Stockwinners Market Radar for August 20, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:49 EDT PolyMet Mining reports court declined to hear petition for environmental review - Poly Met Mining inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PolyMet Mining Corp. reports the Minnesota State Supreme Court declined to hear a petition for review by environmental groups to a lower court decision regarding the environmental review for the NorthMet copper-nickel-precious metals project. Two environmental groups had petitioned the court for review of a unanimous May 28, 2019 Court of Appeals decision that upheld the scope of the environmental review prepared for the NorthMet Project by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and rejected the groups' request for the agency to prepare a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. The Court of Appeals ruling covered three consolidated appeals filed in 2018. The Final Environmental Impact Statement for PolyMet's NorthMet Project was published in November 2015 by the co-lead agencies: the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

18:17 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: La-Z-Boy (LZB), up 2.8%... Urban Outfitters (URBN), up 1.4%. ALSO HIGHER: SemiLEDs (LEDS), up 15.9% after receiving an offer from a Chinese investor seeking to acquires 680,000 shares of the company's common stock at $3 per share... New Residential Investment (NRZ), up 2.2% after announcing a $200M share repurchase program. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Nordson (NDSN), down 6.3%... Cree (CREE), down 4.1%... Scansource (SCSC), down 0.9%... Jack Henry (JKHY), down 0.9%. ALSO LOWER: Tesla (TSLA), down 1.4% after Bloomberg reported that Walmart (WMT) is suing the car maker's energy operations over solar panel fires.

18:01 EDT Celanese announces ethyl acetate price increase in Europe - Celanese Corporation announced it will increase list and off-list selling prices for ethyl acetate to EUR100 per MT. The price increase is for orders shipped and will be effective immediately, or as contracts otherwise allow, and is incremental to any previously announced increases.

17:41 EDT Boeing awarded $154.89M Army contract modification to procure Apache helicopters - Boeing was awarded a $154.89M modification to a contract to procure new-build Apache AH 64E helicopters. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2022. FY18 and FY19 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $154.89M were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.

17:34 EDT Waitr Holdings jumps almost 9% after director Tilman Fertitta buys 1M shares - Shares of Waitr Holdings are up 12c or 8.70% to $1.50 per share in after-hours trading after Tilman Fertitta disclosed that he purchased 1,000,000 shares of the stock.

16:54 EDT Heritage Commerce receives regulatory approval for merger - Heritage Commerce, the holding company for Heritage Bank of Commerce, announced that it had received the required regulatory approvals from the Federal Reserve and the State of California Department of Business Oversight relating to the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization where by Presidio Bank will merge with and into Heritage Bank of Commerce in an all-stock transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the Q4, subject to approval by both Heritage shareholders and Presidio Bank shareholders at meetings to be held on August 27 and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will have approximately $4.0B in assets and 17 branches in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, after branch consolidation.

16:41 EDT Amcor declares quarterly dividend of 12c per share - The Amcor Board of Directors declared a June quarterly cash dividend of 12c cents per share. Combined with dividends previously declared and paid in relation to the 2019 fiscal year, the total 2019 financial year dividend is 45.5c per share. The ex-dividend date will be September 10, the record date will be September 11, and the payment date will be October 8.

16:39 EDT Amcor approves $500M share buyback - Amcor CEO Ron Delia said: "2019 was a transformative year for Amcor, marked by the successful completion of the Bemis acquisition and our listing on the New York Stock Exchange. The integration of Bemis is well underway and we remain confident in our ability to deliver $180 million of pre-tax cost synergies by the end of the 2022 fiscal year. The legacy Amcor business performed well during the 2019 financial year, delivering results right in line with expectations and building momentum in several areas including safety, sales and working capital. Overall, Amcor delivered net income growth of 9% in constant currency terms with good performance in both the Rigid Packaging and Flexibles reporting segments. Our financial profile is strong and will be enhanced as we deliver financial benefits from the Bemis acquisition and continued organic growth across the business. Amcor's capacity to drive shareholder returns is evident in the initiatives announced today including increasing the dividend, returning $500 million to shareholders through a share buy-back and investing at least $50 million in strategic projects to accelerate our sustainability agenda."

16:34 EDT Nordson expects flat to modest organic sales growth in FY19 - Expects an unfavorable foreign currency effects of approximately 2% on sales as compared to the prior year. The company, said, "As we approach the end of our fiscal year, the effect of recent macroeconomic trends has had a more significant impact than most anticipated, particularly on electronics end markets. That said, the strength of our position as a valued solutions provider to our customers combined with the diversity of our end markets gives us confidence that we will continue to drive organic growth going forward."

16:33 EDT O'Reilly Automotive to acquire Mayasa Auto Parts, terms not disclosed - O'Reilly Automotive announced that it has entered into a definitive stock purchase agreement with the shareholders of Mayoreo de Autopartes y Aceites, S.A. de C.V., headquartered in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, under which O'Reilly will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Mayasa and affiliated entities. The stock purchase is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

16:23 EDT AbbVie VP Jeffrey Stewart buys over $1M in company shares - AbbVie VP Jeffrey Stewart disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 15,552 shares of company stock at an average price of $64.44 per share on August 16. The total transaction value of the purchase was $1,002,169.

16:19 EDT La-Z-Boy CEO says 'home furnishings environment remains somewhat challenging' - CEO Darrow concluded, "The home furnishings environment remains somewhat challenging amid tariff uncertainty and other geopolitical concerns. Against that backdrop, however, we continue to believe La-Z-Boy is competitively well positioned with a strong brand; multi-channel distribution, including a growing retail business; and a world-class supply chain, which we continue to work to optimize. Additionally, we are optimistic about the long-term growth prospects for Joybird as our eCommerce strategy and business continue to evolve. Our balance sheet remains healthy and we are making prudent investments to deliver long-term performance for all stakeholders."

