Stockwinners Market Radar for August 07, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:47 EDT Gilead confirms AMDAC voted to approve Descovy - Gilead announced that the Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee, or AMDAC of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended approval of Descovy for the proposed indication of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, in men and transgender women who have sex with men by a vote of 16 to 2. The AMDAC reviewed Descovy data from the DISCOVER global Phase 3 clinical study, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of Descovy compared with Truvada(R) in men and transgender women who have sex with men and are at high-risk for sexually acquired HIV infection. Results from the DISCOVER trial demonstrated that Descovy achieved non-inferiority to Truvada in study participants who were at substantial and sustained risk of HIV acquisition. Additionally, statistically significant improvements in renal and bone laboratory parameters were observed for participants receiving Descovy versus those receiving Truvada. The AMDAC also evaluated pharmacokinetic data on Truvada and Descovy for HIV treatment and PrEP in support of the potential use of Descovy for PrEP in cis-gender women, a population that was not part of the DISCOVER study. The committee voted 10 to 8 that there were not adequate data regarding the efficacy of Descovy for PrEP in cis-women.

19:23 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Carvana (CVNA) up 18.1%... Stamps.com (STMP) up 16.6%... Roku (ROKU) up 12.4%... Copa Holdings (CPA) up 9.5%... Nuance Communications (NUAN) up 8.5%... Avalara (AVLR) up 8.4%... Jack in the Box (JACK) up 7.5%... Albemarle (ALB) up 7.3%... Dermira (DERM) up 7.0%... Infinera (INFN) up 6.8%... Genpact (G) up 6.6%... Lyft (LYFT) up 5.5%... Booking Holding (BKNG) up 5.2%... Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) up 4.8%... AIG (AIG) up 4.0%... Marathon Oil (MRO) up 3.7%... Darling Ingredients (DAR) up 3.7%... Regenexbio (RGNX) up 3.6%... Forescout Technologies (FSCT) up 3.4%... Sonos (SONO) up 2.9%... NetEase (NTES) up 2.8%.. Upwork (UPWK) up 2.8%... G1 Therapeutics (GTHX) up 2.2%... Radius Health (RDUS) up 2.2%. ALSO HIGHER: Symantec (SYMC) up 14.6% after WSJ report Broadcom (AVGO) is near deal to acquire its enterprise unit. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Green Dot Corp (GDOT) down 33.6%... TransEnterix (TRXC) down 28.7%... Angi Homeservices (ANGI) down 22.6%... ICU Medical (ICUI) down 20.8%... Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) down 19.0%... Wright Medical (WMGI) down 18.8%... Dynavax Technologies (DVAX) down 16.7%... Zillow (Z) down 14.8%... SunRun (RUN) down 9.7%... Flowers Foods (FLO) down 9.2%... Camping World (CWH) down 9.0%... PlayAGS (AGS) down 9.0%... Craft Brew (BREW) down 8.7%... Ocular Therapeutics (OCUL) down 7.0%... 3D Systems (DDD) down 6.8%... Monster Beverage (MNST) down 5.6%... Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) down 4.6%... TripAdvisor (TRIP) down 4.6%... Sarepta (SRPT) down 3.7%.. Eventbrite (EB) down 3.0%... Immunomedics (IMMU) down 2.8%. ALSO LOWER: Clovis Oncology (CLVS) down 10.8% after convertible debt offering. Movers as of 18:45ET.

19:06 EDT Huntsman to sell chemical intermediates, surfactants units to Indorama for $2.1B - Huntsman Corporation announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its chemical intermediates businesses, which includes PO/MTBE, and its surfactants businesses to Indorama Ventures in a transaction valued at $2.076 billion, comprising a cash purchase price of $2.0 billion plus the transfer of up to approximately $76 million in net underfunded pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities. The $2.076 billion transaction value represents an LTM adjusted EBITDA multiple of approximately 8.0 times, which includes retained SG&A costs of about $30 million, a portion of which Huntsman expects to eliminate over time. Under the terms of the agreement, Indorama Ventures would acquire Huntsman's manufacturing facilities located in Port Neches, Texas; Dayton, Texas; Chocolate Bayou, Texas; Ankleshwar, India; and Botany, Australia. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close near year-end.

19:03 EDT Cray awarded contracts with U.S. Army research laboratory, ERDC - Cray Inc. announced that the U.S. Department of Defense has selected two Cray CS500 systems for its High Performance Computing Modernization Program annual technology procurement known as TI-18. The Army Research Lab and the U.S. Army Engineering and Research Development Center will each deploy a Cray CS500 to help serve the U.S. through accelerated research in science and technology. The two contracts are valued at more than $46M and the CS500 systems are expected to be delivered to ARL and ERDC in the fourth quarter of 2019.

19:02 EDT Nokia wins 5G network deal with Vodafone New Zealand - Nokia (NOK) is set to bring 5G to New Zealand, following the announcement of the first commercial 5G network available to New Zealanders by Vodafone (VOD) New Zealand. Nokia will supply and integrate a 5G network for Vodafone New Zealand, which will be launched in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown in late 2019. The deal, including Nokia's AirScale radio access network, cloud-native core and design services, provides further proof of the strength of Nokia's end-to-end portfolio. Nokia's 5G portfolio offers operators the necessary flexibility and capabilities to deliver 5G services to both consumers and enterprises.

18:36 EDT Ellington Financial estimates book value per share of $18.76 as of July 31 - Ellington Financial announced its estimated book value per share of $18.76 as of July 31, 2019. This estimate includes the effect of the previously announced monthly dividend of $0.14 per share, payable on August 26, 2019 to holders of record on July 31, 2019, with an ex-dividend date of July 30, 2019.

18:09 EDT Pan American Silver lowers 2019 silver and gold production view - Guidance for 2019 annual consolidated silver and gold production has been slightly reduced to between 25.3M-26.3M oz. and 550.0K-600.0K oz., respectively, primarily due to postponement of commercial production from the COSE and Joaquin projects by about three months. Previous 2019 silver production guidance was 26.5M-27.5M oz. The revision is not expected to have a significant adverse impact on 2019 financial results. Guidance for project capital expenditures has been slightly increased to $45M, primarily as a result of the delay in development of the COSE and Joaquin projects.

17:44 EDT Quintana Energy Services board approves $6M stock repurchase program - On August 8, 2018, QES' board of directors approved a $6M stock repurchase program authorizing the company to repurchase common stock in the open market. The timing and amount of stock repurchases will depend on market conditions and corporate, regulatory and other relevant considerations. Repurchases may be commenced or suspended at any time without notice. The program does not obligate QES to purchase any particular number of shares of common stock during any period or at all, and the program may be modified or suspended at any time, subject to the company's insider trading policy, at the company's discretion. As of June 30, 2019, 0.4M share were repurchased under this program.

17:37 EDT Lyft sees R&D as percentage of revenue increase over remainder of 2019 - Sees Q3 contribution margin will return to Q1 level of 50%. Sees Q4 contribution margin dipping to 49%.

17:35 EDT Lyft says price increase could boost revenue per rider in Q3, Q4 - Says price adjustments are an industry trend. Says maintaining implied Q3 and Q4 targets for active riders. Says Q3 rider growth will experience some price elasticity headwinds. Says will face seasonal headwinds in Q4 from bikes and scooters. Sees 22.3-22.4M active riders in Q4.

17:28 EDT Lyft sees adjusted EBITDA smaller in FY20 than in FY19 - Says expanding grocery delivery program. Says looking forward to rolling out grocery delivery program to more cities in the future. Sees adjusted EBITDA smaller in FY20 than in FY19.

17:21 EDT Lyft says IPO news led to active rider growth in the quarter - Says believes it has "clear path" to profitability. Says Q2 results "significantly" surpassed expectations. Says exited quarter with "tremendous momentum."

17:15 EDT Lyft says Q2 results reflect health of the market - Says results another step to realizing long-term vision. Says Lyft can help extend the reach of public transit. Says expanding driver centers to provide best maintenance services. Says continuing to grow express-drive rental program. Says strongly believes values and brand will continue to differentiate service and unlock more opportunities for business. Says Q2 results reflect health of the market. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:04 EDT Carl Icahn raises stake in Cloudera to 16.5% from 14.4%

17:00 EDT Perrigo announces resignation of Jeffrey Smith from board of directors - Perrigo announced that Jeffrey Smith, Managing Member, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of Starboard Value LP, who has been a director since 2017, has resigned from Perrigo's Board of Directors effective August 7.

