Stockwinners Market Radar for August 13, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:53 EDT C&F Financial to acquire Peoples Bankshares for $21.4M - C&F Financial announced the agreement to acquire Peoples Bankshares and its subsidiary Peoples Community Bank for stock and cash valued at approximately $21.4M. C&F, parent of Citizens and Farmers Bank, will enter the counties of Westmoreland, King George, Richmond and Stafford via the merger. At June 30, 2019, Peoples had $194M in total assets.

18:41 EDT Zebra Technologies CEO: We've become an essential part of retailers' strategies - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) CEO Anders Gustafsson said: We do compete with Honeywell (HON), but not everywhere... Our tracking system used by the NFL is considered the best by broadcasters... We have become an essential part of retailers' strategies - we help them execute... We partner with a lot of software vendors.

18:00 EDT Altice USA General Counsel sells 30K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Altice USA disclosed that its Acting General Counsel Michael Olsen sold 30K shares of common stock on August 12th. The total transaction size was $811K.

17:57 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 836.66MT from 847.77MT - This marks the lowest level of holdings since August 5th.

17:19 EDT Marten Transport increases share repurchase program - Marten Transport approved an increase in its share repurchase program providing for the repurchase of up to $34M, or approximately 1.8 million shares, of its common stock. The repurchase program is intended to be implemented through purchases made in either the open market or through private transactions, in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission requirements.

17:17 EDT Icahn raises Cloudera stake to 19.98% from 18.36% - In a regulatory filing, Carl Icahn disclosed a 19.98% stake in Cloudera, which represents 54,795,218 shares. Icahn last week disclosed an 18.36% stake in the company.

17:07 EDT Forterra CEO Karl Watson buys over 65K shares of company stock - Forterra CEO Karl Watson disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 65,200 shares of company stock at an average price of $6.94 per share on August 9. The total transaction value of the purchase was $452,488.

17:04 EDT AMD director Nora Denzel sells over $1m in company shares - AMD director Nora Denzel disclosed in a filing that she had sold 31,737 shares of the company's stock at an average price of $34.29 per share on August 9. The total transaction value of the sale was $1,088,262.

17:02 EDT Option Care Health receives anticipated Nasdaq notice - Option Care Health announced that on August 7, 2019, it received a letter from the Nasdaq Staff informing it that, since the merger between Option Care Enterprises, Inc. and BioScrip, Inc. constituted a change of control for purposes of the Nasdaq Listing Rules, Option Care was required to meet all applicable criteria for initial listing on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. The letter indicated that, since Option Care did not satisfy the minimum $4.00 bid price requirement upon consummation of the merger, Option Care's securities were subject to delisting unless it requests a hearing before the Nasdaq appeals panel, which will allow Option Care to remain listed pending the outcome of the hearing. As part of its preparations for the merger, Option Care anticipated receiving the Staff's letter and plans to request a hearing before the appeals panel, which will allow Option Care to continue to remain listed on Nasdaq until the issuance of the panel's decision. Option Care plans to take all reasonable actions to demonstrate compliance with the applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules so as to maintain its listing on Nasdaq and/or apply to list its securities on the NYSE American exchange where it believes it would satisfy all of the applicable initial listing criteria, including the price requirement for listing on that exchange.

16:55 EDT Ross Stores appoints Michael Hartshorn COO, Travis Marquette CFO - Ross Stores announced operational leadership changes effective August 16. Michael Hartshorn is being named group president and COO, reporting directly to CEO Barbara Rentler. In his new role, Hartshorn will be adding strategy, marketing, human resources, supply chain, stores and technology to his current responsibilities. Travis Marquette is being promoted to group senior VP and CFO. Marquette will continue to report to Hartshorn and will be responsible for the entire finance organization, adding tax and investor relations to his existing management responsibility for accounting, treasury, financial planning, and strategic sourcing. Hartshorn has served as group executive VP, finance and legal and CFO since March. For seven years prior to joining Ross, he held various financial roles at The May Department Stores Company. Marquette has been group senior VP and deputy CFO since 2018. Marquette held various consulting and management roles over a 12-year period with Bain & Company, Carter's Inc. and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

16:48 EDT Contura Energy announces COO transition plan - Contura Energy announced a number of changes to both its board of directors and senior management. On Monday, August 12, the company's board of directors took action to reconfigure the board's composition, reducing its size to five members, including one vacancy, while reserving the ability to increase the board's size and appoint one or more additional board members in the future. The company also announced two changes to its executive management team. Effective Wednesday, August 14, Contura's current executive vice president and COO, Scott Kreutzer, will transition to a newly created position of executive vice president and chief strategy officer. In this role, Kreutzer will lead the strategic planning and development efforts for the company and continue to serve on Contura's management team. Kreutzer has served in his current role at Contura since January 2018, having previously served in various other senior leadership roles at Contura and its predecessor company, Alpha Natural Resources, since 2011. Joining Contura's management team as the company's new executive vice president and COO, effective Wednesday, August 14, will be Jason Whitehead, former COO at Alpha Natural Resources. Both positions will report directly to Contura's CEO, David Stetson.

16:40 EDT Viacom CEO Bakish says CBS merger to accelerate the companies' growth - Says will build on international position in UK, Argentina, India, and beyond. Says combined company's premium content scale to maximize position and value added in the business with 140K TV episodes. Sees significant potential to leverage platforms. Says combined company to be one of the largest content spenders in the industry. To have global reach of over 4.3B subscribers and distribution in over 180 countries. Says will accelerate growth of DTC offerings with CBS All Access and Showtime OTT. Comments taken from the CBS/Viacom joint conference call.

16:34 EDT Mountain Province Diamonds receives Nasdaq compliance notification - Mountain Province Diamonds announced that it has received notification from Nasdaq Stock Market LLC that it is not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Rules for continued listing on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450a1 requires listed securities to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share, and Listing Rule 5810c3A provides that a failure to meet the minimum bid price requirement exists if the deficiency continues for a period of 30 consecutive business days. Based on the closing bid price of the company's common shares for the last 30 consecutive business days or from June 28, 2019 to August 12, 2019, the Company no longer meets the minimum bid price requirement.

16:27 EDT CDK Global down 13% to $41.20 after Q4 results, FY20 guidance miss estimates

16:26 EDT Tilray falls over 5% after reporting Q2 results

16:23 EDT Ramaco Resources sees FY19 CapEx $35M-$40M - The company commented, "Overall, our Q2 performance was very good. Our mines, although continuing to lose some potential operating shifts, performed quite well. There were no noteworthy production issues in the second quarter. We anticipate a stable and slightly improving production profile throughout the second half of the year. As the Q3 is progressing, we are watching two trends develop. First, we are seeing a deceleration in international pricing, mostly driven by lower demand and uncertainty surrounding Chinese import restrictions. Second, we are seeing pronounced financial weakness in the form of numerous coal bankruptcies. Our well capitalized mines are becoming the new standard in our operating regions. The reliability and quality that comes from our mines has created one of the strongest North American coal sales portfolios in the space. 2020 domestic contracting has begun. It is a very good time to have an outsized incumbent North American sales position that is well embedded into our customer's blends. With that being said, we have made a large push to qualify our coal in all key international markets. The large number of recent US coal bankruptcies has caused concern with potential export customers. Our advantaged balance sheet, combined with our approach to mining, is helping set us apart and advance these important efforts."