16:18 EDT La-Z-Boy reports Q1 SSS for company-owned Retail segment up 3.5% - In Q1: Written same-store sales for the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries network increased 4.7%. Delivered same-store sales for company-owned Retail segment increased 3.5%

16:16 EDT SolarEdge appoints Uri Bechor as COO - SolarEdge Technologies announced the appointment of Uri Bechor as COO. Bechor brings to SolarEdge over twenty years of experience serving in both senior vice president and GM level roles at Flextronics International. In his last position, Bechor served as Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Europe and the Americas where he oversaw more than forty manufacturing sites and was responsible for revenues of more than $10B.

16:13 EDT Lumber Liquidators founder Sullivan discloses 5.96% stake - In a regulatory filing, Thomas Sullivan disclosed a 5.96% stake. The filing stated: "The source of funding for the transactions pursuant to which the reporting persons obtained beneficial ownership of common stock was derived from the personal capital of Thomas D. Sullivan. Within the last 60 days, all shares of common stock acquired were bought on the open market...[Sullivan] acquired the stock in the belief that the shares are undervalued. [He is] considering all their options and, while they have no present plan to do so, reserves the right and are considering whether to...(i) acquire additional shares and/or other equity, debt, notes, instruments or other securities of the issuer and/or its affiliates (collectively, securities) in the open market or otherwise; (ii) dispose of any or all of their Securities in the open market or otherwise; or (iii) engage in any hedging or similar transactions with respect to the securities."

16:09 EDT Urban Outfitters says total inventory increased by $64.4M as of July 31 - As of July 31, total inventory increased by $64.4M, or 17.2%, on a year-over-year basis. Comparable retail segment inventory increased 5% at cost. The remainder of the increase was primarily related to an increase in inventory in transit.

16:03 EDT Mogo Finance surpasses 900,000 member milestone - Mogo announced it has surpassed the 900,000 member milestone as it continues to establish itself as an increasingly important part of millennials' financial lives. The company commented: "Importantly, this growth is being led by the desirable millennial segment, which represents 65% of our new member additions." And added: "We continue to see opportunities to increase our average revenue per member of more than $70 today, including the expected impact of new fee-based lending revenue from our partner lending platform and the upcoming Mogo Platinum Prepaid Visa Card roll-out."

15:11 EDT VistaGen's Singh says partnerships in large markets outside U.S. make most sense - VistaGen Therapeutics (VTGN) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing new generation medicines for central nervous system diseases and disorders with high unmet need. In an exclusive interview with The Fly, the company's CEO Shawn Singh discussed potential partnerships: "We are always open to collaborative relationships that enhance our potential to achieve optimal commercial benefits from our product candidates and thereby deliver extraordinary value to patients and our shareholders. In certain large and growing markets outside North America, such as China and Japan, and possibly the EU and Korea, partnering for Phase 3 development, and possibly some Phase 2 development, as well as commercialization of one or more of our product candidates may make the most sense strategically. We have been and certainly will continue exploring possibilities and interest from potential partners in parallel with our ongoing and planned clinical development activities in the U.S." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

14:47 EDT Elk Creek Partners reports 5.25% passive stake in Clovis - In a regulatory filing, Elk Creek Partners disclosed a 5.25% stake in Clovis, which represents about 2.9M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

14:31 EDT VistaGen CEO expects preliminary results for suicidal ideation trial by year-end - VistaGen Therapeutics (VTGN) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing new generation medicines for central nervous system diseases and disorders with high unmet need. In an exclusive interview with The Fly, the company's CEO Shawn Singh discussed VistaGen's additional AV-101 trials: "The VA is sponsoring, and Baylor University is conducting, a Phase 1b study in healthy military veterans that we all hope will be the first-step supporting Phase 2a clinical development of AV-101 for treatment of suicidal ideation late next year. The Baylor/VA study is ongoing and we might potentially have preliminary results by year end. We are in the planning stages for Phase 2a clinical development of AV-101 beginning in late-2020 for (a) treatment of depression following successful ketamine therapy (to maintain the benefits of ketamine therapy on an at-home outpatient basis, rather than the in-clinic administration required by ketamine therapy, and without ketamine's psychological side effects or its safety concerns), (b) as an oral, non-opioid treatment for neuropathic pain, and (c) as an oral treatment for levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) experienced by Parkinson's disease patients, that maintains the benefits of levodopa for Parkinson's and without causing the side effects of current amantadine therapy for LID." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

14:05 EDT DOJ sues to block Sabre's acquisition of Farelogix - The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit seeking to block Sabre Corporation's $360M acquisition of Farelogix, Inc. The Department said that Sabre and Farelogix compete head-to-head to provide booking services to airlines. Booking services are IT solutions that allow airlines to sell tickets and ancillary products through traditional brick-and-mortar and online travel agencies to the traveling public. The Department said that the acquisition would eliminate competition that has substantially benefitted airlines and consumers. The Antitrust Division's lawsuit alleges that the transaction would allow Sabre, the largest booking services provider in the United States, to eliminate a disruptive competitor that has introduced new technology to the travel industry and is poised to grow significantly. Reference Link

14:00 EDT Partnerships in large markets outside U.S. make most sense, VistaGen CEO says

14:00 EDT VistaGen sees preliminary AV-101 study results in suicidal ideation by year-end

12:57 EDT PolarityTE granted Canadian patent related to micro-aggregate technology - PolarityTE announced that the Canadian Intellectual Property Office has granted Patent No. 2 969 707 entitled "Methods for Development and Use of Minimally Polarized Function Cell Micro-Aggregate Units in Tissue Applications Using LGR4, LGR5, And LGR6 Expressing Epithelial Stem Cells." This patent relates to PolarityTE's unique micro-aggregate technology capable of assembling functional polarized tissue, as well as methods for producing compositions including these micro-aggregates, and the use of these micro-aggregates for therapeutic treatment of skin, skin repair and skin restoration. Aspects of this micro-aggregate technology are central to the company's SkinTE product, which is commercially available in the United States for the repair, replacement, reconstruction or supplementation of skin tissue.

