Stockwinners Market Radar for August 12, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:09 EDT Overstock.com CEO confirms Sara Carter articles, withholds further comment - "Sara Carter has published two articles relating the following claims of mine: Starting in 2015 I (operating under the belief that I was helping legitimate law enforcement efforts) assisted in what are now known as the 'Clinton Investigation' and the 'Russian Investigation' (in fact, I am the notorious 'missing Chapter 1' of the Russian investigation). It was the third time in my life I helped the Men in Black: the first was when my friend Brian Williams was murdered, and the second was when I helped the M.I.B. shake up Wall Street a decade ago. Unfortunately, this third time turned out to be less about law enforcement and more about political espionage conducted against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump (and to a lesser degree, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz). In July 2018 I put the pieces together. I immediately (last July) came forward to a Congressman and a senior military officer, to the Department of Justice this April, and (upon my Omaha Rabbi reminding me of my duty as a citizen late this June) to a small set of journalists this summer. Ms. Carter was among them. Her two stories are accurate. Having confirmed Ms. Carter's two articles, I have fulfilled those citizenship obligations of which my Rabbi reminded me. I will speak no more on the subject. Instead, having lived in places lacking Rule of Law and having witnessed the consequences of its absence, I plan on sitting back and watching the United States Department of Justice re-establish Rule of Law in our country."

18:58 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Famous Dave's (DAVE) up 13.6%... FlexShopper (FLEX) up 9.6%... Bloom Energy (BE) up 6.3%... Greenlane Holdings (GNLN) up 2.7%. ALSO HIGHER: Yield10 Bioscience (YTEN) up 21.3%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Victory Capital (VCTR) down 20.2%... LRAD Corp (LRAD) down 10.6%... Tencent Music (TME) down 6.5%. ALSO LOWER: Portola Pharma (PTLA) down 4.8% after equity offering... Workiva (WK) down 4.7% after equity offering. Movers as of 18:45ET.

18:30 EDT Take-Two CEO: Our creative teams keep delivering - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said: We're really happy with how NBA 2K is doing... Borderlands 3 shaping up to be huge... It's disrespectful to blame entertainment for the recent tragedies in El Paso and Dayton.

17:58 EDT Tencent Music drops over 6% after quarterly results, flat mobile MAU growth - Shares of Tencent Music had been down more than 8% earlier after reporting quarterly results. Shares fell after the company reported quarterly results that were slightly ahead of expectations but reported flat mobile monthly active user growth and a monthly ARPPU for online music lower than last year's Q2.

17:48 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise to 847.77MT to 839.85MT - This marks the highest level of holdings since May of 2018.

17:36 EDT Rattler Midstream CEO Travis Stice buys almost 6K in company shares - Rattler Midstream CEO Travis Stice disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 5,695 shares of company stock at an average price of $17.56 per share on August 9. The total transaction value of the purchase was $99,996.

17:27 EDT Alexandria Real Estate chairman sells 25K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Alexandria Real Estate disclosed that its chairman Joel Marcus sold 25K shares of common stock on August 8th and 9th. The total transaction size was over $3.6M.

17:01 EDT Integrated Core Strategies reports 5.1% passive stake in United Therapeutics - In a regulatory filing, Integrated Core Strategies disclosed a 5.1% stake in United Therapeutics, which represents roughly 2.2M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:40 EDT HealthStream director Jeffrey McLaren sells 5,000 shares of company stock - HealthStream director Jeffrey McLaren disclosed in a filing that he had sold 5,000 shares of company stock at $28.58 per share on August 12. The total transaction value of the sale was $142,907.

16:35 EDT Novelion Therapeutics to delay filing quarterly report on Form 10-Q - Novelion Therapeutics announced that it has determined that it will be unable to file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, including the related management's discussion and analysis and CEO and CFO certifications by the filing deadline of August 14. In that regard, the company has filed a Form 12b-25 with the U.S. SEC. In addition, the company will not be able to file the Interim Disclosure within the subsequent five-day extension permitted by the rules of the SEC. The company plans to delay any earnings press release for the quarter ended June 30 until preparation of the Interim Disclosure is completed.

16:33 EDT JetBlue reports July traffic up 5.3% - JetBlue reported its preliminary traffic results for July 2019. Traffic in July increased 5.3% from July 2018, on a capacity increase of 5.6%. Load factor for July 2019 was 88.6%, a decrease of 0.3 points from July 2018. JetBlue's preliminary completion factor for July 2019 was 98.4% and its on-time performance was 70.2%. JetBlue continues to expect third quarter revenue per available seat mile to range between 0.5% and 3.5%.

16:29 EDT Morgan Stanley reports 11.1% passive stake in NanoString Technologies - In a regulatory filing, Morgan Stanley disclosed an 11.1% stake in NanoString Technologies, which represents nearly 4M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:27 EDT Victory Capital initiates 5c per share quarterly dividend - Victory Capital announced the initiation of a quarterly cash dividend. The first dividend of 5c per share will be payable on September 25 to shareholders of record on September 10.

16:22 EDT Trafigura, Buckeye get 1st crude deliveries from new Permian construction - Trafigura Trading and Buckeye Partners announced that Trafigura has received its first delivery of Permian crude oil from Plains All American's Cactus II pipeline at the Buckeye Texas Partners terminal in Corpus Christi, Texas. Trafigura and Buckeye have worked together to achieve early service commissioning and receipts, prior to full Cactus II operations, through connected infrastructure in the Eagle Ford basin. Further direct connections and interconnectivity, providing enhanced service capabilities, will be completed at Buckeye Texas Partners in Corpus Christi once the Cactus II pipeline is fully operational. This initial receipt by Trafigura into Buckeye assets represents the first deliveries from over three million barrels per day of new pipeline capacity being built into the broader Corpus Christi market. Trafigura, which offers customers a full chain logistics solution, and Buckeye, which has established an unparalleled Corpus Christi infrastructure position, are together helping provide market solutions to rapidly growing domestic production. "Trafigura has a significant long-term volume commitment to move crude oil from the Permian Basin via Cactus II," said Corey Prologo, Director of Trafigura Trading LLC, North America. "Today further builds our position as the leading exporter of U.S. crude oil and refined products as we utilize our global customer base and marketing skills to place barrels with end customers across the world."

16:21 EDT AllianceBernstein reports preliminary AUM $585B as of July 31 - The 0.7% increase was due to market appreciation, as well as total firm-wide net inflows. By channel, Retail net inflows were partially offset by outflows from Institutions and Private Wealth.

16:20 EDT Express names Sara Tervo as new EVP and CMO - Express (EXPR) announced that the company has appointed two officers to key roles in the organization. Malissa Akay has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer; and Sara Tervo has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Both will join Express on September 9, 2019. Ms. Tervo joins Express from Justice where she had been Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer since 2016. Ms. Akay was previously with Ralph Lauren (RL), where she held global merchandising roles from 2012 to 2016.

16:17 EDT C.H. Robinson names Mike Zechmeister new CFO - C.H. Robinson (CHRW) announced that Mike Zechmeister will be joining the company as CFO, effective September 3, 2019. Zechmeister will report to CEO Bob Biesterfeld. Zechmeister most recently served as CFO of United Natural Foods (UNFI).