16:55 EDT Salesforce to acquire ClickSoftware Technologies for approximately $1.35B - In a regulatory filing, Salesforce disclosed, "On August 7, 2019, salesforce.com issued a press release announcing the acquisition of the holding company of ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd., a software company providing field service management solutions. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, the company will acquire ClickSoftware for an amount expected to be approximately $1.35B, net of the value of shares currently owned by the company, after taking into consideration estimated purchase price adjustments. The purchase price will comprise a mix of cash and company common stock and includes the assumption of outstanding equity awards held by ClickSoftware employees. The acquisition is expected to close during the company's fiscal quarter ending October 31, 2019, subject to customary closing conditions, including the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and Israeli antitrust clearance. Following closing, the company may determine it is advisable to fully integrate the operations and assets of ClickSoftware into the company's operations. As a result, the company may be subject to a potential one-time income tax charge based on an assumed Israeli statutory tax rate of 23 percent applied to the value of any transferred intangibles, which could be up to a significant portion of the consideration paid in the transaction. The amount of the charge, if any, is uncertain and would be based upon a number of factors, including the company's integration plans, valuations related to intercompany transactions, the tax rate in effect at the time, potential negotiations with the taxing authorities, and potential litigation. The timing of when the company would record the one-time income tax charge, if any, will be based on the company's analysis of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 740 for recognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions and the progression of the aforementioned factors. The one-time tax charge, if any, would increase the company's U.S. GAAP provision for income taxes and decrease earnings per share. Any payment(s) of the potential tax charge would reduce operating cash flow in the period of payment(s), which could be different than the period in which it was recorded. The company does not expect the ClickSoftware acquisition to result in any material change to its revenue or non-GAAP operating margin guidance previously provided in the company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 10, 2019, as corrected and supplemented on June 12, 2019."

16:52 EDT Salesforce to acquire ClickSoftware Technologies for approximately $1.35B

16:50 EDT Miragen Therapeutics announces end of Servier deal, regains MRG-110 rights - Miragen announced that it received notice of Servier's intention to end the collaboration, which included development of MRG-110. MRG-110 is being evaluated in two Phase 1 trials, which are expected to support future clinical trials for the treatment of heart failure and other conditions where patients may benefit from increased vascular flow and accelerated healing, such as complicated lacerations in high risk patients. Based on a strategic review of its portfolio, Servier decided not to proceed with the collaboration. As a result, Miragen will regain rights to MRG-110 in all indications and all territories globally including rights in the US and Japan which it already controlled under the collaboration and licensing agreement with Servier. Under the terms of the agreement, Servier will continue to support certain costs of development until February 2020. The company expects to report Phase 1 clinical data of MRG-110 at an upcoming scientific conference in Q4. In these trials, MRG-110 was generally safe and well tolerated, and the company believes the program is ready to advance to Phase 2 clinical development. With the corporate restructuring announced today, miRagen is currently evaluating development strategies for MRG-110, which may include seeking a new development and licensing partner.

16:48 EDT Marathon Oil: Q2 U.S. oil production averaged 192,000 net bopd - U.S. oil production averaged 192,000 net bopd during second quarter, up 17% from year-ago quarter, divestiture-adjusted, and above top end of guidance range. Total company oil production averaged 218,000 net bopd during second quarter, up 14% from year-ago quarter, divestiture-adjusted.

16:45 EDT Reliv names Dr. Alfredo Galvez as Chief Scientific Advisor - Reliv announced today that Dr. Alfredo Galvez has been appointed as the company's Chief Scientific Advisor. Galvez has been associated with Reliv since 2013 and is best known for his groundbreaking work with lunasin, a naturally occurring soy peptide.

16:43 EDT Sunoco says expects to spend at least $100M on growth capital in 2019 - Excluding acquisitions, SUN expects to spend at least $100M on growth capital, including approximately $5M of growth capital toward the pipeline joint venture with Energy Transfer, and approximately $40M on maintenance capital for the full year 2019.

16:40 EDT Consolidated-Tomoka sells Wawa property for $2.8M - Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. announced the sale of its 1.56-acre outparcel that is subject to a ground lease with Wawa located in Winter Park, Florida for approximately $2.8M. The property is an outparcel to the Grove at Winter Park, the multi-tenant retail center the company redeveloped and sold in May 2019. The estimated gain from the Wawa Sale totaled approximately $2.1M, or approximately 33c per share, after tax. The sale price of the Wawa Sale represents a 4.50% cap rate. The company intends to reinvest the proceeds from the Wawa Sale through the 1031 like-kind exchange structure. The Wawa Sale completes the company's exit of its investment in the Grove at Winter Park, Florida. The company originally purchased the 112,000 square foot center in December 2014. As part of the approximately $10M redevelopment project, the Company re-leased approximately 75% of the retail space at the Grove prior to its sale in May 2019, including new anchor tenants 24 Hour Fitness and Pets Supplies Plus. Including the Wawa Sale, the unleveraged IRR for the total investment was approximately 14%.

16:38 EDT PlayAGS lowers 2019 adjusted EBITDA view to $145M-$150M - The change is due to several factors, including decreased gaming operations revenue in the EGM segment, largely due to product underperformance in Oklahoma, decreased gaming operations revenue in the Interactive segment caused by delayed entry into New Jersey, as well as select markets in Europe and Latin America, and decreased sales revenue from the EGM segment due to anticipated softness from certain corporate customers. Continues to expect 2019 capital expenditures to be in the range of $65M-$69M vs. $66.2M in 2018

16:37 EDT Retail Value sells Harbison Court for $36.5M - On August 7, 2019, Retail Value Inc closed on the sale of Harbison Court for $36.5 million. Net proceeds were used to repay mortgage debt associated with RVI. Subsequent to the transaction, RVI owns interests in 18 properties located in the continental U.S. and 12 properties in Puerto Rico.

16:35 EDT Marathon Oil approves increase of share repurchase authorization to $1.5B

16:33 EDT ePlus reports Q1 adjusted EBITDA up 12.6% at $28.6M - Reports Q1: Adjusted gross billings increased 13.7% to $548.4M; Consolidated gross margin 24.3%, up 170bps from last year. "Our first quarter results demonstrated ePlus' strong positioning in several key areas and represented effective execution on our initiatives to drive gross profit growth. Enterprise and middle market customers continued to seek out our core security, cloud and digital infrastructure products and solutions. Double-digit growth in adjusted gross billings in the first quarter included a 54.9% increase in security products and solutions, which accounted for 21% of our trailing twelve month adjusted gross billings, up from 18.4% in the similar period last year," said Mark Marron, president and chief executive officer.

16:29 EDT Fiesta Restaurant authorizes buyback for additional 500K shares of common stock - The company today announced an increase to its share repurchase program of an additional 500,000 shares of common stock. The company previously announced plans on February 26, 2018 to repurchase up to 1,500,000 shares of common stock. The company has purchased a total of 270,627 shares of common stock under its share repurchase program and, following the increase, 1,729,373 shares of common stock remain available for purchase by the company.

16:27 EDT PetIQ up over 6% after reporting Q2 earnings, giving FY19, long-term guidance

16:23 EDT Skyworks raises quarterly dividend 16% to 44c per share - Skyworks' Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.44 per share of the Company's common stock, representing a 16 percent increase from the prior quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share. The dividend is payable on September 17, 2019, to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 27, 2019.

16:21 EDT Atmos Energy says Kevin Akers to succeed Mike Haefner as CEO - Atmos Energy Corporation announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Kevin Akers, 56, currently Executive Vice President, to become President and Chief Executive Officer of Atmos Energy and a member of the Board effective October 1, 2019. Haefner has announced his intention to step down from his positions as President and Chief Executive Officer effective September 30, 2019 to focus on a recent health issue. He will retire January 1, 2020 from the Company and the Board. Kim R. Cocklin, formerly CEO of Atmos Energy, will continue as Executive Chairman of the Board.