12:04 EDT Baker Hughes awarded contract, granted notice to proceed by Venture Global LNG - Baker Hughes (BHGE) announced that it has been awarded a contract and granted notice to proceed on the construction of its comprehensive LNG technology solution for Venture Global LNG's Calcasieu Pass project. The final notice to proceed, or FNTP, follows Venture Global's Final Investment Decision and Financial Close for Calcasieu Pass and is part of the companies' previously-announced supply agreement. The agreement includes BHGE's highly-efficient and reliable modular liquefaction trains, and power generation and electrical distribution equipment for the Calcasieu Pass Project. Under the contract, BHGE will provide an LNG liquefaction train system, or LTS, with 18 modularized compression trains across nine "blocks," for a total nameplate capacity of 10M tonnes per annum, or MTPA. The modularized system offers a "plug and play" approach that enables faster installation and lower construction and operational costs. These modules will be manufactured, assembled, tested and transported from BHGE's state-of-the-art plants in Italy. Additionally, BHGE will leverage advanced technologies from across its portfolio to deliver a comprehensive power island system, or PIS, that includes power generation and electrical distribution equipment for the facility. Equipment deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of 2020. BHGE will also provide associated field support services to assist in the oversight, installation and commissioning of the supplied equipment. These are the first contracts awarded under the master equipment supply agreement between Venture Global LNG and BHGE for 60 MTPA of production capacity.

12:00 EDT Sea Limited falls -9.9% - Sea Limited is down -9.9%, or -$3.56 to $32.54.

12:00 EDT Transcontinental Realty Inc rises 10.7% - Transcontinental Realty Inc is up 10.7%, or $2.52 to $26.07.

12:00 EDT Cheetah Mobile rises 33.6% - Cheetah Mobile is up 33.6%, or $1.11 to $4.41.

11:17 EDT TORM PLC (Class A Stock) trading resumes

11:15 EDT Vuzix receives follow-on Smart Glasses order from 1Minuut Innovation - Vuzix Corporation announced the company has received a follow-on Smart Glasses order from 1Minuut Innovation totaling over 100 M-series systems with plans to upgrade and to upgrade and transition to the M400 very shortly. 1Minuut's main focus is delivering secured video-streaming and recording through their Genzo mobile software platform. Genzo facilitates a mobile communications platform to chat or video call using Vuzix Smart Glasses.

11:13 EDT TJX CEO says feels 'very comfortable' with inventory levels

11:12 EDT TORM PLC (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:08 EDT TJX sees buying back approximately $1.75B of TJX stock for FY19 - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:14 EDT SEC charges TherapeuticsMD with Regulation FD violations - The Securities and Exchange Commission charged TherapeuticsMD with violations of Regulation FD based on its sharing of material, nonpublic information with sell-side research analysts without also disclosing the same information to the public, the SEC announced. The SEC's order finds that on two separate occasions in 2017, TherapeuticsMD selectively shared material information with analysts about the company's interactions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As detailed in the SEC's order, on June 15, 2017, one day after a publicly-announced meeting with the FDA about a new drug approval, TherapeuticsMD sent private messages to sell-side analysts describing the meeting as "very positive and productive." TherapeuticsMD's stock price closed up 19.4% on heavy trading volume the next day. At that time, the company had not issued a press release or made any other market-wide disclosure about the meeting. Then, early in the morning of July 17, 2017, TherapeuticsMD issued a press release announcing that it had submitted additional information to the FDA, but did not yet have a clear path forward regarding its New Drug Application. TherapeuticsMD's stock price declined approximately 16% in pre-market trading following the issuance of the press release. The SEC's order finds that in a call and email to sell-side analysts after the press release was issued but before the market opened, the company selectively shared previously undisclosed details about the June FDA meeting and the information it had subsequently submitted to the FDA. According to the SEC's order, all of the analysts published research notes containing these details, and the stock rebounded to close down only 6.6% for the day. The SEC's order found that at the time of these selective disclosures, TherapeuticsMD did not have policies or procedures regarding compliance with Regulation FD. TherapeuticsMD consented to the SEC's order without admitting or denying the findings and was ordered to cease and desist from future violations of Regulation FD. The company agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty.

10:03 EDT Home Depot says expects 2H19 margins to be better than 1H19 - Says: Has not seen impacts of tariffs flow to consumers yet... Expecting positive comps for Canada for FY... Expects to benefit from lumber prices in 2H19.

10:00 EDT Sea Limited falls -10.5% - Sea Limited is down -10.5%, or -$3.79 to $32.31.

10:00 EDT Hilton Grand Vacations rises 10.8% - Hilton Grand Vacations is up 10.8%, or $3.04 to $31.25.

10:00 EDT Seadrill rises 18.8% - Seadrill is up 18.8%, or 51c to $3.22.

09:47 EDT PPDAI Group falls -10.0% - PPDAI Group is down -10.0%, or -37c to $3.32.

09:47 EDT Fabrinet falls -15.3% - Fabrinet is down -15.3%, or -$8.66 to $47.80.

09:47 EDT Hilton Grand Vacations rises 9.9% - Hilton Grand Vacations is up 9.9%, or $2.79 to $31.00.

09:38 EDT Sony agrees to acquire video-game developer Insomniac Games - Sony will buy Insomniac Games, the studio behind last year's Marvel's Spider-Man, for an undisclosed price. Insomniac will join the Worldwide Studios family at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Insomniac CEO Ted Price said in a blog post. "We've collaborated with Sony for more than 20 years - spanning all four PlayStation consoles, 20 total games and six franchises. We still work closely today with many of the same Sony teammates as we did when we released the original Spyro the Dragon in 1998. The decision to join forces with Sony extends far beyond familiarity. Our studio vision is to create experiences that have a positive and lasting impact on people's lives. As we look ahead to our future, we know that joining the WWS family gives us the best opportunities to fully achieve that vision on a much larger scale. Further, we believe that Sony shares a similar vision to positively impact players' lives, their employees' lives and the games industry at large." Reference Link

