Stockwinners Market Radar for August 05, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:09 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: EverQuote (EVER) up 18.9%... WPX Energy (WPX) up 12.0%... HighPoint Resources (HPR) up 11.7%... Insulet (PODD) up 10.2%... Brighthouse Financial (BHF) up 9.0%... Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) up 6.2%... Digital Turbine (APPS) up 4.2%... Diodes Inc (DIOD) up 3.0%... Shake Shack (SHAK) up 2.3%... Endo International (ENDP) up 1.8%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Avid Technology (AVID) down 17.4%... Everbridge (EVBG) down 10.2%... International Flavors (IFF) down 6.9%... 51job (JOBS) down 4.3%. Movers as of 18:45ET.

19:05 EDT CWA-represented workers vote to ratify midwest wireline pacts with AT&T - Leadership of the Communications Workers of America District 4 has notified AT&T that CWA-represented employees have voted to ratify two agreements in Midwest wireline contract negotiations. The Midwest agreement covers employees in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. CWA-represented employees also voted to ratify the smaller SBC Global Services/AT&T Corp.-COS contract, which covers certain employees in Michigan. The two four-year agreements collectively cover about 8,000 employees.

18:57 EDT LivePerson CEO: We had an amazing quarter - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, CEO Robert Locascio said: We reinvented the company five years ago... We signed more bookings in Q2 than all of last year... We just signed one of the biggest restaurants in the country... We can't handle the demand we have in the marketplace.

18:44 EDT Gol Linhas reports preliminary July domestic supply results down 0.8% - GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes announces preliminary air traffic figures for the month of July 2019. Comparisons refer to the same period of 2018. Highlights include: domestic supply, or ASK, decreased 0.8% and demand, or RPK, increased by 1.8%; domestic load factor was 85.3%, a 2.2 p.p. increase in comparison to July 2018; volume of departures increased by 2.0% and seats increased by 3.1% over July 2018; international supply, or ASK, and demand, or RPK, increased by 40.6% and 64.8%, respectively, and international load factor was 80.3%, an increase of 11.8 p.p. in relation to July 2018.

18:38 EDT RLH provides update on expectations for asset sales - RLH Corporation provided an update on its owned and leased hotel assets. The Company has been actively engaged in the marketing process for various hotel assets since October 2017. In early 2019, the company began marketing three assets for sale, specifically, Red Lion Airport Hotel Atlanta, the Hotel RL Washington DC and Red Lion Anaheim Resort. While the sales market for hotels has slowed, the company remains encouraged by the progress made on the marketing of these three hotels. The Company is in negotiations on various letters of intent or purchase and sale agreements on these assets. It is anticipated the company will commence marketing the remaining fee simple hotels which include, Hotel RLs in Olympia, Salt Lake City and Baltimore in the next six to twelve months. Estimated gross proceeds from the six unsold hotels are expected to be in the range of $80M to $100M with net proceeds to RLH of $30M to $40M. Of these 6 unsold hotels, 2 are wholly owned or leased and 4 are owned through joint ventures. A portion of these proceeds will be used to retire up to $15.2M of corporate level debt. The remaining two hotels being operated by the company are the Red Lion Hotel Kalispell and the Red Lion Hotel SeaTac. These two hotels are subject to short term leases and due to the current terms of the leases, the hotels do not currently lend themselves to the sales marketing process. It is the company's intent to operate these hotels through the end of the current lease terms and continue to look for alternatives to monetize the value of these assets. To increase focus on its franchising business strategy, in October 2017, the company disclosed its intent to sell 11 of its company joint venture owned hotel properties. From the time of its announcement, to the last sale in the third quarter of 2018, the company completed 9 of the 11 asset sales generating gross proceeds of over $116M and net proceeds to RLH of $36.6M after consideration for market related costs and fees, debt retirement and joint venture distributions. In March 2019, the company placed $16.6M of mortgages on the Hotel RLs in Olympia and Salt Lake City, the remaining two hotels of the original eleven hotels marketed, to partially monetize the assets. RLH received approximately $9.1M of proceeds from the mortgages and used $4.2M to reduce corporate level debt. The timing and proceeds of the hotel sales are subject to buyer negotiation, market conditions and the availability of buyer financing, the company cannot ensure that the timing or proceeds will be achieved and both timing and proceeds are subject to change. RLH is providing this summary as incremental disclosure.

18:20 EDT Cabot not seeing stronger auto production yet, sees FY19 EPS in line with FY18 - CEO Sean Keohane states: "While earlier in the year, we had expected strengthening automotive production in the back half of the year, as well as a resolution to the U.S. and China trade dispute, we are not seeing evidence of these yet. As a result, we now anticipate full year 2019 Adjusted EPS to be at a comparable level to fiscal 2018. This reflects a strong fourth quarter based on the startup of our new fumed silica plant, targeted customer actions and incremental cost measures. Given the challenging business environment, we also continue to manage our capital expenditures and reduce working capital levels. Finally, we are committed to generating strong cash flow, investing for the future in our core businesses and returning cash to shareholders."

18:13 EDT Avis Budget reports Q2 adjusted EBITDA $175M, up 9% from last year - "In the second quarter, we achieved record revenues and improved our Adjusted EBITDA margin by 90 basis points in constant currency. We also achieved record Net Promoter Scores in both the Americas and International regions," said Larry De Shon, Avis Budget Group President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our earnings were driven by a continued focus on more profitable rentals as evidenced by our eighth consecutive quarter of increased leisure pricing in the Americas, and our ability to capitalize on a strong residual fleet environment."

18:06 EDT Extreme Networks CEO sells 100,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Extreme Networks president and CEO Edward Meyercord disclosed the sale of 100,000 common shares of the company at a price of $8.2233 per share.

17:52 EDT Federal Signal chairman sells 47.7K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Federal Signal disclosed that its chairman Dennis Martin sold 47.7K shares of common stock on August 2nd. The total transaction size was $1.45M.

17:41 EDT CAS Investment Partners reports 5.19% passive stake in At Home Group - In a regulatory filing, CAS Investment Partners disclosed a 5.19% stake in At Home Group, which represents about 3.33M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

17:35 EDT Mueller Water sees FY19 adjusted EBITDA up 12%-15% vs last year - Sees growth in all end markets during the Q4 with municipal spending growth in the mid-single digit range, residential construction growth in the low-single digit range and natural gas distribution growth in the mid-single digit range. Sees FY19 consolidated net sales growth towards the lower end of the 7%-9% range previously provided. Growth in adjusted EBITDA towards the midpoint of the 12 to 15 percent range previously provided, as compared with $180.0 million of adjusted EBITDA in 2018, based on the current outlook for net sales, product mix and inflation. Sees FY19 depreciation and amortization about $53M; corporate SG&A expenses between $34M-$35M; and net interest expense around $21M and an annual effective income tax rate between 23%-25%.

17:28 EDT SurveyMonkey to acquire GetFeedback for approximately $68M - SurveyMonkey announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire customer experience management company GetFeedback. Under the terms of the agreement, SurveyMonkey will acquire GetFeedback for approximately $68M, comprised of a mix of cash and equity. Salesforce Ventures, an existing investor in both companies, will receive equity consideration in the transaction. The acquisition is expected to close in Q3 2019 subject to certain customary closing conditions.The acquisition is expected to be accretive to revenue growth for the full year 2019 and somewhat dilutive to non-GAAP operating margin and unlevered free cash flow for Q3 2019 and the full year 2019.

17:18 EDT DSP Group CFO Dror Levy sells almost 18K shares of company stock - DSP Group CFO Dror Levy disclosed in a filing that he had sold 17,829 shares of company stock at $15.56 per share on August 1. The total transaction value of the sale was $277,425.

17:07 EDT CME Group CEO sells 35K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, CME Group disclosed that its CEO Terrence Duffy sold 35K shares of common stock on August 1st. The total transaction size was $7.01M.

17:02 EDT InnerWorkings acquires Madden Communications - InnerWorkings announced the acquisition of Illinois-based Madden Communications' marketing execution business. The transaction closed on August 1, 2019.

16:58 EDT Mimecast falls 4% after reporting quarterly results guidance - Mimecast is down 3.84% or $1.67 per share to $41.80 per share in after-hours trading.

16:55 EDT Genesee & Wyoming enters into divestiture agreement - Under the GWA Divestiture Agreement, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets and the PGGM Ibis LP Trust, which currently collectively own approximately 49% of GWA will acquire, directly or indirectly, the remaining interests in GWA from certain subsidiaries of G&W in exchange for A$627,400,000, subject to adjustment. The GWA Divestiture is subject to customary closing conditions, including the satisfaction of the closing conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. Neither G&W nor any of its subsidiaries will have any liability under the GWA Divestiture Agreement prior to the consummation of the Merger. The GWA Divestiture Agreement may be terminated under certain circumstances, including by any party thereto if the transactions contemplated by the GWA Divestiture Agreement have not been consummated on or before July 1, 2020.

16:46 EDT Take-Two jumps nearly 7% after Q1 earnings beat

16:44 EDT Marriott CEO says Q2 results 'highlight the resiliency of our business model' - Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, said, "Worldwide RevPAR increased 1.2 percent in the second quarter with higher leisure transient demand in Europe, the Caribbean and South America, and the Asia Pacific regions. Showing great momentum, our worldwide RevPAR index increased 110 basis points in the quarter, the strongest single quarter performance since our acquisition of Starwood in late 2016. Our owners and franchisees continue to sign new hotel deals at a rapid pace. Our development pipeline increased 3 percent in the second quarter, reaching a record 487,000 rooms, including roughly 213,000 rooms under construction. Today, our pipeline includes five new all-inclusive resorts to be built over the next several years, which will be part of our newly-launched all-inclusive platform. Recognizing the growing demand for all-inclusive lodging, our platform will create distinctive vacation experiences while leveraging existing brands in our luxury and full-service portfolio. We expect the platform will grow through both new-build properties and conversions of existing resorts, offering travelers yet another option for earning and redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points. Our results in the second quarter highlight the resiliency of our business model and the growing strength of our brands. Year-to-date through August 2, we have already returned $1.9 billion to shareholders. For full year 2019, we expect cash returned to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends could approach $3 billion."

16:38 EDT Continental Resources raises FY19 oil production view to 195,000-200,000 Bopd - "The company improved 2019 annual oil production guidance to 195,000 to 200,000 Bopd, versus previous guidance of 190,000 to 200,000 Bopd. The company also increased natural gas production guidance to 820,000 to 840,000 MMcfpd, versus previous guidance of 790,000 to 810,000 Mcfpd. In addition, the company is releasing 7 rigs in the South by year-end 2019 due to Springer & Woodford efficiency gains. Total G&A expense, which is comprised of cash and non-cash G&A expense, has been lowered to $1.55 to $1.85 per Boe for 2019, a reduction from the previous guidance of $1.70 to $2.00. Of this total, cash G&A expense is expected to be $1.15 to $1.35 per Boe, a reduction from the previous guidance of $1.25 to $1.45. Non-cash compensation expense per Boe is expected to be $0.40 to $0.50, a reduction from the previous guidance of $0.45 to $0.55. The company is also lowering its 2019 guidance for production expense per Boe to $3.50 to $4.00 per Boe for the year, a reduction from the previous guidance of $3.75 to $4.25. The company is guiding natural gas differentials wider based on lower NGL realizations and expects natural gas differentials to be in a range of ($0.50) to ($1.00) per Mcf in 2019, a change from the previous guidance of $0.00 to ($0.50). The company is also guiding production tax to approximately 8.5% due to the higher level of production in North Dakota."

