquired the intellectual property rights over microencapsulated technology developed by Bionova. This transaction will allow Elixinol to utilize the microencapsulated technology globally. In addition, Elixinol has agreed Bionova will be the exclusive manufacturer and supplier within the European Union of Elixinol products developed using the microencapsulated technology. Bionova's unique microencapsulation technology offers a wide variety of uses for food, beverage and nutraceutical product formulations. Other advantages of microencapsulation technology include: increased absorption into the human body; increased efficacy of active ingredients within a product; increased uniformity of ingredients within a product; masking of unpleasant flavors or odors in finished products; added protection against environmental factors inside the human body once ingested; and better storage preservation of the encapsulated active ingredients. Consideration for the intellectual property rights are as follows: Bionova to be the exclusive manufacturer and supplier of Elixinol products developed by using the microencapsulated technology within the European Union based on minimum volumes of supply for the period established by law for any of the intellectual property rights related to the microencapsulation technology; and an annual fixed amount of EURO$25,000 for each non-European Union country in which Elixinol exploits the microencapsulated technology until patent rights over the microencapsulated technology have been granted in that country, increasing to EURO$50,000 annually once patent rights are granted.

09:11 EDT Avis Budget partners with Otonomo for connected car data - Avis Budget Group announced a partnership with Otonomo, an automotive data services platform, to unlock new avenues for value creation from the data generated by its connected fleet. The fleet will cover an estimated 4 billion road miles this year and is anticipated to generate over 7 billion road miles of data with its fully connected fleet in 2020. The Otonomo Automotive Data Services Platform will help Avis Budget Group gain new and actionable insights from its connected cars, which span a diverse range of makes, models and telematics technologies. By reshaping this disparate connected car data for new users, Avis Budget Group will gain insights to streamline operations, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction. The Otonomo Platform also provides Avis Budget Group with new opportunities for collaboration with cities and other partners that benefit its customers and the general public.

09:08 EDT Triumph Group sees 737 MAX affecting 2% of FY20 sales, cash - Triumph Group (TGI) on its quarterly earnings conference call, said it expects the 737 MAX (BA) affecting 2% of FY20 sales, cash. The company says it is using the 737 MAX rate cut to "derisk" its supply chain. It says there is no indication Boeing intends to cut the 737 MAX rate, but would study shifting capacity to Airbus (EADSY) if the rate is cut.

09:07 EDT Aon plc announces strategic alliance with UVARA - Aon and UVARA announced a strategic alliance to help architecture, engineering and construction, or AEC, sectors around the world better manage risk throughout the lifecycle of an asset and eliminate unanticipated problems and expensive delays. Aon's global construction and infrastructure group is now featuring UVARA's end-to-end infrastructure asset mapping and risk management solutions to their clients, prospects and partners. UVARA's platform helps organizations reduce risk by mapping surface and subsurface assets to avoid disruptions during construction or routine maintenance. Through its cloud-based solution, UVARA provides full asset visualization, analytics, reporting and archive capabilities that identify potential risks to project designs, schedules, capital stacks, and maintenance/operations, while capturing and preserving institutional knowledge.

09:04 EDT Molson Coors CEO Mark Hunter announces retirement as of Sep. 27

09:03 EDT Tecogen sells chillder to Nevada cannabis cultivation facility - Tecogen announced the sale of its Tecochill engine-driven chiller system to a cannabis cultivation facility located in Nevada. Tecogen will provide the facility with a 150-ton Tecochill "STx Series" system as the primary source of cooling with the heat from the system utilized for dehumidification. This is Tecogen's 30th chiller sold into the indoor cultivation market in North America, with new orders expected as additional states legalize medicinal and/or recreational marijuana products.

09:02 EDT Fair Isaac authorizes share repurchase program for up to $250M - FICO has approved a stock repurchase program to acquire up to $250M of the company's outstanding common stock. This new program was approved following completion of FICO's previous stock repurchase program, which was in effect from July 2018 through July 2019.

09:01 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Apple (AAPL), up 4%... General Electric (GE), up 3%... Baker Hughes (BHGE), up 5%... ADP (ADP), up 4%... Humana (HUM), up 6%... Johnson Controls (JCI), up 3%... Amarin (AMRN), up 2%... Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG), up 5%. ALSO HIGHER: Carlyle Group (CG), up 4% after reporting earnings and announcing that it is converting from a publicly-traded partnership to a Full C-Corporation. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Molson Coors (TAP), down 6%... New York Community Bancorp (NYCB), down 1%... Spotify (SPOT), down 3%... AMD (AMD), down 5%. ALSO LOWER: Orchid Island Capital (ORC), down 7% after its 7M share spot secondary priced at $6.55 per share.

08:57 EDT Charles River says goal is to achieve 50% RMS market share in China - Says positioned exceptionally to provide support that clients require to expedite their drug research efforts. Says biotech companies are aggressively investing new funding in their pipelines. Says expanded CRADL initiative to the South San Francisco biohub and expects it to open in early 2020. Says new Pennsylvania facility continues to progress well and the transition is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:54 EDT Alternus Energy to acquire 11.75 MW solar park for $11.76M - Alternus Energy announced the planned acquisition of Zonepark Rilland B.V. and its 11.75 MW ground-mounted solar photovoltaic power plant in Rilland, the Netherlands, in exchange for total consideration of $11.76M. The Purchase Price includes the assumption of a third party senior bank financing in the amount of approximately $8.1M. In addition to the Purchase Price, the Seller will be entitled to receive an additional cash amount of up to a total of $560k in the form of an earn out based on net cash proceeds received by the PV park over and above a set annual power output of 10,865 MwH. The total consideration will be adjusted for working capital movements between April 30, 2019 and Closing. Rilland enjoys a 15-year government counter-party 'Feed-in-Tariff' contract at fixed sales prices, in addition to a Power Purchase Agreement with a local energy operator. The combined contracts provide long-term predictable positive cash flows to ALTN and as the park is already operational it will be immediately revenue and income accretive to ALTN on Closing. Based on current energy production Rilland is expected to add approximately $1.5M in annual revenues for at least 15 years at average 75% gross margins to ALTN.