09:33 EDT Endo reaches settlement in principle to resolve Track 1 opioid cases - Endo International announced that its subsidiaries Endo Pharmaceutical, Endo Health Solutions, Par Pharmaceutical and Par Pharmaceutical Companies, collectively, the "Endo Entities", have reached a settlement in principle with the County of Cuyahoga, Ohio, the County of Summit, Ohio and certain related persons in connection with the following lawsuits pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio: The County of Cuyahoga, et al. v. Purdue Pharma, et al., Case No. 17-OP-45004; and The County of Summit, et al. v. Purdue Pharma, et al., Case No. 18-OP-45090. The settlement will be effective only upon the execution of definitive documentation. The Track 1 Cases assert various claims arising from or otherwise relating to the manufacturing, marketing, distribution, supply, sale, prescribing, use and/or abuse of branded and generic opioid medications. Under the settlement in principle, Endo will pay a total sum of $10M and will provide up to $1M of its Vasostrict and Adrenalin products free of charge, all to be allocated by and between the two plaintiff counties in their sole discretion. Further, in the event of a comprehensive resolution of government-related opioid claims, the Company has agreed that the two plaintiff counties will receive the value they would have received under such resolution less the total value of the settlement in principle announced today. The settlement will include no admission of wrongdoing, fault or liability of any kind by the Endo Entities and is based on the avoidance of litigation risk and associated costs.

09:24 EDT ASGN segment awarded three-year, $19M Marine Corps contract - ECS, a segment of ASGN , has been awarded a three-year, firm-fixed-price $19M contract to support the Marine Sierra Hotel Aviation Readiness Program, or M-SHARP. Managed by the United States Marine Corps training and education command, or TECOM, aviation standards branch, M-SHARP is a web-based training management program that supports all Marine aviation operational and headquarters units with real-time forecasting, scheduling, execution and reporting to achieve and maintain combat readiness.

09:19 EDT Terreno Realty acquires industrial property in Los Angeles for $18.1M - Terreno Realty acquired an industrial property located in Los Angeles, California for a purchase price of approximately $18.1M. The property consists of five industrial buildings containing approximately 53,000 square feet on approximately 1.9 acres adjacent to the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. The buildings are at 130-134 and 140-148 South Anderson Street, 1319 Mono Street and 135-151 South Utah Street, provide 11 grade-level loading positions and parking for 83 cars. The property is 90% leased to seven tenants, all of which expire within the next three years. The estimated stabilized cap rate of the property is 5.2%.

09:12 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV), up 10% after the New York Post reported Apollo Global (APO) is considering steps to buy the company. Apollo has given the company three options: It could buy Hilton Grand at a premium to its share price, merge the company with rival Diamond Resorts and keep the combined business public, or tender for Hilton Grand shares at a premium to the current Hilton Grand share price, according to the report... Beyond Meat (BYND), up 6% after JPMorgan analyst Ken Goldman upgraded the stock to Overweight from Neutral. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Home Depot (HD), up 2%... Medtronic (MDT), up 5%... Baidu (BIDU), up 9%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Sea Limited (SE), down 12%... Fabrinet (FN), down 17%. ALSO LOWER: Sarepta (SRPT), down 17% after the company announced it had received a complete response letter from the FDA for its new drug application for golodirsen... Elanco (ELAN), down 8% after entering into an agreement with Bayer AG (BAYRY) to acquire its animal health business in a transaction valued at $7.6B... Synlogic (SYBX), down 30% after discontinuing development of SYNB1020, an early stage clinical product candidate for the treatment of hyperammonemia.

09:08 EDT Q.E.P. Company appoints James Hair to board of directors - Q.E.P. CO. (QEPC) announced the appointment of James Hair to its Board of Directors. Hair is currently the President, Global Residential Business, of Masonite International Corporation (DOOR).

09:06 EDT Ingredion appoints AptarGroup CEO Stephen Tanda to board of directors - Ingredion Incorporated (INGR) announced the appointment of Stephan Tanda to its board of directors, effective August 19. Since 2017, Tanda has served as president and CEO of AptarGroup (ATR).

09:05 EDT Gilead Capital intends to vote against the sale of Monotype - Gilead Capital, a long-term shareholder of Monotype Imaging Holdings, sent a letter to the Company's Board of Directors expressing its concerns regarding the proposed sale of Monotype to the private equity firm HGGC for $19.85 per share. The letter conveys that the inadequacy of the $19.85 price is evident from: the Board's buyback of minority shares in the same quarter at the same $19.85 price; the bottom-quartile "premium" on a stock price near its six-year low; and the significant recent earnings beat. Gilead Capital believes that the Company is worth at least $30 per share. The Board's lack of transparency with respect to the deal and the Company's second-quarter earnings raises questions about whether it engaged in a rigorous process to secure a fair price for shareholders. Gilead Capital currently intends to vote against the transaction.

09:02 EDT Gilead Capital intends to vote against the sale of Monotype - Gilead Capital, a long-term shareholder of Monotype Imaging Holdings, sent a letter to the Company's Board of Directors expressing its concerns regarding the proposed sale of Monotype to the private equity firm HGGC for $19.85 per share. The letter conveys that the inadequacy of the $19.85 price is evident from: the Board's buyback of minority shares in the same quarter at the same $19.85 price; the bottom-quartile "premium" on a stock price near its six-year low; and the significant recent earnings beat. Gilead Capital believes that the Company is worth at least $30 per share. The Board's lack of transparency with respect to the deal and the Company's second-quarter earnings raises questions about whether it engaged in a rigorous process to secure a fair price for shareholders. Gilead Capital currently intends to vote against the transaction.

08:51 EDT KushCo Holdings adds former Green Thumb CEO Pete Kadens to advisory board - KushCo Holdings (KSHB) announced that it has added Pete Kadens, the former CEO of Green Thumb Industries (GTBIF) to its Advisory Board. Kadens will provide guidance and mentorship on the company's strategic vision with corporate development and M&A activities to accelerate and maintain long-term profitable growth, the company said in a statement.

08:49 EDT RenovaCare appoints Robin Robinson as VP, scientific affairs - RenovaCare announced the appointment of its Vice President of Scientific Affairs, Dr. Robin Robinson. Notably, Dr. Robinson was appointed as Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. At RenovaCare, Dr. Robinson will oversee and direct the Company's strategy, execution and engagement with government agencies, commercial research groups, academic institutions and select opinion leaders.