16:35 EDT Marriott reports Q2 comparable systemwide constant dollar RevPAR up 1.2% - Second quarter comparable systemwide constant dollar RevPAR rose 1.2% worldwide, 2.8% outside North America and 0.7% in North America. The company added more than 16,000 rooms during the second quarter, including nearly 3,500 rooms converted from competitor brands and approximately 7,500 rooms in international markets. At quarter-end, Marriott's worldwide development pipeline totaled roughly 2,900 hotels and more than 487,000 rooms, including approximately 40,000 rooms approved, but not yet subject to signed contracts. Roughly 213,000 pipeline rooms were under construction at the end of the second quarter.

16:32 EDT Masonite reports Q2 adjusted EBITDA $80M, up 2% from last year

16:28 EDT Orthofix names Jon Serbousek successor to CEO Brad Mason - Orthofix Medical announced that it has named Jon Serbousek as President of its Global Spine business effective August 5, 2019, and the successor to Brad Mason, the company's retiring President and Chief Executive Officer, to be effective November 1, 2019. A seasoned executive with more than 30 years' experience in the medical device and biotech industries, Serbousek served in several leadership positions at Biomet Inc., including Worldwide President of Biomet Biologics, Worldwide Group President of Orthopedics, and President of U.S. Orthopedics. Prior to joining Biomet, he held various general management positions within Medtronic Inc. including Worldwide Division President, Spine, Worldwide Vice President and General Manager of Biologics for their Spine and Biologics business. Additionally, Serbousek spent 13 years with DePuy Orthopedics, a Johnson & Johnson company where he served in numerous roles of increasing responsibility, including the Vice President of Marketing and Product Development and as Vice President of Spinal Operations.

16:25 EDT TakeTwo Interactive Software trading resumes

16:20 EDT IFF raises quarterly dividend 3% to 75c per share - On August 5, 2019, the Board of Directors authorized a 3%, or $0.02 increase, in the quarterly dividend to $0.75 per share of the Company's common stock. The quarterly dividend is payable on October 4, 2019 to shareholders of record as of September 23, 2019. Including this authorization, IFF has increased its quarterly dividend payment for the tenth consecutive year.

16:18 EDT Alamo Group acquires assets of Dixie Chopper business from Textron Outdoor Power - Alamo Group (ALG) announced that it has acquired the assets of the Dixie Chopper business from Textron Outdoor Power Equipment, a subsidiary of Textron (TXT). Dixie Chopper manufactures a wide range of commercial and high end residential mowing equipment. The business, which is currently based in Greencastle, Indiana, has been serving this market for nearly 40 years.

16:17 EDT KLA-Tencor CEO says business environment 'challenging' - "In the fourth fiscal quarter KLA delivered results above the midpoint of our range of guidance, reflecting solid execution in a challenging business environment," commented Rick Wallace, president and CEO. "These results demonstrate KLA is benefitting from our strategies for growth and market leadership, which in combination with the recent acquisition of Orbotech, is translating to good relative performance for the company in calendar year 2019."

16:14 EDT AcelRx sees R&D and SG&A expense for the rest of the year $16M-$18M - The company said, "AcelRx added the number of REMS-certified facilities as another metric in addition to formulary approvals. These combined metrics provide a more comprehensive measure of healthcare facilities, including hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and other medically supervised settings which are purchasing or are certified to purchase DSUVIA. Our expectation is there will be 125 REMS-certified facilities by the end of 2019, which is in line with the 125 formulary wins expected by the end of 2019. As we gain more experience with the launch, we plan to provide updates on both metrics measuring access to medically supervised settings. Quarterly combined R&D and SG&A expense for the remaining quarters of 2019 is expected to remain in the range of $16M-$18M, which includes approximately $2M of non-cash stock-based compensation per quarter. Quarterly debt service for the last two quarters of the year is expected to approximate $600,000. Quarterly non-cash interest income for the rest of 2019 is expected to approximate $1.0M mainly attributed to the accounting for the reduction in the expected liability related to the previously recorded sale of Zalviso royalties and milestones."

16:10 EDT Anaplan names Mark Anderson chief growth officer - Anaplan announced the appointment of Mark Anderson as Chief Growth Officer, effective August 5, 2019. Anderson was most recently at Palo Alto Networks, where he served as President and Chief Revenue Officer since 2012.

16:08 EDT Cimarex Energy sees FY19 daily production volumes 263MBOE-272 MBOE per day - Sees FY19 exploration and development investment is $1.35B-1.45B, unchanged from guidance given in February. Midstream investments are estimated to total approximately $70M in FY19. Expenses per BOE of production for 2019 are estimated to be: production expense $3.30-$3.65; transportation, processing and other expense $1.80-$2.20; DD&A and ARO accretion $7.75-$8.75; general and administrative expense 95c-$1.20; and taxes other than income 6.5%-7.5%.

16:05 EDT Cimarex Energy sees Q3 production volume 265MBOE-279MBOE per day - Q3 oil volumes estimated to average 85.0MBbls-91.0MBbls per day, up 5.5% sequentially at the midpoint.

16:04 EDT Alnylam granted FDA priority review for Givosiran NDA in AHP - Alnylam announced that the FDA has accepted the company's New Drug Application for givosiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting aminolevulinic acid synthase in development for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria, or AHP, and granted Priority Review for the NDA. The FDA has set an action date of February 4, 2020 under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act), and the agency has indicated that they are not currently planning an advisory committee meeting as part of the NDA review. Additionally, the Marketing Authorisation Application for givosiran has been submitted to and validated by the European Medicines Agency. Givosiran was previously granted an accelerated assessment by the EMA, which is awarded to medicines deemed to be of major public health interest and therapeutic innovation, and is designed to bring new treatments to patients more quickly. Accelerated assessment potentially reduces the Agency's evaluation time from 210 to 150 days.

16:02 EDT Caesars CEO says 'delivered solid financial results' in Q2 - Tony Rodio, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, said, "Caesars delivered solid financial results in the second quarter driven by the contribution from Centaur and strength from our Las Vegas hotel and food and beverage businesses. Our Las Vegas performance was the result of strong group and leisure demand, which produced an all-time quarterly record for hotel cash revenue and occupancy for the second consecutive quarter. These results were partially offset by competitive pressures in Atlantic City and other parts of our regional portfolio as well as unfavorable hold predominately at Caesars Palace. As we work toward successful completion of the proposed merger with Eldorado Resorts, the management team and I remain focused on improving the company's operations and financial profile through incremental revenue opportunities and operating efficiencies. I'm confident that the proposed transaction will create an industry leading platform poised to succeed in our dynamic industry."

16:02 EDT Kodak to form strategic partnership with HuaGuang - Eastman Kodak announced it has reached an agreement with Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. to establish a strategic relationship in the People's Republic of China, including Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan. The Kodak/HuaGuang relationship will be comprised of an agreement for Kodak to sell its offset printing plates facility in Xiamen, China to HuaGuang, a supply agreement for HuaGuang to help Kodak fulfill its existing customer demand, and an IP agreement under which Kodak licenses its technology to HuaGuang to expand the market in China.

15:51 EDT SB One Bancorp director Richard Branca buys over $100K in company shares - SB One Bancorp director Richard Branca disclosed in a filing that he had sold 4,400 shares of company stock at an average price of $22.82 per share on August 2. The total transaction value of the purchase was $100,408.

15:05 EDT Gannett trading resumes

14:47 EDT Gannett names Paul Bascobert president, CEO - Gannett (GCI) announced that Paul Bascobert has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. He most recently served as President of XO Group. In separate press releases issued today, Gannett reported second quarter 2019 financial results and announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with New Media Investment Group Inc. (NEWM) under which New Media will acquire Gannett. Michael Reed, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of New Media, will be Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the combined company and Bascobert will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the operating subsidiary.

14:42 EDT New Media to acquire Gannett for consideration of $12.06 per Gannett share - New Media Investment Group (NEWM) and Gannett (GCI) announced that New Media and Gannett have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which New Media will acquire Gannett for a combination of cash and stock. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, shareholders of Gannett will receive $6.25 in cash and 0.5427 of a New Media share for each Gannett share they hold, representing total consideration of $12.06 per Gannett common share based on New Media's closing stock price as of August 2, 2019, and a premium of approximately 18% to the five-day volume-weighted average price of Gannett shares as of that date. After the close of the transaction, Gannett shareholders will hold approximately 49.5% of the combined company and New Media shareholders will hold approximately 50.5%. With strategically-aligned leadership and significant scale of operations, the Merger will accelerate the combined company's digital transformation. The Merger also affords an opportunity to realize run-rate cost synergies of $275M- $300M annually across the combined company in a judicious manner, while continuing to invest in newsrooms. The combined company's management team will be led by New Media's current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Reed. Alison Engel, Gannett's current Chief Financial Officer, is expected to serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the combined organization upon closing. Gannett's newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Paul Bascobert, will become Chief Executive Officer of the combined company's operating subsidiary. The rest of the combined company's senior executive team, which is expected to be composed of highly experienced leaders from both companies, will be announced at a later date. The combined company's Board of Directors will have nine members, including Mr. Reed as Chairman, five independent directors from New Media, and three independent directors from Gannett. Mr. Kevin Sheehan, who currently serves as New Media's Lead Director, will serve as the combined company's Lead Director. New Media has been actively engaged in a director search and expects to announce two additional independent directors prior to closing. The companies believe that diversity can strengthen board performance and New Media is actively searching for women and other candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences. After the closing of the Merger, both New Media and its operating subsidiary GateHouse, will be rebranded and operate under the "Gannett" brand. The combined company will be headquartered in McLean, Va., with a continued corporate presence in existing locations. Initially, the combined company is expected to have an annual dividend of $0.76 per share. It is expected that the dividend will be increased over time as synergies are realized and leverage is reduced.

14:36 EDT Middlesex Water concludes common stock 5% discount purchase program - Middlesex Water Company announced that it has reached the 200,000 share purchase limit established for its Common Stock 5% Discount window. The 5% Discount offer applied to all Common Stock purchases made under the Middlesex Water Investment Plan. The discount had been in effect since January 2, 2019 and was set to expire no later than December 30, 2019. "We're pleased that we were able to provide existing Plan participants and new investors with an opportunity to invest in our Company at a discount -- even if for just a limited time," said Dennis W. Doll, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The rapid rate of subscription for this offer demonstrates confidence by investors in the regulated water sector and our ability to drive long term shareholder value," added Doll.

14:27 EDT Gannett trading halted, news pending

14:08 EDT Ford Chairman William Clay Ford Jr. buys $8M of shares - Ford Chairman William Clay Ford Jr. disclosed the purchase of 840,962 shares at a price of $9.51 for a total value of $7,995,783. Ford now owns over 1.2M shares.