16:16 EDT Yum! Brands names David Gibbs next CEO, effective January 1 - Yum! Brands, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected David Gibbs as Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2020, and appointed him to the Company's Board, effective November 1, 2019. Gibbs, who currently serves as Yum! Brands President and Chief Operating Officer and oversees the global KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell divisions, will succeed Greg Creed, who has announced his decision to retire at the end of 2019 after a 25-year career with the company. Creed has served as Yum! Brands CEO since January 2015. Creed remains CEO through the end of 2019 to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. He will serve as a part-time advisor next year and also remain on the Yum! Brands Board of Directors.

16:14 EDT Ra Medical Systems Inc trading resumes

16:12 EDT Ryman Hospitality CEO Reed acquires over 13,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Ryman Hospitality Properties chairman and CEO Colin V. Reed disclosed the acquisition of 13,585 common shares of the company at a price of $79.30 per share.

16:11 EDT Brown Brothers Harriman reports 5.55% passive stake in Benefitfocus - Brown Brothers Harriman disclosed a 5.55% stake in Benefitfocus, which represents over 1.81M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:11 EDT Wright Medical CEO Palmisano acquires over 46,000 ordinary shares - Wright Medical president and CEO Robert J. Palmisano disclosed the acquisition of 46,654 ordinary shares of the company at a price of $21.386 per share.

16:10 EDT Manning & Napier reports preliminary AUM $21B as of July 31 - Compared with $21.3B at June 30.

16:07 EDT Itron selected by Western Power for Australia electricity meter project - Itron announced that Western Power, a government owned utility located in the south west of Western Australia, will deploy its standards-based network technology, connecting nearly 240,000 electricity meters. With Itron's solution, Western Power will enhance visibility into the operation of its electricity distribution network, which will enable automated data collection, new remote services and the ability to monitor faults and outages. The solution will also enable Western Power to manage distributed energy resources, including managing rooftop solar systems and battery storage.

16:06 EDT GSE Systems delivers 3 new full-scope simulators to Southern Nuclear - GSE Systems (GVP) announced that it has completed delivery and commissioning of three additional full-scope simulators for Southern Nuclear's (SO) new Operations Training Centers. These new simulators reflect Southern's commitment to modernize, optimize and expand their fleet's operator training program. This Southern Nuclear project is the largest single nuclear simulator project in the US in the past 30 years and included three new replica simulators for the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant and the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant. These additional simulators will add flexible scheduling and increased capacity that can drive operator performance. The simulators will also offer more availability to each plant's engineering and maintenance staff, who find the simulators useful for virtually commissioning plant changes, validating plant procedures, management certification, and a variety of other training activities. In addition, the simulators have been upgraded with some of GSE's latest technology, including the new OpenSim 7.0 simulator operating system and enhanced containment modeling program and GSE's PSA-HD program to train operators on beyond design basis events.

16:03 EDT Stryker adjusts commercial organizational structure - Stryke rannounced an adjustment to its commercial organizational structure. Spencer S. Stiles will serve as Group President of Orthopaedics and Spine and will oversee Stryker's Joint Replacement, Trauma & Extremities and Spine divisions. J. Andrew Pierce, Group President of MedSurg and Neurotechnology will oversee Stryker's Instruments, Medical, Endoscopy, Sustainability and Neurotechnology businesses. Mr. Stiles and Mr. Pierce have both served at Stryker for over 20 years and will continue to report to Timothy J. Scannell, President and Chief Operating Officer in their newly expanded roles. Since August of 2018, Mr. Scannell has been responsible for all of the company's commercial businesses and regions. This change will further accelerate the globalization and collaboration opportunities being unlocked in this structure and leverage the diverse experience of these leaders.

16:02 EDT Micron sees demand coming back, helping with inventory levels - Shares of Micron (MU) were on the rise in late trading on Monday as the company's CFO spoke during the KeyBanc Capital Markets 21st Annual Technology Leadership Forum. David Zinsner said that "demand has come back," and sees inventory levels coming down in the fourth quarter and during fiscal year 2020. DEMAND HELPING WITH INVENTORY LEVELS: During the KeyBanc technology leadership forum, Zinsner said that, "We've been through a couple of quarters of a downward cycle caused by a few different factors. We've had inventory building at some clients, CPU shortages that impact client space, some less than robust sales for high-end cellphones and handhelds which impacted and that put a lot of pressure on the demand side of the equation of our business. [...] Still, we still had a pretty good quarter. We would've hit the high point of guidance if it hadn't been for the situation with Huawei and hadn't stopped shipments." Discussing the current year, Zinsner noted that the "only thing that you can take away as negative is inventory levels." The company expect to have inventory come down in the fourth quarter - at least down to 140 days - noting that Micron has "a pretty good path to bring it down during fiscal year 2020." "And what is helping us is demand has come back. [...] We're also seeing very good elasticity in NAND and that demand is also helping improve our inventory demand," the company's CFO added. The company acknowledged that it didn't expect to see the level of decline for DRAM, NAND seen this cycle. Over the next 10 years, Micron sees opportunities in the cloud cycle as "we move into AI," 5G and autonomous driving, added the executive. TRADE WAR: Asked about the current U.S.-China trade war, Zinsner said that, Micron has "a global footprint." He added: "To the extent that this trade disputes manifest in a more expensive way, we do have the flexibility to move things around [...] These issues do cause some economic turmoil. We have to be flexible regarding our expectations." PRICE ACTION: In late afternoon trading, shares of Micron gained about 1.5% to $42.14.

15:56 EDT Ra Medical Systems reports audit committee investigation - The Audit Committee of Ra Medical's Board of Directors has commenced an independent investigation in connection with an anonymous complaint, the company announced. "The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for investigating the allegations and has retained independent counsel to assist it in the process. The investigation is not yet completed and no conclusions with respect thereto have been reached. Ra Medical cannot predict the duration or outcome of the investigation, and the Company will not be in a position to file the Form 10-Q until the Audit Committee completes its work," Ra Medical stated.

15:54 EDT Ra Medical Systems reports CEO Dean Irwin terminated without cause - Ra Medical announced that Dean Irwin was terminated without cause from his position as Ra Medical's CEO, Co-President, and Chief Technology Officer, and as Chairman of Ra Medical's Board of Directors. Andrew Jackson, currently serving as CFO, has been appointed to serve as Interim CEO while the company continues its search for a permanent CEO.

15:42 EDT Pattern Energy up 8% after Bloomberg says suitors showing takeover interest

15:23 EDT PayPal's Venmo announces launch of Instant Transfer to bank accounts - In a post to its corporate blog earlier, PayPal's Venmo unit announced "another way for you to instantly access your funds!" The post stated in part: "This may sound familiar- and it is. Last year we launched Instant Transfer via debit card, allowing users to transfer the money in their Venmo account to their eligible Visa and Mastercard debit card within minutes for a 1% fee...We've seen a great response from the Venmo community, so we're thrilled to now offer Instant Transfer to your bank account within minutes for the same small fee. We also will continue to offer our free standard bank transfer which typically takes 1-3 business days." Reference Link

14:11 EDT Ra Medical Systems Inc trading halted, news pending

13:22 EDT Oregon joins lawsuit to block T-Mobile acquisition of Sprint - New York Attorney General Letitia James said via Twitter, "BREAKING: Oregon has joined our lawsuit to block the megamerger of telecommunications giants T-Mobile & Sprint. Our 16-state coalition knows that this deal is bad for consumers, bad for workers, & bad for innovation. We remain committed to blocking this anticompetitive merger."