08:51 EDT Schmitt president says continuing to 'evaluate options to monetize' real estate - Michael Zapata, Executive Chairman and President, commented, "Fiscal 2019 was as a transitional year for Schmitt. We have used the past six months to re-evaluate our policies and procedures, including the inventory carried. Although the fourth quarter inventory adjustment was larger than we expected, we believe it was the right decision and a necessary step to streamline and focus our operations.Despite the re-organization costs and adjustments, I believe our cash position has hit an inflection point as the Company has shifted its focus to profitability. Moving forward, we are focused on investing in high return on investment projects in our world-class business lines to maximize profit and grow shareholder value. Strategically, the Board continues to evaluate options to monetize our real estate and maximize shareholder value. We look forward to our annual meeting this Fall to discuss further."

08:46 EDT Clearside Biomedical announces multiple presentations at ASRS Annual Meeting - Clearside Biomedical announced that multiple oral presentations were delivered on Clearside's pipeline and proprietary SCS Microinjector targeting the suprachoroidal space. Presentations: Title: Suprachoroidal administration of DNA nanoparticles transfect chorioretinal cells in primates and rabbits: Dr. Kay recorded a video presentation describing the preclinical studies for the use of gene therapy via suprachoroidal injection. The presentation is available as a Paper-On-Demand. In the studies, a luciferase assay was used to study gene expression in the animal models via suprachoroidal administration of DNA nanoparticles. Luciferase activity was observed in the retina and retinal pigment epithelial and choroid of all eyes that received suprachoroidal injection of DNPs. In rabbits, suprachoroidal injection of luciferase DNPs produced activity comparable to that seen from subretinal injections of luciferase DNPs. SCS injections of DNPs were generally well-tolerated across both rabbits and non-human primates, and no significant abnormalities were observed on ophthalmic exams. SCS injections of DNPs may offer the potential for a safe and efficient delivery method, and may address an unmet need in ocular gene delivery. Title: Clinical Experience with the SCS Microinjector for Suprachoroidal Injections by Ophthalmologists: Dr. Shah's presentation described the clinical experience using the SCS Microinjector for suprachoroidal injection of XIPERE. His methods included a physician survey of injection experience, and a post-hoc analysis of two Clearside clinical trials for non-infectious uveitis. Injection survey results revealed little difficulty in following the steps in the procedure and generally no challenges compared to other types of injections. In the post-hoc analysis, the majority of injections were completed with the 900microm needle, and 83% of injections used the same needle length for a patient's two injections. In summary, by utilizing the proper techniques, SCS injections can be easily conducted in a physician's office as a potentially useful targeted delivery of drug to posterior segment pathologies. Title: Suprachoroidal CLS-TA Improves Patient Outcomes in Uveitis of All Anatomic Subtypes: Results of the Phase 3 PEACHTREE Study: In the trial, the distribution of each uveitis anatomic subtype was similar in both the treatment arm and the control arm. Subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate outcomes based on anatomic subtype of uveitis. In the CLS-TA treatment arm, patients all had statistically significant visual acuity gains compared to the sham arm: anterior - 14.4 letters, intermediate - 13.4 letters, posterior - 15.6 letters, panuveitis -12.0 letters. In the CLS-TA treatment arm, patients also all had statistically significant reductions in macular thickness compared to the sham arm at week 24: anterior - 106 microns at week 24, intermediate - 155 microns, posterior- 154 microns, panuveitis - 164 microns. Title: Suprachoroidally Injected CLS-TA in Uveitis Maintains Efficacy Outcomes Through 48 Weeks: Results of the MAGNOLIA Phase 3 Extension Study: In the trial, 50% of patients did not receive additional medication through week 48, which corresponded to 36 weeks after their second of two quarterly, protocol-mandated injections of XIPERE. Suprachoroidally injected XIPERE significantly improved vision and macular edema in MAGNOLIA. There were no serious adverse events related to study medication, and elevations in intraocular pressure were low in number and consistent with those seen in the PEACHTREE trial. Title: Suprachoroidal CLS-TA Plus Aflibercept Compared with Aflibercept Monotherapy for Diabetic Macular Edema: Results of a Phase 2 Trial: The trial demonstrated similar best corrected visual acuity improvements with combination aflibercept and CLS-TA treatment compared to aflibercept monotherapy. Central subfield thickness improvement was significantly greater with combination treatment vs aflibercept monotherapy. Other anatomic outcomes such as diabetic retinopathy severity score and changes in disorganization of the retinal inner layers were similar in both arms. Meaningfully, fewer treatment visits were needed in the combination arm compared to aflibercept monotherapy: 4.7 versus 2.8 mean treatment visits, suggesting the potential to address treatment burden. There were no SAEs assessed as related to study drug or study procedure in either arm.