16:16 EDT CenturyLink backs FY19 adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow outlook - "For the first half of 2019, we are pleased with our cost transformation and de-leveraging efforts," said Neel Dev, CenturyLink's executive vice president and CFO. "We remain focused on our bottom line performance and based on our results so far this year, we are reiterating our full year 2019 financial outlook for Adjusted EBITDA of $9.0 to $9.2 billion and Free Cash Flow of $3.1 to $3.4 billion."

16:15 EDT TripAdvisor reports Q2 adjusted EBITDA up 17% to $128M

16:13 EDT ChromaDex gets 'positive opinion' on Nicotinamide Riboside from EFSA - ChromaDex announced that the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, has issued a "positive opinion" on Nicotinamide Riboside as a novel food ingredient for use in a food supplement at a daily serving of 300mg for the healthy adult population, a critical step in the EU regulatory approval process."Safety is paramount for ChromaDex and this positive opinion from EFSA underscores our depth of science, and is the latest in a consistently positive series of reviews of NR by authoritative bodies," said ChromaDex CEO Rob Fried. "We are diligently working to complete the regulatory process to bring NR to the health-conscious people of the EU." With the European dietary supplements market expected to reach $52.9 billion by 2025 according to Grand View Research Inc., ChromaDex plans to launch its flagship consumer NR product, Tru Niagen(R), in the EU once the regulatory process is completed. Cells can use NR, commercially known as Niagen(R), to create nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), which is an essential molecule found in every living cell. NAD plays an essential role in cellular energy production and supporting cellular repair. Decreased NAD levels are associated with many age-related declines in overall health. NIAGEN(R) is the only commercially available NR which has twice been successfully reviewed under U.S. Food & Drug Association's (FDA) new dietary ingredient notification requirement and has also been successfully notified to the FDA as generally recognized as safe.

16:12 EDT Matson sees 2019 Ocean Transportation operating income down 20% - expects full year 2019 Ocean Transportation operating income to be approximately 20% lower than the $131.1M achieved in 2018 after taking into account a full year net operating expense impact of $7.2M associated with the sale and leaseback of MV Maunalei. Expects net income in 2019 to decline year-over-year and expects EBITDA in 2019 to be approximately $270M. In Q3, the company expects Ocean Transportation operating income to be moderately lower than the level achieved in 3Q18. Cox added, "The company continues to expect net income in 2019 to decline year-over-year; and we are lowering our outlook for EBITDA in 2019 by approximately $18M as a result of continued weakness in the Hawaii tradelane and the unexpected higher operating costs at SSAT in the second quarter, the latter of which is largely behind us. Within Logistics, we continue to expect solid performance in the second half of the year and are raising the full year outlook for operating income. We view 2019 as a transition year and remain confident about achieving the approximately $30M in previously-mentioned annual financial benefits from the new vessels. A portion of these benefits coupled with expected financial benefits on other recent vessel and infrastructure investments should produce approximately $30M in financial benefits in 2020. In 2021 and thereafter, we expect the full year run-rate of these total investments to produce approximately $40M of annual financial benefit."

16:11 EDT Conduent names Clifford Skelton as CEO, effective August 6 - Conduent announced that effective August 6, Clifford Skelton, President and COO, will serve as Conduent's CEO on an interim basis. Skelton was also named to the company's Board of Directors. The special committee of the Conduent Board leading the CEO search has determined to suspend the search for the immediate future. Ashok Vemuri stepped down as CEO and board member, effective August 6.

16:07 EDT Xynomic Pharmaceuticals gets approval from committees for abexinostat trial - Xynomic Pharmaceuticals announced that the independent ethics committees at three Chinese cancer hospitals have approved Xynomic's application to conduct pivotal Phase 3 trial using Xynomic's abexinostat, in combination with pazopanib, in patients with renal cell carcinoma. In addition, the independent ethics committees at the Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing and West China Hospital of Sichuan University have approved Xynomic's application to conduct two pivotal Phase 2 trials, one to test abexinostat as a third-line mono therapy against diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or DLBCL. and the other as a third-line mono therapy against follicular lymphoma, or FL. According to Chinese Medical Association's Chinese Society of Hematology, DLBCL and FL are the most prevalent and second most prevalent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma subtype, respectively, in China.

16:06 EDT Viveve reports additional results from LIBERATE-International Trial - Viveve Medical reported additional clinical results from the LIBERATE-International Trial, a multicentered, randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Viveve's proprietary, cryogen-cooled monopolar radiofrequency technology for the improvement of stress urinary incontinence in women. Initial results related to the primary endpoint of this trial were previously reported on July 22. "While the study did not meet its primary endpoint, review of the full clinical data demonstrates a consistency of benefit at six months post-treatment across all endpoints in the majority of patients within both groups," said Scott Durbin, Viveve's CEO. "Our analysis of the results is ongoing. However, we remain optimistic that there may be a path forward for our SUI clinical development program, with physicians around the world consistently reporting positive and durable SUI patient outcomes in their practices. We are further analyzing the data and evaluating potential options to move forward in SUI," concluded Durbin.

16:02 EDT Craft Brew reports Q2 Beer gross margin up 220bps to 41.6% - Q2 Core beer sales increased 2.7% from last year.

14:23 EDT Amazon exec says FedEx 'very small piece' of network - Amazon (AMZN) senior vice president of operations Dave Clark said via Twitter, "Nothing but respect for FedEx (FDX) but they were very small piece of our network and vice versa, we wish them nothing but the best (conscious uncoupling at its finest).We have great strategic partners who are part of our long term plan and we appreciate what they do for customers."

13:13 EDT USA Today evacuation due to mistaken report of person with weapon - USA Today's headquarters in McLean, Virginia was evacuated Wednesday to what authorities said turned out to be a mistaken report of a person with a weapon at the suburban Washington office. Reference Link

13:03 EDT FDA says working with paclitaxel-coated device makers on updates to labeling - Earlier, the FDA issued an update to provide the latest information on its analysis of long-term follow-up data from premarket trials and to provide summary information from its June 2019 advisory panel meeting about a late mortality signal in patients treated for peripheral artery disease in the femoropopliteal artery with paclitaxel-coated balloons and paclitaxel-eluting stents. In the update, the FDA stated: "Based on the conclusions of our analysis and recommendations of the advisory panel, the FDA is taking additional steps to address this signal, including working with manufacturers on updates to device labeling and clinical trial informed consent documents to incorporate information about the late mortality signal. The FDA is also continuing to actively work with the manufacturers and investigators on additional clinical evidence development for assessment of the long-term safety of paclitaxel-coated devices." Makers of paclitaxel-coated devices include Boston Scientific (BSX) and Medtronic (MDT). Reference Link

12:56 EDT Cambrex says will not update financial guidance, cites acquisition agreement - Cambrex announced that it will not hold a second quarter 2019 earnings conference call and will not update previously provided financial guidance given the pending acquisition by an affiliate of the Permira funds. As previously reported this morning, Cambrex has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of the Permira funds in a transaction valued at approximately $2.4B, including Cambrex's net debt, or $60 in cash per share.

