Stockwinners Market Radar for August 26, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

HE

Hot Stocks

19:58 EDT Hawaiian Electric issues call to accelerate renewable energy transition - Hawaiian Electric Companies are beginning Hawai'i's largest procurement effort for renewable energy resources to end the use of coal and reduce reliance on imported oil for power generation, moving the state closer to its goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2045. With the approval of the Public Utilities Commission, the companies have issued requests for proposals for renewable energy and grid services from developers locally and globally.
CAL...

Hot Stocks

19:06 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Caleres (CAL) up 10.2%... Standex (SXI) up 9.7%. ALSO HIGHER: Trinseo (TSE) up 8.0% after entering S&P SmallCap 600 index... Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) up 2.2% after Oklahoma court ruling in opiod addiction liability, Teva (TEVA) up 3.8%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Bilibili (BILI) down 1.8%. Movers as of 19.00ET.
BILI

Hot Stocks

19:04 EDT Bilibili reports Q2 MAUs 110.4M, up 30% from last year - Q2 Average monthly active users reached 110.4M, mobile MAUs reached 96.2M, representing increases of 30% and 35% from the same period in 2018, respectively. Average daily active users, or DAUs, reached 33.2M, a 41% increase from the same period in 2018. Average monthly paying users reached 6.3M, a 111% increase from the same period in 2018. Average monthly paying users for mobile games increased to 1.0 million from 0.8 million in the same period of 2018.
SBUX

Hot Stocks

18:23 EDT Starbucks CEO: We're firing on all cylinders - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said: Executing with discipline is driving results... We've been aggressively buying back stock over the past year... We are accelerating the pace of innovation... Half of our beverages are now cold beverages... Cold beverages are resonating with millennials... Our purpose as a company goes far beyond profit... Customer connection scores are at an all-time high in the U.S... We have not seen any signs in the U.S. pointing to a slowdown.
JNJ...

Hot Stocks

17:40 EDT Johnson & Johnson higher following Oklahoma court ruling on opioid case - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shares are higher in after-hours trading on Monday following the ruling on a much-watched trial in which J&J was accused of fueling the opioid crisis in the state of Oklahoma by oversupplying painkillers through deceptive marketing and downplaying the risks of addiction. COURT VERDICT: Oklahoma District Judge Thad Balkman ruled against Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies unit in the opioid-focused trial, forcing the company to pay $572M to the state of Oklahoma, in the first trial in the U.S. aimed at holding a drugmaker liable for its role in the opioid crisis, which the judge called an "imminent danger and menace." The judge added, "The state meant its burden that the defendants Janssen and Johnson & Johnson's misleading marketing and promotion of opioids created a nuisance as defined by [the law], including a finding that those actions compromised the health and safety of thousands of Oklahomans." J&J TO APPEAL: Johnson & Johnson announced it would appeal the $572M civil judgment, saying it is "confident it has strong grounds to appeal this decision." J&J added that "the judgment disregards the company's compliance with federal and state laws, the unique role its medicines play in the lives of the people who need them, its responsible marketing practices and that since launch, Duragesic, Nucynta and Nucynta ER have accounted for less than one percent of total opioid prescriptions in Oklahoma as well as the United States." Michael Ullmann, executive VP, General Counsel, Johnson & Johnson, said, "Janssen did not cause the opioid crisis in Oklahoma, and neither the facts nor the law support this outcome. We recognize the opioid crisis is a tremendously complex public health issue and we have deep sympathy for everyone affected. We are working with partners to find ways to help those in need." PRICE ACTION: Despite the $572M payment, shares of Johnson & Johnson rose by 2% in the after-hours, as the fine was smaller than expected. Other major drugmakers, including Endo (ENDP), Mallinckrodt (MNK), and Teva (TEVA), were also trading higher after-hours. Additionally, drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen (ABC) and health care services company Cardinal Health (CAH) were higher.
IBIO RHHBY

Hot Stocks

17:34 EDT iBio expands business partnership with CC-Pharming in China - iBio (IBIO) announced that it has expanded the scope of its business venture with CC-Pharming by granting it an exclusive, royalty-bearing commercial license to iBio's bio-better rituximab product candidates for the territory of China. In addition, the company will grant to CC-Pharming a research license to iBio's FastPharming System and know-how for the evaluation of multiple product opportunities. Rituximab was first approved by the FDA in 1997 for treatment of certain B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Since that time, its clinical uses have expanded to encompass treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, as well as a range of autoimmune diseases, including certain types of rheumatoid arthritis. Rituximab is Roche Holding's (RHHBY) second-biggest selling drug in China, with estimated annual sales of approximately 5 billion yuan.
MIME