08:43 EDT Graham Holdings acquires Clyde's Restaurant Group - Graham Holdings announced it has acquired Clyde's Restaurant Group. The purchase price was not disclosed. Clyde's Restaurant Group is comprised of thirteen restaurants and entertainment venues including eight Clyde's locations, Old Ebbitt Grill, The Hamilton, 1789 Restaurant, The Soundry and The Tombs. Timothy O'Shaughnessy, CEO of Graham Holdings, said: "Founded in 1963, the Clyde's group of restaurants are well-run businesses that align with our investment strategy: working with great management teams to operate businesses with a long history of profitability. Clyde's Restaurant Group has been a Washington institution that includes Old Ebbitt Grill and The Hamilton, two of the top twenty highest grossing independent restaurants in the country. We are thrilled about the long-term possibilities of this business and we are looking forward to continuing to serve hungry and thirsty D.C. area diners for years to come."

08:40 EDT MediBeacon announces $30M investment from Huadong Medicine - HC2 Holdings announced that MediBeacon, a privately held portfolio company within HC2's Pansend Life Sciences, announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement with Huadong Medicine, a publicly traded company on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The agreement will provide exclusive rights to MediBeacon's portfolio of assets in Greater China. Huadong Medicine will be responsible to fund the clinical trials, commercial and regulatory activities in 25 Asian countries, including Greater China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore. Under terms of the agreement, MediBeacon will receive an initial $15M equity payment at a pre-money valuation of $300M and will receive a second $15M equity payment upon achieving US FDA approval for its TGFR Measurement System at a pre-money valuation of $400M. Huadong Medicine will fund all commercial and regulatory activities in Greater China and select Asian countries. In addition, MediBeacon will receive royalty payments on net sales in the specified countries. As part of this transaction, Richard B. Dorshow, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of MediBeacon Inc., will assume the role of Special Scientific Advisor to Huadong Medicine. MediBeacon's Transdermal Glomerular Filtration Rate Measurement System is designed to measure kidney function at the point of care without the need for blood sampling or urine collection, and is poised to begin its pivotal trials in the US and Europe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Breakthrough Device designation to the TGFR in 2018.1 MediBeacon's agents and devices are not approved for human use by any regulatory agency.

08:37 EDT Gulf Island Fabrication receives project award from Texas DoT - Gulf Island Fabrication announced that it has received an award for the construction of a seventy vehicle ferry from the Texas Department of Transportation. Delivery is scheduled for late 2021. The ferry will operate between Galveston and Bolivar Island, Texas.

08:35 EDT Synchronoss partners with Microsoft for Smart Building solution - Synchronoss Technologies (SNCR) announced that it is partnering with Microsoft (MSFT) to deliver an industry-leading Smart Buildings solution. By leveraging Microsoft Azure and joining Microsoft's Azure IoT solutions accelerator program, Synchronoss will develop and offer a best-of-breed Smart Buildings solution to enterprises globally. The collaboration will start by delivering a live proof of concept to global technology services provider Rackspace, deploying a smart buildings service to monitor, control, and optimize energy usage and reduce costs at Rackspace's San Antonio headquarters, which spans more than one million square feet. Rackspace collaborated with Synchronoss to architect, design and deploy its Azure IoT environment based on industry best practices to ensure optimal scalability and security. Synchronoss and Microsoft will now combine their expertise in cloud computing and IoT service enablement to collect and analyze data feeds from numerous sources within Rackspace's headquarters. The combined IoT Smart Buildings enablement platform covers everything from heating and air conditioning to lighting, maintenance and security.

08:33 EDT HC2 Holdings enters into $30M partnership in China - MediBeacon, whose largest shareholder is Pansend Life Sciences, a subsidiary of HC2 Holdings, have entered into a definitive agreement with Huadong Medicine, a publicly traded company on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The agreement will provide exclusive rights to MediBeacon's portfolio of assets in Greater China. Huadong Medicine will be responsible to fund the clinical trials, commercial and regulatory activities in 25 Asian countries including Greater China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore. MediBeacon's Transdermal Glomerular Filtration Rate Measurement System is poised to begin its Pivotal trial in the U.S. and Europe. The TGFR is designed to measure kidney function at the point of care without the need for blood sampling or urine collection. The FDA granted Breakthrough Device designation to the TGFR in 2018. MediBeacon's agents and devices are not approved for human use by any regulatory agency. MediBeacon will receive an initial $15M equity payment at a pre-money valuation of $300M and a second $15M equity payment upon achieving U.S. FDA approval for the TGFR at a pre-money valuation of $400M. Huadong Medicine will fund all commercial and regulatory activities in Greater China and select Asian countries. In addition, MediBeacon will receive royalty payments on net sales in the specified countries.

08:33 EDT One Stop receives $1.1M initial order for satellite signal regeneration system - One Stop Systems has won a $1.1M initial order from a prominent satellite company for the supply and support of the OSS-Volta16 all-in-one AI on the Fly GPU accelerated computing system for satellite signal regeneration. By integrating the latest generation NVIDIA GPUs with NVLink, high speed networking and powerful PCI Express scale-out switch technology, the all-in-one Volta-16 platform enables ground stations with previously unheard-of amounts of interconnect bandwidth, storage and real-time computational power deployed at the point of data collection. Initial systems will be deployed across three satellite ground stations located around the world, first in the U.S., followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The systems will allow the processing of satellite signals in each of the customer's secure sites as they return to earth using AI deep learning models they developed. OSS AI on the Fly systems provide world-class data collection, network redundancy and processing performance. This is a must for the demanding on-board, real-time computational analysis required by the next generation of signal processing applications. OSS plans to ship the systems in the third quarter of 2019.

08:28 EDT Strongbridge expects top-line data from Phase 3 LOGICS study at end of 1Q20 - The company said, "Top-line data from the Phase 3 LOGICS study anticipated at the end of the first quarter of 2020; these data will support a New Drug Application submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration projected at the end of the third quarter of 2020. In April, Strongbridge presented secondary endpoint results from the Phase 3 SONICS study demonstrating meaningful improvements in the clinical signs and symptoms of Cushing's syndrome at the 2019 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress."