13:58 EDT Louisiana to contract with four managed care companies for Medicaid enrollees - The Louisiana Department of Health announced its intent to contract with four Medicaid managed care organizations following a state bid process that began in February when the Department issued a request for proposals. The Department has selected AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, Community Care Health Plan of Louisiana, otherwise known as "Healthy Blue," Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana and United Healthcare Community Plan as its managed care partners, or health plans, beginning in January 2020. The selected managed care organizations will be responsible for providing Medicaid benefits and services to eligible children and adults in Louisiana. The current contracts with United Healthcare Community Plan, AmeriHealth Caritas, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, Aetna and Healthy Blue expire December 31, 2019, the state said. Reference Link

13:36 EDT Abbott granted FDA approval for Hepatitis B Virus Core Antigen BLA - On August 2, the FDA approved the Biologics License Application, or BLA, submitted by Abbott for the Hepatitis B Virus Core Antigen, according to a letter posted to the agency's website. The Alinity s Anti-HBc assay is a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay used for the qualitative detection of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in human serum and plasma specimens on the Alinity s System, the letter stated. Reference Link

13:03 EDT Aqua America subsidiary reaches asset purchase agreement with City of Campbell - Aqua America announced its Ohio subsidiary has signed an agreement with the City of Campbell, Mahoning County, to purchase the city's water treatment plant and distribution system for $7.5M. The system serves approximately 3,200 connections.Closing of the sale is anticipated in late 2019 upon approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Aqua also announced on Oct. 23, 2018 an agreement to acquire Pittsburgh-based natural gas company Peoples for $4.275B. Expected to close in 2019, Aqua will add 740,000 customers in Western Pennsylvania, Kentucky and

12:27 EDT OFS Credit announces commencement of rights offering - OFS Credit Company announced the commencement of a non-transferable rights offering to subscribe for up to 1,254,000 shares of the company's common stock to its stockholders of record on July 31. Record Date Stockholders will receive one non-transferable right for each outstanding share of common stock owned on the Record Date. The rights entitle the holders to purchase one new share of common stock for every two rights held. The subscription price for the common stock offered in the Offering is $16.50 per share. The Offering will expire on August 23 at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, unless the Offering is extended by the company. The company plans to use the net proceeds from this Offering to acquire investments in accordance with its investment objectives and strategies and for general working capital purposes.

12:01 EDT U.S. Army awards Lockheed 3 contracts to produce Q-53 radars and capabilities - The United States Army recently awarded Lockheed Martin three contracts to produce additional Q-53 systems and outfit the radar with enhanced capabilities, including extended range and counter unmanned aerial system, or CUAS, surveillance. The flexible architecture of the Army's most modern radar allows for these upgrades, which support adaptable growth of the system to address aircraft, drone and other threats in the future. The Army awarded Lockheed Martin a contract for a third lot of 15 Full Rate Production systems. Once this contract is delivered the Army will own 189 Q-53 systems. The Lot 3 systems will continue to be produced using gallium nitride transmit-receive modules. This will provide the radar with additional power, reliability and the possibility for enhanced capabilities including extended range, counterfire target acquisition and multi-mission, which delivers simultaneous CTA and air surveillance. Lockheed Martin was also awarded a contract to enhance the Q-53's CUAS capability. This true multi-mission capability delivers simultaneous counterfire, CUAS and air surveillance. Lockheed Martin was also awarded a contract by the Army that will extend the operating range of the Q-53 system by utilizing recent next-generation technology insertions already available in the radar.

12:00 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 11.9% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 11.9%, or $3.64 to $34.24.

11:08 EDT Loews CEO Tisch: Diamond impacted by downturn in offshore drilling market - Loews (L) CEO Jim Tisch says that, reflecting his confidence in CNA (CNA), the company has spent nearly half a billion dollars on share repurchases, and CNA currently accounts for more than 70% of the value of each Loews share. Says Diamond Offshore (DO) being affected by longer than expected downturn in offshore drilling market. Says offshore drilling market continues to be challenging, but feels Diamond is positioned to capitalize on an eventual recovery. Says believes Loews is still trading at a discount to its intrinsic value. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

11:02 EDT HP Enterprise acquires business assets of MapR, terms not disclosed - Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced it has acquired the business assets of MapR, a data platform for artificial intelligence and analytics applications powered by scale-out, multi-cloud and multi-protocol file system technology. This transaction includes MapR's technology, intellectual property, and domain expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning and analytics data management. HPE welcomes MapR customers and partners and plans to support existing deployments along with ongoing renewals. This asset acquisition accelerates HPE's Intelligent Data Platform capabilities and helps customers optimize workload solutions for mission-critical big-data workflows.

10:06 EDT Ticketmaster, Ohio State University extend official ticketing partnership - Ticketmaster and The Ohio State University announced the extension of their official ticketing partnership, which will be expanded to all Ohio State athletics venues, including the new state-of-the-art Covelli Center that will host Olympic sports such as wrestling, women's volleyball, fencing, and gymnastics. Under the renewed partnership, Ticketmaster will continue to serve as the official ticketing partner and implement Ticketmaster Presence, its next-generation digital ticketing and access control platform, at all OSU athletics venues, including the newly-renovated Schottenstein Center.

10:02 EDT Fossil launches smartwatch capabilities within Wear OS by Google platform - Fossil Group (FOSL) announced proprietary nextgen touchscreen smartwatch technology. "We've made multi-day battery life for touchscreen smartwatches possible with one touch - a disruptor for smartwatches on the Wear OS by Google (GOOGL) platform. And, we're leading the industry on Wear OS by Google by enabling tethered phone calls for iPhone users," said Fossil Group Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Greg McKelvey. "Both advancements are the result of our unrelenting focus on advancing wearable technology. We'll continue to integrate the latest tech features our customers need with the styles they love." New features include: extended battery life, voice calling, microphone and swimproof speaker and increased storage, Fossil said. In addition to new touchscreen smartwatch innovations, Fossil Group will introduce a new category of hybrid smartwatches this fall/holiday seasons. "Ultimately filling an identified gap in the wearables market, this new category of hybrid smartwatches has functionality similar to a touchscreen smartwatch with the look and feel of a classic watch, while still offering long battery life." Fossil Group will launch more than 100 new smartwatch styles across 10 brands this 2019 fall/holiday retail season, it said.

10:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN rises 12.8% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is up 12.8%, or $23.31 to $205.25.

09:46 EDT Applied DNA Sciences, TheraCann sign term sheet to amend licensing agreement - Applied DNA Sciences announced that the company and TheraCann International Benchmark have signed a non-binding term sheet outlining agreed-upon amendments to the exclusive licensing and cooperation agreement signed March 28 between the parties. The Term Sheet is expected to be followed by definitive contractual amendments. Under the Term Sheet, the parties agreed to amend the Agreement to provide Applied DNA with $4M in TheraCann convertible preferred stock and a $1M convertible promissory note in exchange for Applied DNA's waiver of $4M in cash payments due from TheraCann on or before August 15, 2019. Recognition of $4M in revenue by Applied DNA will take effect with the signing of the definitive agreement, expected in the current quarter.

09:26 EDT AMD appoints Rick Bergman as EVP, computing and graphics - AMD (AMD) announced industry veteran Rick Bergman has joined the company as executive vice president of Computing and Graphics with responsibility for the company's high-performance PC, gaming and semi-custom businesses. Sandeep Chennakeshu has decided to leave AMD at the end of the month. Bergman most recently served as president and CEO of Synaptics (SYNA) for the past eight years.

09:22 EDT Biofrontera says 'able to seamlessly integrate' Cutanea into organization - Biofrontera provides an update on the integration progress of Cutanea Life Sciences. On March 25, 2019, Biofrontera Inc. through its wholly owned subsidiary Biofrontera Newderm LLC, acquired 100% of the stock of Cutanea, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on dermatology products, from Maruho. At the time of the acquisition, Maruho had agreed to cover any restructuring expenses as well as all other expenses during the three-month integration period, which ended on June 25, 2019, as well as to indemnify Biofrontera and Cutanea from any liabilities relating to or arising from the period prior to the closing. During the three-month restructuring period, Biofrontera was able to seamlessly integrate Cutanea into its existing organization by leveraging synergies in all corporate functions. Biofrontera Inc. has taken responsibility for the supply chain management as well as customer service, financial and market access support for the expanded US product portfolio. All business activities in the US will be consolidated at Biofrontera Inc.'s head office in Woburn, MA before the end of the year. Through the acquisition of Cutanea, Biofrontera was able to expand its US product portfolio with two FDA-approved prescription drugs - Xepi, the prescription antibiotic cream for the treatment of impetigo and Aktipak, a generic drug for the treatment of mild to moderate acne. Due to technical challenges with the manufacturing process of Aktipak, which cannot be remedied in the short term, Biofrontera has determined to cease the sale of Aktipak until further notice. The combined US sales force will continue to promote both, our flagship drug Ameluz and our new drug Xepi. Biofrontera acquired Cutanea for an initial purchase price of 1.00 US-Dollar. Maruho agreed to provide, in addition to the restructuring cost in the first three months and the cost of all of Cutanea's potential liabilities, an amount of up to USD $7.3 million as start-up costs to cover any incremental costs from business activities resulting from the purchase of Cutanea. A deferred purchase price equaling the actual start-up costs requested by Biofrontera shall be payable to Maruho by January 2023 at the latest. Thereafter, profits from the sale of Cutanea products will be equally shared between Maruho and Biofrontera until 2030.

09:20 EDT Tyson Foods: Tariffs, trade restrictions 'add another layer of uncertainty' - Says rumors of tariffs being lifted have created volatility. Says continues to support efforts for new trade deals to bring stability to export markets. Says if the tariffs are removed, the U.S. pork industry will likely benefit directly, but if not, Tyson says it will benefit from reallocation opportunities.

09:18 EDT Tyson Foods: Difficult to determine when African swine fever benefits will come

09:16 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Intra-Cellular (ITCI), up 3% after announcing that it recently met with the FDA and reached agreement to submit additional non-clinical information in connection with the FDA's ongoing review of the company's new drug application, or NDA, for lumateperone for the treatment of schizophrenia... Allakos (ALLK), up 94% after reporting results from its placebo-controlled trial of AK002 in patients with eosinophilic gastritis and/or eosinophilic gastroenteritis. All AK002 dose arms showed clinically meaningful and statistically significant benefits compared to placebo on all prespecified primary and secondary endpoints, including gastrointestinal tissue eosinophil counts and patient reported disease symptoms. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Delek US (DK), up 1%... Linde plc (LIN), up 1%... Sapiens (SPNS), up 2%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Sohu.com (SOHU), down 6%... Diamond Offshore (DO), down 16%... On Semiconductor (ON), down 7%... Changyou.com (CYOU), down 5%. ALSO LOWER: Cars.com (CARS), down 33% after concluding strategic review process with no actionable bids... GlycoMimetics (GLYC), down 56% after reporting that Pfizer (PFE) announced that the Phase 3 Rivipansel Evaluating Safety, Efficacy and Time to Discharge, or RESET, pivotal study did not meet its primary or key secondary efficacy endpoints... HSBC (HSBC), down 2% after announcing CEO John Flint stepped down.