08:46 EDT Perspecta awarded contract by U.S. NIWC Pacific - Perspecta announced that it was awarded a position on a multiple-award, cyberspace science, research, engineering and technology integration program from the U.S. Navy's Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, or NIWC Pacific. The follow-on contract has a three-year base valued at $303 million, with two, two-year options and a maximum ceiling value of $740M, if all options are exercised. The scope of this program will include efforts to examine the architecture, engineering, functionality, interface and interoperability of Navy cyberspace operations systems, services and capabilities. Specifically, Perspecta will provide operational exercise design and construction, operations and requirements analysis, concept formulation and development, feasibility demonstrations and operational and technical support services. All work will be performed in San Diego, CA.

08:42 EDT Motorola Solutions patent infringement case against Hytera will proceed to trial - Motorola Solutions announced that its patent infringement case against Hytera of Shenzhen, China in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, which was previously stayed pending a decision from the International Trade Commission, or ITC, will proceed to trial. This follows the Illinois District Court's denial of Hytera's motion to dismiss on August 12 and its establishment of a pre-trial calendar, which includes pre-trial milestone and discovery dates, on August 15. The Illinois District Court patent infringement lawsuit asserts that Hytera's two-way radios, base stations, repeaters and dispatch systems are infringing seven patents owned by Motorola Solutions and that Hytera's "redesigned" i-Series products are infringing four of those patents. This case is separate from Motorola Solutions' trade secret theft and copyright infringement case against Hytera, which is also pending in the Illinois District Court and is expected to proceed to a jury trial in November. Hytera released the i-Series in response to the United States ITC's January importation ban and cease-and-desist orders that prevent Hytera from importing products into the United States that use three Motorola Solutions' patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 7,369,869; 7,729,701; and 8,279,991. Importantly for customers and end-users, because Hytera removed the features covered by those patents, its i-Series products lack significant and innovative features that enable safety, speed and efficiency in mission-critical communications.

08:41 EDT Synacor wins more than 300 Zimbra deals in Q2 - Synacor announced that Zimbra, the company's email and collaboration platform, added more than 100 new customers and expanded deals with 220 others during Q2.

08:37 EDT Hasbro to phase out plastic from new toy, game packaging by end of 2022 - Hasbro announced that, beginning in 2020, it plans to begin phasing out plastic from new product packaging, including plastic elements like polybags, elastic bands, shrink wrap, window sheets and blister packs. The company's ambition is to eliminate virtually all plastic in packaging for new products by the end of 2022.

08:36 EDT Barnes & Noble Education enters partnership with VitalSource - Barnes & Noble Education announced a new agreement with VitalSource, part of Ingram Content Group. Under the agreement, VitalSource's technology will power the BNC FirstDay inclusive access platform, bringing together VitalSource's advanced technology and Barnes & Noble College's unparalleled campus and publisher relationships. "This partnership will drive affordability, access and achievement for students nationwide, making it easier for faculty members and academic leadership to implement an inclusive access solution on their campus. BNC FirstDay offers course materials at reduced prices through a course materials charge for participating programs. Students have the option to receive their materials on or before the first day of class, delivered seamlessly through their learning management system."

08:35 EDT TJX reports Q2 gross margin 28.2% vs. 28.9% last year - The company says the decline was "primarily due to a decrease in merchandise margin and higher supply chain costs."

08:35 EDT General Mills CFO Don Mulligan to retire, Kofi Bruce to succeed - General Mills announced changes to its senior leadership team. Don Mulligan, CFO, will transition to an advisory capacity effective February 1, 2020 and will retire effective June 1, 2020. Kofi Bruce, currently controller, will be promoted to VP, financial operations, effective September 1 and will succeed Mulligan as CFO on February 1, 2020. Mulligan has been with General Mills for 21 years in various finance leadership roles including responsibilities. Mulligan has held the CFO role since 2007 with overall company responsibility for worldwide finance, mergers and acquisitions, strategy, investor relations, external reporting, internal audit, tax and treasury. Bruce joined General Mills in 2009. Over his 10 years at General Mills, Bruce is known for his ability to work cross-functionally in developing and implementing creative, sustainable solutions to organization challenges.

08:34 EDT TJX CEO says Q3 off to a 'solid start' - CEO Ernie Herrman says: "We were very pleased that customer traffic drove our consolidated comp and was up at each of our four major divisions. This quarter marks the 20th straight quarter of customer traffic increases at TJX and Marmaxx. The third quarter is off to a solid start. We feel great about the terrific availability we are seeing in the marketplace for branded, quality merchandise and our ability to capitalize on the opportunities. We are excited about our many initiatives underway to keep driving sales and customer traffic throughout the fall and holiday selling season, and have great confidence in our potential to keep gaining market share around the world!"

08:33 EDT TJX reports Q2 consolidated SSS up 2% - Reports Q2 SSS at Marmaxx up 2%, Home Goods flat, TJX Canada up 1%, and TJX International up 6%.

08:29 EDT Deep Down receives Kaikias Riser Isolation Valve system order - Deep Down announced that it has received an order from Shell for work related to its Kaikias development in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The order is for the design, engineering, manufacturing and installation of a Riser Isolation Valve control system on the Ursa tension-leg platform. The Ursa TLP is located in the Mississippi Canyon Block 810, approximately 130 miles from the coast of Louisiana, in water depth of 4,500 ft. The Riser Isolation Valve control system will be installed on the TLP to provide shutdown of production fluids.