08:23 EDT Flowr joins Shoppers Drug Mart, TruTrace pilot program - The Flowr Corporation and TruTrace Technologies announced that Flowr joined the Shoppers Drug Mart medical cannabis verification pilot program, which was announced last month at the World Cannabis Congress. The Pilot Program is intended to increase transparency, interoperability and product identification within the medical cannabis industry. The Pilot Program uses TruTrace's StrainSecure technology as a central hub for identity management, asset tracking, validation, and product authentication. StrainSecure will also serve as a master registry for standardized testing, product verification, and quality assurance. Under the StrainSecure program, the TruTrace team collects plant testing data and performs genomic verification in plant batches which are then registered in a blockchain-enabled database for intellectual property protection and strain validation. All information gathered from the plants, including their molecular and chemical makeup, can be tracked via the program

08:18 EDT Pacific Mercantile Bancorp provides $10M in financing to Mercury GSE - Pacific Mercantile Bank announced that it has provided a $10M credit facility to Mercury GSE. In addition to the financing, Mercury GSE utilizes a full suite of Pacific Mercantile Bank's depository products and treasury management services.

08:14 EDT MJardin Group, RAMA First Nation release designs for cannabis campus - MJardin Group with its joint-venture partner the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, designs of their 94,650 sq. ft. cannabis campus to be located in the community of Rama, Ontario. The campus will be a combination of indoor/greenhouse cultivation with interior space of 62,400 sq. ft containing six cultivation rooms for production of high-end flower, all necessary cultivation support spaces, a 5,500 sq. ft GMP certified extraction facility, a cannabis education centre and a retail dispensary. In addition, two greenhouses equaling 32,250 sq. ft. will be dedicated to producing extractable biomass. The combination design allows the facility to produce diverse products with both high-end flower and extraction, use the best production methods for each type of product, and allow for flexibility as the market demands. The combination facility is expected to be complete third quarter 2020, produce a run-rate of 3,800 kg of high-quality dried flower, 675 kg of bulk oil and employ 75-100 people.

08:11 EDT GE CEO Culp says 'encouraged, cautiously, by what we have accomplished'

08:09 EDT GE CEO Culp says working with Boeing to 'actively manage' Leap production

08:08 EDT Hess Midstream Partners backs FY19 adj. EBITDA view of $550M-$575M - Hess Midstream is targeting long-term 15% annual distribution growth per unit with at least a 1.1x distribution coverage ratio. Hess Midstream expects an increasing distribution coverage ratio through the second half of 2019 relative to the second quarter of 2019, in line with the expected volume ramp-up of the LM4 gas processing plant.

08:07 EDT DelMar Pharmaceuticals reaches two-thirds enrollment for Phase 2 GBM drug trial - DelMar Pharmaceuticals has achieved two-thirds enrollment in its ongoing Phase 2 clinical study investigating the first-line treatment of VAL-083 with radiation therapy in newly-diagnosed MGMT-unmethylated GBM. The trial is designed to enroll up to 30 patients to determine whether first-line therapy with VAL-083 treatment improves progression free survival. The current standard of care is first-line TMZ with radiation. The company recently announced the initiation of an adjuvant arm to the MD Anderson study to provide early disease data on VAL-083. This arm will enroll up to 24 newly-diagnosed patients who have undergone surgery and chemoradiation with TMZ but will now receive VAL-083 in place of standard of care TMZ for adjuvant therapy.

08:06 EDT Midwest Energy secures multi-year contract extension worth $1M annually - Midwest Energy Emissions announced that it has signed a multi-year contract extension with a long-term customer. This is the third, two-year contract extension with this customer and expected to generate approximately $1M annually in product sales utilizing the Company's patented, two-part Sorbent Enhancement Additive process.

08:05 EDT Endo and Swiss company Helsinn sign license agreement for Pracinostat in Canada - Endo and Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on cancer care products, announced that Endo's subsidiary Endo Ventures has entered into definitive agreements with Helsinn to register, commercialize, and distribute Pracinostat on an exclusive basis in Canada upon receipt of the required regulatory approval. Under the terms of the agreement, Paladin Labs, an operating company of Endo, will be responsible for the registration, distribution, sales, marketing, medical affairs, pricing and reimbursement activities in connection with Pracinostat in Canada. Helsinn will be responsible for supplying the drug to Paladin and will retain all international development rights, including clinical development activities. Pracinostat is a novel oral histone deacetylase inhibitor that is in a pivotal Phase 3 study in combination with Azacitidine for the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia who are unfit for intensive chemotherapy. It is also being evaluated in a Phase II study in naive patients with high or very high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. The FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Pracinostat in combination with Azacitidine for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed AML who are greater than or equal to75 years of age or unfit for intensive chemotherapy.

08:04 EDT GE CEO Culp says 1H performance at Power unit was better than expected - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:02 EDT Peabody Energy expects adjusted EBITDA for 2H19 "in line" with 1H19 - Peabody now expects second-half Adjusted EBITDA contributions for the overall business to be largely in line with first half results based on current pricing levels, with the fourth quarter expected to be stronger than the third quarter. Second half Adjusted EBITDA reflects the impact of North Goonyella costs, joint venture transaction-related expenses and two mines reaching the end of their economic life. In the second half of 2019, the company is anticipating progressive increases in both seaborne thermal and seaborne metallurgical coal volumes. In addition, Kayenta Mine is scheduled to cease production and sales within the third quarter of 2019, more than offsetting increased contributions from the PRB following a slow start to the beginning of the year. Peabody is planning on accelerating its share repurchase activity in the second half of the year. The company continues to target returns to shareholders in an amount greater than its Free Cash Flow in 2019.