09:15 EDT Denali Therapeutics announces Sanofi dosing of DNL758 in Phase 1 study - Denali Therapeutics (DNLI) announced that its partner Sanofi (SNY) has commenced dosing of DNL758, a peripherally restricted small molecule inhibitor of RIPK1, in a Phase 1 healthy volunteer study. This triggers a milestone payment of $10M to Denali according to the Sanofi Collaboration Agreement for RIPK1 inhibitors. RIPK1, receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1, is a critical signaling protein in the TNF receptor pathway, which regulates inflammation and cell death in tissues throughout the body. Denali and Sanofi are developing several molecules targeting RIPK1 inhibition, including DNL747 in neurological indications and DNL758 in several non-neurological indications.

09:13 EDT MannKind, One Drop sign collaboration agreement for BluHale integration - MannKind Corporation announced that they have signed a collaborative agreement that is intended to integrate MannKind's BluHale accessory device into the One Drop platform. BluHale is a Bluetooth-connected accessory that attaches to the Afrezza inhaler and is designed to convey real-time information about inhalation effort and insulin dose. The goal of this collaboration is to provide a seamless experience for Afrezza patients, including automatic tracking of their insulin doses as well as other important health information on the One Drop platform. The agreement is expected to bring One Drop's award winning user experience to Afrezza users, empowering them with AI-enabled glucose forecasts, predictive insights, and the opportunity to connect one-on-one with One Drop's certified diabetes educators, an educational service that has been recognized by the American Diabetes Association.

09:12 EDT Tyson Foods says expects earnings to improve in 2020

09:12 EDT Tyson Foods says 'not where we want to be' in chicken segment - Expects cattle supplies to be "good" through 2021. Says "hopeful" new trade deals will be reached soon with China, Japan. Says "pleased" the EU has agreed to new beef quota arrangements with the U.S. Says shipments of pork to China began accelerating in mid-July and is "optimistic" this will lead to a positive impact in the pork business. Says "not where we want to be" in chicken segment. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:09 EDT Gevo receives ISCC Plus certification - Gevo announced it has achieved its International Sustainability and Carbon Certification under the ISCC PLUS scheme for Food, Feed, Industrial Applications, Energy, Biofuels outside Europe.

09:07 EDT Consolidated Communications expands 1 Gig internet availability in New Hampshire - Consolidated Communications announced the company has made available 1 Gig broadband services to more than 86,000 New Hampshire residential and small business locations. The enhanced service will use the company's new Fiber-To-The-Premises technology to significantly increase broadband speeds and on-demand video capabilities for customers.

09:05 EDT Enzo Biochem issued patent for nucleic acid hybridization probe technology - Enzo Biochem announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 10,323,272. The patent is related to a new probe technology developed by Enzo and transformative methods of testing using the probes, which allow for cost effective and scalable processes across the diagnostic testing, drug development and academic research marketplace. These new probes can be used to detect clinically relevant genomic targets with high-sensitivity in cell samples and biopsy tissue obtained from patients. The new probe design permits the detection of such targets without the disadvantages encompassed in competing high-sensitivity methods such as nucleic acid amplification-based detection and branched DNA probe technologies.

09:03 EDT DGSE subsidiary acquires Teladvance Partners; terms not disclosed - DGSE Companies announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Corrent Resources, LLC has completed the purchase of Teladvance Partners LLC, an IT-asset-disposition, or ITAD, company. In May 2019, Corrent purchased the assets of two other ITAD companies, Echo Environmental, LLC and ITAD USA, LLC. Teladvance, headquartered in Addison, Texas, focuses on managing end-of-life processes for IT assets.

09:02 EDT Milestone Scientific signs distribution agreement with Paragon for CompuFlo - Milestone Scientific announced that it signed an exclusive distribution agreement for the CompuFlo Epidural System with Paragon Care Limited, a provider of medical equipment, devices and consumables in Australia. Sharon Smith, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing of Milestone Scientific, commented, "Paragon Care is an excellent partner with deep reach into Australian hospitals and medical schools. Our shared vision of applying advanced technology solutions for better patient experiences and outcomes will be an asset as we collaborate to build a new standard of care with of the CompuFlo Epidural System."

08:59 EDT Krystal Biotech expects to start Phase 3 clinical trial for KB103 in Q4 - The company said, "In June 2019, Krystal announced positive results from Phase 2 clinical trial of KB103 that commenced in December 2018 at Stanford University. Safety data from all patients showed that KB103 was well tolerated with no adverse events reported. The Phase 1 portion of the trial commenced in May 2018 at Stanford University, and we announced positive interim results from this clinical study on two patients in October 2018. In the combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 study, 7 out of 8 wounds treated with KB103 closed completely. The average time to 100% wound closure on all KB103 treated wounds in combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 study was 20.14 days. In the Phase 1 study, the duration of wound closure on two patients following 100% wound closure as of the last follow up was 184 days and 174 days. In the Phase 2 study, preliminary results indicate that duration of wound closure at 120 day timepoint was 101 days. We anticipate commencing pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for KB103 in Q4 2019 "

08:56 EDT Abiomed says CMS eliminated proposed 27% reduction for IPPS - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Friday released final Medicare payment levels for inpatient hospital discharges for fiscal year 2020, Abiomed disclosed earlier this morning in a regulatory filing. After further analysis, CMS eliminated the proposed reduction of 27% for Inpatient Prospective Payment System and concluded there will be no reduction versus the prior year for MS-DRG 215, says the company. The Final Rule will be effective for the 12 months from and after October 1, 2019 for all Medicare hospital inpatient discharges. The final rule for the IPPS update includes ICD-10 coding and maintained assignment of percutaneous Impella implantation to MS-DRG 215 for Other Heart Assist System Implant, bi-ventricular Impella support in MS-DRG 1-2 assignments, and Impella hospital transfer and support in MS-DRG 268-269 for the receiving hospital. Shares of Abiomed are up 2%, or $4.38, to $205.00 in premarket trading.

08:53 EDT Arbutus Biopharma says continues 'focused discovery effort' for HBV pipeline - The company said, "Arbutus continues a focused discovery effort on follow-on compounds for its current HBV pipeline, including its HBV RNA destabilizer, AB-452, as well as efforts to identify compounds potentially capable of reawakening HBV patients' immune response such as PD-L1 blockers and HBV-specific targets such as HBV cccDNA."

08:50 EDT Arbutus Biopharma expects results from Phase 1a/1b trial of AB-506 in 1H20 - The company said, "In July 2019, Arbutus announced preliminary results from a Phase 1a/1b clinical trial demonstrating that AB-506 is a potent oral capsid inhibitor. These preliminary Phase 1a/1b results support the Company's confidence in its potential to significantly contribute to the inhibition of HBV replication in a curative combination regimen. Arbutus expects that safety and efficacy data from this portion of the Phase 1a/1b trial, as well as results from a planned Phase 1 28-day clinical trial in healthy subjects, will be submitted to an appropriate scientific meeting later this year. Arbutus is planning on dosing additional cohorts and final results of this Phase 1a/1b trial, which are expected in the first half of 2020, will inform next steps toward the combination proof-of-concept Phase 2 clinical trial in subjects with chronic hepatitis B. "

08:48 EDT FDA posts briefing ahead of meeting to discuss sNDA for Gilead's Descovy - In a report prepared by FDA staff ahead of the meeting of the Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee on August 7 to discuss the supplemental new drug application submitted by Gilead Sciences for Descovy, the staff wrote: "Clinical trial data from the DISCOVER trial submitted in support of this application show that Descovy and Truvada were similar in reducing HIV-1 infection in MSM and TGW. Although the number of HIV-1 infections observed in this trial was low, noninferiority of Descovy to Truvada was still demonstrated. One potential concern raised by such a low number of primary endpoint events is whether the trial was conducted in an appropriate population at substantial risk for HIV-1 infection, as it would be difficult to demonstrate a treatment effect in a low-risk population...one could hypothesize that the low HIV infection rate observed in the trial is due to the high efficacy of both Descovy and Truvada in preventing HIV-1 infection when adherence is also high, as was the case in this trial." The summary section of the FDA staff's document added: "The safety of Descovy for a PrEP indication is supported by results of the DISCOVER trial as well as extensive safety data with F/TAF from clinical trials in HIV-infected subjects." Reference Link

08:45 EDT Synchronoss announces Telkom Indonesia partnership with Synchronoss DXP - Synchronoss Technologies announced that Telkom Indonesia, Indonesia's largest telecoms service provider by subscribers, will partner with Synchronoss for Digital Experience Platform to simplify its business processes and enhance customer interactions and the customer journey across all communications channels. Synchronoss DXP allows operators, service providers and other companies to design a unified, interactive customer experience across mobile apps, call centers, in-store point-of-sale interactions and online. Telkom Indonesia can use the platform across all its business units, including consumer and enterprise services, to improve its operational agility and support the expansion of digital services that incorporate new media, content and e-commerce offerings.

08:43 EDT IntercontinentalExchange reports July trading volume results - Intercontinental Exchange reported July trading volume and related revenue statistics. July highlights include: global oil products average daily volume up 23% in July; global oil products open interest up 23% y/y at the end of July; Total Natural Gas ADV up 22% y/y in July; emissions ADV up 33% in July; Total Oil futures OI up 10% y/y at the end of July; Coffee ADV up 14%; Sterling OI up 40% y/y at the end of July; MSCI ADV up 14% y/y in July.

08:40 EDT Vystar Corp granted notice of allowance for patent for natural rubber latex - Vystar Corp. has received a notice of allowance from Brazil for a patent titled "Natural Rubber Latex Having Reduced Allergenicity and Method of Making Same" regarding a process to remove proteins, lipids and lutoids from natural rubber latex. Vystar now holds 12 international and four domestic patents related to its latex deproteinization process which results in Vytex, a natural rubber latex virtually free of allergen-causing latex proteins, thereby reducing risk of developing or experiencing allergic reactions from direct contact. Vystar also has IP protection in Indonesia, Malaysia and India, which are three of the world's top five producers of natural rubber. The latex industry has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.89% over the last five years. Consumption is expected to continue to rise at CAGR 6.35%.

08:38 EDT Progenics completes enrollment in Phase 3 CONDOR study of PYL - Progenics Pharmaceuticals announced that it has completed enrollment five months ahead of schedule in the Company's Phase 3 CONDOR study evaluating the diagnostic performance and clinical impact of PyL in men with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. PyL is the Company's PSMA-targeted small molecule PET/CT imaging agent designed to visualize prostate cancer. The Company also reported that it recently met with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to discuss the regulatory path for PyL. Based on those discussions, the Company believes that positive data from the CONDOR study and the previously reported OSPREY study could serve as the basis for a regulatory submission. Progenics intends to submit a New Drug Application with the FDA for PyL following the Phase 3 CONDOR study, assuming positive results. The Phase 3 CONDOR study is a multi-center, open label study that dosed 208 patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer at 14 sites in the United States and Canada. The primary endpoint is based on positive predictive value and will assess the correct localization rat, defined as a percentage of subjects with a one-to-one correspondence between localization of at least one lesion identified by PyL and the composite truth standard. Secondary measures include the percentage of subjects with a change in intended prostate cancer treatment plans due to PyL PET/CT imaging.