Hot Stocks

17:29 EDT Mimecast director Neil Murray sells over $6.4M in company shares - Mimecast director Neil Murray disclosed in a filing that he had sold 150,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $42.85 per share on August 23. The total transaction value of the sale was $$6,427,215.
LRCX

Hot Stocks

17:27 EDT Lam Research chairman Stephen Newberry to retire, Abhijit Talwalkar to succeed - Lam Research announced that Stephen Newberry, who has served as the company's chairman of the board of directors since 2012 and as a member of the board since 2005, has decided to retire from his position on Lam's board, effective the close of business on November 4, just prior to the company's annual meeting of stockholders which will be held on November 5. The board appointed Abhijit Talwalkar to succeed Newberry as chairman upon his reelection to the board at the annual meeting. Talwalkar has been a member of Lam's board since 2011 and currently serves as the board's lead independent director.
BLCM

Hot Stocks

17:26 EDT Armistice Capital reports 6.5% passive stake in Bellicum Pharmaceuticals - In a regulatory filing, Armistice Capital disclosed a 6.5% stake in Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, which represents over 3.2M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.
TSE...

Hot Stocks

17:19 EDT Trinseo to replace WageWorks in S&P 600 at open on 8/30 - HealthEquity (HQY) is acquiring WageWorks (WAGE) in a transaction expected to be completed on or about that date pending final conditions.
ETR

Hot Stocks

17:09 EDT Entergy completes sale of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to Holtec - Entergy completed the sale of the subsidiary that owns the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to a Holtec International subsidiary, which plans to complete major decommissioning activities at the site decades sooner than if Entergy had continued to own the facility. Pilgrim was shut down permanently by Entergy on May 31, 2019. "The successful Pilgrim transaction demonstrates continued progress on Entergy's exit from merchant power markets," said Entergy CEO Leo Denault. "With our previously-announced signed agreements for the post-shutdown sales of Indian Point and Palisades nuclear power plants in 2021 and 2022, respectively, we remain on track to accomplish our exit plan." The transaction closed on terms consistent with Entergy's expectations and no contribution to the nuclear decommissioning trust was required. For Entergy, the transaction will result in a pre-tax book charge to earnings in an amount expected to be consistent with its previous disclosures. The estimated charge will be recorded in Q3 of 2019 and will be included in Entergy Wholesale Commodities as-reported earnings.
BLCM

Hot Stocks

17:08 EDT Boxer Capital reports 9.99% passive stake in Bellicum Pharmaceuticals - Boxer Capital disclosed a 9.99% stake in Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, which represents over 5.13M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.
UNVR EMN

Hot Stocks

17:07 EDT Univar expands distribution agreement with Eastman Chemical subsidiary - Univar (UNVR) has been selected to distribute Eastman (EMN) Turbo Oils and Skydrol aviation hydraulic fluids to the military aviation market. Both product lines have been tested and approved across a range of military specifications and have been in use for more than 50 years. With this agreement, Univar can leverage its experience in the military chemicals, oils and lubricant markets to broaden the availability of Eastman Turbo Oils and Skydrol. Eastman Turbo Oils are not only designed to meet the needs of turbine engines, but also include products formulated to meet the capacity of helicopter transmission systems. As a primary fluid used in commercial aerospace service hydraulics, Skydrol's fire-resistance and ability to retain a low viscosity fits well with aircraft conditions of low temperatures at high altitudes.
JNJ

Hot Stocks

17:03 EDT Johnson & Johnson to appeal opioid judgement in Oklahoma - Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies announced they will appeal the $572M civil judgment entered in Cleveland County District Court in the State of Oklahoma's lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. The company said it is "confident it has strong grounds to appeal this decision," adding that "the judgment disregards the company's compliance with federal and state laws, the unique role its medicines play in the lives of the people who need them, its responsible marketing practices and that since launch, Duragesic, Nucynta and Nucynta ER have accounted for less than one percent of total opioid prescriptions in Oklahoma as well as the United States." Michael Ullmann, executive VP, General Counsel, Johnson & Johnson, said, "Janssen did not cause the opioid crisis in Oklahoma, and neither the facts nor the law support this outcome. We recognize the opioid crisis is a tremendously complex public health issue and we have deep sympathy for everyone affected. We are working with partners to find ways to help those in need."
VAL