07:59 EDT Cardtronics to provide ATM managed services to First National Bank of Omaha - Cardtronics will provide complete turnkey ATM managed services for all First National Bank of Omaha branch and off-branch ATM locations. The new agreement builds on a successful existing partnership in which FNBO leverages Cardtronics retail-based ATMs to expand cash access and brand visibility through its Allpoint Network and ATM branding programs. With the completion of this new agreement, Cardtronics will enable 100% of the bank's ATM self-service strategy. Cardtronics will own and operate all 239 ATMs previously owned by FNBO. Included in the overall ATM estate are approximately 140 multi-function image deposit-taking ATMs, located principally at FNBO branches. The relationship also covers over 100 non-branch ATMs. Spread across the bank's entire seven-state footprint, the managed ATMs can be found in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas.

07:55 EDT Harrow Health announces launch of Mayfield Pharmaceuticals - Harrow Health announced it has filed a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission containing a corporate presentation for its subsidiary, Mayfield Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mayfield is focused on making a difference in women's lives by developing branded pharmaceutical products that address significant unmet needs within the women's health marketplace. Once funded, Harrow expects Mayfield to be led by Melissa Bradford-Klug, an experienced senior life science executive with a proven track record of success. As CEO of Mayfield, Bradford-Klug will be charged with the development of Mayfield's drug candidate pipeline: MAY-66, a patented new chemical entity drug candidate intended to treat bacterial vaginosis. MAY-66 has produced extraordinarily promising data in what we believe is a translatable pre-clinical model. Approximately 21 million women in the U.S. are estimated to suffer from BV, with 4 million treated annually, and high reoccurrence rates of BV are an ongoing need. In addition, pregnant women currently have no safe treatment options for this type of infection. The addressable market for MAY-66 is estimated at $1 billion annually in the U.S. MAY-44, which was acquired by Mayfield in February, will be developed through the 505(b)(2) clinical pathway for the treatment of dyspareunia in pre and post-menopausal women. MAY-44 is protected by three issued patents and could become the first FDA-approved topical non-estrogen-based product to address a market of as many as 38 million American women for whom dyspareunia is common. The dyspareunia indication Mayfield will seek approval for is an estimated $1.5 billion annual U.S. market opportunity. MAY-88 is a patent-pending oral suspension that Mayfield will develop for the treatment of interstitial cystitis (IC) via the 505(b)(2) clinical pathway. An estimated 8 million U.S. patients chronically suffer from IC, with the existing IC drug market in the U.S. estimated at $400 million annually. Harrow expects Mayfield will follow a similar template of its previous subsidiaries Eton Pharmaceuticals, Surface Pharmaceuticals, and Melt Pharmaceuticals, by pursuing a Series A financing and being separately managed and funded from Harrow.

07:52 EDT Texas Pacific Land Trust enters settlement agreement with investor group - Texas Pacific Land Trust announced that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the investor group led by Horizon Kinetics, SoftVest and ART-FGT Family Partners with respect to the previous proxy contest and the pending litigation between the parties in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, three additional members will join TPL's conversion exploration committee: Murray Stahl, chairman of Horizon Kinetics; Eric Oliver, founder and president of SoftVest Advisors and Craig Hodges, CEO of Hodges Capital. They will join the existing four members of the committee. The committee, which has been charged to make a recommendation as to whether the trust should be converted into a C-corporation and regarding appropriate governance changes, has been meeting since June on a regular basis and will complete its work by December 31, unless the committee decides otherwise. The committee will be chaired by the incumbent trustees of TPL. In connection with the settlement agreement, the parties have dismissed their litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas. The parties have further agreed that TPL's third trustee position will remain vacant at least until the committee has completed its work.

07:49 EDT Chimerix announces exclusive license of Phase 3 ready CX-01 - Chimerix announced the completion of an exclusive worldwide license of CX-01 from Cantex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Chimerix intends to move quickly into Phase 3 development of CX-01 for the treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the first-line setting. CX-01 has received Fast Track and Orphan Drug Designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of AML. CX-01 is a new chemical entity derived from unfractionated heparin with very low anticoagulant activity. CX-01 targets key protein pathways important for AML blast cell migration to the bone marrow and retention of these cells in the marrow where they are protected from chemotherapy. CX-01 also binds with proteins involved in chemotherapy resistance and the delay in platelet recovery after chemotherapy. Together, these activities are understood to sensitize AML blasts to chemotherapy and improve clinical responses. These mechanisms of action support the potential for development in myelodysplastic syndrome, multiple myeloma, and lymphomas. In a recently completed Phase II study, 75 patients over 60 years of age with newly diagnosed AML were randomized 1:1:1 to one of two doses of CX-01 plus standard 7+3 chemotherapy or to the control arm of standard 7+3 chemotherapy alone. Data presented at the 2019 ASCO conference indicated an advantage across multiple endpoints for patients treated with 0.25 mg/kg/hr CX-01. In the evaluable patient population, results of the 0.25 mg/kg/hr CX-01 arm compared favorably to the control arm: complete response rate of 89% vs. 58%, median event-free survival of 23.4 months vs. 9.0 months, and median overall survival which had not yet been reached in the CX-01 arm vs. 11.2 months. These data were consistent with a single arm pilot study of first line therapy in patients with AML, including a complete response rate of 92%. CX-01 was well tolerated with adverse events similar across all treatment arms. The most common serious adverse event was febrile neutropenia with three cases in each CX-01 treatment group and one case in the control group. Under the terms of the agreement, Chimerix has exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize CX-01. Chimerix will make an upfront payment of $30 million to Cantex. In addition, Chimerix has issued 10 million shares of Chimerix common stock to Cantex. Cantex is eligible for regulatory and commercial milestones of up to $587.5 million, and tiered royalties starting at 10%.