08:36 EDT National CineMedia appoints Thomas Lesinski as CEO - National CineMedia announced that the company's board has appointed Thomas Lesinski to the role of CEO, effective immediately. He will continue to serve on the NCM board in his role as the CEO. Lesinski had served as chairman of the board of NCM, Inc. since August 2018, after being appointed as independent Director of NCM Inc. in December 2014. Since 2015, he had also served as CEO of Sonar Entertainment after serving as a Sonar board director since 2013.

08:34 EDT On Track Innovations receives new order for over 10,000 readers for ATM market - On Track Innovations has received a new purchase order to deliver more than 10,000 of OTI's Uno-8 advanced secure contactless NFC readers, for the global Smart ATM market. The orders are due to be delivered before the end of 2019. Adding an OTI EMV certified contactless reader, provides an ATM with the ability to identify the account owner and communicate with their smart devices.

08:32 EDT Sellas Life Sciences completes enrollment in Phase 2 VADIS trial of NPS - SELLAS Life Sciences Group announced completion of enrollment in a Phase 2 randomized investigator-sponsored trial of nelipepimut-S in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in women with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast who are HLA-A2+ or A3+ positive, express HER2 at IHC 1+, 2+, or 3+ levels, and are pre- or post-menopausal.

08:30 EDT Guardant Health says study finds Guardant360 MSI highly concordant to tissue - In the largest comparison of blood-based microsatellite instability testing to traditional tissue methods across multiple solid tumor types, researchers demonstrated that the Guardant360 assay can accurately detect MSI, an important biomarker used to predict response to immunotherapy regardless of tumor type. Researchers from Guardant Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Samsung Medical Center, and other institutions reported the findings in Clinical Cancer Research. For advanced cancer patients, MSI is a good predictor of response to immunotherapy with PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in multiple tumor types. It has been reported to occur in about 1% of cases, and any patient with advanced cancer who is found to be MSI-High is eligible for treatment with immunotherapy. MSI-High occurs most frequently in colorectal, endometrial, and gastroesophageal cancers. To validate Guardant360's MSI detection, researchers compared the results of 1,145 Guardant360 samples to MSI status determined using standard-of-care tissue testing results taken from medical records. The results from Guardant360 were the same as the standard-of-care tissue test in 98.4% of cases. Additionally, it is the first report of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy outcomes in plasma MSI-High patients. In a cohort of 16 MSI-High gastric cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, the objective response rate was 63% and disease control rate was 81%, consistent with responses for patients identified by tissue testing. The validation of Guardant360's MSI detection methods is an important achievement in the development of liquid biopsy technology. Chromosomal positions most often associated with MSI are made up of highly repetitive genomic sequences. Because circulating tumor DNA fragments are generally much shorter than tissue-derived tumor DNA, accurately mapping these fragments to the genome required innovations in panel design, DNA capture, and bioinformatics analysis.

08:28 EDT Eloxx Pharmaceuticals initiates Phase 2 clinical trial for ELX-02 - Eloxx Pharmaceuticals announced that it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial for ELX-02 in cystinosis in Canada. Study 003 is a single arm, open label study designed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of subcutaneous ELX-02 in patients with nephropathic cystinosis with at least 1 nonsense mutation in the cystinosin gene. Six patients will be enrolled in the trial, and will be treated with ELX-02 for four weeks with three escalating dose levels. Dr. Goodyer previously reported data at the WORLDSymposium which showed that ELX-02 decreases the cystine content in cellular and animal models. Dr. Goodyer extended his research to show ELX-02 cystine decreases when used in combination with cystamine. These data were presented in March at the Cystinosis Research Foundation "Day of Hope" meeting in Irvine, California. In support of the cystinosis program, where preserving renal function is a major concern, Eloxx has completed a renal study in mild, moderate, and severe renal impairment cohorts. Previously, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted orphan drug designation for ELX-02 for the treatment of cystinosis and an IND is currently open. ELX-02 is an investigational drug that has not been approved by any global regulatory body.

08:26 EDT Tyson Foods reports DOJ subpoena seeking information related to chicken industry - In a regulatory filing, Tyson Foods said it received a subpoena from the U.S. DOJ seeking additional information related to the chicken industry. The company said: "On September 2, 2016, Maplevale Farms, Inc, acting on its own behalf and a putative class of direct purchasers of poultry products, filed a class action complaint against us and certain of our poultry subsidiaries, as well as several other poultry processing companies, in the Northern District of Illinois. Subsequent to the filing of this initial complaint, additional lawsuits making similar claims on behalf of putative classes of dire... On June 21, 2019, the DOJ filed a motion to intervene and sought a limited stay of discovery in the civil action, which the court granted in part. Subsequently, we received a grand jury subpoena from the DOJ seeking additional documents and information related to the chicken industry. We are fully cooperating with the DOJ's request. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, on behalf of its citizens, has also initiated a civil lawsuit against us, certain of our subsidiaries, and several other poultry processing companies alleging activities in violation of the Puerto Rican antitrust laws. This lawsuit has been transferred to the Northern District of Illinois for coordinated pre-trial proceedings. On March 1, 2017, we received a civil investigative demand from the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Legal Affairs, of the State of Florida. The CID requests information primarily related to possible anticompetitive conduct in connection with the Georgia Dock, a chicken products pricing index formerly published by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. We have been cooperating with the Attorney General's office. In July 2019, the Attorney General issued a subpoena to the In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation plaintiffs requesting all information provided to the DOJ."

08:25 EDT Ormat Technologies announces first geothermal, solar hybrid power plant - Ormat Technologies announced that it commenced commercial operation of the company's first-ever geothermal and solar hybrid project, a 7MW AC solar expansion of its Tungsten Mountain geothermal project in Churchill County, Nevada. The Tungsten Solar expansion commenced commercial operation in July 2019. The electricity generated from the Tungsten Solar power plant will be used to offset the equipment's energy use at the Tungsten geothermal facility, thus increasing the renewable energy delivered by the project under the Southern California Public Power Authority portfolio contract.

08:23 EDT Nuance announces name, brand identity for automotive spin-off - Nuance Communications announced the name for its upcoming Automotive spin-off: Cerence Inc. This new brand and identity will become official when the business separates from Nuance on October 1, 2019. At that time, Cerence Inc. will become an independent, publicly traded automotive software company. Cerence is an invented name and word, coined from powerful visual and linguistic associations with intelligence, experience, serenity and control. The word has smooth, visually consistent letterforms and natural pronunciation across languages: "Cer" which rhymes with air and "ence" like sense. Visually, the new logo is inspired in part by the right and left sides of the human brain - a blend of art and science as well as experience and innovation - and the typography invokes fluidity and forward motion.

08:22 EDT Intel, Lenovo announce HPC and AI convergence collaboration - Intel (INTC) and Lenovo (LNVGY) announced a multiyear collaboration focused on the opportunity in the convergence of high-performance computing, or HPC, and artificial intelligence, or AI, to help accelerate solutions for the world's challenging problems. Building on the companies' long-standing partnership in the data center, the multiyear global collaboration will speed the convergence of HPC and AI, creating solutions for organizations of all sizes. Lenovo will be optimizing Intel's full portfolio of HPC and AI hardware and software solutions to serve as the foundation for its market strategy. Working together, the companies aim to accelerate the convergence of HPC and AI to unlock new levels of customer insight. The combination of Intel Xeon scalable platform and Lenovo Neptune liquid cooling technology has already produced results from joint engineering and utilizing a unique combination of HPC IP from the two companies.

08:19 EDT W.R. Grace licenses UNIPOL PP Process Technology to Datong Coal Mine Group - W. R. Grace & Co. has licensed its UNIPOL PP Process Technology to Datong Coal Mine Group Co., Ltd. The UNIPOL PP facility, located in Datong, China, will produce 430 KTA of polypropylene and is scheduled to be completed in 2022. The process technology along with Grace's CONSISTA catalysts enable the Datong Coal Mine Group Co., Ltd. to produce more than 200 resin grades so that they can provide more polypropylene options to their customers. Grace's all gas-phase UNIPOL PP Process Technology provides the broadest range of PP homopolymers, random copolymers, and impact copolymers in the industry. This process technology, without any moving parts inside of the reactor and requiring less equipment than any alternative, is a reliable, safe, and stable operation that leads to lower capital, operating, and maintenance costs.

08:17 EDT Falcon Minerals sees Q3 production 5,000-5,500 boe/d

08:15 EDT Cars.com down 20% after concluding strategic review with no actionable bids - The company also reported mixed Q2 results and guided a FY19 revenue decline of 6%-9%. In pre-market trade, shares are down 20% to $14.40.

08:15 EDT Henry Schein acquires majority interest in Cliniclands - Henry Schein announced the acquisition of a majority equity stake in Cliniclands, an innovative distributor serving dental practices throughout Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Based in Trelleborg, Sweden, Cliniclands represents the first presence of Henry Schein Dental in Scandinavia and offers a wide range of dental consumables, implants, prosthetic and orthodontic solutions as well as small and office equipment. Cliniclands had sales for the 12 months ended March 31, of approximately $9.5M.

08:14 EDT Natera's Panorama test shows 100% accuracy in identical twin detection - Natera announced results of a prospective validation study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine demonstrating 100% accuracy of its Panorama non-invasive prenatal test in determining zygosity, fetal sex, and chromosomal abnormalities in twins as early as 9 weeks of gestation. Panorama is the industry's only NIPT validated to determine whether twins are monozygotic - identical - or dizygotic - non-identical/fraternal. Twin pregnancies account for approximately 1 in 30 live births and have a greater risk of developing serious perinatal complications.Monochorionic pregnancies are at risk for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)-a complication of disproportionate blood supply resulting in high morbidity and mortality.

08:13 EDT Southwest to expand corporate travel distribution strategy with ARC - Airlines Reporting, or ARC, announced a partnerhsip with Southwest Airlines to expand its corporate travel distribution strategy. "We're excited that Southwest has chosen to leverage ARC's network of accredited travel agencies to increase their product availability to the corporate traveler," said ARC executive VP and COO, Lauri Reishus. "With Southwest's new capabilities, agencies will be able to utilize ARC's reporting and settlement platform to seamlessly support their corporate customers."

08:11 EDT Textron reviewing strategic alternatives for Kautex - Textron announced that it is reviewing strategic alternatives for its Kautex business unit, which produces fuel systems and other functional components. Textron plans to consider a range of options, including a sale, tax-free spin-off or other transaction. Kautex operates over 30 plants in 14 countries and generated over $2.3B in revenue in 2018. Scott Donnelly, Textron Chairman and CEO said, "We are exploring strategic alternatives to see how we can position Kautex to best serve its customers for ongoing success while simultaneously unlocking potential value for our shareholders." No decision has been made and there can be no assurance that the process will result in any transaction being announced or completed in the future. The company has not set a definitive timetable for completion of its review of strategic alternatives and does not intend to make any further announcements related to its review unless and until its board has approved a specific transaction or the company otherwise determines that further disclosure is appropriate. Textron has retained Goldman Sachs as financial advisor to assist in its review.