Hot Stocks

17:03 EDT Valaris announces new contract awards with revenue backlog of $84M - Valaris announced new contracts and contract extensions, with associated revenue backlog of $84M, awarded subsequent to filing the company's most recent fleet status report on July 25, 2019.
SXI

Hot Stocks

16:51 EDT Standex CFO Thomas DeByle resigns, Ademir Sarcevic to succeed - Standex announced that CFO Thomas DeByle will be leaving the company to pursue a new opportunity. Standex recently announced the promotion of DeByle to COO and named Ademir Sarcevic to replace him as CFO effective September 9. DeByle will work closely with his successor to assure a smooth transition
MATX

Hot Stocks

16:44 EDT Matson VP Vic Angoco sells almost $566K in company shares - Matson VP Vic Angoco disclosed in a filing that he had sold 16,100 shares of company stock at an average price of $35.14 per share on August 23. The total transaction value of the sale was $565,725.
VSLR

Hot Stocks

16:43 EDT Vivint Solar's Dunn sells nearly 69,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Vivint Solar director Alex J. Dunn disclosed the sale of 68,749 common shares of the company at a price of $7.9296 per share. The filing does not allow for activism.
ANY

Hot Stocks

16:27 EDT Chris Cunningham reports 7.3% passive stake in Sphere 3D - In a regulatory filing, Christopher M Cunningham disclosed a 7.3% stake in Sphere 3D, which represents 216,745 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.
GPS

Hot Stocks

16:25 EDT Gap announces EVP, Chief People Officer Brent Hyder to leave in September - In a regulatory filing, The Gap announced that Brent Hyder, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, will leave the company in September to pursue an external opportunity.
SMIT

Hot Stocks

16:24 EDT Schmitt Industries CFO Ann Ferguson to retire effective November 30th - Schmitt Industries announced that Ann M. Ferguson submitted her letter of resignation as CFO of the company, effective November 30, 2019. Ms. Ferguson's resignation was not the result of any disagreements with the company on any matters relating to its operations, policies or practices. CEO Michael Zapata states: "We look forward to a smooth transition over the coming months and will announce a replacement as soon as one has been hired."
KNL

Hot Stocks

16:19 EDT Knoll acquires ecommerce furniture brand Fully for $35M, sees accretion - Knoll announced the acquisition of Fully, the Portland, Oregon-based ecommerce furniture brand that helps people get moving, engaged and feeling their best at work.Founded in 2006 by David Kahl, Fully pioneered direct-to-consumer sales of high-quality, high-performance adjustable height desks, ergonomic chairs and accessories principally for individual home offices and small businesses through fully.com. Fully first earned B Corp Certification in 2015. Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. The acquisition of Fully represents a digitally native platform for Knoll, allowing the company to reach a new audience principally outside of its current distribution while simultaneously leveraging Fully's product portfolio across channels, increasing the breadth of ergonomic designs available to Knoll clients and dealers. It also further advances the Knoll strategy of building its capability as a go-to resource for workplaces and homes, including the commercial contract, decorator to-the-trade and consumer markets. The acquisition of Fully is for $35M plus contingent future payments dependent on the performance of the business over the next four years. The acquisition is expected to be accretive in the first year. The Company noted that it funded the acquisition through cash on hand and borrowings under its credit facility. .
HTLD

Hot Stocks

16:18 EDT Heartland Express acquires Millis Transfer, related entities for $150M - Heartland Express announced that it has acquired 100% of the equity of dry van truckload carrier Millis Transfer and related entities, for aggregate value of approximately $150M. Millis Transfer is a 100% asset-based dry van truckload carrier headquartered in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, with additional terminal locations in Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, Illinois and Wisconsin. The primary area of operations is in the Midwest and Eastern United States and Texas. After the transaction, Heartland's consolidated customer list will be approximately 500, with no single customer greater than 8% of revenue. Millis operates a single brand fleet of tractors equipped to focus on driver comfort amenities and a single brand fleet of trailers.
PE

Hot Stocks

16:17 EDT Parsley Energy initiates quarterly dividend of 3c per share - Payable on Class A common stock on September 30 to shareholders of record on September 20.
UNFI

Hot Stocks

16:16 EDT Green Bay teamsters reject contract with UNFI/SuperValu, authorize strike - On Saturday, drivers and warehouse workers at UNFI/SuperValu in Green Bay, represented by Teamsters Local 662, voted overwhelmingly to reject the company's proposed contract and authorize a strike. Approximately 150 Wisconsin Teamsters who distribute food to grocery chains such as Festival Foods, County Market, and Sentry, join the growing movement of UNFI/SuperValu workers across the country on the verge of a significant labor dispute.
CAL

Hot Stocks

16:15 EDT Caleres up over 4% at $15.90 per share after Q2 earnings beat
CAL

Hot Stocks

16:13 EDT Caleres reports Q2 gross margin 40.7% vs. 41.5% last year - Reports Q2 adjusted EBITDA $101.5M vs. $95.3M last year.
ABC...