07:48 EDT Carlyle Group announces conversion to full C-Corporation, effective January 1 - The Carlyle Group announced that it is converting from a publicly-traded partnership to a Full C-Corporation under Delaware law, effective January 1, 2020. All of Carlyle's private holdings units and common units will be exchanged for one class of common shares, creating a simple, transparent corporate structure. New one-share/one-vote structure will deliver governance rights to all shareholders Conversion to a Full C-Corporation is expected to improve trading liquidity by increasing Carlyle's appeal to a broader group of passive and active investors through potential inclusion into indices and benchmarks utilized by more than $7 trillion of industry assets. New annual dividend of $1.00 per share will provide an approximate 4% yield on current unit price, more than double the average S&P500 constituent, and incremental retained earnings will enhance capital allocation flexibility. Termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement for $1.50 per private holdings unit, payable over five years, improving simplicity for all shareholders and removing future associated liabilities. The path we've chosen is differentiated and positions us in the best way to drive long-term value," said Carlyle Co-CEOs Kewsong Lee and Glenn Youngkin. "It improves our trading liquidity, makes us more attractive to new investors, provides a fixed dividend that enables improved capital allocation and offers an attractive yield, and enhances shareholder alignment under a new one-share/one vote governance model." "We couldn't be more pleased to see the company we started over 30 years ago achieve this next step in our evolution," said Carlyle Co-Founders David Rubenstein, Bill Conway and Dan D'Aniello. "We are confident this step will support Carlyle's growth long into the future. We want to thank the entire Carlyle team for their commitment to creating value for all stakeholders."

07:46 EDT Hill International to provide OPM support for Town of Weymouth's Middle School - Hill International announced it has been awarded a contract to provide owner's project management services to the Town of Weymouth for the $164M Maria Weston Chapman Middle School project. The contract has an expected value to Hill of more than $4M. The new school, funded in part by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, will enable Weymouth to consolidate grade levels; reduce transitions between schools; deliver facilities important to the community, such as a separate cafeteria and auditorium; spaces for the fine and performance arts; manage future enrollment increases; and allow for greater integration of high-technology learning tools and curricula. The new school will also address life cycle costs to better control operational budgets and may also seek LEED certification.

07:35 EDT Strongbridge Biopharma 'on track' for FY19 KEVEYIS revenue $18M-$20M

07:34 EDT Hess Corp. sees production at upper end of FY guidance range - "Our production is now expected to come in at the upper end of our full year guidance range, while our capital and exploratory expenditures are projected to come in below our original full year guidance," CEO John Hess said. "In Guyana, we have just increased the estimate of gross discovered recoverable resources for the Stabroek Block to more than 6 billion barrels of oil equivalent and continue to see multibillion barrels of additional exploration potential. Our portfolio is on track to generate industry leading cash flow growth and increasing returns to shareholders."

07:33 EDT Hess Corp. boosts net production guidance, ex-Libya, to 275,000-280,000 boepd - Hess says net production guidance for 2019, excluding Libya, has been increased to 275,000 boepd to 280,000 boepd, the upper end of previous guidance; Bakken net production guidance increased to 140,000 boepd to 145,000 boepd, also at the upper end of previous guidance. E&P capital and exploratory expenditures are projected to be $2.8 billion, down from original guidance of $2.9 billion

07:29 EDT Bayer, Sensyne Health sign two-year collaboration agreement - Sensyne Health announces that it has signed an initial two-year collaboration agreement with Bayer to accelerate the clinical development of new treatments for cardiovascular disease using Sensyne Health's proprietary clinical AI technology platform. The initial agreement will generate revenues for Sensyne Health of GBP 5 million across the two-year collaboration. Sensyne Health's partner NHS trusts will receive a 4% share of all revenues generated by Sensyne Health under this collaboration. This will be in addition to the NHS Trust's existing shareholdings in Sensyne Health plc. The NHS Long Term Plan identifies cardiovascular disease as a clinical priority and the leading condition where lives can be saved by the NHS over the next 10 years. The disease currently affects 7 million people in the UK and accounts for 1 in 4 premature deaths1. The development of improved treatments for cardiovascular disease is challenging due to the very high cost of clinical trials in this area and investment in cardiovascular drug development has declined over the past twenty years as a result2. Real world evidence from Sensyne Health's Clinical AI analysis of anonymised patient data has the potential to generate new insights that could improve patient outcomes, support clinical staff and accelerate the discovery and development of new medicines to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease including heart failure and stroke.

07:24 EDT Scotts Miracle-Gro enters amended Roundup agreement with Monsanto - ScottsMiracle-Gro (SMG) announced it has entered into an amended Roundup Agency Agreement with Monsanto, a subsidiary of Bayer (BAYRY), and more broadly updated the business relationship between the companies. Monsanto has agreed to purchase from ScottsMiracle-Gro four Roundup-branded product lines outside the non-selective weed control category, as well as the right to use the Roundup brand on those and future product lines outside the non-selective weed control category, for $112 million. ScottsMiracle-Gro will act as marketing agent for these brand extension product lines and the companies will equally share future profits, which are expected to be approximately $15 million in fiscal 2019. Additionally, ScottsMiracle-Gro will now annually share equally in all profits derived from its work as marketing agent for the consumer Roundup business, effectively increasing the Company's net commission by $20 million each year beginning in fiscal 2020. The relationship updates also include clarifications to various commercial, operational, and process commitments and rights of the companies, including their indemnity obligations with respect to non-selective weed control products and their termination rights.