08:10 EDT Ashford Hospitality selling Marriott Plaza San Antonio for $34M - Ashford Hospitality is selling the 251-room Marriott Plaza San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas for $34.0M or $135,500 per key. The sales price, inclusive of buyer's estimated anticipated capex of $21.3M, represents a trailing twelve-month cap rate of 4.9% on net operating income and a 17.1x Hotel EBITDA multiple as of June 30. The hotel had an existing allocated loan balance of approximately $23.3M that was paid off at closing along with an additional $3.5M of loan pay down associated with the release of the hotel from the loan pool. After loan payoff and transaction costs, the net proceeds from the sale were approximately $6M. Based upon the 12-month period ended June 30, 2019, the hotel achieved an occupancy rate of 76% and Average Daily Rate of $135 resulting in a $102 RevPAR.

08:09 EDT Camber Energy unit awarded $3.9M pipeline repair project - Camber Energy announced that its recently acquired subsidiary, Lineal Industries, has been awarded a new contract from a large-cap master limited partnership owned by one of the larger oil and gas companies in the United States. The project entails re-construction of approximately 2,000 lineal feet of 20-inch gas pipeline, including a complete road and creek crossing located in South Western Pennsylvania. Budget for this project is approximately $3.9M and the project is expected to commence immediately and finish in the next 90 days. Craig Crawford, President of Lineal Industries commented, "This is an exciting addition to our pipeline of business, with immediate positive results for Lineal. The ability to swiftly deploy our safe and efficient workforce to projects of this size to major customers is exactly why Camber Energy acquired Lineal and how we are creating value for Camber."

08:07 EDT Aytu BioScience: ZolpiMist results show more rapid sleep onset with Zolpidem - Aytu BioScience announced the publication of a clinical study in the journal Pharmacy and Pharmacology, demonstrating that ZolpiMist, Aytu BioScience's lingual spray formulation of zolpidem, achieves sleep onset more quickly than the oral tablet form of zolpidem in patients seeking short-term treatment for insomnia. This new scientific report describes a post-hoc analysis of data from the pivotal Phase 3 study of ZolpiMist. The four-arm crossover study compares 5 and 10 mg doses of the lingual spray and tablet formulations of zolpidem in 43 adults. The generally accepted blood serum therapeutic threshold for zolpidem in treatment of insomnia is a blood plasma concentration of 20 ng/mL. On average, ZolpiMist achieved this threshold more quickly than tablet zolpidem. The lingual spray formulation achieved this threshold at 7.0 and 10.5 minutes, for the 10 mg and 5 mg doses, respectively. Tablet zolpidem achieved this threshold at 15.0 and 17.2 minutes, for the 10 mg and 5 mg doses, respectively. An additional measure to quantify sedation that was utilized in this study was the Digit Symbol Substitution Test, which is an assessment of attention, perceptual speed, motor speed, visual scanning and memory. The average time to achieve a 5-point change in DSST for ZolpiMist was 4.8 minutes and 8.0 minutes, for the 10 mg and 5 mg doses, respectively. Conversely, for tablet zolpidem, the time to achieve a 5-point change in DSST was 14.0 minutes and 16.2 minutes, for the 10 mg and 5 mg doses, respectively.

08:07 EDT PTC Therapeutics signs long-term lease agreement with Bristol-Myers in NJ - PTC Therapeutics (PTCT) has signed a long-term lease agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY). Under the lease agreement, PTC will gain access to approximately 185,000 square feet of space, including an existing state-of-the-art biologics production facility and supporting research and operations buildings on the BMS Hopewell, N.J. campus. PTC plans to further develop the biologics facility to support gene therapy production and foster innovation and employment in the community. In addition, PTC plans to move its research operations to a newly renovated building on the same campus. These facilities will complement and enhance existing operations at PTC global headquarters in South Plainfield, N.J. The facility is located on an existing BMS property encompassing over a million square feet. PTC plans to relocate and expand its global discovery and research operations to the same site in 2020.

08:05 EDT Dynamex enters into definitive merger agreement with Betterware - DD3 Acquisition and Betterware de Mexico, home solutions and organization direct-to-consumer selling company in Mexico, have entered into a definitive agreement to merge. The combined company will operate as "Betterware" and is expected to remain publicly listed on Nasdaq. The transaction implies an initial enterprise value of approximately $367M representing a multiple of 8.6x Betterware's estimated 2019 EBITDA. Founded in 1995, Betterware is a direct-to-consumer company in Mexico. Current Betterware shareholders will roll over most of their equity stakes and will remain majority owners of the combined company, with an anticipated ~80% stake at closing, while the remaining ownership will be held by public investors and DD3. Luis Campos, Chairman of Betterware, and Andres Campos, CEO of Betterware, will continue to run the combined company. Martin Werner, CEO & Chairman of DD3, and Guillermo Ortiz, board member of DD3, are expected to join the combined company's board of directors. The transaction is expected to be completed during Q4. Proceeds from the transaction will be used by the combined company to support and enhance future growth and maintain financial flexibility.

08:04 EDT Mustang Bio receives FDA approval for MB-102 IND - Mustang Bio announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Company's Investigational New Drug application to initiate a multi-center Phase 1/2 clinical trial of MB-102 in acute myeloid leukemia, blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplas and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. MB-102 is a CAR T cell therapy that is produced by engineering patient T cells to recognize and eliminate CD123-expressing tumors. CD123 is widely expressed on bone marrow cells of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and hematologic malignancies, including in 75-89% of AML patients and over 90% in BPDCN patients. MB-102 has shown promising response rates in early small populations of these patients in an investigator-sponsored Phase 1 clinical trial being conducted by City of Hope, where the CAR T cell therapy was also developed. On July 24, 2019, Mustang announced that the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation to MB-102 for the treatment of AML. The FDA also previously granted Orphan Drug Designation to MB-102 for the treatment of BPDCN.

08:01 EDT DD3 Acquisition Corp trading halted, news dissemination

07:56 EDT Kiniksa announces collaboration with the Myocarditis Foundation - Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals announced a collaboration with the Myocarditis Foundation in support of patients affected by pericarditis with heart muscle inflammation.Kiniksa and the Myocarditis Foundation are working together to raise awareness about pericarditis, an underserved, painful and debilitating autoinflammatory cardiovascular disease. Pericarditis, in the acute form, accounts for greater than or equal to1% of emergency department visits among patients with ST-segment elevation1 and up to 4.4% of ED visits for chest pain. Kiniksa is currently developing a potential treatment to address the recurrent form of pericarditis. Recurrent pericarditis is a common complication after an initial episode of acute pericarditis and is characterized by the recurrence of chest pain and signs of cardiovascular inflammation. Health plan claims data suggests there are approximately 40,000 recurrent pericarditis patients in the Unites States seeking and receiving medical treatment. There are no currently FDA-approved treatments for pericarditis. Kiniksa is enrolling RHAPSODY, a global, randomized withdrawal design, pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of rilonacept in subjects with recurrent pericarditis. The study is intended to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rilonacept treatment in subjects with recurrent pericarditis. The primary efficacy endpoint is time-to-first pericarditis-recurrence in the RW period. The co-principal investigators are Dr. Allan Klein of Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Massimo Imazio of the University of Torino, Italy. Top-line data are expected in the second half of 2020.

07:54 EDT Joint Corp. acquires S.C. clinic expanding corporate portfolio to 57 - Joint Corp. acquired one franchised clinic and opened one greenfield clinic, increasing the number of company-owned or managed clinics to 57. The purchased clinic is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and adds to three units acquired last month in the Georgia/South Carolina region, where The Joint has established a corporate clinic cluster. The newly built greenfield clinic is in El Cajon, California.

07:52 EDT Delek US says expects to repurchase $40M of stock during Q3

07:50 EDT Just Energy announces departure of president, CEO Patrick McCullough - Just Energy Group announced that Patrick McCullough has departed the Company as President and CEO and has stepped down from the Board of Directors of Just Energy and the Company's subsidiaries, effective immediately. Just Energy has named director, R. Scott Gahn, as its President and CEO. Gahn has a long history in the deregulated energy industry, having served on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas board from 2005 to 2008 and having been involved in the sale of deregulated and regulated electricity and natural gas for over 28 years. "I am very excited to have Scott Gahn as our CEO. He represents the leadership that is needed for Just Energy at this time and for the future, while bringing a strong background in executing transactions in the deregulated energy industry," said Rebecca MacDonald. "The Strategic Review is ongoing."

07:47 EDT Intra-Cellular agrees to submit additional info for NDA review of lumateperone - Intra-Cellular Therapies announced that it recently met with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and reached agreement to submit additional non-clinical information in connection with the FDA's ongoing review of the Company's New Drug application (NDA) for lumateperone for the treatment of schizophrenia. The FDA has informed the Company that the planned submission of this additional information constitutes a major amendment to the NDA, resulting in a three-month extension of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date to December 27, 2019 in order to provide time for a full review of the submission. The Company has agreed with the FDA to provide additional information related to toxicology findings in previous animal studies with the objective to further substantiate the Company's position that those findings are not relevant to humans due to species specific differences in the metabolism of lumateperone. The Company is performing a limited number of in-vitro analyses, including the analysis of animal and human plasma samples from previous studies to confirm that the metabolic pathway, and the metabolites formed, are different in animals and humans. The Company has commenced the requested analyses and expects to complete them shortly and provide the information to the FDA.

07:40 EDT Apyx Medical receives 510(k) clearance for J-Plasma Precise Handpiece - Apyx Medical announced that it received FDA 510(k) clearance to market and sell its next-generation J-Plasma Precise Handpiece. The company's J-Plasma handpieces are indicated for cutting, coagulation and ablation of soft tissue during open and laparoscopic surgical procedures.

07:40 EDT 1-800-Flowers.com to acquire Shari's Berries, other assets of FTD for $20.5M - 1-800-Flowers.com reported that it was the successful bidder at the auction held on July 31 for certain assets of the gourmet food business of the FTD Companies, including the Shari's Berries brand, which were previously operated by Provide Commerce, a division of FTD. The bankruptcy court will consider approval of the transaction at a hearing to be held on August 9. The company will acquire the assets through one of its wholly owned subsidiaries and plans to close the transaction soon after the hearing, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The company's winning bid of $20.5M includes the acquisition of certain assets of FTD's gourmet food business, including more than 450 domain names, copyrights, trademarks, customer data, phone numbers and other intellectual property. The company plans to provide further details regarding the planned acquisition of the Shari's Berries brand on August 22 when it provides guidance for FY20.

07:38 EDT Safehold signs agreements for $600M of ground leases - Safehold reported that it has closed on two previously announced Safehold ground leases underlying office buildings in New York, NY and Austin, TX totaling approximately $140 million, bringing the aggregate portfolio to $1.3 billion. In addition, the company has recently signed contracts for another two ground leases totaling nearly $660 million. The largest of these relate to the acquisition of the existing ground lease at 425 Park Avenue in New York, NY for approximately $620 million. In connection with this transaction, the company has entered into a letter of intent with a sovereign wealth fund to form a joint venture to complete the acquisition. Safehold would own 55% of the venture and act as its manager. The other deal relates to a student housing property in the Phoenix MSA. Safehold expects to close these transactions in the third or fourth quarter; however, each closing is subject to customary closing conditions and there can be no assurance that the transactions will occur within the expected timeframe or at all. The 425 Park Avenue closing is not conditioned on completing the joint venture.