12:26 EDT Samsung introduces new 108-MP image sensor for smartphone cameras - Samsung Electronics introduced 108 megapixel Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX, the first mobile image sensor in the industry to go beyond 100 million pixels. With the latest addition, Samsung will expand its 0.8mum image sensor offerings from its recently announced ultra-high 64Mp to 108Mp, a resolution equivalent to that of a high-end DSLR camera. Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX is a "one-of-a-kind" mobile image sensor and is the result of close collaboration between Xiaomi Corp. and Samsung, the company said. "With over 100 million effective pixels enabling extremely sharp photographs rich in detail, the ISOCELL Bright HMX also produces exceptional photos even in extreme lighting conditions," Samsung said in a statement. "Being the first mobile image sensor to adopt a large 1/1.33-inch size, the HMX can absorb more light in low-lit settings than smaller sensors and its pixel-merging Tetracell technology allows the sensor to imitate big-pixel sensors, producing brighter 27Mp images. In bright environments, the Smart-ISO, a mechanism that intelligently selects the level of amplifier gains according to the illumination of the environment for optimal light-to-electric signal conversion, switches to a low ISO to improve pixel saturation and produce vivid photographs. The mechanism uses a high ISO in darker settings that helps reduce noise, resulting in clearer pictures. For advanced filming, the HMX supports video recording without losses in field-of-view at resolutions up to 6K (6016 x 3384) 30-frames-per-second (fps)." Mass production for Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX will begin later this month. Reference Link

12:00 EDT Loma Negra falls -57.5% - Loma Negra is down -57.5%, or -$7.40 to $5.48.

12:00 EDT PlayAGS rises 11.1% - PlayAGS is up 11.1%, or $1.01 to $10.19.

12:00 EDT GTT Communications rises 16.8% - GTT Communications is up 16.8%, or $1.13 to $7.84.

11:01 EDT CBS, Viacom deal 'includes extended contract' for Joe Ianiello, Gasparino says - Fox Business Network's Charles Gasparino said via Twitter that a reported deal between CBS (CBS) and Viacom (VIAB) includes an extended contract for CBS acting CEO Joe Ianniello. Gasparino said, "Joe would oversee all CBS branded content; he would report to Bob Bakish as an equal to together unit chiefs who report to him under the terms of the deal that execs are working to announce after the bell today but may bleed into tomorrow." Reference Link

10:26 EDT Sysco says July has had 'some of the same softness' as Q4

10:07 EDT Sysco says consumer confidence 'still remains solid' - Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

10:00 EDT Accenture agrees to acquire design and innovation firm Insitum - Accenture has entered into an agreement to acquire INSITUM, a service design and strategic research firm focused on innovation through a human-centered approach. Accenture says the acquisition will strengthen Accenture Interactive's position as a leading Experience Agency in the region by expanding the services of its design and innovation unit, Fjord, in Latin America and beyond. Completion of the INSITUM acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust clearance. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

10:00 EDT PlayAGS rises 10.0% - PlayAGS is up 10.0%, or 92c to $10.09.

09:58 EDT Sysco provides updated three-year plan guidance - Sees adjusted EPS growth about 15%, with sales up 3.5%-4% and adjusted operating income growth of about 8%, to about $600M.

09:51 EDT Loma Negra Compania Argentina S.A. trading resumes

09:48 EDT Pampa Energia S.A. trading resumes

09:47 EDT Balance BAR falls -51.2% - Balance BAR is down -51.2%, or -$6.17 to $5.88.

09:47 EDT Global Cord Blood rises 5.1% - Global Cord Blood is up 5.1%, or 28c to $5.79.

09:47 EDT Farfetch rises 7.6% - Farfetch is up 7.6%, or 77c to $10.90.

09:45 EDT Loma Negra Compania Argentina S.A. trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:42 EDT Pampa Energia S.A. trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:26 EDT Carnival names Names Peter Anderson as Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer - Carnival announced the appointment of Peter Anderson to the newly created position of chief ethics and compliance officer. Based at the company's headquarters in Miami, Anderson will be a member of the executive leadership team and report directly to Carnival Corporation President and CEO Arnold Donald. Anderson is a former federal prosecutor with over 20 years of experience in corporate compliance. He had previously been the head of the White Collar and Compliance Group at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, PC, and was initially engaged by Carnival to conduct a compliance program assessment. Anderson also led the environmental compliance team on the Volkswagen monitorship over the past two years.

09:14 EDT MercadoLibre sinks after pro-business Argentina president loses primary - Shares of MercadoLibre (MELI) are sinking after Argentina's President Mauricio Macri, who is known for being pro-business, lost a primary election on Sunday. In a nationwide primary, Macri received 32% support versus 47% for his opponent, Alberto Fernandez, with more than 80% of the ballots counted, the government said, according to the Wall Street Journal. Fernandez is a member of the Peronist movement whose vice presidential running mate is ex-President Cristina Kirchner, the "firebrand nationalist," according to the Journal. Shares of MercadoLibre (MELI), whose new fintech business is in Argentina, are down 10%, or $66.10, to $624.00 in premarket trading. The Global X MSCI Argentina ETF (ARGT) is down 20%, or $6.75, to $26.61.

09:12 EDT SpartanNash exits Fresh Kitchen operations - SpartanNash announced that it has made the decision to exit its Indianapolis-based Fresh Kitchen operations to improve operating earnings and EBITDA results, within the food distribution segment. The company will shift its focus and expertise to its produce distribution and Fresh Cut operations. The Fresh Kitchen, which was acquired in 2017 as part of SpartanNash's acquisition of Caito Foods, is a newly constructed facility that cooks and packages fresh protein-based foods and complete meal solutions for a number of different customers. The annual net sales impact of exiting the Fresh Kitchen operations will be approximately $20M. The company expects to complete its transition by the end of FY19.

09:10 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Evolus (EOLS), up 2%... Barrick Gold (GOLD), up 2%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: The Stars Group (TSG), down 1%. ALSO LOWER: CannTrust (CTST), down 28% after receiving a report from Health Canada notifying the company that its manufacturing facility in Vaughan, Ontario has been rated non-compliant with certain regulations... CooTek (CTK), down 13% after lowering Q2 guidance due to the difficulties that the company is experiencing in collecting its consideration from Google (GOOGL) and therefore the inability to recognize the corresponding advertising revenues for the last two months of the quarter as a result of Google's decision in mid-July to temporarily disable the company's global portfolio apps... NIO Inc. (NIO), down 3% after reporting July deliveries of 837 vehicles... Entercom (ETM), down 15% after lowering its quarterly dividend to 2c from 9c per share.