12:51 EDT Sabby Management reports 9.99% passive stake in Titan Pharmaceuticals - In a regulatory filing, Sabby Management disclosed a 9.99% stake in Titan Pharmaceuticals, which represents about 1.57M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

12:41 EDT ESA says Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft to start disclosing more loot box info - The Entertainment Software Association, or ESA, said it plans to underscore to the FTC the industry's "deep connection to our community and shared desire to work with policymakers, parents, and players to provide the information they need for a positive game experience," noting that the FTC is hosting a workshop on loot boxes today, featuring a broad groups of stakeholders as well as the ESA. To further the effort by the FTC to allay concerns about in-game spending and loot boxes, the ESA said that several video game industry leaders are announcing new initiatives to help consumers make informed choices about their purchases, including loot boxes. The major console makers - namely Sony (SNE), Nintendo (NTDOY), and Microsoft (MSFT) - are committing to new platform policies that will require paid loot boxes in games developed for their platforms to disclose information on the relative rarity or probability of obtaining randomized virtual items, the ESA said. These required disclosures will also apply to game updates, if the update adds new loot box features. The precise timing of this disclosure requirement is still being worked out, but the console makers are targeting 2020 for the implementation of the policy. In addition, several of ESA's publisher members already disclose the relative rarity or probability of obtaining in-game virtual items from purchased loot boxes, and other major publishers have agreed to do so no later than the end of 2020. Together, these publishers include Activision Blizzard (ATVI), BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Bethesda, Bungie, Electronic Arts (EA), Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), Ubisoft (UBSFY), Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (T), and Wizards of the Coast (HAS). "Many other ESA members are considering a disclosure," the association said. "The disclosure will apply to all new games and updates to games that add such in-game purchases and will be presented in a manner that is understandable and easily accessed. Taken together, these disclosures will help reach consumers playing across a variety of games, including PC games and other games delivered outside of the platforms." Reference Link

12:20 EDT FreshBooks announces strategic investment from JPMorgan - FreshBooks, a small business accounting software package in America, with paying customers in 160 countries, announced JPMorgan Chase has made a strategic investment in the company. "FreshBooks is one of the smartest, easiest-to-use software options for small businesses, and we're thrilled we can support their growth with this investment," said Bill Clerico, Head of SMB Product for Chase Merchant Services and CEO of WePay, the integrated payments business of JPMorgan Chase. "Since earlier this year, our 4 million Chase for Business customers have been able to sign up for FreshBooks through our small business marketplace and we've seen lots of demand. Helping software companies like FreshBooks grow by serving our small business customer base is a key differentiator for us in the fast-growing integrated payments market." The investment from JPMorgan Chase follows two previous institutional funding rounds for FreshBooks, including a $30M Series A funding round in July 2014, and a $43M Series B funding round in July 2017. As part of the investment, a JPMorgan Chase representative will be joining FreshBooks' board of directors.

12:01 EDT Cornerstone Building Brands falls -27.4% - Cornerstone Building Brands is down -27.4%, or -$1.62 to $4.29.

12:01 EDT New Relic falls -33.4% - New Relic is down -33.4%, or -$27.98 to $55.77.

12:00 EDT Montage Resources rises 24.8% - Montage Resources is up 24.8%, or 67c to $3.34.

11:58 EDT IAC spikes after its Match Group unit reports better than expected Q2 results - Shares of media and internet holding company IAC/InterActiveCorp (IAC) are jumping in late-morning trading after IAC's Match Group (MTCH) segment which provides subscription dating products under the Tinder, Match, PlentyOfFish, Meetic, OkCupid, OurTime, Pairs and Hinge, and other brands reported better-than-expected Q2 results and raised FY19 guidance. IAC/InterActive also has a home service segment, ANGI Homeservices (ANGI), which is trading lower on Wednesday. Shares of IAC are off earlier highs, up approximately 14% to 264.63, while shares of its Match Group segment are spiking 27%.

11:36 EDT Cemex supplies concrete for $1.8B project in Sunny Isles Beach, FL - CEMEX USA announced it is expected to deliver an estimated 155,000 cubic yards of ready-mix concrete to supply the construction of The Estates at Acqualina in Sunny Isles Beach, FL.

11:26 EDT FTC imposes conditions on Boston Scientific deal for BTG, requires divestitures - Boston Scientific (BDX) has agreed to divest certain assets to Varian Medical Systems (VAR) to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that Boston Scientific's proposed $4.2B acquisition of medical equipment and pharmaceutical supplier BTG plc would violate federal antitrust law, the FTC announced. Under the proposed consent agreement, within 10 days after Boston Scientific's acquisition of BTG closes, Boston Scientific is required to divest to Varian its drug eluting bead, or DEB, business, as well as its bland bead product line. Bland beads are used in another type of procedure to block the flow of blood to a liver tumor. According to the FTC, BSC's bland bead business must be divested with its DEB business to ensure the divestiture's effectiveness. Reference Link

11:09 EDT Devon Energy says New Devon's operations 'hitting on all cylinders'

11:05 EDT Air Products wins contract to supply nitrogen to POSCO Chemical site - Air Products announced it has been awarded a contract by POSCO Chemical to supply on-site nitrogen to a new anode material manufacturing site being built in Sejong, South Korea. POSCO Chemical is an affiliate of POSCO Group. Air Products has been supplying pipeline oxygen to POSCO Chemical's cathode material manufacturing site in Gumi, and will supply onsite oxygen and nitrogen to its new cathode material production line in Gwangyang.

10:11 EDT Stratus Properties trading resumes

10:06 EDT Stratus Properties trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EDT Boeing CEO says addressing 777x engine issues with GE

10:00 EDT New Relic falls -27.6% - New Relic is down -27.6%, or -$23.12 to $60.64.

10:00 EDT Montage Resources rises 19.4% - Montage Resources is up 19.4%, or 52c to $3.20.

10:00 EDT Cambrex rises 46.9% - Cambrex is up 46.9%, or $19.12 to $59.90.

09:55 EDT Boeing reiterates may consider further 737 output costs, shutdown if needed - The company reiterates that it would consider further 737 output costs or a temporary production stoppage if needed.

09:52 EDT Eloxx Pharmaceuticals Inc trading resumes

09:50 EDT Gates Industrial Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:47 EDT Lumber Liquidators falls -13.5% - Lumber Liquidators is down -13.5%, or -$1.11 to $7.13.

09:47 EDT Entercom falls -30.5% - Entercom is down -30.5%, or -$1.60 to $3.65.

09:47 EDT Montage Resources rises 16.8% - Montage Resources is up 16.8%, or 45c to $3.13.

09:47 EDT Cambrex rises 47.3% - Cambrex is up 47.3%, or $19.29 to $60.07.

09:29 EDT Devon Energy says 'on track' to achieve over 70% of targeted savings by year-end - As previously disclosed, Devon has cost-reduction initiatives underway targeting at least $780M of annual savings associated with its retained U.S. oil business. Due to the substantial progress achieved year-to date, the company is on track to attain more than 70% of targeted savings by the end of the year, which is resulting in an improved outlook for several expense line items for the remainder of 2019. Due to the cost savings achieved, the company is lowering its full-year 2019 outlook for G&A for the second time this year to a midpoint of $470M. This represents a 16% improvement compared to the company's initial forecast in 2019.

09:27 EDT Devon Energy lowers FY19 E&P capital investment plans to $1.8B-$1.9B - Devon is lowering its E&P capital investment expectations by $50M to a range of $1.8B-$1.9B in 2019. The reduced investment is driven primarily by drilling and completion efficiencies realized year-to-date. In an effort to further optimize returns, the company has also elected to reallocate approximately $50M of STACK capital to the Delaware and Powder River in the second half of 2019.

09:26 EDT Devon Energy reports Q2 light oil production averaged 142,000 barrels per day - Devon Energy said in its Q2 earnings release that second-quarter production was highlighted by results from Devon's retained U.S. oil business. Light-oil production from these assets averaged 142,000 barrels per day, a 13 percent increase compared to the second quarter of 2018. This result exceeded midpoint guidance by 5,000 barrels per day.

09:18 EDT comScore, ListenFirst Media partner for cross-platform branded content measuring - Comscore announced that ListenFirst, a social media analytics solution for big brands, will provide measurement for Comscore's Branded Content service.

09:15 EDT Rexahn reports overall response rate of 23% in Phase 2a study of RX-3117 - As of July 24, 2019, an overall response rate of 23% has been observed in 40 patients that have had at least one scan on treatment in the Phase 2a study of RX-3117 in combination with ABRAXANE in patients newly diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer, Rexahn reported earlier in conjunction with its Q2 results. The company previously reported in January 2019 an overall response rate of 38% in the first 24 patients who had at least one scan on treatment. Preliminary and unaudited data indicates that the median progression free survival for patients in the study is approximately 5.4 months. Patients currently active in the study will continue to be treated and final data from the trial is expected to be available in 2020.