07:33 EDT Olin announces $100M accelerated share repurchase with Goldman Sachs - Olin (OLN) announced that it has entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement with Goldman Sachs (GS) to repurchase an aggregate of $100M of Olin's common stock. The ASR will be executed under its share repurchase authorization announced on May 1, 2018. Since May 2018, approximately 3.8M shares of common stock were repurchased at a cost of $85.6M. Upon completion of the ASR program, Olin will have approximately $314.4M available under its share repurchase authorization.

07:28 EDT AstraZeneca says Forxiga label updated in EU with 'positive' cardiovascular data - AstraZeneca announced that the European Commission has approved an update to the marketing authorization for Forxiga to include "positive" cardiovascular outcomes and renal data from the Phase III DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial in adults with type-2 diabetes. The trial enrolled a majority of patients with no existing cardiovascular disease, the company noted. Inclusion of the DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial data to the medicine's label is currently under regulatory review in the U.S. and China.

07:26 EDT Gilat Satellite providing aero antennas to Tier-1 aviation service provider - Gilat Satellite will provide aero antennas with an initial agreement for tens of millions of dollars to a Tier-1 business aviation service provider. The high-speed satellite-based global connectivity service being developed will be enabled by Gilat's aero terminal which includes a 12" tail-mount Ku band antenna, and Gilat's Taurus aero modem. The service for business aviation will be provided over one of the largest aero networks operating worldwide.

07:23 EDT Beasley Broadcast expects WDMK-FM acquisition to be immediately accretive to FCF - CEO Caroline Beasley said, "Beasley's reported second quarter free cash flow declined to $5.5M from $8.4M in the comparable 2018 period due to higher capital expenses related to the ongoing build-out of our Philadelphia studios and increases in taxes, corporate overhead and interest expense offsetting the $1.2M increase in SOI. Importantly, year-to-date operating results and third quarter trends continue to pace consistently with our internal forecasts. During the second quarter, we continued to make significant progress toward transforming Beasley into a fully diversified, local multi-media company through select investments in our existing platform and opportunistic accretive transactions. In June, we entered into a definitive agreement to acquire WDMK-FM and three translators used to broadcast WDMK's HD2 signal in Detroit, Michigan from Urban One for $13.5M. This transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Beasley's free cash flow, excluding one-time transaction costs. The acquisition of WDMK-FM and the WDMK-HD2 translators represent a strategically and financially compelling growth opportunity for our shareholders and further enhances our revenue and competitive position in Detroit with a strong cluster of four FM stations in the country's thirteenth largest market. We also continued to advance our initiatives focused on leveraging our premium local programming and brands, while aggressively rolling out our digital offerings and distribution capabilities to create new value for listeners and advertisers. In the second quarter, the early success of our digital sales, digital content development and podcasting strategies resulted in digital revenue growth and higher levels of audience engagement. In addition to our growth and diversification initiatives, we remain committed to enhancing shareholder value through capital returns and leverage reduction. In the second quarter, we used cash from operations to pay our twenty-third consecutive quarterly cash dividend and made voluntary debt repayments of $4M, with total outstanding debt of $245.5M as of June 30, 2019."

07:15 EDT Accenture acquires Northstream, terms not disclosed - Accenture has acquired Northstream, a Stockholm-based consultancy to communications service providers and networking services vendors. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "The acquisition will expand Accenture's capabilities in the Nordic region to address CSP demand for network consulting programs around 5G deployment and IoT connectivity, as well as large transformational programs that may include telco network cloud deployments and operating model transformations."

07:13 EDT NanoViricides' first drug candidate on track with GLP safety studies - NanoViricides' first drug candidate, NV-HHV-101, is on track with required preclinical GLP Safety and Toxicology studies moving towards human clinical trials. NV-HHV-101 has been found to be safe and well tolerated in the clinical observation portion of the GLP Safety/Toxicology study of NV-HHV-101 as a dermal treatment. The in-life stage of the first part of the GLP studies is complete, allowing assessment of clinical observations. The company is waiting on the full histology studies to assess the effects on all primary organs. The first of these GLP studies, a GLP safety and tolerability study following dermal treatment, was conducted using minipigs. Topical treatment of the skin at all doses was well tolerated in all animals and all measured parameters remained within normal range in the study. Additional studies required for the Safety and Toxicology datasets for filing an IND are in progress. The company anticipates advancing NV-HHV-101 into human clinical trials for topical dermal treatment of the shingles rash as the initial indication, assuming that these studies are successful. The company believes that its dermal topical cream for the treatment of shingles rash will be its first drug heading into clinical trials.

07:12 EDT Amplify Energy expects Midstates Petroleum merger to close on August 6 - On August 2, 2019, Amplify's (AMPY) and Midstates Petroleum Company (MPO), respective shareholders approved the merger of equals which was announced on May 6, 2019. Amplify and Midstates expect to close the merger before markets open on August 6, 2019 In the closing press release, Amplify will provide pro-forma guidance for the combined company and details on return of capital plans for its investors. Amplify will also provide an updated investor presentation with additional detail on the pro-forma company highlights and the total value proposition The merger will close before market on August 6, 2019 and will trade on NYSE as "MPO" during the trading day on August 6, 2019, with the ticker changing to "AMPY" on NYSE starting on August 7, 2019. Strategic and financial highlights of the proposed combination: Creates a diversified platform of long-life, low-risk and shallow decline assets with an attractive 50/50 liquids and gas production mix; Strong pro-forma balance sheet and liquidity allows for capital return programs; Creates a best-in-class free cash flow generating company with top-tier G&A efficiency; Expected to achieve approximately $21M of annual G&A synergies; Enhanced scale expected to drive down cost of capital and operating expenses.

07:10 EDT Chemed subsidiary acquires assets of independent franchise operator for $120M - Roto-Rooter Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chemed, announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire all of HSW RR's, or HSW, franchise operations and Western Drain Supply for an aggregate purchase price of $120M. HSW is Roto-Rooter's largest independent franchise operator. Upon closing, which is subject to governmental approval, this will be Roto-Rooter's largest franchise acquisition and will add fourteen Roto-Rooter franchises in the western U.S. The franchised territories include: Metro Los Angeles and San Diego, California; Dallas and El Paso, Texas; Phoenix, Tucson, and Florence, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Ogden, Park City and Provo, Utah; and Portland and Salem, Oregon. Collectively, these Roto-Rooter locations serve a population of approximately 32M people. This purchase is part of Roto-Rooter's ongoing strategy of acquiring franchises to boost productivity, market share and profitability.

07:08 EDT Allakos says AK002 met all primary, secondary endpoints in Phase 2 study - Allakos announced positive results from its Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of AK002 in patients with eosinophilic gastritis and/or eosinophilic gastroenteritis. All AK002 dose arms showed clinically meaningful and statistically significant benefits compared to placebo on all prespecified primary and secondary endpoints, including gastrointestinal tissue eosinophil counts and patient reported disease symptoms. Statistically significant differences in patient symptoms between the active and placebo groups occurred one day following AK002 administration. In addition, patients with comorbid eosinophilic esophagitis treated with AK002 experienced statistically significant decreases in esophageal eosinophil counts and substantial reductions in patient reported dysphagia symptoms. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of AK002 enrolled patients with active, biopsy-confirmed EG and/or EGE. Patients were required to be moderately to severely symptomatic based on a patient reported symptom questionnaire and have biopsy confirmed eosinophilia of the stomach and/or duodenum. Qualifying patients were randomized 1:1:1 to receive: 0.3 mg/kg of AK002 for the first month followed by three doses of 1.0 mg/kg given monthly, 0.3 mg/kg of AK002 for the first month followed by 1.0 mg/kg, 3.0 mg/kg and 3.0 mg/kg given monthly, or a monthly placebo. Disease symptoms were measured daily using a patient reported symptom questionnaire that scored 8 symptoms on a scale from 0 to 10. Endpoints were assessed per protocol in a prespecified hierarchical order using biopsies collected at the end of study and symptoms collected over the last two weeks of study prior to biopsy. The primary endpoint was the percent change from baseline in the number of tissue eosinophils obtained from gastric or duodenal biopsies. The secondary endpoints were proportion of patients with a greater than 75% reduction in tissue eosinophil counts from biopsies and a greater than 30% reduction in Total Symptom Score from the patient reported questionnaire and the percent change from baseline in the TSS. AK002 showed a statistically significant benefit when compared to placebo on all primary and secondary endpoints for each of the high dose, the low dose, and the combined high/low dose AK002 groups. The data demonstrate that AK002 produced histological resolution of gastrointestinal tissue eosinophilia and improved disease symptoms, and that these benefits occurred in the same individuals. AK002 was generally well tolerated. The only treatment emergent adverse event occurring more frequently on AK002 than on placebo was mild to moderate infusion-related reactions which occurred in 60% of AK002 treated patients and 23% of placebo treated patients. There was 1 drug-related serious adverse event in the study, consisting of an infusion-related reaction which recovered within 24 hours. Treatment emergent SAEs occurred in 9% of patients on AK002 versus 14% on placebo. Steroid use was balanced between drug and placebo groups. Statistically significant results were also observed on all primary and secondary endpoints in the subgroup of patients who did not receive steroids. Ninety-two percent of patients in the Phase 2 study elected to enter a long-term AK002 extension study. Efficacy and safety results from the long-term extension study are expected in 2020. Based on the results from the Phase 2 study, Allakos will request an end of Phase 2 meeting to discuss the design of the planned Phase 3 study in EG and/or EGE and Phase 2/3 study in EoE.

07:07 EDT Universal Display, Merck KGaA announce OLED technology collaboration - Universal Display (OLED) and Merck KGaA (MKGAY) announced a research and development collaboration in the OLED field. With this agreement, two players in the OLED industry join their know-how to accelerate the development of new products and further advance OLED technology. This joint development program brings together Universal Display's expertise in phosphorescent OLED emitters and the transport materials from Merck KGaA. The objective is to develop higher performing OLED stacks for OLED manufacturers around the world.

07:05 EDT MarketAxess reports July total monthly trading volume $178.9B - MarketAxess Holdings announced total monthly trading volume for July 2019 of $179.8B, consisting of $88B in U.S. high-grade volume, $88.2B in other credit volume, and $3.6B in liquid products volume.

07:03 EDT Arvinas expects cash, cash equivalents to fund expenses into 2H21 - Based on its current operating plan, Arvinas expects its cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and proceeds from Bayer will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2021.

06:57 EDT Delek US raises quarterly dividend 3.6% to 29c per share - Shareholders of record on August 19 will receive this cash dividend payable on September 3.