07:19 EDT Theravance Biopharma backs 2019 operating loss $210M-$230M

07:17 EDT CannTrust appoints Greenhill & Co. Canada as advisor for strategic review - CannTrust announced that the special committee of the company's board of directors has retained Greenhill & Co. Canada Ltd. as the Special Committee's financial advisor, to assist in a review of strategic alternatives. These alternatives could include, among other things, a sale of the company or a portion thereof, a strategic investment, a business combination, changes to the company's operations or strategy, or continuing to execute on the company's current business plan.

07:16 EDT Airbus CEO: 1H performance reflects A320 ramp up, transition to NEO - "The half-year financial performance mainly reflects the ramp-up in production of A320 Family aircraft and transition to the more efficient NEO version, as well as further progress on the A350 financial performance," said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury. "We continue to see good demand for our competitive product portfolio, including the new A321XLR, as shown by the strong market endorsement at June's Le Bourget airshow. Our operational focus is mainly on the A320neo Family ramp-up. The second half of the year in terms of deliveries and in particular free cash flow continues to be challenging. In defense and space, we signed the important contract amendment for the A400M program."

07:12 EDT Criteo authorizes share repurchase program of up to $80M

07:06 EDT Spirit AeroSystems: Continuing to work with Boeing on 737 MAX grounding - Says: Continuing to work closely with Boeing and supply base to manage 737 MAX grounding disruption. European Commission approval of Asco acquisition closing delayed due to cyberattack; expected to close in Q4.

07:06 EDT Translate Bio reports interim Phase 1/2 results of MRT5005 in cystic fibrosis - Translate Bio announced interim results from a first-in-human Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating single and multiple ascending doses of MRT5005 in patients with cystic fibrosis. MRT5005 is designed to address the underlying cause of CF regardless of genetic mutation by delivering mRNA encoding fully functional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein to cells in the lung through nebulization. The results, the first clinical investigation of an inhaled mRNA therapeutic, summarize the single ascending dose portion of the clinical trial in 12 patients through one-month follow up post treatment. The multiple ascending dose portion of the trial is ongoing with data expected in 2020. Ronald Renaud, Translate Bio CEO, stated, "as the first inhaled mRNA therapeutic, these data indicate the potential of mRNA therapeutics for the treatment of lung diseases, and support the planned expansion of our earlier-stage programs based on this pulmonary delivery platform." The most common adverse events through Day 29 were cough and headache. There were no treatment-emergent serious adverse events. All treatment-emergent adverse events were considered mild to moderate. Based on the analysis of the interim results, the company has proposed certain protocol changes in this ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial. The company now expects to enroll up to 40 adult patients with CF. The primary endpoint of the trial is to assess the safety and tolerability of single and multiple escalating doses of MRT5005 administered by nebulization.

07:01 EDT Fiat Chrysler reports Q2 worldwide combined shipments of 1.157M units, down 11%

06:49 EDT Merck: FDA approves new monotherapy indication for Keytruda - Merck announced that the U.S. FDA has approved Keytruda, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus whose tumors express PD-L1 as determined by an FDA-approved test, with disease progression after one or more prior lines of systemic therapy.

06:47 EDT Sally Beauty maintains FY19 guidance - The company remains on track with its transformation plan for the remainder of the fiscal year and is maintaining its full-year financial guidance.

06:42 EDT GrafTech announces $100M share repurchase program

06:41 EDT Continental Resources announces strategic initiatives - Continental Resources announced the following strategic initiatives: The company has acquired additional leasehold in SCOOP from an undisclosed party for $79.5M. This acquisition adds up to 150 gross operated Woodford and Sycamore locations to the company's inventory. Associated drilling and completion activity on this acquired position is expected to add an estimated $20M of unbudgeted spend to the company's 2019 capital expenditures. Year-to-date, Continental has executed several strategic acreage trades that have added 3,000 net acres within the company's core operating areas. These trades have increased the company's working interest in several high valued operated units being developed this year, adding an estimated $35M of unbudgeted spend to the company's 2019 capital expenditures. The company's mineral acquisitions activity for the year has been front end loaded, with over 75% of the allocated $125M spent in the first half of 2019. To capitalize on favorable market conditions, Continental and Franco-Nevada have agreed to increase the total mineral spend in 2019 from $125M to $150M. Continental will recoup 80% of the total spend from Franco-Nevada throughout the year. These strategic initiatives will add significant value for the company's shareholders in 2020 and beyond. The company remains disciplined and is committed to its corporate objectives. Excluding the aforementioned unbudgeted items, the company is tracking towards its $2.6B capital expenditures budget.

06:38 EDT Continental Resources announces $85M divestiture of eastern STACK facility - Continental Resources announced the sale of its eastern STACK water gathering and recycling system in Blaine County, Oklahoma for $85M to Lagoon Water Solutions. Along with the divestiture, Continental has entered into a long-term arrangement with Lagoon to provide water sourcing, gathering and disposal services for Continental's future development in the area.

06:36 EDT Humana raises FY19 Medicare Advantage membership growth outlook - Increased expected full-year individual Medicare Advantage membership growth to a range of 480,000 to 500,000 members from the previous range of 415,000 to 440,000 members, representing approximately 16% growth in 2019.