09:09 EDT John Wiley & Sons enters pilot agreement with VIVA - John Wiley and Sons and The Virtual Library of Virginia, or VIVA, Virginia's academic library consortium, announced the signing of an agreement which combines open access publishing funds with their journal subscriptions. The two-year pilot utilizes the Wiley open access account solution to allow VIVA researchers to publish in fully gold open access journals using a central fund for article publication charges. This pilot will allow VIVA and its members to have greater visibility into publishing activities and researchers' funding across their institutions. The pilot agreement begins in 2020, and all participating VIVA member institutions and affiliated researchers are included and may apply for funding of gold open access articles.

09:05 EDT Aptevo Therapeutics receives $4.3M milestone payment from Saol International - Aptevo Therapeutics announced today the receipt of a $4.3M milestone payment from Saol International Limited. This performance-based milestone has been collected more than one year earlier than anticipated in the original contract between Aptevo and Saol. The milestone payment is part of a purchase agreement between Aptevo and Saol, originally executed in August 2017 and amended in August 2019, under which Saol acquired three hyperimmune products previously marketed by Aptevo: WinRho SDF, HepaGam B, and VARIZIG.

09:04 EDT Acco Brands authorizes $100M share repurchase - ACCO Brands approved an authorization to repurchase up to an additional $100M in shares of its common stock. As of June 30, 2019, the company had $69.6M.

09:03 EDT TransDigm to sell Esterline Interface Technologies to KPS Capital for $190M - TransDigm Group has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Esterline Interface Technologies group of businesses to an affiliate of KPS Capital Partners for approximately $190M. EIT was acquired by TransDigm in March 2019 as part of the Esterline Technologies acquisition and is comprised of three distinct businesses including Advanced Input Systems, Gamesman and LRE Medical. The business is a developer and manufacturer of interface solutions serving leading OEMs in the medical, commercial, industrial, diagnostics and gaming end markets and has over 750 employees primarily in the United States, Germany and China. EIT generated revenues of approximately $190M for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. The divestiture is expected to be completed during 1Q20.

09:02 EDT Leidos to acquire IMX Medical Management Services, terms not disclosed - Leidos announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire IMX Medical Management Services, a URAC accredited commercial independent review organization and its affiliated businesses, including First Rehabilitation Resources, a URAC accredited commercial case management organization, primarily serving the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States. Following the transaction close, it is expected that IMX will operate under QTC Management, a wholly owned Leidos subsidiary providing more than 3,000 independent medical examinations and medical record reviews per day across all 50 states for a number of key federal customers. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to customary approval.

09:00 EDT Organovo trading halted, news dissemination

08:56 EDT Azul reports July traffic up 24.5% - Azul announced preliminary traffic results for July 2019. Consolidated passenger traffic or RPKs increased 24.5% compared to July 2018 on a capacity increase or ASKs of 22.7%, resulting in a load factor of 86.6%, an increase of 1.2 percentage points vs. the same period in 2018. Domestic load factor was 85.3% and international load factor was 90.4%. "July was another strong month for Azul. We are growing profitably and consistently with our business strategy of maintaining the strongest network in Brazil. We ended the month with 30 next-generation aircraft and could not be more excited with the growth and margin expansion opportunities that lie ahead of us", says John Rodgerson, Azul's CEO."

08:49 EDT Travelers names David Rowland, Daniel Yin Co-Chief Investment Officers - Travelers announced that David Rowland and Daniel Yin have each been promoted to Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Investment Officer, effective immediately. William Heyman, who previously served as Chief Investment Officer since 2002, will remain on the company's senior leadership team as Vice Chairman and continue to serve as Chair of the company's Investment Policy Committee.

08:49 EDT Teva says launch of generic Epipen Jr imminent

08:45 EDT Embraer and SkyWest sign $340M contract for seven E175 jets - Embraer (ERJ) has signed a contract with SkyWest (SKYW) for a firm order of seven E175 jets in a 70-seat configuration. SkyWest will operate the aircraft for Delta. The order has a value of $340M and was already included in Embraer's 2019 Q2 backlog as customer "undisclosed." Deliveries are expected to begin in Q4.

08:43 EDT QEP Resources raises FY19 oil equivalent production view 29.9-31 MMboe - Previous view 28.5-30.3 MMBoe. QEP's third quarter and full year 2019 guidance assumes: an oil price of $55 per barrel and a natural gas price of $2.50 per MMBtu, that QEP will elect to recover ethane from its produced gas in the Permian Basin where processing economics support it, no property acquisitions or divestitures, other than the Haynesville / Cotton Valley Divestiture includes approximately 10 days of production activity in the Haynesville / Cotton Valley and includes the impact of lower flare volume and higher gas and NGL capture in the Permian Basin. Rig Count: Permian Basin: average of three rigs for first half of 2019 and two rigs for the second half of 2019 Williston Basin: one rig arrived in the first quarter 2019 to drill seven gross operated wells. Wells Put on Production: Permian Basin: approximately 59 net operated wells. Williston Basin: approximately six net operated wells.

08:41 EDT Barnes & Noble trading halted, news dissemination

08:38 EDT Orion Group awarded $26M contract for construction of 45-story tower in Texas - Orion Group announced a contract award totaling approximately $26M. The company's concrete segment has been awarded a contract for the construction of a 45-story residential tower in Austin, Texas. The company's scope of work on this project is expected to begin in Q4 with a duration of approximately 19 months.

08:37 EDT New York Times sees Q3 subscription revenue up in low-to-mid single-digits - Total subscription revenues in Q3 are expected to increase in the low- to mid-single digits compared with Q3 of 2018, with digital-only subscription revenue expected to increase in the mid-teens. Total advertising revenues in Q3 are expected to decline in the high-single digits compared with Q3 2018, with digital advertising revenue expected to decrease in the high-single digits. "We expect a more challenging second half of 2019 in digital advertising revenue as a result of comparisons against strong performance in the same period in 2018." Other revenues in Q3 are expected to increase approximately 25 percent to 30 percent compared with Q3 of 2018. Operating costs and adjusted operating costs in Q3 are expected to increase in the high-single digits compared with Q3 of 2018 as a result of continued investment in the drivers of digital subscription growth.

08:37 EDT Adaptive Biotechnologies executes lease for new corporate headquarters - Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation announced plans to lease a new corporate headquarters with a state-of-the-art office space and research facility that will triple the company's Seattle footprint. Adaptive has signed a 12-year, full-building, 100,000 square foot lease with long-time partner Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. at 1165 Eastlake Avenue East, in the heart of Seattle's Lake Union life science cluster. Adaptive's current headquarters, 1551 Eastlake Avenue East, also part of The Eastlake Life Science Campus by Alexandria, is a short distance from the future facility. Shell construction of the new building is expected to be completed in 2020 and Adaptive plans to occupy the new building in 2021 once interior construction is finished. Over the past decade, Adaptive has focused on building their proprietary immune medicine platform, clinical immunomics database and infrastructure. The company is experiencing significant growth as it transitions to leveraging the platform towards developing truly personalized, patient-specific, immune-driven clinical products.

08:36 EDT GenTech signs exclusive supply contract with Arte Cafe - GenTech Holdings announced the signing of an exclusive supply contract with world-renowned Brazilian coffee cultivator, Arte Cafe, for its coming line of premium coffees. The exclusive contract covers Arte's full range of premium beans, including Especia l, Gourmet, Laurina, and Organico. The contract also includes a provision for a special edition series of coffees that will be available exclusively to customers of GenTech's Healthy Leaf branded line of products and CBD-Infusion Cafes. Management notes that the timetable to a grand opening and full launch of the Healthy Leaf CBD-Infusion Cafe as a consumer experience, both online in its ecommerce aspect and as a physical lifestyle brand and cafe, has been accelerated due to a series of fortunate developments related to several negotiated steps.

08:34 EDT Applied DNA Sciences signs master services agreement with Schreiner Group - Applied DNA Sciences announced the signing of a master services agreement with Germany-based Schreiner Group. Applied DNA will supply its SigNature DNA forensic molecular tag with Beacon screening feature for Schreiner MediPharm's security label portfolio within the pharmaceutical industry for product and brand protection of its customers' supply chains. Schreiner MediPharm will also provide authentication services to its customers using the Applied DNA SigNify portable DNA readers now in use at the Schreiner ProSecure competence center, providing security technologies and services to Schreiner MediPharm as well as Schreiner Group's other business units. In a joint development, SigNature DNA and Beacon were integrated in Schreiner MediPharm's security label concepts and processes. These were validated over the last 18 months during which time the labels have undergone exhaustive environmental and reliability testing by both partners.