09:09 EDT Consolidated Communications launches CCiTV in Southern Maine - Consolidated Communications introduced CCiTV, a new TV service that provides TV programming to customers when they want it, where they want it and how they want it. Consolidated's new service will supply viewing content from nearly 200 live local, national and premium channels. CCiTV will provide next-generation advancements in viewing, including restart/replay TV, voice-activated remote controls, high definition with 4K compatibility and cloud-based DVR storage to enable viewing of content anytime, anywhere.

09:06 EDT Goldman Sachs enters strategic partnership with Core Spaces - Core Spaces announced its partnership with affiliates of the Merchant Banking Division of Goldman Sachs to recapitalize and develop a portfolio of nine assets, valued at more than $600M. The portfolio consists of seven operating assets and two buildings under development - totaling over 4,300 beds. Goldman Sachs and Core Spaces view this initial transaction as the first step towards their commitment to building a joint-venture portfolio of best-in-class housing assets across the U.S. This relationship is a continuation of a trend in the institutionalization and maturation of the student-housing industry and another substantial commitment by a leading investor in the sector.

09:03 EDT Houghton Mifflin names Mike Evans as Chief Revenue Officer - Houghton Mifflin announced that it has appointed Mike Evans as its first Chief Revenue Officer. In this newly created position, Evans will be responsible for HMH's K-12 go-to-market strategy and customer lifecycle through the leadership of a new customer-focused organization at HMH. A veteran of the K-12 education space, Evans brings decades of leadership experience to the table, most recently as Chief Financial Officer at McGraw Hill Education, where he was instrumental in affecting its proposed merger with Cengage.

08:49 EDT Points International announces TSX approval to repurchase up to 5% of shares - Points International announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange has accepted its notice of intention to make a normal course issuer bid to repurchase up to 679,034 of its common shares, representing approximately 5% of its 13,580,692 common shares issued and outstanding as of July 31, 2019. Points has entered into an automatic share purchase plan with a broker in order to facilitate the Repurchase. The primary purpose of the Repurchase is purchases for cancellation. Under the automatic share purchase plan, Points' broker may repurchase shares at times when Points would ordinarily not be permitted to due to regulatory restrictions or self-imposed blackout periods. Repurchases will be made from time-to-time at the broker's discretion based upon parameters prescribed by the parties' written agreement. Repurchases may be effected through the facilities of the TSX, the NASDAQ Capital Market or other alternative trading systems in the United States and Canada. The Repurchase will commence on August 14, 2019 and will terminate on August 13, 2020. Under its previous normal course issuer bid, as of July 31, 2019, Points purchased 684,061 common shares with a weighted average price of Cdn $15.73 per share through the facilities of the TSX, NASDAQ and other alternative trading systems in the United States and Canada. Points' previous normal course issuer bid commenced on August 14, 2018 and will terminate on August 13, 2019.

08:41 EDT Natural Gas Services announces $10M share repurchase program - Natural Gas Services Group announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $10M of its outstanding shares of common stock. The repurchase program will expire on September 30, 2020, subject to earlier termination of the program by the Board of Directors. As of July 29, 2019, the Company had approximately 13,226,971 common shares outstanding.

08:39 EDT MJardin Group completes Phase 1 construction of Manitoba cultivation facility - MJardin Group announced that it has submitted its Evidence of Readiness package to Health Canada and completed construction on Phase 1 of "WARMAN", a retrofitted indoor cultivation facility located in Winnipeg, Manitoba and the largest in the Company's portfolio.

08:38 EDT Biome Grow announces supply agreement with Cannabis NB - Biome Grow announced that it has been approved to commence retail sales of cannabis in the province of New Brunswick and has entered into a production and supply agreement with Cannabis NB Ltd. Cannabis products will initially be supplied by Biome's wholly-owned subsidiary, Highland Grow Inc., which is based in Nova Scotia. Biome continues to grow its commercial footprint since beginning commercial sales of cannabis in January 2019. Management looks forward to sharing its plans for expanding its commercial and production footprint to additional Canadian provinces in the months ahead.

08:35 EDT Tyson Foods to rebuild Kansas plant, pay workers following fire. - A fire partly destroyed the Tyson Foods beef plant in Holcomb, Kansas on Friday, August 9. The plant will be down indefinitely, however; the company plans to rebuild the plant at the same location. Officials are still assessing the damage, so it's too early to establish a timeline, but work to clear damage has already begun. "This is a difficult time for our team members and their families, and we want to ensure they're taken care of," said Steve Stouffer, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats. "Today, we will notify our full-time, active team members that they'll be paid weekly until production resumes." Stouffer said the team members may be called on to work during this time to help with clean-up and other projects, but regardless of the hours worked, all full-time active employees are guaranteed pay.

08:33 EDT Ecolab acquires Chemstar - Ecolab has acquired the business of privately held Chemstar, a U.S.-based supplier of food safety and cleaning and sanitizing solutions focused on the grocery and food retail markets. Chemstar and its Sterilox Fresh product line serve customers in the U.S. and Canada, and the company's 2018 sales were approximately $40M. Chemstar offers a range of food safety, sanitation and freshness solutions for kitchen care, surface and floor care, hand hygiene, food sanitation, and produce and floral freshness for food retail and convenience stores.

08:31 EDT T. Rowe Price reports preliminary AUM $1.14T at July 31

08:30 EDT Cyclerion says Olinciguat Phase 2 study remains on track for readout in mid-2020 - Olinciguat Phase 2 study in patients with sickle cell disease remains on track for data readout in mid-2020. Olinciguat is being studied in a randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging Phase 2 study in patients with sickle cell disease that is expected to enroll up to 88 patients. STRONG SCD is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of olinciguat, as well as to explore effects on daily symptoms and biomarkers of disease activity when dosed over a 12-week treatment period.

08:29 EDT TSO3 to be acquired by Stryker for C$0.43 in cash per share - TSO3 announced that it has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement pursuant to which 9402-4874 Quebec Inc., a subsidiary of Stryker, will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the company for C$0.43 in cash per Share, subject to adjustment in the event the transaction expenses are greater than currently anticipated. The company does not currently expect any adjustment to be made to the Purchase Price and in the event such an adjustment would be required, that it would be minimal. If the Purchase Price is adjusted, the company will issue a press release setting out such adjustment no later than two business days prior to the special meeting of shareholders to be called to approve the transaction. The Purchase Price represents a premium of approximately 18% to the volume weighted average price of the Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the 30 calendar-day period prior to the date hereof. The purchase of 100% of the equity of TSO3 represents a total enterprise value of approximately C$68.4M, including existing indebtedness. The Arrangement Agreement contains representations, warranties and covenants customary for transactions of this nature, including a prohibition against the Company soliciting or initiating any inquiries or discussions regarding any other business combination or sale of assets, subject to the fiduciary duty of the Board of Directors in the event that an unsolicited superior proposal is received by the company and the right in favour of Stryker to match any superior proposal. A termination fee of C$3.076M is payable to Stryker in certain circumstances, including if Stryker fails to exercise its right to match in the context of a superior proposal and the company elects to terminate the Arrangement Agreement prior to the company's shareholders voting to approve the Arrangement.