16:20 EDT Lifeway Foods launches plant-based frozen probiotic Plantiful - Lifeway Foods announced that their recently released dairy-free product, Plantiful, will now be available as a soft serve treat at The Lifeway Kefir Shop. The new vegan friendly Plantiful smoothies and swirls will be available at all three Lifeway Kefir Shops in Chicago: The Block37 shopping center on State Street, The Merchandise Mart and the Division Street locations. The company will also make Plantiful soft serve mix available as a wholesale item for frozen yogurt shops around the country looking for plant-based options. Plantiful is a plant-based, dairy-free beverage with 10 cultures of live and active probiotics and 10 grams of protein per serving. It is made with organic ingredients and contains no dairy, gluten or soy. The foundation of Plantiful is a cultured, organic pea protein, an ingredient lauded as one of the most sustainable protein sources.

16:18 EDT Novan takes steps to reduce real estate footprint - Novan announced that the company has executed a non-binding letter of intent, or LOI, with a third party on its facility at 4105 Hopson Road in Morrisville, NC. The primary goal of the LOI is to negotiate an agreement that obtains the release of Novan from its current multi-year obligation. This agreement has a 60-day period of exclusivity for negotiations. The company's objective is to reach a binding agreement no later than the end of Q3. Embedded within the agreement is an allowance for the company to simultaneously sublease a portion of the Hopson Road facility and remain there for the foreseeable future, which is intended to minimize business disruptions. An executed agreement is targeted to reduce Novan's real estate presence by approximately 70%.

16:10 EDT Gevo announces supply agreement with Air TOTAL - Gevo announced that Air TOTAL International SA and Gevo have entered into a partnership agreement to produce and supply sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, for use and distribution in France and other parts of Europe. With the finalization of this new supply contract, Gevo will initially supply Air TOTAL sustainable aviation fuel from its facility in Silsbee Texas and later from Gevo's expanded Luverne Minnesota plant which is expected to be constructed over the next several years. Air TOTAL specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of jet fuel and aviation gasoline for over 60 years. Air TOTAL supplies the commercial, business and general aviation sectors at more than 300 airports in 72 countries on five continents.

16:02 EDT Alaska Air reports combined July traffic up 2.8%, capacity up 2.5% - Load factor increased 0.3 points to 88.0%.

15:30 EDT Dow to divest Acetone Derivatives business to ALTIVIA Ketones & Additives - Dow announced that it has reached an agreement for the divestiture of its Acetone Derivatives business to ALTIVIA Ketones & Additives, LLC, an affiliate of ALTIVIA, a privately held producer of chemicals headquartered in Houston, Texas. The divestiture includes production assets located in Institute, West Virginia, in addition to the site infrastructure, land and utilities. Dow will remain a tenant on the Institute site, retaining ownership of certain manufacturing assets. The transaction enables the acetone derivatives business to continue reliably and safely serving its customers. Additionally, it allows the Institute site to continue providing site infrastructure services to partners at the site. Both companies are working together on a seamless transition plan for all stakeholders. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions.

14:23 EDT Kohl's introduces 'Curated by Kohl's' powered by Facebook - Kohl's (KSS) announced the introduction of Curated by Kohl's, a new selection of products from emerging brands available in more than 50 Kohl's stores and Kohls.com beginning mid-October 2019. Powered by Facebook (FB), Curated by Kohl's will bring a new assortment of brands into multiple departments across select Kohl's stores and Kohls.com on an ongoing basis, giving Kohl's customers the opportunity to shop and discover emerging brands. Beginning in 2020, Kohl's will partner with Facebook on brand curation, identifying and engaging with brands that have built a strong online community on the social media platform. The Curated by Kohl's assortment will be refreshed quarterly with new products across multiple categories which may include apparel, accessories and home. Beginning mid-October 2019, Curated by Kohl's will feature its first selection of items from the following brands - just in time for the holiday season. The next assortment of brands, selected in partnership with Facebook, will be available in spring 2020.

14:18 EDT California AG says 22 states filed suit challenging repeal of Clean Power Plan - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols - as part of a coalition of 22 states, the District of Columbia, and six local governments - filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's repeal of the Clean Power Plan and its replacement rule, the so-called Affordable Clean Energy Rule. "President Trump's attempt to gut our nation's Clean Power Plan is foolish. It's also unlawful. His fossil fuel protection plan fails everyone who stands for cleaner air. And it fails our economy, which depends on clean energy now more than ever," said Attorney General Becerra. Publicly traded energy utilities include NextEra Energy (NEE), Dominion (D), Duke Energy (DUK), Southern Company (SO), American Electric (AEP), Exelon (EXC), Sempra Energy (SRE), Xcel Energy (XEL), Consolidated Edison (ED), PSEG (PEG), PG&E (PCG) and Edison International (EIX). Publicly traded companies in the coal space include Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP), Alpha Natural (ANR), Arch Coal (ACI), CNX Resources (CNX) and Peabody Energy (BTU) and Cloud Peak Energy (CLDP). Reference Link

14:13 EDT CBS, Viacom to combine in all-stock merger to create ViacomCBS - CBS Corp. (CBS) and Viacom (VIA, VIAB) announced they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger, creating a combined company with more than $28B in revenue. The combined company, ViacomCBS, "will be a leading global, multiplatform, premium content company, with the assets, capabilities and scale to be one of the most important content producers and providers in the world," the companies stated. Bob Bakish, President and CEO, Viacom, will become President and Chief Executive Officer of the combined company. Joe Ianniello, President and Acting CEO, CBS, will become Chairman and CEO of CBS and will oversee all CBS-branded assets in his new role. The merger agreement was approved by the boards of directors of both CBS and Viacom by unanimous vote of those present, upon the unanimous recommendations of the Special Committees of the CBS and Viacom Boards of Directors, respectively. Existing CBS shareholders will own approximately 61% of the combined company and existing Viacom shareholders will own approximately 39% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis. Under the terms of the merger agreement, each Viacom Class A voting share and Viacom Class B non-voting share will convert into 0.59625 of a Class A voting share and Class B non-voting share of CBS, respectively. NAI, which holds approximately 78.9% and 79.8% of the Class A voting shares of CBS and Viacom, respectively, has agreed to deliver consents sufficient to assure approval of the transaction. More than two-thirds of the CBS directors unaffiliated with NAI, and all of those unaffiliated directors who voted on the transaction, have approved the transaction, as required in order to permit NAI to consent to the transaction under the terms of the 2018 settlement agreement entered into among CBS, NAI and certain other parties thereto. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close by the 2019 calendar year end.

14:09 EDT CBS, Viacom announce agreement to combine in all-stock merger

13:21 EDT Cornerstone Building Brands spikes about 18% after company execs buy shares - Shares of Cornerstone Building Brands, a maker of metal products for the nonresidential construction industry in North America, are up around 18% in afternoon trading after executives at the company including its CFO Jeffrey Lee and the CEO of its Commercial Business unit Donald Riley bought shares in the company's common stock. Donald Riley bought 25,500 shares or of CNR stock on August 12 at the average price of $3.94 for a total transaction value of $100,470. Jeffrey Lee bought 23,000 shares on August 9, at an average price of $4.17 for a total transaction value of $95,857. Two directors Daniel Janki and George Ball purchased 50,000 shares and 100,000 shares respectively. Shares of Cornerstone Building Brands are off earlier highs, up 67c per share, to $4.61 per share in afternoon trading on Tuesday. .