08:25 EDT Cancer Genetics says continuing to explore strategic alternatives

08:21 EDT Agraflora Organics to acquire 50% of Eurasia Infused Cosmetics - AgraFlora Organics International announced that the Company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 50 per-cent of the issued and outstanding shares of Eurasia Infused Cosmetics. AgraFlora and Eurasia will collaborate to integrate the Company's vertically integrated, farm-to-face CBD processing, manufacturing and distribution model into the Asia Pacific region. Eurasia Infused, by way of a commercial concession with Hong Kong domiciled CBD Group Asia Limited controls a distribution agreement for CBD and hemp-derived beauty and wellness products for the territories of People's Republic of China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The distribution agreement extends to AgraFlora's diverse portfolio of CBD-infused and/or hemp-oil-derived CPG personal care products, for which CBD Group Asia will have an exclusive for sales in China, including but not limited to: CBD-infused cosmetics; Hemp body soaps; Hemp-derived lotions and skin serums; and, CBD-infused sunscreen. AgraFlora and CBD Group Asia have commenced collaboration on a variety of product customization and distribution initiatives for its Whole Hemp Health line of all natural skin care products, with the objective of tailoring the Company's product offering for rapid uptake into the Asian CPG markets. The Company's Whole Hemp Health product line derived from 100 per-cent organic Canadian hemp seed oil and is presently marketed by way of brick-and-mortar retail outlets, Amazon Prime, as well as direct to consumer, through an integrated Shopify e-commerce platform. Under the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreemen AgraFlora will acquire 50 per cent of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Eurasia Infused, in exchange for an aggregate of 15 million common shares in the capital of the Company, based upon the five-day volume-weighted average price of AgraFlora common shares for the five trading sessions prior to the announcement of the definitive agreement. The closing of this acquisition is subject to customary terms and conditions.

08:16 EDT Duos Technologies Group awarded $1M contract for AI algorithms - Duos Technologies Group has been awarded an expanded contract with a Class 1 freight railroad for an estimated initial value of approximately $1M in recurring revenue to be recognized over the five-year life of the contract. The award provides for an initial library of Artificial Intelligence based algorithms which will analyze images from the Company's rail inspection portal for maintenance inspection of the customer's railcars.

08:16 EDT Stoke Therapeutics enrolls first patient in BUTTERFLY observational study - Stoke Therapeutics announced enrollment of the first patient in an observational study of children and adolescents ages 2 to 18 with Dravet syndrome. Dravet syndrome is a severe and progressive genetic epilepsy characterized by frequent, prolonged and refractory seizures, beginning within the first year of life. The effects of the disease go beyond seizures and often include cognitive regression or developmental stagnation, ataxia, speech impairment and sleep disturbances. BUTTERFLY is a two-year observational study that is designed to evaluate seizure frequency and non-seizure comorbidities associated with the disease, including motor and speech impairment, intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral deficits and abnormal sleep patterns. Data from the study will support clinical development plans for the company's lead therapeutic candidate, STK-001, an investigational new treatment for Dravet syndrome.

08:11 EDT Teledyne Optech, LiDAR USA partner for mobile UAV sensor integration - Teledyne Optech has announced that its new compact lidar sensor, the CL-90, is available for purchase through its first integration partnership with LiDAR USA. Teledyne Optech's CL-90 sensor features exceptional canopy penetration for excellent ground coverage, much higher downward point density for superior results in corridor/power line projects, long-range performance for maximum productivity at UAS ceilings, and best-in-class data precision for tight-tolerance applications; an ideal companion to LiDAR USA's robust and dynamic integration capabilities.

08:07 EDT NuCana announces suspension of enrollment in Phase III ACELARATE study - NuCana reported that it has been informed by the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, the sponsor of the ongoing Phase III ACELARATE study, that the enrollment of new patients has been suspended on the advice of the Independent Safety and Data Monitoring Committee following completion of a prespecified futility analysis. This study has enrolled 200 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who were not considered suitable for combination chemotherapy and is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Acelarin monotherapy compared to gemcitabine, with further exploration of patient sub-groups that may derive additional benefit from Acelarin. A futility analysis was included in the ACELARATE study design to assess the likelihood of the study achieving its primary objective of Acelarin monotherapy demonstrating at least a 42% reduction in risk of death compared to gemcitabine. This analysis indicated that this efficacy objective was unlikely to be met in this difficult to treat patient population. Upon review of the interim data by the ISDMC, the sponsor decided to suspend recruitment, allow the data to mature and conduct additional sub-group analyses. Patients who are deriving benefit can continue treatment with Acelarin. There are 25 patients who are receiving or have received Acelarin monotherapy and who will continue to be followed by the study sponsor.

08:05 EDT Outlook Therapeutics completes patient enrollment for NORSE 1 Phase 3 trial - Outlook Therapeutics announced that it has completed patient enrollment in the NORSE 1 Phase 3 clinical trial, which is evaluating ONS-5010 against ranibizumab for wet AMD. NORSE 1 has enrolled a total of 61 patients at 9 sites in Australia. The study is the first of two ongoing, adequate and well controlled Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating ONS-5010 against ranibizumab for wet AMD. The endpoint for the study is a mean change in baseline visual acuity at 11 months for ONS-5010 dosed on a monthly basis compared to ranibizumab dosed using the PIER alternative dosing regimen of three monthly doses followed by quarterly dosing. The Company expects to announce a readout of the topline results from NORSE 1 in the third quarter of calendar 2020. If the ONS-5010 clinical program is successful, it will support the Company's plan to submit for regulatory approval in multiple markets in 2020. If approved, ONS-5010 has potential to mitigate risks associated with off-label use of Avastin or other drugs. Off label use of Avastin is currently estimated to account for at least 50% of all wet AMD prescriptions in the United States.

08:03 EDT Soliton announces results from preclinical studies of RAP treatment - Soliton announced results of preclinical studies which reveal its RAP device appears to deliver increased disruption of the fibrotic septa that contribute to the appearance of cellulite with increased treatment time, implying a dose response to the therapy. The new discovery, referred to as "acoustic subcision," helps explain the recent proof-of-concept, or POC, trial results, which demonstrated a 20-47% improvement in the patient's Cellulite Severity Score following the use of the Company's RAP device. The RAP device for the treatment of cellulite is investigational and not available for sale in the United States.

08:02 EDT Eiger BioPharmaceuticals receives FDA BTD for for peginterferon lambda - Eiger BioPharmaceuticals announced that the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for peginterferon lambda for the treatment of hepatitis delta virus infection.