08:28 EDT Cyclerion Therapeutics expects proceeds to fund operations through 1Q21 - On April 2, 2019, approximately $165 million net proceeds were received from a private placement financing that are expected to fund operations through at least the first quarter of 2021. Cyclerion ended the second quarter of 2019 with approximately $148.8 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. There was no cash specifically attributable to Cyclerion prior to the second quarter of 2019.

08:23 EDT Cellectar expects to report topline data from Phase 2 CLOVER-1 study in 2019 - The company said, "Expanded the third cohort of our ongoing Phase 2 CLOVER-1 study of CLR 131 after preliminary results showed it exceeded pre-specified performance criteria. We are currently enrolling patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma in the third cohort. The company continues to expect to report top-line data from the Phase 2 CLOVER-1 study in 2019."

08:21 EDT Trinity Merger to acquire Broadmark for $1.2B in cash, stock transaction - Trinity Merger and Broadmark announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement for a business combination transaction to create an internally-managed, mortgage real estate investment trust, or REIT, with an expected equity value of $1.5B, assuming no redemptions by Trinity stockholders or Broadmark members. It is expected that Broadmark will have no debt outstanding at closing. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Trinity and Broadmark will combine to form Broadmark Realty, a new Maryland corporation that will elect to be taxed as a REIT under the tax code. In connection with the transaction, Broadmark Realty intends to apply for listing of its securities on the New York Stock Exchange under a new ticker symbol. Broadmark is a provider of financing to real estate investors and developers across the United States. Broadmark originates short term, first deed of trust mortgages with conservative loan-to-value collateral support. As of March 31, Broadmark had approximately $992.2M in total committed loans in target geographic regions that exhibit favorable demographic trends. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Trinity will acquire Broadmark for $1.2B in total consideration, comprised of 92%, or $1.1B, in Broadmark Realty stock and 8%, or $98M, in cash. The cash component of the purchase price will be paid to the equity owners of Broadmark's real estate management companies as part of an internalization transaction and will be funded by Trinity's cash held in trust. The remainder of the purchase price to be paid will be paid in newly issued shares of Broadmark Realty's common stock. In addition, Broadmark Realty has entered into a subscription agreement for a $75M private placement of Broadmark Realty's common stock with affiliates of Farallon, a global asset management firm. The proceeds from Farallon's investment will be used to fund transaction-related expenses and the ongoing business operations of Broadmark Realty following the consummation of the business combination, including funding new loan origination opportunities in existing and new markets. Upon closing of the proposed transaction, Jeffrey Pyatt, president of Pyatt Broadmark Management, will become the CEO of Broadmark Realty, and Joseph Schocken, founder and president of Broadmark Capital, will serve as chairman of the board of directors. The rest of Broadmark's executive team will continue in their respective roles in the combined company. The board of directors of Trinity and the boards of directors and managers of the Broadmark entities have unanimously approved the proposed transaction. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to Trinity stockholder approval; Broadmark equity holder approval; obtaining an amendment to Trinity's outstanding public warrants to remove certain anti-dilution provisions relating to the payment of ordinary periodic cash dividends customary for a REIT; Broadmark Realty retaining at least $100M in cash following the consummation of the transactions, the redemption of Trinity shares, if any, and the payment of expenses and indebtedness required to be paid at the closing and other customary closing conditions. The parties expect that the proposed transaction will be completed in early November.

08:18 EDT Dare Bioscience receives QIDP designation from FDA for DARE-BV1 - Dare Bioscience announced that DARE-BV1, a novel thermosetting hydrogel containing clindamycin phosphate 2%, has been granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis in women. In an investigator-initiated proof-of-concept study, DARE-BV1 demonstrated an 86% clinical cure rate in the evaluable subjects at the test-of-cure visit after a single administration. Dare intends to commence a Phase 3 clinical study of DARE-BV1 in approximately 250 women in the fourth quarter of 2019. Based on prior discussions with the FDA, Dare believes that the Phase 3 study, if successful, would be sufficient for approval of DARE-BV1 to treat BV.

08:17 EDT Everspin Technologies, Seagate sign IP patent assignment, licensing agreements - Everspin Technologies (MRAM) announced an IP cross-licensing agreement with Seagate Technology (STX). Both companies hold an extensive portfolio of IP that is further strengthened by this agreement including the assignment and licensing of MRAM patents from Seagate to Everspin as well as licensing of specific Tunneling Magnetoresistance, or TMR, patents from Everspin to Seagate. Under the terms of the license agreement, both companies receive substantial benefit. The patents involved in the assignment and licensing span many years of research and development and include patents from the US, Japan, China, and Republic of Korea. Everspin gains license to additional patents regarding MRAM technology to add to its IP portfolio while Seagate gains license to TMR IP for its use in HDD read/write head technology.

08:12 EDT KLX Energy announces $50M share repurchase program - KLX Energy Services Holdings announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program. The program authorization is for a maximum of $50M. The Company expects to complete the intensive capital investment phase of its strategy by the end of fiscal year 2019 and is therefore expecting strong free cash flow in fiscal year 2020. klxeThe Company's strategy to roll out large diameter coiled tubing spreads to all its Geographical Segments and to pull through its broad range of asset light services in conjunction with the coiled tubing roll out has been working successfully. The Company, which currently has 8 large diameter coiled tubing spreads in operation, expects to take delivery of 5 additional large diameter coiled tubing spreads by the end of fiscal year 2019.

08:11 EDT Velan Capital: Continued lack of transparency at Progenics extremely concerning - Velan Capital, one of the largest stockholders of Progenics Pharmaceuticals, announced its disappointment with the company's Q2 results and lack of metrics to track future performance, and highlights key issues that illustrate the company's continual mismanagement under the troubling status quo. Velan stated, in part, "While the company mismanages its key assets, it compounds its mistakes by focusing on distracting projects such as AI that do not add significant value and only serve to reduce the time spent on commercializing AZEDRA and advancing its product pipeline. Stockholders deserve more information and clarity. To Velan, the continued lack of transparency at Progenics is extremely concerning, particularly given CEO Mark Baker's history of wrongfully stifling a whistleblower who thought Progenics was misleading stockholders. We believe there might even be more recent examples of such behavior. Under current guidance and without departure from the status quo, the company's potential will continue to be squandered at the expense of stockholders. The Board claims to seek new director candidates with applicable supply chain and commercialization expertise - skills that appear absent from the current Board and management team. We have identified potential candidates that have such expertise (who we understand have not been contacted by the company or by its costly executive search firm), yet the company has not welcomed our repeated outreach attempts to reach a constructive resolution. As previously communicated to the public and to the Board, Velan's preference has always been and continues to remain reaching an appropriate settlement to put the company on a better path and to instill much needed accountability in the boardroom. Stockholders have spoken through their votes at last month's annual meeting and we believe the mandate is clear. Without an appropriate settlement that reflects the degree of change desperately needed at PGNX, we will likely be forced to take action yet again on behalf of all stockholders, including by seeking to remove and replace members of the Board."