13:05 EDT Network-1 Technologies receives new patent, expanding M2M/IoT patent portfolio - Network-1 Technologies announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 10,382,422. The claims in the newly issued patent are generally directed towards methods of updating profiles on embedded universal integrated circuit cards. The newly issued '422 patent arises from a patent application contained in the M2M/IoT patent portfolio acquired by Network-1 in December 2017. The M2M/IoT Patent Portfolio relates to, among other things, the enabling technology for authenticating and using embedded SIM cards in next generation IoT, Machine-to-Machine, and other mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets and computers as well as automobiles and drones. With this latest issuance, the M2M/IoT Patent Portfolio now includes twenty-three issued U.S. patents and seven pending U.S. patent applications, plus seven additional pending non-U.S. patent applications. Network-1 anticipates further issuances of additional claims for the M2M/IoT Patent Portfolio.

12:55 EDT Discovery Communications trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:36 EDT Lee Enterprises director William Mayer sells 100K shares of company stock - Lee Enterprises director William Mayer disclosed in a regulatory filing that he had sold 100,000 shares of company stock at $2.14 per share on August 12. The total transaction value of the sale was $213,940.

12:00 EDT Workiva falls -10.8% - Workiva is down -10.8%, or -$6.68 to $55.22.

12:00 EDT Bloom Energy falls -37.8% - Bloom Energy is down -37.8%, or -$3.02 to $4.98.

11:34 EDT NanoVibronix signs distribution agreement for PainShield MD with ProTrade - NanoVibronix, a medical device company that produces the PainShield surface acoustic wave device, announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with ProTrade Systems, a medical equipment distributor in the U.S. for thousands of patients, elite athletes, athletic trainers, professional teams, special military forces, orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine doctors, and physical therapists. Brian Murphy, CEO of NanoVibronix Inc., commented, "ProTrade is the ideal distribution partner for us, with strong relationships and a great reputation with athletes, professional sports teams, and athletic trainers. This agreement is consistent with our strategy to partner with organizations that have significant sales resources to accelerate our penetration into targeted markets around the world."

10:22 EDT Third Point takes stakes in GTT and Burlington during Q2, exits DuPont - Dan Loen's Third Point LLC disclosed in a regulatory filing its holdings as of June 30, 2019. Third Point made 16 new buys during the second quarter, including by size of position, Centene (CNC), Burlington Stores (BURL), GTT Communications (GTT), Tradeweb Markets (TW), and Americold Realty Trust (COLD). The fund exited four positions during the quarter: DuPont (DD), Constellation Brands (STZ), Celgene (CELG), and American Express (AXP). Third Point increased its stake in nine holdings, including by size, Boston Scientific (BSX), Netflix (NFLX), Adobe Systems (ADBE), Microsoft (MSFT) and Ross Stores (ROST). The fund reduced its stake in five holdings: Baxter (BAX), Campbell Soup (CPB), United Technologies (UTX), iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond Fund ETF, and Iqvia (IQV). Third Point's top holdings as of June 30, in order of size, were Baxter, United Technologies, Campbell Soup, Danaher (DHR), and PayPal (PYPL).

10:08 EDT General Motors CFO says has two years of dividends stored in cash balance

10:07 EDT GTT jumps after Third Point shows 5.5% stake in quarterly filing - Shares of GTT Communications are higher after Dan Loeb's Third Point disclosed a 3.07M share stake in its latest quarterly filing, which represents the fund's holdings as of June 30. Third Point's stake is valued at $53.9M and equals 5.5% of GTT's outstanding shares. The stock in early trading is up 11%, or 59c, to $9.00.

10:02 EDT Raytheon, Rheinmetall expand deam for Army combat vehicle competition - Raytheon Company and Rheinmetall Defence are partnering with Pratt & Miller Defense for the U.S. Army's Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle competition. The Detroit-based company will provide engineering analysis to help ensure the Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle meets or exceeds the Army's survivability requirements for OMFV. Scheduled for fielding in 2026, the OMFV is expected to replace the Bradley fighting vehicle. The companies commented, "In 2018, Raytheon and Rheinmetall joined forces to offer Lynx for the Army's OMFV competition. Lynx is a next-generation, tracked armored fighting vehicle designed to address the critical challenges of the future battlefield. The team is providing an overmatch advantage for soldiers, growth capacity to support new technologies over the vehicle's lifetime, and lower life-cycle costs. Lynx will be manufactured in the U.S. by American workers."

10:00 EDT BBVA rises 10.7% - BBVA is up 10.7%, or 57c to $5.89.

10:00 EDT GTT Communications rises 14.8% - GTT Communications is up 14.8%, or $1.20 to $9.31.

09:52 EDT General Motors CFO says restructuring to save $2.25B this year - Comments taken from the JPMorgan Auto Conference.

09:47 EDT Advance Auto Parts falls -7.2% - Advance Auto Parts is down -7.2%, or -$10.29 to $131.87.

09:40 EDT General Electric announces two new 6F gas turbine orders in China - General Electric announced two orders for its 6F gas turbine in China with Guangdong Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited and China Huadian Corporation Xiangyang. GE said it will provide two 6F.03 gas turbines to Lee & Man for the gas-fired cogeneration plant located at Hongmei Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China, and two 6F.03 units for the Phase 1 gas-fired cogeneration project for CHD Xiangyang Fancheng, which will be the first 6F.03 project in the Hubei Province of China. With these two new orders, GE has sold a total of 36 6F.03 units in China and and 17 of those units are currently in operation, it noted. Reference Link

09:32 EDT Curtiss-Wright awarded contracts valued over $80M by U.S. Navy - Curtiss-Wright announced that it has been awarded contracts valued in excess of $80M to provide propulsion valves for the U.S. Navy's Virginia-class nuclear powered attack submarine and Columbia-class submarines programs. The awards were received from Bechtel Plant Machinery to support ship construction and spare parts procurement and General Dynamics Electric Boat to support ship construction for Block V, which includes the new Virginia Payload Module.

09:16 EDT Bio-Techne and Cygnus Technologies announce partnership - Bio-Techne and Cygnus Technologies, part of Maravai LifeSciences, announced a strategic partnership for the quantification of Chinese hamster ovary host cell proteins, or CHO-HCP, on the ProteinSimple-branded Ella immunoassay platform. Under the terms of the agreement, Bio-Techne and Cygnus are introducing the co-developed third generation CHO-HCP assay in the proprietary Simple Plex immunoassay cartridge for customers in North America and Europe.

09:12 EDT Ideanomics and iUnicorn joint venture secures first order for new energy taxis - Ideanomic and iUnicorn, known as Shenma in China, announced that their newly publicized joint venture has secured its first order for 11,000 new energy taxis for the City of Chengdu, China. Under the terms of the deal, the joint venture will work with Ideanomics' and iUnicorn's industry expertise and relationships to purchase 11,000 new energy taxis, to be delivered in tranches by December 31, 2020. The sales order is effective immediately and is subject to securing suitable lease financing arrangements for the order which is expected to top 1B RMB or $140M.