08:33 EDT Caladrius, Cognate establish manufacturing agreement for Phase 3 trial of CLBS14 - Caladrius Biosciences and Cognate BioServices announced that they have entered into a manufacturing agreement for the production of CLBS14, Caladrius' CD34+ cell therapy. Under the terms of the agreement, Cognate will manufacture CLBS14 for Caladrius' Phase 3 confirmatory pivotal clinical trial in subjects with no-option refractory disabling angina. In Spring 2018, Caladrius applied for, and was subsequently granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation for CLBS14. Since then, the Company has worked closely with the FDA to finalize details of a Phase 3 trial that would satisfy the requirements, in combination with previously submitted Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical data, for filing a biologics license application for CLBS14 in NORDA.

08:27 EDT RigNet signs long-term contract extension with Valaris - RigNet (RNET) announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Valaris plc (VAL). Under this agreement, RigNet will continue to provide Managed Communication Services including VSAT technology and RigNet's Gulf of Mexico (GoM) 5GE network and the fleet-wide rollout of RigNet's global multi-band LTE service. This agreement is in conjunction with other services currently provided to Valaris including RigNet's Enhanced Cyber Services, an integrated cyber offering tailored to improve data and system security by providing real-time threat detection, network visualization, and advanced investigative capabilities across the fleet

08:24 EDT Nuance names board of directors for automotive spin-off Cerence - Nuance Communications identified the Board of Directors for its upcoming Automotive spin-off, Cerence Inc. Among the directors, the Company announced that Arun Sarin, former CEO of Vodafone, will be appointed Cerence Chairman of the Board when the spin-off is completed on October 1, 2019. In addition to Mr. Sarin, the board members will include Thomas Beaudoin, EVP, Business Transformation, at Nuance; Marianne Budnik, CMO, CyberArk Software; Sanjay Dhawan, future Cerence president and CEO, and a division president and CTO at Harman; Sanjay Jha, general partner at Eclipse Ventures and former CEO of Motorola Mobility, Inc.; Kristi Ann Matus, executive advisor at Thomas H. Lee Partners and former CFO at athenahealth; and Alfred Nietzel, executive consultant and former CFO at CDK Global.

08:22 EDT Quantum investigation found company prematurely recognized revenue - Quantum said last night, "In September 2018 the Company announced the substantial completion of an internal investigation conducted by a Special Committee of the Board of Directors. This investigation concluded that the previous management, who have all been terminated or are no longer part of the Company, had engaged in certain business and sales practices that may have undermined its historical accounting treatment for certain sales transactions with several distributors and at least one end customer. These practices led to the Company prematurely recognizing revenue. The Company's finance department, overseen by the Board's Audit Committee, completed its review of revenue for fiscal years 2015 through 2018 and identified approximately $180 million of revenue that was prematurely recorded. The revenue restatement re-casted the timing of revenue, not the quality or accuracy of the revenue itself. Excluding the first and last quarters of the restatement period, the average quarterly net revenue adjustment ranged from a decrease of approximately $7 million to an increase of approximately $5 million. These restatement adjustments did not affect historical or current cash balances, and there were no significant accounts receivable write-offs over the restatement periods. All of the inventory that is remaining in distributors' inventory and yet to be sold through to an end customer has been paid for by the distributor. Quantum expects to recognize the revenue from this remaining distributor inventory in the future when the products are sold to an end-customer. The total cost expected to be incurred for professional fees related to the internal investigation, financial restatement and related activities is approximately $33 million. In addition, the Company is cooperating with an on-going investigation by the SEC related to the restatement. Quantum has produced a substantial volume of documents to the SEC and continues to respond to information requests from the SEC staff."

08:18 EDT Tiffany, Reliance Brands plan to bring Tiffany to India - Tiffany and Reliance Brands announced plans to enter the India market. Through a joint venture, Tiffany plans to open new stores in Delhi in fiscal 2H of 2019 and Mumbai in 2H of 2020, capitalizing on its already strong image and brand awareness in this emerging and style conscious luxury market.

08:18 EDT Kratos Defense receives $14.9M contract to support Army logistics transformation - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced that the Kratos Defense & Rocket Support Services Division has been awarded a subcontract with a potential value of $14.9M from Vista Technical Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, an Alaskan Native Corporation, to support the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems Army Logistics Transformation contract. Under the contract, Kratos will provide support to the Army Enterprise System Integration Program, General Funds Enterprise Business Systems, Global Combat Support System-Army, the Logistics Modernization Program now called Logistics Information Warehouse, as well as the Virtual Contracting Enterprise and the Commander's Risk Reduction Dashboard. Work under this contract will be performed at Redstone Arsenal, AL.

08:15 EDT Plexus announces fourth facility certified to manufacture medical devices - Plexus announced that its Azteca Manufacturing facility, located in Guadalajara, Mexico, achieved Federal Drug Administration approval to manufacture finished, Class III medical devices. This marks Plexus' fourth global manufacturing facility to achieve the highly complex accreditation, which requires customer sponsorship, rigorous clinical data analysis and exceptional focus on quality and manufacturing capabilities.

08:14 EDT Proteon Therapeutics expects cash, cash equivalents to fund operations into 2020 - The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale investments will be sufficient to fund its operations into 2020, based on the Company's current operating plan.

08:13 EDT Zendesk announces WhatsApp for Zendesk - Zendesk (ZEN) announced WhatsApp, owned by Facebook (FB), for Zendesk, a new WhatsApp business API connector, that allows businesses to reach and respond to WhatsApp users. With these capabilities, Zendesk now powers even more WhatsApp numbers around the world and allows companies to get up and running with the WhatsApp business API faster than before. WhatsApp for Zendesk enables companies to provide a better customer experience in a preferred channel. WhatsApp for Zendesk is built on technology from Zendesk's recent acquisition of Smooch and marks the next step in delivering the next wave of connected conversations on additional channels.

08:12 EDT VirTra, Force Science Institute partner for law enforcement training - VirTra has partnered with Force Science Institute to create realistic training and education for law enforcement officers, which is backed by the science of human performance. The formal partnership builds on the two companies' relationship, which was initially established in April 2018, when they joined forces to develop a four-part series of law enforcement training courses.

08:09 EDT Teva CEO says company repaid $1.6B in debt in July

08:07 EDT JetBlue selects ViaSat's in-flight connectivity system for A220-300 aircraft - Viasat (VSAT) announced JetBlue (JBLU) selected the Viasat in-flight connectivity system for the airline's new fleet of 70 Airbus (EADSY) A220-300 aircraft - for delivery beginning in 2020, with the option for 50 additional aircraft.

08:05 EDT Allena expects cash, cash equivalents to fund operations into 4Q20 - Based on its current plans, Allena expects that its existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the fourth quarter of 2020.

08:04 EDT Teva says does not plan to raise equity - Sees long-term operating income margin 27%. Sees long-term cash-to-earnings greater than 80%, net debt/EBITDA less than 3X. Says committed to utilizing cash flow to pay down debt. Says does not plan to raise equity.