08:09 EDT Jason Industries to sell Janesville for $85M, explores strategic alternatives - Jason Industries announced several significant developments. The company announced the signing of a definitive agreement to sell its fiber solutions segment, or Janesville, to Motus Integrated Technologies for approximately $85M, subject to customary closing, performance, and other requirements. The transaction is expected to be completed during Q3 and is not subject to regulatory review and approval. The Janesville segment being sold contributed approximately $144M to Jason's trailing twelve-month sales ending June 28. Janesville's operations in the United States and Mexico and approximately 1,000 employees will become a new subsidiary of Motus. The company also has engaged BMO Capital Markets to explore strategic alternatives, including a potential sale of the company. The board has not set a timeline for this process and there can be no assurance that the strategic alternatives review process will result in a transaction or other strategic change or outcome. The company does not expect to discuss or disclose further developments unless and until its board has approved a specific course of action.

08:08 EDT Gulfport Energy appoints Quentin Hicks as EVP, CFO - Gulfport Energy Corporation (GPOR) announced that Quentin Hicks will join the Company as EVP and CFO reporting to David Wood, President and CEO. Hicks will assume his new duties on August 26, 2019. Gulfport conducted a formal search for this position led by a leading national executive search firm. Hicks joins Gulfport from Halcon Resources Corporation (HK), where he most recently served as EVP, CFO and Treasurer. Hicks succeeds Keri Crowell, who is stepping down after a 14-year career with Gulfport.

08:04 EDT PlayAGS announces $50M share repurchase program - AGS announced that its board of directors has approved a share repurchase program that will permit the company to repurchase up to $50M of the company's shares of common stock through August 11, 2021.

08:03 EDT Evolution Petroleum discloses reserves estimates as of June 30 - Evolution Petroleum Corporation disclosed its independently determined reserves estimates as of June 30, 2019 as well as oil and natural gas liquids volumes for its fiscal fourth quarter ended June 30, 2019. Total proved oil reserves as of June 30 were 7,616 Mbbl, while natural gas liquids proved reserves were 1,365 Mbbl and oil equivalent proved reserves were 8,981 Mbbl. Gross daily production in the Delhi Field during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 averaged 6,364 barrels of oil and 1,479 barrels of natural gas liquids, or 7,843 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

07:51 EDT Acreage Holdings launches cannabis consumer products from three new brands - Acreage Holdings announced the launch of new cannabis consumer products in select markets as part of its "House of Brands" strategy - a portfolio of unique brands that address different consumer segments and form factors. The launch includes products from three new Acreage-developed brands: The Botanist, Natural Wonder, and Live Resin Project. The Botanist, a wellness brand devoted to unlocking the benefits of the full cannabis plant, expects to launch in Iowa this month with its first product, a line of high-CBD tinctures for the Iowa's medical market. Natural Wonder, developed by Acreage's Form Factory division, is a convenient and discreet, microdose sublingual breath spray, available on select dispensary shelves in Oregon. Live Resin Project is expected to launch in California later this month, bringing to market new live resin products in a variety of raw concentrates and easy-to-use vape cartridges. Live resin, an innovative extraction method that utilizes flash-frozen whole cannabis plants, was invented by cannabis extractor and Acreage "Green Team" member William "Kind Bill" Fenger. Acreage expects to continue rolling out The Botanist, Natural Wonder, and Live Resin Project products to additional markets and across more form factors through the rest of the year.

07:46 EDT Theratechnologies files application to list on Nasdaq - Theratechnologies announced that it has applied to list its common shares on NASDAQ. In connection with its application to list on NASDAQ, Theratechnologies will file a Form 40-F Registration Statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The listing of the Company's common shares on NASDAQ remains subject to the approval of NASDAQ and the satisfaction of all applicable listing and regulatory requirements. Based on its typical review process, it is expected that the Company's common shares will be listed on NASDAQ within the next 60 days. The Company will maintain its common share listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "TH".

07:44 EDT XPO Logistics extends UK partnership with Arco - XPO Logistics has been awarded a multi-year contract renewal by Arco. XPO provides Arco with an integrated, digitally managed transport solution for less-than-truckload distribution in the UK. The shared network uses XPO technology to manage direct order entry, track freight consignments and deploy resources. 4G scanners at the Arco site improve trunk utilisation before onward shipping to 11 LTL sites.

07:41 EDT Xoma adds Janssen Biotech drug candidates to royalty portfolio - XOMA Corporation (XOMA) announced its portfolio of potential future royalty and milestone payments has significantly increased with the addition of Janssen Biotech (JNJ) drug candidates for which XOMA could receive future milestone and royalty payments. In addition, Janssen has elected to accelerate its base annual license fee obligation and will make a one-time $2.5M payment to XOMA. For each program, XOMA is entitled to receive milestone payments upon the achievement of certain clinical development and regulatory approval events. Upon commercialization, XOMA will receive a .75% royalty on net sales.

07:39 EDT Onconova, Mission Bio partner for precision oncology clinical trials - Onconova Therapeutics and Mission Bio announced that they have formed a collaboration to utilize the Mission Bio Tapestri Platform for targeted single-cell DNA analysis to study Onconova's novel cancer therapy, rigosertib, through clinical trials. With the Mission Bio Tapestri Platform, researchers can detect rare cancer subclones and co-occurring cancer mutations at the single-cell level, offering a precise way to measure therapy response and disease progression. Supporting the pharma and biopharma industries through clinical trials and commercialization continues to be a focus for Mission Bio. Ras proteins control cell proliferation, and mutation of this protein can lead to cancer in affected individuals. Ras is mutated in over 30 percent of patients with cancer, making it one of the most sought-after targets. Onconova is developing rigosertib, a first-in-class, small molecule Ras mimetic, to target this mutation. Rigosertib blocks the activation of Ras effector proteins, thus modulating the Ras pathway. Onconova's goal is to fully enroll INSPIRE, its phase 3 clinical trial studying rigosertib in higher-risk MDS patients who fail the current standard of care, by year-end.

07:37 EDT Entasis Therapeutics expects cash to provide runway into 4Q20 - As of June 30, 2019, cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $59.5 million, compared to $74.6 million as of March 31, 2019. The Company believes its current cash position provides a runway into the fourth quarter of 2020.

07:34 EDT Universal Forest to change name to UFP Industries - As of Jan. 1, 2020, the Company will be known as UFP Industries, Inc. The Company will seek to ratify the name change at its April 22, 2020, shareholder meeting. Under the new structure, also effective Jan. 1, 2020, the Company will be organized around the markets it serves rather than geography. Among other benefits, this will allow for a more specialized and consistent sales approach among all Universal companies, more efficient use of resources and capital, and quicker introduction of new products and services. UFP Industries will continue to trade under the ticker symbol UFPI.

07:32 EDT NEOS Life deploys Ebix OneOffice as life insurance sales solution - Ebix announced that NEOS Life has deployed Ebix OneOffice as their Life Insurance sales and administration solution in Australia. The implementation of this comprehensive solution to support the NEOS business was achieved in a short period of nine months. This included deployment of an Adviser portal, sales administration including tele-underwriting, integrated underwriting engine, commissions processing, reinsurance reporting and CRM and data warehouse integration. Ebix is hosting the turnkey solution that includes synchronizing data between Ebix OneOffice, Ebix SmartOffice CRM for the insurance industry and the NEOS data warehouse.