09:09 EDT Snap unveils Spectacles 3, 3D wearable camera priced at $380 - Snap unveiled Spectacles 3, "the latest version of Spectacles sunglasses delivering innovative design with dual HD cameras to empower creativity in 3D." Spectacles 3 are equipped with two HD cameras "to capture Snaps in 3D and transform them with 3D Effects, inspiring creativity like never before." Tap either button for video, up to 60 seconds continuously, or press and hold for a still. "Spectacles 3 supplements high-definition videos with high-fidelity audio from a 4-microphone array. LED indicator lights notify people when recording, and users will see a light as well." Spectacles 3 will ship this fall and are available to pre-order now for $380.

09:08 EDT Caterpillar reports retail machines sales up 4% in three months end July - Caterpillar reported in a regulatory filing that its total retail machines sales were up 4% on a three month rolling basis in July. For reference, retail sales of machines were up 5% in the period ending in June and up 6% in the period ending in May. The company reported world Resources Industries sales were up 24% in the July-end period, compared to a June-end period increase of 23%. Construction Industries world sales were down 1% in the July-end period, versus unchanged in the prior three-month period ending in June. Total Energy & Transportation Retail Sales were up 6% in the July-end period, and were up 3% in the June-end period.

09:05 EDT Domo appoints John Mellor as chief strategy officer - Domo (DOMO) announced that it has expanded its management team, attracting senior leaders from Adobe (ADBE), Microsoft (MSFT) and SAP (SAP), to advance customer success in digital transformation through the power of the Domo platform. Domo's new executive leaders include John Mellor from Adobe as chief strategy officer, Robert Davy from Microsoft as vice president of ecosystem, and Pam Marion from SAP as chief customer success officer.

09:04 EDT Alteryx names Amy Heidersbach as chief marketing officer - Alteryx announced that Amy Heidersbach has joined the company as chief marketing officer. Amy brings more than 20 years of experience building authentic brands, bringing innovative products to market and delivering effective campaigns that connect with consumers, businesses, developers and partners. Her experience launching and growing marketplace businesses at Capital One and PayPal will benefit Alteryx as it expands into new markets and ecosystems.

09:03 EDT El Pollo Loco names Jason Weintraub as CLO - El Pollo Loco announced the appointment of Jason Weintraub as chief legal officer, effective August 29. Most recently, Weintraub served as the Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary for BSH Home Appliances Corporation.

08:58 EDT Gaia Chairman and CEO Jirka Rysavy buys 105,879 shares - In a regulatory filing yesterday, Gaia Chairman and CEO Jirka Rysavy disclosed the purchase of 105,879 shares of the company's common stock in transactions made on August 8 and 9 at average prices between $7.12 to $7.18 per share.

08:47 EDT Strongbridge Biopharma CFO Brian Davis to depart - Strongbridge Biopharma announced key leadership changes, including the appointment of Richard Kollender, who previously served on the Company's board of directors, to COO and the promotion of Robert Lutz from chief business officer to CFO. Brian Davis, the current CFO, is leaving the Company to pursue other opportunities. Additionally, David Gill has been appointed to the board of directors and as chairman of the audit committee following Richard's resignation from the Board. All management and board changes will become effective on September 3, 2019.

08:40 EDT Land and Buildings issues letter to Brookdale Senior Living shareholders - Land and Buildings issued the following open letter to shareholders of Brookdale Senior Living: "On August 6th Brookdale's CEO Cindy Baier stated on the Company's second quarter conference call that Brookdale believes its "turnaround" is working and that all that is needed is more time. Unfortunately, the reality remains that based on all relevant measures this Board of Directors (the "Board") and management team have failed to create shareholder value. Equally concerning, they have demonstrated a lack of willingness to meaningfully engage with Land & Buildings or its director nominees around how to potentially reverse this half-decade-long trend of underperformance. In our view, when considering the credibility and troubling track record of this Board, the litany of value maximizing and shareholder-friendly options that Brookdale has refused to act on or implement speaks volumes, including: immediate destaggering of the Board, alowing shareholders to call a special meeting, holding annual meetings on a regularly scheduled basis, selling owned real estate as long as shares trade at a material discount to net asset value (NAV), hiring third-party operators to manage underperforming owned real estate, separating the Company into a REIT and operator or Sale of the Company, including since leases were restructured. We understand that Brookdale is currently seeking to replace its two retiring Board members with two new individuals. Rather than appoint Land & Buildings' two highly-qualified director candidates, Jay Flaherty and Jon Litt, who we believe have the deep healthcare, real estate and finance experience necessary to maximize value for all Brookdale shareholders, this Board has chosen to engage in a costly proxy contest in order to, in our view, preserve the troubling status quo. Brookdale is also in the process of hiring a new President - whose job specifications appear to be duplicative with those of the CEO - which we believe is an acknowledgement that the Board and management team have not been up to the task of turning around the Company. Given the current Board's apparent inability to act in the best interests of all shareholders and provide effective oversight of the Company, do we truly expect that these decisions should be solely left up to them? Conversely, one action Brookdale did take was to state on its recent earnings call that creating a separate Brookdale REIT alongside a Brookdale operator would not create value and that Green Street Advisors' analysis contained "fundamental flaws". Green Street is the preeminent independent research and advisory firm concentrating on the commercial real estate industry. Unfortunately, neither Brookdale nor its advisors have accepted direct invitations from Land & Buildings to sit down with us and Green Street to evaluate the analysis and help us understand exactly which elements of it are so misinformed. Further, Land & Buildings' conversations with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, one of Brookdale's advisors, prior to the bank being retained by the Company, seemed to indicate a very different view on the substantial value creation of a potential Brookdale PropCo/OpCo. We believe it is in the best interest of shareholders to have full transparency into Green Street's analysis to draw their own conclusions."

08:38 EDT Streamline Health says healthcare provider signs contract for eValuator - Streamline Health Solutions announced it signed a contract on July 29 for Streamline Health eValuator with another large, multi-facility healthcare provider in the Southwestern United States. The new client will use eValuator's cloud-based automated pre- and post-bill coding analysis technology to help improve both their inpatient and outpatient billing.

08:33 EDT Novan completes enrollment in Phase 3 molluscum pivotal trial - Novan announced that the Company has recently completed patient recruitment in the Company's ongoing "B-SIMPLE" Phase 3 pivotal trials with SB206 for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum. The trials enrolled approximately 680 patients with 3 to 70 molluscum lesions at Baseline. The primary efficacy endpoint of the trials is complete clearance of all treatable molluscum lesions at Week 12, and follow-up will include a Week 24 safety assessment.The SB206 results from Phase 2, previously announced in December 2018, demonstrated a clear treatment effect on the complete clearance of all molluscum lesions at Week 12 for 12% once-daily SB206 gel. There were signs of efficacy as early as Week 2, and the Phase 2 trial showed a favorable safety profile. For the primary endpoint, 12% once-daily was the most effective dose with 38% complete clearance rates compared to 18% for vehicle. Novan reaffirms that top line results are expected no later than early in the first quarter of 2020.