06:30 EDT Humana raises FY19 outlook

06:29 EDT GE reports total orders of $28.7B in Q2, down 4% - GE Industrial profit margin was of (1.3)%; adjusted GE Industrial profit margin was 7.6%. GE Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. said, "We made steady progress on our strategic priorities in the second quarter. Our top-line growth was solid, and Power made meaningful improvements on fixed cost reduction and project execution. Margins contracted due to declines in Power, Renewable Energy, and to a lesser extent Aviation, with the first half of 2019 in line with our full-year outlook. We also moved our Grid Solutions equipment and services business to Renewable Energy to offer end-to-end clean energy solutions and moved our Grid Solutions software business to Digital, which resulted in a non-cash goodwill impairment charge." Culp continued, "Due to improvements at Power, lower restructuring and interest, higher earnings, and better visibility at the half, we are raising our full-year outlook for Industrial segment organic revenues, adjusted EPS, and Industrial free cash flows, and we are holding our margin guidance. We will continue to take planned actions to improve our businesses and monitor some market headwinds, and we remain focused on driving continuous improvement and delivering for our customers. I am encouraged by our team's progress and dedication to date."

06:16 EDT Ultra Petroleum commences Nasdaq delisting proceedings - Ultra Petroleum announced that The Nasdaq Stock Market has initiated proceedings to delist the company's common stock, effective August 8, as a result of the company not regaining compliance with the $1.00 per share minimum bid price requirement for continued inclusion on Nasdaq based on Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). The company expects that its common stock will begin to trade on OTCQX beginning August 8, and expects to trade under the symbol "UPLC." After consideration of multiple factors, the company's board of directors determined that attempting to regain compliance with Nasdaq's continued listing requirement be effecting a reverse stock split would not be in the best interest of the company at this time. The transition to the OTC Markets will not affect the company's business operations. The Nasdaq will apply to the SEC to delist the company's common stock upon completion of applicable procedures. The company will remain subject to the public reporting requirements of the SEC following the transfer.

06:10 EDT EssilorLuxottica to acquire HAL's 76.72% interest in GrandVision - EssilorLuxottica said in a statement that it plans to acquire HAL's 76.72% interest in GrandVision at a cash purchase price equal to Euro 28 per share, which will be increased by 1.5% to Euro 28.42 if closing of the acquisition does not occur within 12 months from the announcement date. The Transaction is expected to close in 12 to 24 months. After the closing of the Transaction with HAL, EssilorLuxottica will launch a Mandatory Public Offer for all outstanding GrandVision shares. Through the acquisition of GrandVision, EssilorLuxottica will expand its optical retail platform, primarily in Europe, by adding more than 7,200 stores globally, over 37,000 employees and Euro 3.7 billion in annual revenue. Leonardo Del Vecchio, Executive Chairman of EssilorLuxottica commented: "Following the creation of EssilorLuxottica, which I strongly pursued, the acquisition of GrandVision represents the realization of a vision that has guided my actions and the growth of Luxottica over all these years. With GrandVision we will be able to develop our retail network, finally extended throughout the geographies, and fully enable our multichannel and digital platforms. We will raise the quality of in-store experience for products, brands and services for the benefit of all consumers and our wholesale customers." Hubert Sagnieres, Executive Vice Chairman of EssilorLuxottica stated: "This acquisition is another step towards our ambition to eradicate poor vision in the world before 2050. Following the combination with Luxottica, it's a milestone in our vision of reshaping the optical industry with the aim to provide all consumers of the world a better optical experience with higher quality eyewear. We look forward to welcoming the 37,000 employees of GrandVision to the growing EssilorLuxottica family. Together, we will have an even stronger voice to champion better vision everywhere in the world."

06:08 EDT Littelfuse raises quarterly dividend 12% to 48c from 43c per share - The dividend will be paid on September 5 to shareholders of record as of August 22.

06:03 EDT Spotify: Tens of millions of users streaming podcast content on monthly basis - Spotify said: "Tens of millions of users are now streaming podcast content on a monthly basis, and more are discovering new forms of audio content each day. Our podcast audience grew more than 50% Q/Q and has nearly doubled since the start of the year. "

05:57 EDT Amarin says managed care coverage for Vascepa continues to be favorable - Amarin said in today's earnings release, "Managed care coverage for Vascepa continues to be favorable overall. Amarin anticipates marginal further improvement to such coverage in Q3 2019, prior to label expansion, and plans to pursue even broader managed care coverage following assumed label expansion. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), an independent non-profit organization, released its draft evidence report regarding clinical effectiveness and economic impacts of Vascepa on July 24, 2019. ICER's draft report concluded that Vascepa is cost effectiveness across all the non-profit organization's analyses, based on its quality-adjusted life year (QALY) metrics Despite the draft report's positive conclusion regarding cost effectiveness, Amarin believes that ICER understates the value of Vascepa. For example, the ICER base-case analyses reflect only the costs of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death and appear to exclude high costs associated with other cardiovascular events that were demonstrated to be lowered by Vascepa in the REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes study (e.g., revascularization procedures and hospitalizations for unstable angina). Amarin believes this draft report, while not perfect in its value assessment, provides additional support for why medical insurance should broadly cover Vascepa for the population of patients studied in REDUCE-IT. While many payors already broadly cover Vascepa, upon anticipated label expansion, Amarin plans to use the results of the REDUCE-IT study, pharmaco-economic analysis, such as presented by ICER, and other medical information and data in negotiations with payers seeking expanded Vascepa insurance coverage."

05:47 EDT Essa Pharma announces scheme of arrangement with Realm now effective - Essa Pharma announced that, further to the announcement made on July 30, the scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the U.K. Companies Act 2006 has become effective and ESSA has acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Realm Therapeutics. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms and expressions used in this announcement shall have the meanings given to them in the scheme document prepared by Realm dated May 29.