07:25 EDT Cellect Biotechnology announces 'positive' outcome from DSMB on ApoGraft - Following the one month data of the 9th patient, the Data and Safety Monitoring Board reviewed the safety data from Cellect Biotechnology Ltd.'s ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study of ApoGraft, and announced that the DSMB unanimously recommended dose escalation and the continuation of enrollment for the fourth and final dose cohort in the study. At one-month post transplantation, the patient has shown complete engraftment and has not demonstrated any procedure-related adverse effects. The company currently expects to complete the patient recruitment by the end of 2019 and release data during the first half of 2020. The primary endpoint of the study is to evaluate the overall incidence, frequency, and severity of adverse events potentially related to ApoGraft at 180-days post-transplant. In the U.S., the company moved closer to the U.S. clinical trial as Washington University's Scientific Review Committee approved the company's study, with no comments. This, along with the other milestones that have been achieved by the company over the past few months demonstrate solid progress and the company is looking forward to working with its clinical partner and sharing further progress in the coming months.

07:23 EDT AC Immune announces research collaboration with University of Pennsylvania - AC Immune announced a research partnership with leading scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania focused on studying the pathological mechanisms of TDP-43 misfolding and aggregation. TDP-43, the transactive response DNA binding protein, is a transcription factor found in most human tissues. It is a recently identified target of growing interest for neuroOrphan indications such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It also plays an important role in other significant neurodegenerative indications such as Alzheimer's disease. The collaboration is aimed at deciphering the governing principles of how pathological forms of TDP-43 spread from neuron to neuron, leading to a better understanding of the TDP-43 pathologies in order to support the Company's mission to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic approaches against FTLD and other neurodegenerative diseases. AC Immune will contribute a two-year research grant to the laboratory of Dr. John Trojanowski and Dr. Virginia M.-Y. Lee. Dr. Trojanowski's research focuses on neurodegeneration and has led to the novel view that major disease-related proteins including Tau, alpha-synuclein and TDP-43, are co-deposited in most neurodegenerative diseases and how these copathologies impact the clinical representation of these diseases. Dr. Lee is a world-renowned leader in research on Tau, alpha-synuclein and the Abeta precursor protein, studying their pathobiological roles in neurodegenerative diseases.

07:21 EDT CannTrust says taking 'whatever remedial steps necessary' to regain compliance - After trading hours on Friday, August 9, CannTrust received a report from Health Canada notifying the company that its manufacturing facility in Vaughan, Ontario has been rated non-compliant with certain regulations. CannTrust has accepted Health Canada's findings and remedial actions are underway. Heath Canada's rating was based on observations made during an inspection completed during the period July 10-16, which noted: The conversion of five rooms from operational areas to storage areas, which were used for storage since June 2018 without prior approval of Health Canada; The construction of two new areas without prior approval of Health Canada, one of which was used to store cannabis since November 2018; Insufficient security controls at the manufacturing facility; Inadequate quality assurance investigations and controls; Standard operating procedures that did not to meet the requirements under regulations; and Documents or information that were not retained in a manner to enable Health Canada to complete its audit in a timely manner. As previously announced, the company implemented a voluntary hold on the sale and shipment of all cannabis products while Health Canada reviewed its Vaughan, Ontario manufacturing facility. CannTrust continues to work closely with Health Canada and will provide further details of the hold and other developments as they become available. Under the direction of the recently constituted independent Special Committee of the board of directors of the company and newly-appointed interim CEO, Robert Marcovitch, the company has already begun the process of investigating and remediating the root causes of any non-compliance and expects to propose a robust remediation plan to Health Canada. The company's CEO Robert Marcovitch stated: "We are continuing to work hard to regain the trust of Health Canada, our patients, shareholders and partners. We have retained independent consultants who have already started addressing some of the deficiencies noted in Health Canada's report. We are looking at the root causes of these issues and will take whatever remedial steps are necessary to bring the company into full regulatory compliance as quickly as possible." Although the company, under the supervision of the Special Committee, is preparing a remediation plan for submission to and consideration by Health Canada, Health Canada has advised the company that it is currently unable to provide any guidance about the timing or content of its decisions concerning the company.

07:18 EDT China Lending Corp. to dispose of Feng Hui - China Lending announced that its subsidiary, China Industrial Financial Holding Group Co., Ltd. has entered into a framework agreement with Zhejiang Zhongfeng Investment Management Co., Ltd., pursuant to which Zhongfeng will either acquire a 100% equity interest in Urumqi Fenghui Direct Lending Co., Ltd., a variable interest entity of the company primarily engaged in the microloan business, or obtain control over and become the primary beneficiary of Feng Hui through contractual arrangements for a cash consideration of no less than RMB15,000,000. Feng Hui primarily provides loan facilitation services to micro, small and medium sized enterprises in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Jingping Li, co-founder and CEO of China Lending, commented, "The disposal of Feng Hui allows us to improve our liability position and convert our accounts receivables into cash. The disposal will further improve our liquidity while eliminating the majority of our debt and financing costs so that we can commit our resources to the development of other financing business lines with more promising prospects such as supply chain financing, asset management, and insurance facilitation. In 2019, our investments in new business lines through two subsidiaries have already achieved meaningful results. We are currently in a step-by-step process of developing financing services beyond direct lending in China's economically developed regions. The disposal of Feng Hui is a decisive step towards reinvigorating our growth."

07:15 EDT Cellect Biotechnology announces 'positive' outcome from (DSMB on ApoGraft - Following the one month data of the 9th patient, the Data and Safety Monitoring Board reviewed the safety data from Cellect Biotechnology Ltd.'s ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study of ApoGraft, and announced that the DSMB unanimously recommended dose escalation and the continuation of enrollment for the fourth and final dose cohort in the study. At one-month post transplantation, the patient has shown complete engraftment and has not demonstrated any procedure-related adverse effects. The company currently expects to complete the patient recruitment by the end of 2019 and release data during the first half of 2020. The primary endpoint of the study is to evaluate the overall incidence, frequency, and severity of adverse events potentially related to ApoGraft at 180-days post-transplant. In the U.S., the company moved closer to the U.S. clinical trial as Washington University's Scientific Review Committee approved the company's study, with no comments. This, along with the other milestones that have been achieved by the company over the past few months demonstrate solid progress and the company is looking forward to working with its clinical partner and sharing further progress in the coming months.

07:11 EDT Globant acquires Belatrix Software, terms not disclosed - Globant announced the acquisition of Belatrix Software, a leading agile product development company with nearly 20 years of experience and a presence in Peru, Colombia, Spain, the United States and Argentina.

07:08 EDT Evolus expects European approval of Jeuveau in 2H19 - The company said it "received a revised positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use and now expect European approval in the second half of 2019."

07:07 EDT Casi Pharmaceuticals announces launch of EVOMELA in China - CASI Pharmaceuticals announces the product launch of EVOMELA in China which is the first commercial product for the company. EVOMELA received market approval by the China National Medical Products Administration for use as high-dose conditioning treatment prior to hematopoietic progenitor cell transplant in patients with multiple myeloma, and as a palliative treatment of patients with multiple myeloma for whom oral therapy is not appropriate. It is the only approved and commercially available melphalan product in China.