08:31 EDT RCI Hospitality names Friedman LLP as auditor - RCI Hospitality announced the Audit Committee of its Board of Directors has appointed Friedman LLP as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, effective August 12.

08:30 EDT Alcentra Capital trading resumes

08:26 EDT Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives postpones release of Q2 results - Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives announced that it is postponing the release of its second quarter 2019 financial results. The purpose of the delay is to give the Company time to complete and disclose significant initiatives currently being undertaken by the Company. IEA intends to announce its second quarter 2019 financial results and the details of such initiatives on or before August 14, 2019 and is postponing its previously announced conference call that was scheduled for today, Tuesday, August 13, 2019. The Company will announce the details of a future conference call when it releases its financial results.

08:24 EDT Bionano says data confirms Saphyr's potential to replace cytogenetics methods - Bionano Genomics announced a summary of results from two key studies presented this week at the 2019 Cancer Genomics Consortium Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. In a preliminary read-out of a multi-center clinical validation study using blinded samples, Professor Brynn Levy, Director of Cytogenetics at Columbia University, presented outcomes on the first 11 patient samples analyzed and unblinded. This study compares Saphyr to technologies used in traditional cytogenetics workflows for patient testing in oncology and is being run by a consortium of leading cytogenetics teams at institutions in the United States, including Columbia University, the MD Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas, the Mayo Clinic, the University of Washington, Penn State University, Augusta University and the PathGroup. In each of the 11 samples, Saphyr detected all known clinical variants identified by various combinations of karyotype, Fluorescent In-Situ Hybridization, and Chromosomal MicroArray, which define the current standard of care in cytogenetics. Some of the variants identified include: in Acute Myeloid Leukemia samples, a large inversion on chromosome 16, which creates a CBFB MYH11 fusion; in one B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) sample, a BCR-ABL1 translocation, and deletions of tumor suppressor genes IKZF1 and CDK6; and in a separate B-ALL sample, a NF1 deletion, which is a well-known risk factor for childhood leukemia. This detailed characterization of variants allows for a precise treatment tailored to the specific patient's tumor. During his presentation, Dr. Levy discussed the strong concordance of the size of the deletions and the breakpoints identified by Saphyr with those determined by microarray results. Based on the preliminary results, Dr. Levy concluded that Saphyr has the potential to be a powerful new tool in cytogenomics for assessing chromosome structure and copy number. Upon completion of the clinical validation phase, Dr. Levy's team plans to evaluate the benefits of using the Saphyr system for discovery of novel variants by analyzing samples previously deemed "normal" by karyotype, FISH, and CMA to identify the existence of any recurring abnormalities with prognostic and therapeutic value that may have been missed by traditional methods. In a second study, Associate Professor Rashmi Kanagal-Shamanna, Microarray Director in the Molecular Diagnostics Lab of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, presented results from the analysis of seven patient samples with Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a precursor to leukemia characterized by the presence of large structural variants. In addition to identifying all clinically relevant variants previously detected by karyotyping and CMA, Saphyr revealed additional structural variants of research interest that were missed by these methods, including deletions of the TP53 and TET2 genes, which have prognostic and therapeutic implications. Use of the Saphyr system further enabled elucidation of a complex rearrangement involving three chromosomes, with deletions and duplications at the breakpoints, all of which were not captured by other cytogenetic methods. Additionally, Saphyr facilitated precise mapping of variants within genomic co-ordinates, especially in cases involving complex rearrangements. Dr. Kanagal-Shamanna stated that the high concordance between Bionano optical mapping and conventional techniques provides proof-of-concept for potential use of Saphyr as a single-platform for comprehensive assessment of all structural variants, including copy number variants and balanced rearrangements. In hematological malignancies, this eliminates need for cell culture and provides higher resolution than standard of care assays.

08:20 EDT Giggles N' Hugs engages Veera Hospitality Group to lead business development - Giggles N' Hugs announced that it has engaged Veera Hospitality Group to lead its franchise and business development efforts.

08:19 EDT Mustang Bio announces $9.28M grant to fund Phase 1 trial of MB-103 - Mustang Bio announced that City of Hope has received a $9.28M grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to fund an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of MB-103 for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer with brain metastases. City of Hope patents covering the HER2 CAR were licensed to Mustang Bio in 2017. The City of Hope research team led by Saul Priceman, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, along with the clinical lead Jana Portnow, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, will use the funds to support the Phase 1 trial. The trial is expected to enroll 21 patients at City of Hope. The trial's primary objective is to determine the safety and recommended Phase 2 dosing of intraventricular delivery of HER2-specific CAR T cells. Secondary objectives include assessing cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood for HER2-CAR T cell persistence and endogenous immune system activation, describing changes in cytokine levels in the CSF and peripheral blood and describing changes in circulating tumor cells in the CSF.

08:15 EDT Cresent Cap Advisors establishes fee structure for Alcentra Capital acquisition - Following the transaction, Crescent BDC stockholders and Alcentra Capital stockholders are expected to own approximately 81% and 19%, respectively, of the combined company, which will remain externally managed by Crescent Cap Advisors. All Crescent BDC officers and directors in office immediately prior to the closing of the transaction will remain in their current roles following closing. In connection with the transaction, Crescent Cap Advisors has agreed to establish a fee structure and amend its current investment management agreement with Crescent BDC to take effect immediately after the closing of the transaction.The fee structure includes annual base management fee rate reduced from 1.50% to 1.25%; six quarters of base management fee waivers, so that only 0.75% will be charged for such time period; annualized incentive fee hurdle increased from 6% to 7% while maintaining a 17.5% income incentive fee and six quarters of full waivers of the income-based portion of the incentive fee. Additionally, Crescent BDC will implement a stock repurchase program for a period of twelve months following the closing of the transaction via open-market share repurchases in an aggregate amount of up to $20M, less any amounts provided under any repurchase program for Crescent BDC stock that is entered into by affiliates of Crescent BDC or Crescent Cap Advisors, subject to certain regulatory restrictions. Over two-thirds of Crescent BDC's stockholders already support the transaction and have agreed to vote their shares in favor of the merger and related transactions. Additionally, Crescent BDC stockholders generally will be restricted from trading their shares for at least six months following the closing of the transaction, subject to a modified lock-up schedule thereafter for an additional six months. Consummation of Crescent BDC's acquisition of Alcentra Capital is subject to Alcentra Capital stockholder approval, customary regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in Q4.

08:13 EDT LogicBio Therapeutics expects cash to fund operations into 2021 - Cash, cash equivalents and investments were $63.7 million as of June 30, 2019. The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and investments at June 30, 2019, together with the net proceeds received under the Secured Debt Facility entered into on July 2, 2019, are projected to fund the Company's planned operations into 2021.

08:11 EDT Beazley U.S. Accident & Health changes name to Beazley Benefits - Beazley U.S. Accident & Health announced that it has changed its marketing name to "Beazley Benefits." Over the past decade, the Beazley Benefits team has partnered with producers to offer supplemental health solutions for the employee benefits market, including traditional, specialty niche and variable hour, and government contract segments.