08:00 EDT Vistra Energy to acquire Ambit Energy for $475M - Vistra Energy announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Ambit Energy for $475M plus net working capital in an all-cash transaction. Following the closing of the transaction, Vistra's share of the ERCOT residential market will grow from approximately 25% to approximately 32% and an industry-leading 26% in all U.S. competitive markets. Ambit is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and serves approximately 1.1M residential customer equivalents in 17 states. The North Texas overlap of administrative functions will uniquely position Vistra to capture synergies and enable the teams to quickly integrate operations. Vistra expects the Ambit business will contribute approximately $125M to adjusted EBITDA after the full run-rate of approximately $25M of anticipated annual synergies is achieved.

07:36 EDT VIVUS says study shows addition of Qsymia to LSG surgery improved weight loss - VIVUS announced the results of a pilot clinical study demonstrating that patients receiving Qsymia capsules CIV before and after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery lost more weight and had a greater probability of achieving a body mass index of less than 40 compared with patients undergoing surgery alone without anti-obesity medication. The study was conducted at the Wake Forest School of Medicine and the results appear in the current issue of Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases. In addition to increased surgical risk, patients with a BMI of 50 or greater are likely to have a BMI of 40 or greater even after successful surgery. Physicians often address this issue by offering patients a two-stage weight loss process that involves an initial LSG followed by a second surgical procedure after initial post-LSG weight loss. Treatments that allow patients to achieve BMI of less than 40 after the initial LSG could reduce the need for a second surgical procedure, decreasing health risks and costs. The pilot study recruited 25 participants with a BMI of 50 or more who were planning to undergo LSG. Patients in the control group had a BMI of 50 or more and underwent LSG in the same timeframe but were not included in the study protocol. Patients in the experimental arm received Qsymia at a dose of 3.75/23 mg once daily for two weeks, which was then increased to 7.5/46 mg or 15/92 mg daily in order to achieve the greatest weight loss with the fewest side effects. Patients tapered off the medication beginning two weeks prior to surgery in order to avoid potential interactions between phentermine and anesthesia and resumed dosing at 7.5/46 mg daily one month following LSG, with dose adjustments made monthly over the next two months. Patients then continued to utilize Qsymia for a 24-month period. Key findings from the study include: The experimental group had a baseline BMI of 61.2 +/- 7.1 kg/m2 compared with 57.0 +/- 5.6 kg/m2 for control participants. At 24 months, the mean BMI was 33.8 kg/m2 for the experimental group vs. 42 kg/m2 for control participants. Of the 25 patients recruited, 13 completed LSG. Patients who did not complete LSG were due to: medical complications unrelated to Qsymia, decision not to pursue surgery, Qsymia-related adverse events, because they were lost to follow-up and withdrawn from the study or opted to undergo a surgical procedure other than LSG. Patients in the experimental arm lost more than twice the weight with an average of 28.1 kg during the pre-operative period compared with an average of 12.3 kg for those in the control group. At two years post-LSG, the experimental group lost 11.2% more of initial body weight compared with controls, which translates to a -18.2% difference in percent excess weight loss (%EWL) of favoring the experimental group. A higher proportion of patients in the experimental group compared with controls achieved a BMI less than 40 at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months post-LSG. There was a significant increase in the odds of achieving BMI less than 40 for the experimental group compared with controls at 6 months post-LSG; at 24 months the odds ratio remained 4.1 but was no longer statistically significant. The study authors conclude that for patients with a BMI of 50 or more the combination of LSG and phentermine/topiramate ER had a robust impact on patients both before and for up to two years after LSG surgery.

07:32 EDT Biogen, Invitae announce availability of SMA STAT test - Biogen (BIIB) and Invitae Corporation (NVTA) announced that SMA STAT, a new, rapid-turnaround genetic test for spinal muscular atrophy, will be offered at no charge to individuals in the U.S. as part of the SMA Identified program. The SMA STAT test reduces the time needed for genetic testing to help confirm a definitive diagnosis of SMA from 21 to four days, enabling individuals and physicians to plan and begin treatment earlier for what is often a life-threatening disease. Clinical studies have demonstrated that early diagnosis and treatment of SMA may prevent the development of severe symptoms, improve motor function and slow the progression of the disease. A preliminary diagnosis of SMA is typically made through a physician assessment after an individual has developed symptoms, although a diagnosis can also be made through newborn screening. Genetic testing confirms an SMA diagnosis and provides more information that can be used to help guide treatment and care planning decisions. The SMA STAT test detects deletions in the SMN1 gene and assesses copy number of the SMN2 gene, both essential pieces of information for diagnosing and treating SMA. The presence of a greater number of SMN2 copies is generally associated with less severe but still life altering forms of the disease.

07:31 EDT Qualcomm, LGE enter new global patent license agreement - Qualcomm announced that LGE has entered into a new direct worldwide patent license agreement with Qualcomm. Under the terms of the five-year, royalty-bearing agreement, Qualcomm has granted LGE a patent license to develop, manufacture and sell 3G, 4G and 5G single-mode and multimode complete devices. The agreement is consistent with Qualcomm's established global licensing terms.

07:22 EDT Entera Bio expects to complete enrollment for Phase 2 study for oral PTH in 1Q20 - The company said, "Phase 2 Study for Oral PTH in osteoporosis: The overall design and registration requirements for the planned pivotal Phase 3 study have been largely defined following the input from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in our pre-IND meeting held in 2018. Coupled with the vast clinical experience with the marketed PTH injection, the Company initiated a dose-ranging, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 study in June 2019. This study will enroll 160 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or low bone mineral density at four internationally recognized clinical sites in Israel. The primary endpoint of this study is bone formation biomarkers at 3 months with an additional evaluation at 6 months, of bone mineral density. The first patients were recently enrolled, with recruiting and screening efforts underway at all sites. The Company expects enrollment to be completed in the first quarter of 2020, with results from this Phase 2 expected starting in 2020, the first being the interim 3-month biomarker data, followed by the full 3-month and 6-month biomarker data, per the approved study design. These biomarker data, along with the bone mineral density data expected at 6 months, will inform the design of our registrational Phase 3 study. This registrational study is expected to be substantially smaller and less costly than studies used for previously studied PTH products, where the FDA required a fracture endpoint, which historically require thousands of patients over a number of years."