07:05 EDT Rite Aid appoints Heyward Donigan as CEO - Rite Aid announced that the board has appointed Heyward Donigan as CEO and a member of the board, effective immediately. As planned, John Standley will step down from his role as CEO in connection with this announcement. Most recently, Donigan served as the president and CEO of Sapphire Digital.

07:02 EDT Cloudera to add two Ichan representatives to board, reaches standstill agreement

06:46 EDT Lazard reports preliminary AUM approximately $234.8B as of July 31 - The month's AUM included market appreciation of $1.5B; net outflows of $2B; and foreign exchange depreciation of $2.1B.

06:45 EDT Waddell & Reed reports preliminary AUM $71.5B as of July 31 - Compared to $71.9B on June 30.

06:21 EDT PG&E evaluating proposal from Knighthead Capital, Abrams Capital - PG&E said on Friday it is evaluating a proposal from hedge funds Knighthead Capital Management and Abrams Capital Management to provide equity capital commitments supporting a plan to reorganize the company. ""The Company has received the financing proposal from Abrams and Knighthead and is evaluating it, including the backstop commitment letters and related materials, in consultation with the Company's advisors. The Company will respond to the proposal in due course. PG&E intends to work collaboratively with all of its stakeholders as we continue to further refine a plan of reorganization that meets the objectives outlined in our second-quarter earnings release and recent filings with the Bankruptcy Court."

06:08 EDT Nine Energy Services sees 'significant activity declines' in 2H19 - Management said, "We remain focused and confident on the introduction and commercialization of our new technologies in Q1 of 2020, including a low-temperature dissolvable plug targeted for the Permian and Northeast markets. These technology developments, along with cash generation and evaluation of our current service lines and geographies remain our top priorities for 2019. At Nine, we never forecasted a back-half recovery, which continues to be our view. With so much volatility in the market, in conjunction with operators unwavering commitment to staying within capital budgets, we do anticipate significant activity declines throughout the rest of the year, especially in the Northeast, which will adversely affect both our U.S. Wireline and Completion Tools divisions. Nonetheless, we remain extremely excited about our ability to generate strong cash flow in a volatile market and about the tools and technology we are developing."

06:04 EDT Yintech Investment appoints Raphael Qian as CFO - Yintech Investment announced that its board appointed Raphael Qian as Vice President and CFO of the company. With this appointment, Wenbin Chen, CEO and interim CFO of the company will focus on strategies and business operations. Prior to this appointment, Qian was Vice President and financial controller of Shanghai Dasheng Agricultural Finance.

06:01 EDT TSMC reports July revenue NT$84.76B, up 14% y/y - TSMC announced its net revenues for July 2019: On a consolidated basis, revenues for July 2019 were approximately NT$84.76B, an decrease of 1.3% from June 2019 and an increase of 14% from July 2018. Revenues for January through July 2019 totaled NT$544.46B, a decrease of 2% compared to the same period in 2018.

05:39 EDT Natuzzi announces 'short-term actions' in response to China/U.S. tariffs - Natuzzi provided the following statement: "The increase in customs tariffs imposed by the United States on goods produced in China have generated new challenges for our company. In response, Natuzzi is taking steps to implement changes in its business model aimed at delivering greater value to customers, clients and shareholders. The details of our revised business plan are expected to be communicated in September. Broadly, the business plan includes: extending our Natuzzi-branded distribution and retail operations in key geographical areas revising the existing value chain and streamlining processes, structures and operations delivering greater value to our customers and reorganizing the company to meet the demands of evolving markets. Natuzzi expects to implement a set of initiatives consistent with the business plan: beginning the process of selling non-strategic assets to fuel retail development reshaping manufacturing operations obtaining financial support from Invitalia, including funding for innovation measures and workers' training exploring new commercial partnerships in different countries. Pasquale Natuzzi, Chairman and CEO, stated: "In the business plan that we will be presenting in September, we include a series of actions to extend our direct-to-consumer operations and the revision of our value chain. We are planning a series of initiatives, including the sale of non-strategic assets, the revision of our manufacturing configuration in Europe, China and Brazil, reducing unnecessary capacity and pursuing alternative manufacturing strategies. Alongside this, we've put in place further building blocks for future growth. We have started negotiations with major parties to expand our distribution and retail network in key geographies. We have been granted financial support by Invitalia that includes investments for productivity improvement. We are developing digital solutions aimed at retail development and operational efficiency. We have started to introduce new skilled managers in order to grow consistently with the markets we see evolving. We have a comprehensive set of plans and we're focused on executing them well. We are proud that the Natuzzi brand is recognized globally for its outstanding products and services, and we are confident we have the right assets and capabilities to ensure the creation of long-term growth opportunities and capitalize on the new positions we are building."

05:08 EDT Microsoft enters strategic relationship with Jio - Reliance Jio Infocomm, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, and Microsoft are embarking on a unique, comprehensive, long-term strategic relationship aimed at accelerating the digital transformation of the Indian economy and society. This 10-year commitment combines the world-class capabilities of both companies to offer a detailed set of solutions comprising connectivity, computing, storage solutions, and other technology services and applications essential for Indian businesses and will span the broad Reliance Industries ecosystem including its existing and new businesses. In combining efforts, Jio and Microsoft aim to enhance the adoption of leading technologies like data analytics, AI, cognitive services, blockchain, Internet of Things, and edge computing among small and medium enterprises to make them ready to compete and grow, while helping accelerate technology-led GDP growth in India and driving adoption of next-gen technology solutions at scale. As part of this new agreement: Jio will provide its internal workforce with cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools available with Microsoft 365 and will migrate its non-network applications to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Jio's connectivity infrastructure that aims to connect everyone, everything, everywhere will promote the adoption of the Microsoft Azure cloud platform within its growing ecosystem of startups, as part of Jio's cloud-first strategy. Jio will set up datacenters in locations across India, consisting of next-generation compute, storage and networking capabilities, and Microsoft will deploy its Azure platform in these datacenters to support Jio's offerings. The initial two datacenters, which can house IT equipment consuming up to 7.5 MW of power, are being set up in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. These are targeted to be fully operational in calendar year 2020. Jio will leverage the Microsoft Azure cloud platform to develop innovative cloud solutions focused on the needs of Indian businesses. Through these Jio-developed solutions: Indian startups will have access to efficient and affordable cloud infrastructure and platform services, enabling them to develop innovative products and services faster and more cost-effectively. Small and medium businesses in India will have access to a range of cloud-based productivity, collaboration and business applications including Office 365, enabling them to compete more effectively in the Indian marketplace. Large companies will be able to accelerate their own digital transformations by leveraging new Jio solutions that can work with Microsoft offerings already in use today within many large enterprises. The partner ecosystem in India will have the opportunity to leverage Jio's new offerings to serve the unique needs of their customers and rapidly grow their businesses. Jio will be executing on its vision of integrated speech and computer vision solutions for Indian customers by working together with Microsoft to develop solutions that support major Indian languages and dialects, which will promote the adoption of technology across all cross-sections of Indian society.