08:09 EDT Steven Madden acquires BB Dakota, terms not disclosed - Steve Madden announced that it has completed the acquisition of privately held BB Dakota, a California-based contemporary women's apparel company known for quality, stylish classics with an effortless attitude. Founded in 2005 by Gloria Brandes, BB Dakota products are distributed to wholesale customers, including better department stores, e-commerce retailers and specialty boutiques, as well as on bbdakota.com. BB Dakota's brand portfolio includes owned brands BB Dakota and Jack by BB Dakota and licensed brand Cupcakes and Cashmere. BB Dakota had net sales in the 12 months ended June 30, 2019 of approximately $43M.

08:07 EDT Biocept awarded three patents covering methods to capture biomolecules - Biocept announces that it has been awarded three distinct patents in the U.S., Canada, and Europe: U.S. Patent No. 10,369,568 entitled CELL SEPARATION USING MICROCHANNEL HAVING PATTERNED POSTS; Canadian Patent No. 2,756,493 entitled DEVICES AND METHODS OF CELL CAPTURE AND ANALYSIS; and European Patent No. 2,619,588 entitled METHODS AND REAGENTS FOR SIGNAL AMPLIFICATION. The U.S. issued patent broadly covers methods and apparatus used for the capture of target biomolecules, including cells of interest, using microchannels that disrupt flow to aid capture. The Canadian patent covers the capture of target cells, including CTCs, using a combination of binding partners and methods for capture on any surface. The European patent encompasses methods for enhancing the detection of cells using fluorescent complexes. The combination of these patents significantly expands the breadth of intellectual property protection for Biocept's technologies in terms of their applications and global reach. These three new patents expand Biocept's intellectual property estate to 36 issued patents globally.

08:05 EDT Zomedica says preparing to launch Truforma veterinarian diagnostic device - Zomedica said in a statement that it is preparing to launch veterinarian diagnostic device Truforma. The company said, "Beyond TRUFORMA, Zomedica has a growing pipeline of therapeutic products that are progressing through testing and analysis phases - all of which have already been approved for human use. Those prior approvals are important and will help Zomedica expedite regulatory processes that provide accelerated pathways that allow for already approved human drugs to be used for treatment in companion animals. Zomedica is effectively working to bring to market a platform of novel drug formulations, in addition to its diagnostic platforms, explicitly tailored to animals. And, with the approval channels more receptive to already approved medications for use in companion animals, Zomedica is well-positioned to expand its revenue-generating product base in the coming quarters."

08:03 EDT Kadmon: On track to report interim analysis of KD025-213 trial by end of 2019 - "The rapid enrollment in this cGVHD trial highlights the importance of evaluating new therapeutic candidates for this complex disease. We look forward to sharing the outcome of our interim analysis by year-end and filing a pre-NDA meeting request with the FDA," said Harlan W. Waksal M.D., President and CEO of Kadmon. "We are grateful to the clinical investigators and their teams, who were instrumental in enrolling the trial in a timely manner, and to the study participants and their families. We believe that KD025 holds significant promise as a potential new treatment option for patients with this devastating disease."

08:03 EDT Kadmon fully enrolls KD025 trial for cGVHD - Kadmon Holdings announced that KD025-213, an open-label registration trial of KD025 for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease, is fully enrolled. The study is being conducted at more than 30 clinical sites throughout the United States. The company expects to disclose outcomes from a planned interim analysis before year end. Data from this analysis are intended to serve as the basis for a pre-New Drug Application meeting with the U.S. FDA regarding KD025 in cGVHD. KD025-213 is an open-label registration trial of KD025 in adults and adolescents with cGVHD who have received at least two prior lines of systemic therapy. Patients were randomized to receive KD025 200 mg QD or 200 mg BID, enrolling 63 patients per arm. The primary endpoint is the Overall Response Rate, defined as the percentage of patients who achieve a complete or partial response at any time point during the study, per the 2014 National Institutes of Health overall response criteria. Based on FDA guidance, an ORR of greater than or equal to30% is considered clinically significant. The KD025-213 study protocol is based on FDA guidance received in a Type C meeting and was designed in consultation with leading cGVHD experts. The FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to KD025 for the treatment of cGVHD following at least 2 prior systemic therapies. The FDA has also granted Orphan Drug Designation to KD025 for the treatment of cGVHD.

07:54 EDT General Electric CEO buys 331,684 shares for $9.04 per share - In a regulatory filing, General Electric disclosed that CEO Larry Culp bought 331,684 shares on Monday at $9.04, putting the value of his purchase at nearly $3M. Additionally, the company disclosed that lead director Thomas Horton bought 55,248 shares at $9.02 per share.

07:46 EDT BrainStorm expects to finalize enrollment for phase 3 ALS trial in October - By the end of July 2019, 170 patients enrolled in the Company's phase 3 ALS randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, repeat-dose clinical trial. By the second week of October we expect to finalize enrollment of all 200 patients.

07:42 EDT VBL Therapeutics expects cash to fund requirements for at least two years - At June 30, 2019, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits totaling $45.1 million and working capital of $39.1 million. The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits will enable it to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least two years.

07:40 EDT Sol-Gel Technologies expects cash resources to enable funding into 1Q21 - As of June 30, 2019, Sol-Gel had $14.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and deposits and $35.5 million in marketable securities for a total balance of $49.9 million. Based on current assumptions, inclusive of the recent offering, Sol-Gel expects its existing cash resources will enable funding of operational and capital expenditure requirements into the first quarter of 2021.

07:39 EDT Sol-Gel Technologies expects results from bioequivalence study in 2019 - Results from a bioequivalence study for generic 5-fluorouracil cream, 5%, for actinic keratosis, continue to be expected in 2019 followed by a filing in the U.S. of an abbreviated new drug application expected in 2020. This study is part of a collaboration with Douglas Pharmaceuticals.

07:36 EDT Alnylam, Ironwood enter GI disease promotional agreement for givosiran - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Ironwood (IRWD) announced a U.S. GI disease education and promotional agreement for Alnylam's givosiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting aminolevulinic acid synthase 1, or ALAS1, for the potential treatment of AHP. Givosiran has received priority review designation and breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA, as well as orphan drug designation in the U.S. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act date for givosiran is set for February 4, 2020. Under the terms of the agreement, Ironwood will provide AHP disease education to gastroenterologists and other healthcare practitioners that Ironwood currently calls on for Linzess. If approved by the U.S. FDA, Ironwood clinical sales specialists will then begin givosiran promotional efforts, augmenting Alnylam's broader commercialization activities. The non-exclusive agreement covers an approximately three-year term. Ironwood will collaborate with Alnylam on AHP disease education designed to help ensure AHP patients are accurately diagnosed and to support access to treatment with givosiran once prescribed. Ironwood will receive fixed payments and royalties in the mid-teens percent on net sales generated from prescriptions or referrals from certain physicians related to Ironwood's promotional efforts. Alnylam will maintain responsibility for all other aspects of givosiran, and retains all global development and commercialization rights.

07:36 EDT Deciphera Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

07:30 EDT Covetrus believes cash flow provides 'substantial flexibility' - At quarter end, the Company had $55 million in cash and cash equivalents, no outstanding borrowings on our $300 million revolving credit facility and $1.2 billion in total debt. Management believes Covetrus' cash flows and access to ample liquidity provide substantial flexibility to manage the business, deleverage the balance sheet over time and invest in further innovation.