07:15 EDT True Leaf launches CBD chews for U.S. pet health market - True Leaf Brands announced the launch of its veterinarian-formulated, cannabidiol supplements for dogs at SuperZoo 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. True Leaf's CBD product line will begin rolling out on September 30, 2019, to pet retail stores in several U.S. jurisdictions and the Company's online store at www.trueleaf.com.

07:09 EDT Axsome Therapeutics appoints David Marek as CCO - Axsome Therapeutics (AXSM) announced the appointment of David Marek as chief commercial officer, effective August 31, 2019. Marek joins Axsome from Amgen (AMGN), where he was VP, and General Manager of Amgen's Neuroscience business unit.

07:06 EDT Cheetah Mobile reports Q2 global mobile MAUs 376.5M - The average number of global mobile monthly active users was 376.5M in the second quarter. The number of Mobile MAUs from markets outside of China, or overseas markets, accounted for 74.2% of the total number of Mobile MAUs in the second quarter.

07:02 EDT Canopy Growth receives new Health Canada licence for KeyLeaf facility - Canopy Growth is pleased to announce that it has received a licence from Health Canada for its KeyLeaf Life Sciences facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Including the Smiths Falls site and the recently licensed BC Tweed extraction site, Canopy Growth now operates three significant extraction assets to support the throughput required for large scale value-add product development. Canopy Growth recently retrofitted the now fully licensed KeyLeaf facility in Saskatchewan, a company with over 50 years of experience in the extraction industry. This facility is expected to be online in the Fall of 2019 and has the capacity to extract up to 5,000 kilograms of hemp or cannabis biomass per day. The application for the licence was submitted under KeyLeaf's previous name, POS Management Corp. and will be updated in due course. The newly-licensed extraction platform is located in close proximity to Canopy Growth's large-scale outdoor hemp and cannabis grow operations. The company looks forward to the additional capacity increasing production efficiency, augmenting output volume, and ultimately reducing operational costs for value-add products set to be rolled out in the Canadian recreational and medical markets at the end of calendar year 2019.

06:55 EDT AstraZeneca reports Farxiga met primary endpoint in Phase 3 DAPA-HF trial - AstraZeneca announced results from the landmark Phase III DAPA-HF trial, which showed that Farxiga met the primary composite endpoint with a statistically-significant and clinically-meaningful reduction of cardiovascular death or the worsening of heart failure, compared to placebo. The trial was conducted in patients with reduced ejection fraction on standard of care treatment, including those with and without type-2 diabetes. The safety profile of Farxiga in the DAPA-HF trial was consistent with the well-established safety profile of the medicine. The full DAPA-HF trial results will be submitted for presentation at a forthcoming medical meeting. Farxiga is also being studied in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in the DELIVER and DETERMINE trials.

06:42 EDT Sea Limited reports Q2 QAUs of 310.5M, up 93.3% - Quarterly active users, or QAUs, reached 310.5M, an increase of 93.3% year-on-year from 160.6M for Q2 of 2018. Q2 average revenue per user was $1.40 compared to 90c for Q2 of 2018.

06:08 EDT Steve and sons announces judge enjoined Jeld-Wen from relitigating - Steves and Sons in its antitrust litigation with JELD-WEN Holding announced Federal judge in Virginia enjoined JELD-WEN from relitigating the same claims in a San Antonio state district court that had been previously tried in Federal court in Virginia. Federal court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a permanent injunction ending JELD-WEN's attempt to try a virtually identical lawsuit in Texas that had already been tried in his Richmond, Virginia court in which the jury, on May 11, 2018, rejected almost all of JELD-WEN's core allegations that Steves had misappropriated purported trade secrets. The jury also sided with Steves in finding that JELD-WEN had breached its long-term doorskin supply agreement with Steves. The jury awarded Steves $58M in past damages and lost profits, which the Virginia judge trebled to total $174M. Doorskins are a vital component for door manufacturing, which is Steves and Sons prime business.

06:05 EDT Investar Bank to acquire branch operations from PlainsCapital Bank - Investar Holding announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Investar Bank, National Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, entered into a Purchase and Assumption Agreement, pursuant to which Investar Bank has agreed to acquire certain assets, deposits and other liabilities relating to two existing branch locations of PlainsCapital Bank, Dallas, Texas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings. The branches which are the subject of the Agreement are located in the Texas cities of Victoria and Alice. Under the terms of the Agreement, Investar Bank expects to acquire approximately $42M in deposits and approximately $52M in loans. In addition, Investar Bank will acquire substantially all the fixed assets at the subject branch locations, and will assume the leases for the branch facilities. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

05:57 EDT KBR awarded $77M contract from Honeywell Aerospace - KBR (KBR) announced today that it has won a 10-year, $77M firm fixed price, sole source contract from Honeywell Aerospace (HON) to provide logistics services for the U.S. Air Force at Hill Air Force Base Depot in Utah. KBR will support the secondary power systems for the U.S. Air Force's F-15, F-16, A-10, B-1B, B-2, C-130, and E-3 aircraft as well as their ground based auxiliary power systems. KBR will perform this work as a subcontractor to Honeywell, which won the $1.04B performance based sustainment prime contract in 2018.

05:44 EDT Bombardier confirms 3-year services contract for new East Midlands Railway - Bombardier Transportation has announced that it has signed a new Train Services Agreement, or TSA, with Abellio and Eversholt Rail for the new East Midlands Railway franchise in the United Kingdom. Under the new agreement which lasts from today until December 31, 2022, Bombardier will maintain Bombardier class 222 diesel-electric multiple unit, or DEMU, trains at Derby Etches Park depot for use on East Midlands Railway mainline services. The new agreement follows Bombardier's previous role in maintaining the 125 miles per hour trains for the former East Midlands Trains franchise. The contract is valued at approximately $161M. Under the Train Services Agreement, maintenance of the 27-strong fleet of Class 222 trains will take place at Derby Etches Park depot, where 130 staff are employed, with heavy component maintenance taking place at Bombardier Crewe.

05:35 EDT Elanco to acquire Bayer animal health business in deal valued at $7.6B