08:03 EDT Teva sees FY19 EBITDA $4.4B-$4.8B, free cash flow $1.6B-$2B - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

07:56 EDT Rhythm Pharmaceuticals announces results from Phase 3 trials of setmelanotide - Rhythm Pharmaceuticals announced positive topline results from two pivotal, Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating setmelanotide, the company's melanocortin-4 receptor agonist, for the treatment of pro-opiomelanocortin and leptin receptor deficiency obesities. Both studies met their primary endpoints and all key secondary endpoints, demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful effect on weight loss and reductions in insatiable hunger, or hyperphagia, in patients with POMC and LEPR deficiency obesities. Eight of 10 patients with POMC deficiency obesity achieved the primary endpoint of greater than 10 percent weight loss over approximately one year. The mean reduction from baseline in body weight for POMC deficiency obesity patients was -25.4 percent, and the mean reduction from baseline in most hunger rating for POMC deficiency obesity patients was -27.8 percent. In addition, 50 percent of the POMC deficiency obesity patients in the trial met or exceeded a 25 percent improvement in self-reported hunger scores. Mean weight loss for these patients was 31.9 kg, or 70.2 pounds, over one year on therapy. Five of 11 patients with LEPR deficiency obesity achieved the primary endpoint of greater than 10 percent weight loss over one year. The mean reduction from baseline in body weight for LEPR deficiency obesity patients was -12.5 percent, and the mean reduction from baseline in most hunger rating for LEPR deficiency obesity patients was -41.9 percent. In addition, 72.7 percent of the LEPR deficiency obesity patients in the trial met or exceeded a 25 percent improvement in self-reported hunger scores. Mean weight loss for these patients was 16.7 kg, or 36.8 pounds, over one year on therapy. In addition, the study design included a four-week placebo withdrawal period to further illustrate the effect of treatment with setmelanotide. Upon entry into the placebo period, participants almost immediately gained weight and experienced an increase in hunger, reversing their downward trends in weight loss and hunger scores observed during the first 12 weeks of the treatment period. In both trials, the mean weight increase during the four-week placebo period was approximately 5 kg, or more than 11 pounds, and this weight gain was accompanied by a worsening in hunger scores. These trends reversed again when patients went back on drug. Consistent with prior clinical experience, setmelanotide was generally well-tolerated in both trials: Treatment-emergent related adverse events included injection site reactions, nausea and vomiting, and increased hyperpigmentation; these were consistent with prior clinical trials of setmelanotide. There were no reports of cardiovascular AEs related to setmelanotide. One LEPR study patient withdrew before the end of titration due to AE of mild hypereosinophilia. There were no serious adverse events related to treatment with setmelanotide. One LEPR study patient died from injuries unrelated to the study drug. This patient was a passenger in a vehicle in a car accident and died from injuries from the accident. Rhythm is on track to complete submission of a rolling New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that will cover both POMC and LEPR deficiency obesities late in the fourth quarter of 2019 or the first quarter of 2020. Rhythm intends to request priority review of the application, which, if granted, could result in a six-month review process. Additionally, Rhythm also expects to submit a Marketing Authorization Application with the European Medicines Agency, which will cover both POMC and LEPR deficiency obesities.

07:49 EDT CVS Health sees FY19 Pharmacy Services Segment revenue $137.4B-$138.95B - Sees FY19: Retail/LTC segment revenue $85.64B-$86.610B; Health Care Benefits segment revenue $68.88B-$69.47B.

07:46 EDT Broadwind Energy announces $35M of new tower orders - Broadwind Energy announced $35M of new tower orders for production at the company's Manitowoc, WI and Abilene, TX facilities, scheduled for delivery in 2020.

07:45 EDT CVS Health sees FY19 net synergies ~$400M - Sees FY19: Effective tax rate ~26%; Net CapEx $2.3B-$2.6B.

07:41 EDT Beyond Meat, Subway Restaurants announce strategic partnership - Subway announced a new culinary innovation partnership with Beyond Meat to test exclusive plant-based protein options. Starting this September and for a limited time only, Subway restaurants will test the Beyond Meatball Marinara sub in 685 participating restaurants in Canada and the U.S., the companies announced earlier. "We look forward to a long-term partnership with Subway as we together serve and delight existing and new fans of this iconic chain," said Beyond Meat Founder and CEO Ethan Brown.

07:38 EDT Neuralstem granted Nasdaq hearings panel request for continued listing - Neuralstem received a letter from Nasdaq informing the company that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel has granted the company's request for continued listing of the company's stock on Nasdaq. The Panel found that the company had (i) demonstrated compliance with the bid price requirement and (ii) addressed the Panel's questions regarding its stockholders' equity position and will continue its listing and that the matter is closed.

07:35 EDT Affimed N.V. expects cash, cash equivalents to fund operations into 2021 - Cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets totaled EURO$87.7 million as of June 30, 2019, compared to EURO$108.8 million as of December 31, 2018. Based on its current operating and budget assumptions, Affimed anticipates that its cash, cash equivalents and current financial assets as of June 30, 2019 will enable the Company to fund its planned clinical development and early development activities into 2021.

07:33 EDT Sinclair Broadcast sees FY19 CapEx, including Repack $192M-$202M

07:32 EDT QEP Resources enters cooperation agreement with Elliott Management - QEP Resources announced that it has entered into a cooperation agreement with affiliates of Elliott Management Corporation. Funds affiliated with Elliott beneficially own approximately 4.9% of the Company's common stock. As part of the agreement and the ongoing refreshment of QEP's Board, the parties will work together to identify board nominees and to agree upon two new independent directors to be appointed to QEP's Board. The two new directors are expected to have strong operating backgrounds in unconventional development and are expected to be seated no later than October of this year. Additionally, QEP will create a new five-person Operations Committee of the Board. The Operations Committee will be chaired by QEP's Chief Executive Officer, Tim Cutt, and will include two of the current independent directors and, upon their appointment to the QEP board, the two new independent directors. The Operations Committee will work with QEP's management team to identify best practices in the areas of the Company's operations and focus on continuous operational improvement and excellence with the objective to achieve leading levels of capital efficiency. Pursuant to the cooperation agreement, Elliott has agreed to customary standstill, voting, and other provisions. The full cooperation agreement between QEP and Elliott will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to QEP's Form 10-Q for the second quarter 2019.

07:30 EDT QEP Resources increase FY19 production guidance for crude oil, natural gas - Sees oil and condensate production 21.0-21.5 MMbbl. Sees gas production 28-30 Bcf. Sees NGL production 4.25-4.5 MMbbl.

07:26 EDT Auryn Resources acquires 100% interest in Sambalay, Salvador concessions - Auryn Resources announced that it has acquired a 100% interest, subject to certain historical NSR royalties, in the Sambalay and Salvador concessions which are adjacent to Auryn's wholly owned Curibaya property in Southern Peru for $250,000. The Sambalay and Salvador concessions total 4,700 hectares and together represent a 2-kilometre by 3.3-km mineralized alteration system that shows affinities to both high-grade copper porphyry and precious metal intermediate sulphidation systems. Historical high-grade sampling includes up to 13.50% copper, 23.6 g/t gold and 14,180 g/t silver. Despite these results, Auryn is unaware of any historical systematic exploration or drilling on the properties.

07:24 EDT NRG Energy announces $250M share repurchase program - The board of NRG Energy has authorized an incremental $250M share repurchase program, which is expected to be executed in 2019. In total, NRG has allocated $1.5B of capital available for allocation to share repurchases in 2019.

07:23 EDT CyberArk announces Chief Revenue Officer transition - Ron Zoran, CyberArk's Chief Revenue Officer, plans to transition from the company to pursue other business opportunities, including assisting early stage technology companies as a board member. Ron will continue to serve as Chief Revenue Officer of CyberArk through September 30 and to help ensure a smooth transition, he will also continue to serve as an advisor into Q1 of 2020. The company has initiated a search to identify a new global head of sales.

07:18 EDT Bausch Health's NDA filing for Acne treatment accepted by FDA - Bausch Health announced that the FDA has accepted the New Drug Application for IDP-123 - jazarotene 0.045% - Lotion with a PDUFA action date of Dec. 22. If approved, IDP-123 will be the first tazarotene acne treatment available in a lotion form. The NDA submitted for IDP-123 includes data from two completed Phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials in 1,614 patients with moderate to severe acne. In both Phase 3 studies, all primary efficacy endpoints were met with statistical significance. IDP-123 was also shown to be well-tolerated in the clinical study population. The most common adverse events were application site pain, application site dryness and application site exfoliation.

07:16 EDT Cubic signs MOA with Battlespace Simulations - Cubic announced that its Cubic Global Defense, or CGD, business division and Battlespace Simulations, or BSI, signed a Memorandum of Agreement, or MOA, to jointly work on developing solutions for the Live, Virtual and Constructive, or LVC, training market. BSI is a leader in the simulation of threat environments and tools to create Computer Generated Forces. Under the agreement, the parties will integrate BSI's Modern Air Combat Environment, or MACE, into CGD's air and ground training offerings to meet the increasing demand for operators to train in realistic and complex battlespace environments. MACE will provide multi-domain computer-generated forces, including simulation of weapon guidance and flyouts; fifth-generation blue and red weapons systems; and physics-based representations of the electromagnetic spectrum.