07:26 EDT MediWound to initiate EscharEx study in Q4 - Company to initiate an adaptive design adequately-controlled study in 4Q 2019 comparing EscharEx to U.S. SOC and placebo control.

07:23 EDT Akoustis announces follow-on order to develop two 5G mobile BAW filters - Akoustis Technologies announced a follow-on purchase order from a multi-billion dollar, tier-1 wireless telecommunications customer to develop two additional, sub-6 GHz coexistence BAW RF filters for 5G mobile devices. This order follows the successful design and prototype shipment of its first 5G mobile BAW filter solution in the June quarter to the same customer. Under the new purchase order, Akoustis will develop two new sub-6 GHz XBAW filters with expected delivery by the end of December 2019. The final filter solutions will utilize a micro package form factor that is ideal for use in mobile handsets. The new 5G filters will operate in ultra-high band sub-6 GHz spectrum where Akoustis is a leader in coexistence BAW filter solutions above 3 GHz.

07:22 EDT Repay Holdings, Visa Canada announce partnership - Repay Holdings (RPAY) and Visa Canada (V) announced a strategic partnership that will seek to expand debit card and online payment acceptance for the Canadian personal loans market. "The partnership aims to bring speed and convenience to the traditional debt repayment process by reducing the complexity of online payments and lowering the costs associated with debit card acceptance."

07:17 EDT AzurRx BioPharma reports Q2 R&D expense $2.7M vs. $926,000 last year - The second quarter increase was primarily due to increased development activities both for the MS1819-SD OPTION trial in the United States and Poland and the initiation of the MS1819-SD combination therapy study in Hungary.

07:16 EDT AzurRx BioPharma: Phase II OPTION study of MS1819-SD progressing as planned - "AzurRx continues to make great strides in our clinical programs," said Thijs Spoor, the CEO of AzurRx. "Our current Phase II OPTION Study of MS1819-SD is progressing as planned, we have not seen any serious adverse events and the withdrawal rates have been low, which is compatible with, or below, other trials of synthetic enzymes. We remain on track to announce final data analysis of the OPTION Study in September 2019. Last month, we announced that we initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial to investigate MS1819-SD in combination with PERT, the existing standard of care for treating severe EPI in CF patients. That trial will focus on the clinical needs of the third of patients whose nutritional requirements cannot be met with PERT alone and we expect to announce preliminary data in early 2020. Our goal is to address the needs of CF patients by exploring the efficacy of both MS1819-SD replacement and combination therapies."

07:13 EDT Centene expands offerings in 2020 Health Insurance Marketplace - Centene announced that it is expanding its offerings in the 2020 Health Insurance Marketplace, or exchange. The company is expanding its footprint in ten markets: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. Centene has started the process for seeking all necessary regulatory approvals in targeted states for 2020.

07:11 EDT CytoSorbents expands CytoSorb distribution in Latin America - CytoSorbents expands CytoSorb distribution to Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica, with Contatti Medical, Service & Medical Colombia, and Nutricare Costa Rica, respectively.

07:06 EDT Eaton forms strategic alliance with KPIT for eMobility development - Eaton announced it has chosen global technology company KPIT to support the development of next-generation electrified mobility technologies for its eMobility business unit. Eaton's collaboration with KPIT initially will focus on developing and deploying technologies, software solutions and platforms for several components, including inverters, on-board chargers, DC-DC converters and power distribution modules. In March 2018, Eaton announced the formation of its eMobility business unit for electrified vehicles. The eMobility business focuses on three primary areas for both automotive and commercial vehicle customers: intelligent power electronics, power systems, and advanced power distribution and circuit protection. The eMobility business is poised to capitalize on a global vehicle electrification market projected to grow to 15M pure battery-electric vehicles by 2030.

07:03 EDT Choom Holdings to acquire Ninetails Cannabis in Whitehorse, Yukon - Choom is pleased to announce that it has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Ninetails Cannabis, a licensed cannabis retail store in Whitehorse, Yukon. Terms are not material.

07:02 EDT Regeneron announces FDA approval of EYLEA Injection prefilled syringe - Regeneron announced that the U.S. FDA has approved the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls Prior-Approval Supplement for the EYLEA Injection prefilled syringe. The 2 mg, single-dose, sterilized prefilled syringe provides physicians with a new way to administer EYLEA that requires fewer preparation steps compared to vials. Market supply of the EYLEA prefilled syringe is expected to be available to physicians and patients this year.

06:56 EDT GDS Holdings, GIC form strategic partnership - GDS Holdings announced that it has signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, to develop and operate hyperscale build-to-suit data centers outside of Tier 1 cities in China. GDS and GIC will focus initially on a BTS data center program for a leading internet and cloud service provider, which is a strategic customer of GDS. In parallel with the Agreement, GDS has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Customer for multiple BTS data centers at several of its campuses serving different regions of China. Under the terms of the Agreement with GIC, GDS will enter into contractual commitments with the Customer for BTS data centers. GDS will set up individual project companies to undertake the development of each data center and own 100% during the construction phase. Upon completion of each data center, GDS will sell a 90% equity interest in the project company to GIC at development plus financing cost, subject to certain conditions. GDS will continue to hold the remaining 10% equity interest of the project company and provide management and operating services to the joint venture. GDS will earn a return over the life of the project from its equity investment plus recurring service fees. The first project covered by the Agreement, a data center under construction by GDS at the Customer's campus in Jiangsu province, is nearly complete and a 90% equity interest in the relevant project company will be offered to GIC shortly. GDS has previously completed 3 build-to-suit data centers for the Customer at its campus in Hebei province, which will remain outside of the GIC partnership.

06:53 EDT IAA CEO sees FY19 results 'in line' with previous outlook - John Kett, CEO and President, stated, "This quarter marked a significant milestone in IAA's history as we successfully executed our spin-off from KAR Auction Services to become an independent public company. I want to thank the management teams and employees at both KAR and IAA for all of their hard work and dedication over the past number of months that enabled this outcome." Kett continued, "We generated strong top and bottom line results for the second quarter, which demonstrates the strength of our business model. We are making good progress in our transition to a stand-alone public company. As we look ahead to the remainder of this year and beyond, we are committed to executing the strategic growth initiatives we have laid out. We expect to deliver results for fiscal 2019 in line with the outlook we previously provided."