06:53 EDT Eli Lilly CONQUER study of Emgality meets primary, secondary outcomes - Eli Lilly announced that Emgality met the primary and all key secondary outcomes in CONQUER, a Phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Emgality in the preventive treatment of chronic and episodic migraine in patients with documented previous failures on two to four different standard-of-care migraine preventive medication categories, due to inadequate efficacy or for safety/tolerability reasons. The CONQUER study was designed and conducted based on findings from subgroup analyses of prior Phase 3 studies of Emgality, which suggested it may be an option for patients who self-reported failures on migraine preventive medications before study enrollment. CONQUER was a Phase 3, double-blind, global study conducted in 12 countries. The study enrolled 462 patients with chronic or episodic migraine who had a history of documented treatment failures to two to four different standard-of-care migraine preventive medication categories. Treatment failures were defined as inadequate efficacy after at least two months of treatment at the maximum tolerated dose, or discontinuation of the medicine for safety/tolerability reasons. At baseline, patients had on average 13.2 monthly migraine headache days. Following a screening period and prospective baseline period, eligible patients were randomized 1:1 to Emgality 120 mg per month or placebo for three months of double-blind treatment. Patients who completed the double-blind treatment phase could enter a three-month open-label treatment phase with Emgality. The study met its primary objective of demonstrating superiority of Emgality versus placebo in the overall mean change from baseline in the number of monthly migraine headache days across months one through three. In the study, treatment with Emgality reduced monthly migraine headache days by 4.1 days compared with one day with placebo in the total study population. In addition, the study achieved statistical significance on all key secondary outcomes including 50%, 75% and 100% response rates and improvements in the migraine-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire Role Function-Restrictive, or MSQ-RFR domain. The MSQ-RFR domain measures the degree to which migraine limits a person's daily social and work-related activities, including: feeling more energetic; feeling less tired for work or daily activities; concentrating better on work/daily activities; able to get more done at work and home; less difficulty performing work/daily activities; less interference in leisure activities and less interference dealing with family and friends. The details of these key secondary outcomes will be presented at an upcoming scientific congress and published in a peer-reviewed journal. The safety profile of Emgality observed in the CONQUER study was consistent with the safety profile observed in Phase 3 studies of patients with migraine and cluster headache treated with Emgality.

06:40 EDT HSBC plans to initiate share buyback of up to $1B - HSBC said, "We intend to initiate a share buy-back of up to $1bn, which we expect to commence shortly."

06:33 EDT Seacor acquires JV's interest in Sea-Vista for $106M in cash and stock - Seacor announced that it has become the sole owner of its consolidated SEA-Vista joint venture, acquiring through a subsidiary the 49% interest that had been owned by an affiliate of Avista Capital Partners. Purchase consideration consisted of $106M in cash and 1.5M shares of the company's common stock. In connection with the purchase, the company and the Seller entered into a Registration Rights Agreement that grants the holders of the Consideration Shares certain demand and piggyback registration rights and a Lock-Up Agreement that contains restrictions on the ability of the Seller to dispose of Consideration Shares for certain periods of time and imposes certain standstill obligations on the Seller. The Registration Rights Agreement and Lock-Up Agreement will be described in greater detail on a Form 8-K that will be filed by the company on or before August 8. Eric Fabrikant, COO of Seacor, commented: "We expect this transaction to be accretive to Seacor's earnings. We acquired a substantial backlog of contracted revenues and stable cash flows and increased ownership in SEA-Vista's differentiated fleet of assets." Fabrikant further stated that: "Acquiring full ownership of SEA-Vista underpins our continued commitment to remaining a leader in the transportation and logistics industry. We appreciate the support of our former partner, Avista, during our newbuild program and our shared mission to building a safer, more environmentally friendly, fleet of modern vessels."

06:20 EDT Spirit MTA REIT files materials for $2.4B asset sale to Hospitality Properties - Spirit MTA REIT (SMTA) has filed definitive proxy materials with the SEC related to its agreement to sell its Owned Properties held in the company's Master Trust 2014 and three assets presently owned by Spirit Realty Capital to Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT) for $2.4B in total cash consideration. The company will hold a Special Meeting of Shareholders on September 4 in Dallas, Texas. At the meeting, SMTA shareholders will consider and vote on the proposed sale, as well as a Plan of Voluntary Liquidation. If the proposed Sale is approved by shareholders, the closing of the transaction is expected to occur on September 20.

06:13 EDT Allogene Therapeutics appoints Rafael Amado as Executive VP, R&D and CMO - Allogene Therapeutics appointed Rafael Amado, M.D., as Executive VP of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer. In this new position, Amado will lead Allogene's clinical and research functions with the goal of rapidly advancing Allogene's pipeline of allogeneic CAR T therapies for hematologic and solid tumors. Amado is expected to start with Allogene on or about September 3.

06:11 EDT Amneal Pharmaceuticals cuts FY19 CapEx view to $65M-$85M from about $100M

06:10 EDT KKR bid for Axel Springer wins shareholder approval - Based on the declarations of acceptance received and booked so far by the custodian banks for the voluntary public tender offer by KKR to all shareholders of Axel Springer, the acceptance rate exceeded the minimum acceptance threshold of 20% at the end of the offer period on August 2. Mathias Dopfner, CEO of Axel Springer said: "This is an important milestone for our planned strategic partnership with KKR. We can thereby use additional opportunities and accelerate our growth and investment strategy." Julian Deutz, CFO of Axel Springer commented: "We are pleased that the attractive offer from KKR has been accepted. And we are optimistic that the remaining offer conditions can be fulfilled over the next months."Pursuant to section 16 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act, shareholders who have not yet tendered their shares still can accept the offer at an offer price of EUR 63.00 per share during the mandatory additional acceptance period. This period will last 14 days and start following the announcement of the offer result which will be published by KKR within the next days. The completion of the offer remains subject to various merger control, foreign investment and media concentration clearances.

06:07 EDT Amdocs NFV selected by global satellite operator SES for network automation - Amdocs will provide SES, a global satellite operator, with its Amdocs Network Function Virtualization - NFV - solution to modernize and automate its network platforms in the cloud, in an open, software-centric way. This will enable SES to more rapidly build network solutions that are powered by its fleet of Medium Earth Orbit and Geostationary Earth Orbit satellites, and extensive ground infrastructure to provide seamless scalable connectivity services to underserved markets, including rural areas, out at sea or in the skies, as well as to areas affected by disasters.

06:05 EDT American Resources files updated bid to purchase certain Blackjewel properties - American Resources Corporation announced that it has participated in the bidding process for the assets and operations of BlackJewel's eastern division and will be submitting a revised bid. In relation to this process, the following statement is from Mark Jensen, CEO and Chairman of the Board of American Resources Corporation: "On behalf of American Resources Corporation, we are disappointed to not be initially chosen as the successful primary bidder to purchase the assets of Blackjewel in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. As the qualified backup bid, we believe that our bid is the most comprehensive and competitive as it is the only bid to include the full payment of pre-petition employee compensation of Blackjewel and Revelation Energy for those workers in the central Appalachian division, resulting in approximately $3.65M being paid to these workers in an expedited structure that would otherwise go unfunded. Our bid also accepts responsibility for more than $200M in reclamation liability, which prevents that liability from falling to the taxpayers of these states, whereas the other bid only addresses a fraction of this liability. Should our company prevail, we will continue to operate a number of the mines and between the current mines and the redeployment of equipment and infrastructure to existing American Resources / Quest Energy mines, we are confident that the job creation would result in a vast majority of Blackjewel's workforce being given the opportunity to be employed by our company. We are in the process of revising our bid to increase the amount of our offer, which would further increase our funding of reclamation bonding to ensure environmental compliance. We are hopeful that at tomorrow's 10:00 a.m. ET hearing in Charleston, West Virginia, the Court will recognize our commitment and the comprehensive value of our bid in finding the best solution and outcome to the employees, the operations, the environment, and stakeholders, and declare us the successful bidder."

05:51 EDT Boise Cascade sees slower demand for products in FY19 - Boise Cascade issued the following outlook: "We expect to experience slower demand growth for the products we manufacture and distribute in 2019. The July 2019 Blue Chip consensus forecast for 2019 and 2020 reflects 1.24 million and 1.27 million total U.S. housing starts, respectively, compared with actual housing starts of 1.25 million in 2018. Although we believe U.S. demographics are supportive of higher levels of housing starts, we expect near-term residential construction growth to be flat to slightly down due to constraints faced by builders, such as availability of labor and building lots, as well as affordability constraints faced by prospective buyers. The pace of household formation rates and residential repair-and-remodeling activity will be affected by employment growth, wage growth, prospective home buyers' access to and cost of financing, housing affordability, and consumer confidence, as well as other factors. Household formation rates in turn will be a key factor behind the demand for new construction. In addition, the size of new single-family residences as well as the mix of single and multi-family starts will influence product consumption. Weak commodity products pricing experienced in first quarter 2019 continued throughout second quarter 2019 as weaker year-to-date residential construction activity and additional industry capacity brought on in 2018 have led to supply and demand imbalances. Commodity product pricing during the remainder of 2019 will be a key driver of our financial results and will be dependent on industry operating rates, net import and export activity, transportation constraints or disruptions, inventory levels in various distribution channels, and seasonal demand patterns. In our BMD segment, we anticipate that commodity products pricing in the third quarter of 2019 will remain at low absolute levels compared to historical levels. However, we do not expect the substantial downward price volatility and gross margin erosion like we experienced in the third quarter of 2018. With a more stable price environment, we expect BMD to report improved year-over-year financial results in third quarter 2019. For our Wood Products segment, our average plywood sales prices during July 2019 are more than 25% below average levels experienced in the third quarter of 2018. When considering the lower plywood pricing environment, and also adjusting third quarter 2018 to exclude an $11.0 million impairment charge related to asset sales, we expect Wood Products year-over-year financial comparisons to be negative in the third quarter of 2019. In addition, we expect to record less than $0.5 million of pension expense in third quarter 2019, compared with $11.8 million recorded in third quarter 2018, which included a non-cash pension settlement charge of $11.3 million. We expect our capital spending, excluding acquisitions, to be $85-$95 million in 2019, including spending to improve the efficiency of our veneer production at our Chester, South Carolina, and Florien, Louisiana, facilities."

05:37 EDT Verona Phase 2 trial with DPI formulation of ensifentrine met primary endpoint - Verona Pharma announces positive Phase 2 data with a dry powder inhaler, or DPI, formulation of its lead development product, ensifentrine, for the maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. All of the primary and secondary lung function endpoints were met in the Phase 2 trial. The Phase 2 trial met all of its primary and secondary lung function endpoints with ensifentrine delivered in a DPI format. The magnitude of improvement in lung function and duration of action were highly statistically significant and support twice daily dosing of ensifentrine for the treatment of COPD.

05:12 EDT Acco Brands acquires Industria Grafica Foroni for $57M - ACCO Brands announced that it has acquired Industria Grafica Foroni, a provider of notebooks and paper-based school and office products in Brazil, for a cash purchase price of approximately $57M, subject to working capital and other adjustments. The estimated full-year incremental sales contribution to ACCO Brands would be approximately US$60 million, and the transaction is expected to result in modest adjusted earnings per share accretion and incremental adjusted EBITDA of $10M on an annualized basis. ACCO Brands funded the acquisition with cash and debt. For 2019, Foroni is expected to add $35M in sales and 1c to adjusted EPS to ACCO Brands, and leaves its full-year free cash flow outlook unchanged.