07:11 EDT Cornerstone Building Brands sees Q3 adjusted EBITDA $170M-$185M - The company's key economic indicators are tracking toward low growth in the residential new construction and repair & remodel markets and a moderate contraction in the commercial construction markets.

07:08 EDT Teva CFO Michael McClellan to step down due to personal reasons - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced that Michael McClellan, Executive Vice President and CFO, has decided to step down from his role as CFO due to personal reasons requiring him to be located near his family. Teva has initiated a search to identify its next CFO. McClellan is expected to remain in his role through the announcement of third quarter results to assist with a smooth transition. Kundefinedre Schultz, President and CEO, stated, "On behalf of the Board of Directors and our leadership team, I would like to thank Mike for his dedication and contributions as CFO in such challenging times. During his term, Mike played an instrumental role in executing on the company-wide two year restructuring efforts to significantly reduce our cost base and improve business performance." McClellan was appointed Teva's CFO in November 2017 after serving as Senior Vice President and Interim Group CFO from July 2017. From 2015 to November 2017, McClellan served as Senior Vice President and CFO, Global Specialty Medicines.

07:07 EDT Wendy's says on track to achieve 2020 goals - For FY20 sees: Global systemwide sales of approximately $11.5B. Free cash flow of approximately $275M, excluding the approximately $20M tax-effected impact from the proposed settlement of the Financial Institutions case, which is now expected to take place in early 2020. Including the impact of the proposed settlement, the company expects free cash flow of approximately $255M.

07:03 EDT Wendy's reports Q2 No. America same-restaurant sales growth 1.4%

07:02 EDT Teva reaffirms FY19 EPS, revenue guidance

06:55 EDT Rhythm Pharmaceuticals trading halted, news pending

06:45 EDT Denbury Resources reports Q2 production 59,719 BOE/d - Up 1% from 1Q 2019. Strong production response from Bell Creek Phase Five CO2 flood expansion; Bell Creek production up nearly 50% from 2Q 2018 and 28% from 1Q 2019.

06:36 EDT Spectrum Brands backs FY19 adjusted EBITDA view $560M-$580M

06:31 EDT Cambrex to be acquired by Permira Funds for $60.00 per share in cash

06:15 EDT Athenex: Oral paclitaxel and encequidar met primary endpoint in Phase 3 study - Athenex announced topline data showing that oral paclitaxel and encequidar met the primary efficacy endpoint with statistically significant improvement over IV paclitaxel in a Phase III pivotal study in metastatic breast cancer. A total of 402 typical metastatic breast cancer patients were enrolled in a 2 to 1 ratio of Oral Paclitaxel to IV paclitaxel in the ITT population. Patient demographics were balanced in the two treatment groups. The primary efficacy endpoint was overall tumor response rate confirmed at two consecutive timepoints using RECIST v1.1 criteria. Blinded assessments of tumor response were made by two independent radiologists and an independent adjudicator, using a computer algorithm to assign responses. Oral Paclitaxel showed a statistically significant improvement compared to IV paclitaxel on the primary efficacy endpoint, with an ORR of 36% for the Oral Paclitaxel group compared to 24% for IV paclitaxel patients based on ITT analysis. Oral Paclitaxel also showed statistically significant improvement compared to IV paclitaxel based on other analyses on populations excluding non-evaluable patients, with p-values less than or equal to 0.01 in all analyses. In addition, the results showed that the proportion of confirmed responders with a duration of response of more than 150 days was 2.5 times higher in the Oral Paclitaxel group than in the IV paclitaxel group. Based on the data cut-off on July 25, 2019, there was a strong trend in progression-free survival favoring Oral Paclitaxel over IV paclitaxel, and a strong trend in overall survival favoring Oral Paclitaxel over IV paclitaxel. At the cut-off date, a higher proportion of patients on Oral Paclitaxel compared with IV paclitaxel remained progression-free and Athenex expects the PFS and OS trend will continue to improve upon follow-up. In the study, the Oral Paclitaxel group had lower incidence and severity of neuropathy compared to IV paclitaxel: 57% of IV paclitaxel patients experienced neuropathy versus 17% of Oral Paclitaxel patients, with grade 3 neuropathy observed in 8% of IV paclitaxel patients versus 1% of Oral Paclitaxel patients. The results also showed lower incidence of alopecia, arthralgia and myalgia in the Oral Paclitaxel group. The incidence of neutropenia was similar in both groups, but there were more incidents of grade 4 neutropenia and infection in the Oral Paclitaxel group. There were also more gastro-intestinal side effects in the Oral Paclitaxel group.

06:07 EDT Baker Hughes reports July international rig count 1,162, up 24 rigs from June - Baker Hughes announced that the Baker Hughes international rig count for July was 1,162, up 24 from the 1,138 counted in June, and up 165 from the 997 counted in July 2018. The international offshore rig count for July 2019 was 255, up 9 from the 246 counted in June 2019, and up 38 from the 217 counted in July 2018. The average U.S. rig count for July 2019 was 955, down 14 from the 969 counted in June 2019, and down 95 from the 1,050 counted in July 2018. The average Canadian rig count for July 2019 was 121, up 7 from the 114 counted in June 2019, and down 83 from the 204 counted in July 2018. The worldwide rig count for July 2019 was 2,238, up 17 from the 2,221 counted in June 2019, and down 13 from the 2,251 counted in July 2018.

06:03 EDT Twitter says it may have used user data for ads without permission - Twitter said on Tuesday that it may have used data for personalized ads without a user's permission due to issues with the website's settings. The company said it recently discovered those issues and fixed them on Monday, although it hasn't yet determined who may have been impacted. "You trust us to follow your choices and we failed here," Twitter said on its website here, along with an apology and a promise to take steps to not repeat the "mistake." It added, "If you clicked or viewed an advertisement for a mobile application and subsequently interacted with the mobile application since May 2018, we may have shared certain data (e.g., country code, if you engaged with the ad and when, information about the ad, etc) with trusted measurement and advertising partners, even if you didn't give us permission to do so. As part of a process we use to try and serve more relevant advertising on Twitter and other services since September 2018, we may have shown you ads based on inferences we made about the devices you use, even if you did not give us permission to do so. The data involved stayed within Twitter and did not contain things like passwords, email accounts, etc." Reference Link

05:48 EDT Glencore confirms plans to mothball Mutanda mine by year-end - Glencore said in a statement: "At Mutanda, we are planning to transition the operation to temporary care and maintenance by year end, reflecting its reduced economic viability in the current market environment, primarily in response to low cobalt prices. We continue to progress studies on the sulphide project, having the potential to extend operations for many years, and anticipate being able to provide an update at our Investor Day in December."

05:26 EDT RingCentral signs agreement with Fujitsu across EMEA - RingCentral UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RingCentral, announced an agreement with Fujitsu to provide enterprises across EMEA with cloud communications and contact centre solutions for enhanced mobility, workforce productivity, and customer engagement. The agreement supports Fujitsu's strategy of building a strong ecosystem of partners across its Digital Workplace portfolio, adding productivity tools to enhance Fujitsu's unified communications as a service. Fujitsu will offer RingCentral Office and RingCentral Contact Centre as part of Fujitsu Digital Workplace solutions. The agreement between RingCentral and Fujitsu will cover Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

04:50 EDT Muddy Waters announces short position in Burford Capital - Muddy Waters Research issued a report on Burford Capital starting, "BUR is a perfect storm for an accounting fiasco. BUR's governance strictures are laughter-inducing. The CFO is the wife of the founder / CEO. Under the best of circumstances, this should alarm investors; however, with a company that consistently books non-cash accounting profits, it is unforgivable. BUR has cycled through four prior CFOs or senior finance managers (none of whom stayed for long). These facts beg the question "Is (current CFO) Elizabeth O'Connell the only CFO who can be relied upon to approve the accounts?" Reference Link