06:49 EDT Eli Lilly announces Taltz meets primary, secondary endpoints in IXORA-R trial - Eli Lilly announced Taltz met the primary and all major secondary endpoints up to week 12 in the Phase 4 IXORA-R study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of Taltz versus Tremfya in people living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, or PsO. The IXORA-R trial is the first completed head-to-head, or H2H, trial between an IL-17A inhibitor and an IL-23/p19 inhibitor using the Psoriasis Area Severity Index, or PASI, 100 score as the primary endpoint. At 12 weeks, Taltz met the primary endpoint by demonstrating superiority in the proportion of patients achieving complete skin clearance compared to Tremfya as measured by PASI 100. In addition, Taltz met all major secondary endpoints up to week 12, which include superiority over Tremfya in the proportion of patients achieving PASI 75 at Week 2, PASI 90 at Weeks 4 and 8, PASI 100 at Weeks 4 and 8, static Physician's Global Assessment, or sPGA, 0 at Week 12 and PASI 50 at Week 1. Lilly plans to share results on the remaining key secondary endpoint of proportion of patients achieving PASI 100 at 24 weeks in 2020. A total of 1,027 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were enrolled in the study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Taltz compared to Tremfya. Participants were randomized to receive Taltz or Tremfya for a total of 24 weeks, with the primary analysis conducted at 12 weeks. In IXORA-R, the safety profile of Taltz was consistent with previously reported results. No new safety signals were detected. Lilly plans to submit detailed data from the IXORA-R study for disclosure at scientific meetings and in peer-reviewed journals.

06:41 EDT Lexaria Bioscience receives cannabis R&D license from Health Canada - Lexaria Bioscience announced that its subsidiary, Lexaria CanPharm ULC., has been issued a cannabis Research and Development license by Health Canada with a four-year term until August 9, 2023 unless renewed. Lexaria said the new cannabis R&D license is effective immediately and "will allow one of the country's newest and most advanced formulation laboratories to conduct extensive investigatory work in both THC and CBD delivery using proprietary, optimized formulations and techniques. The laboratory was purpose-built, is permitted at local and federal levels, fully outfitted with equipment required to produce DehydraTECH infusions as well as including two different methodologies by which the company can create nano-sized molecules when deemed beneficial and is currently operational." "Receipt of our R&D License from Health Canada will allow us to implement and complete investigatory studies significantly more rapidly now, than at any previous time in our Company's history," said John Docherty, President and Chief Scientist of Lexaria. "This license will greatly enhance our ability to work with cannabis Licensed Producers to perform work in-house on customized formulations that could benefit each of Canada's licensed cannabis companies."

06:39 EDT Advance Auto Parts CEO calls Q2 'challenging' - "As we begin the second half of 2019, I want to recognize the relentless focus and commitment of our entire team, including our network of Independent partners, as we work every day to execute our Strategic Plan," said Tom Greco, President and CEO. "While the second quarter was challenging, we continue to make progress, including building a differentiated Customer Value Proposition in both Professional and DIY Omnichannel in addition to driving productivity for the long term. We remain committed to our disciplined approach to increasing comparable store sales, expanding margins and delivering significant cash flow in the back half of 2019. This, combined with a strong industry backdrop, gives us confidence that our transformation plan is on track. Importantly, we continue to make meaningful improvements in working capital and free cash flow and are pleased to announce a new $400 million share repurchase authorization. In line with our financial priorities, coupled with the strength of our balance sheet, we expect to deliver significant shareholder value throughout the remainder of 2019 and for several years to come."

06:38 EDT Advance Auto Parts expects 'meaningful progress' on transformation plan in 2019 - "We remain focused on executing our long term strategic objectives," said Executive Vice President and CFO Jeff Shepherd. "We are confident that despite short term headwinds in the second quarter, which caused volatility in our financial results, we will deliver meaningful progress against our transformation plan in 2019. In addition, we expect to deliver sales growth and margin expansion in the back half of the year, resulting in our second consecutive year of top and bottom line growth. Importantly, we continue to invest in critical technology and systems integration to unlock long term margin expansion."

06:35 EDT Brookfield Business Partners to acquire control of Genworth Canada - Brookfield Business Partners (BBU) announced an agreement to acquire an aggregate of 48,944,645 common shares of Genworth MI Canada, representing an approximate 57% controlling interest in the business, from Genworth Financial (GNW) for approximately C$2.4B or C$48.86 per share. Immediately prior to entering into the Purchase Agreement, Brookfield Business Partners did not own any common shares in the capital of Genworth Canada. Brookfield Business Partners intends to fund approximately $700M of the purchase on closing and for certain of its institutional partners to co-invest alongside it for the balance. Brookfield Business Partners has also agreed, between now and the closing of the transaction, to provide Genworth Financial with a bridge loan of up to $850M that is intended to be repaid from proceeds of the sale of its interest in Genworth Canada. The transaction, including the bridge loan, will be funded from existing liquidity. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary approvals, including the approval of the Minister of Finance, and is expected to occur in the second half of 2019.

06:30 EDT Advance Auto Parts reports Q2 SSS flat

06:27 EDT Whole Foods workers demand Amazon sever ties to ICE - Whole Foods workers are demanding that "dystopian" Amazon sever its ties to ICE. Some Whole Foods employees are demanding that Amazon cut ties with Palantir, a tech company that reportedly provides software to government agencies to help gather data on undocumented immigrants' employment information, phone records, and immigration history. "We're a group of current and former Whole Foods employees, known as Whole Worker, attempting to organize and unionize under the dystopian rule of Amazon," reads a statement posted online on Monday. "Now we're here to show solidarity with our undocumented sisters, brothers, and siblings." The statement adds, "We as Whole Worker stand with our co-workers inside Amazon AWS demanding Jeff Bezos cease all business with Palantir and any other company involved in the continued oppression of marginalized groups. We also stand firmly with our co-workers in calling for Amazon to end the sale of its facial recognition software, Rekognition, to law enforcement. The software has already been proven to be racially biased, and the last thing an increasingly fascistic law enforcement culture needs are further tools for mass surveillance." Reference Link

06:05 EDT Verizon to sell Tumblr to WordPress parent Automattic; terms not disclosed - Verizon Media and Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Automattic plans to acquire Tumblr. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "Tumblr is one of the Web's most iconic brands," said Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg. "It is an essential venue to share new ideas, cultures and experiences, helping millions create and build communities around their shared interests. We are excited to add it to our lineup, which already includes WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, Simplenote, Longreads, and more." "Today's announcement is the culmination of a thoughtful, thorough and strategic process," said Verizon Media CEO Guru Gowrappan. "Tumblr is a marquee brand that has started movements, allowed for true identities to blossom and become home to many creative communities and fandoms. We are proud of what the team has accomplished and are happy to have found the perfect partner in Automattic, whose expertise and track record will unlock new and exciting possibilities for Tumblr and its users." The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

05:51 EDT CUI Global subsidiary wins VE Technology order, terms not disclosed - CUI Global wholly-owned Energy subsidiary, Orbital Gas Systems, announced that it has received an order to supply and commission a VE Technology Sample System, including sample probe and analyzer, for deployment at a new customer's natural gas liquid plant. Terms of the order with the customer were not disclosed.

05:09 EDT Golden Ocean, Frontline invest in bunkering JV with Trafigura - Golden Ocean (GOGL) and Frontline (FRO) announced that they have entered into a non-binding term sheet agreement with Trafigura Group to establish a leading global supplier of marine fuels. Golden Ocean and Frontline will acquire 10% and 15% interests in the JV, respectively and Trafigura will contribute its existing physical bunkering activities to the JV. Subject to agreement on final terms, the JV is expected to commence operations in the third quarter of 2019, and will act as the exclusive purchaser of marine fuels for Trafigura, Golden Ocean and Frontline, as well as certain entities affiliated with Hemen Holding Ltd, Golden Ocean and Frontline's largest shareholder.