Hot Stocks

16:11 EDT AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health tick higher after J&J court ruling
FPH

Hot Stocks

16:10 EDT Luxor Capital reports 5.3% passive stake in Five Point Holdings - Luxor Capital disclosed a 5.3% stake in Five Point Holdings, which represents about 3.78M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.
PSTV

Hot Stocks

16:10 EDT Sassicaia Capital reports 6.3% passive stake in Plus Therapeutics - In a regulatory filing, Sassicaia Capital disclosed a 6.3% stake in Plus Therapeutics, which represents 28,705 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.
JNJ

Hot Stocks

16:09 EDT Johnson & Johnson jumps 5% to $133.89 following Oklahoma court ruling
NHLD

Hot Stocks

16:09 EDT National Holdings to buy investment firm Winslow, sees accretion - National Holdings announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Winslow, Evans & Crocker, an employee-owned full-service investment firm. The transaction is expected to close in the first fiscal quarter of 2020, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to gross and adjusted EBITDA margins. Winslow, Evans & Crocker, is a Boston-based, full-service investment firm established in 1991. Winslow is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor and a FINRA registered broker-dealer. More than 50 financial professionals including Certified Financial Planners, Investment Advisor Representatives, Financial Consultants, brokers and other specialists are part of the Winslow team with over $2.5B in assets under management. Winslow has a top-tier trading desk, in-house life insurance agency and Capital Markets & Economic Research, offering clients leading-edge technology and a complete range of financial products. Located in the heart of the financial district in Boston, MA, Winslow is a strategic location for National to build out its banking platform. Michael Mullen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of National stated, "We are extremely pleased to announce this definitive agreement to acquire Winslow, Evans & Crocker. Our businesses share many key values, importantly sharing in the 'Client-first' culture and we believe the Winslow professionals and clients will benefit from National's larger and broader solutions platform." Mr. Mullen continued, "This acquisition aligns well with our corporate goals and is a strong strategic and cultural fit. We look forward to expanding our presence in the Boston area and are pleased to be doing so with such a like-minded firm."
TEVA...

Hot Stocks

16:09 EDT Teva, McKesson, Endo rally after J&J found liable in Oklahoma opioid ruling
ABC...

Hot Stocks

16:08 EDT AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, McKesson fall after J&J court ruling
NVTR

Hot Stocks

16:06 EDT Nuvectra to explore strategic alternatives - Nuvectra Corporation announced that its board has decided to explore potential strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value. The company is currently evaluating all options, including a sale or merger of the company, to finance the expected growth of the Nuvectra business. No assurance can be given regarding the outcome or timing of the strategic review process. Nuvectra does not intend to make any further public comment regarding the strategic review process until it has been completed or the company determines that disclosure is required or beneficial. The company anticipates engaging Piper Jaffray as its financial advisor.
SESN

Hot Stocks

16:06 EDT Sesen Bio names Monica Forbes as new CFO - Sesen Bio announced the appointment of Monica Forbes as its CFO, effective immediately. Ms. Forbes will succeed Richard F. Fitzgerald, who will be leaving the company effective August 30, 2019. In addition, the company has appointed Kirstin Anderson, Corporate Controller, as Principal Accounting Officer. Ms. Forbes previously served as the company's Vice President of Finance.
BOOT

Hot Stocks

16:05 EDT Boot Barn acquires G.&L. Clothing - Boot Barn Holdings acquired certain assets of G.&L. Clothing, Inc., an individually-owned retailer operating one store in Des Moines, Iowa. As part of the transaction, Boot Barn purchased inventory, entered into a new lease with the store's landlord and offered employment to the G.&L. Clothing team. Boot Barn funded the acquisition from cash on hand.
PRTA

Hot Stocks

16:00 EDT Ecor1 Capital reports 23.6% activist stake in Prothena - Oleg Nodelman's Ecor1 Capital discloses a 23.6% stake in Prothena, which represents over 9.4M shares. The filing allows for activism. Ecor1 in a filing with the SEC said it may recommend action to the company's management, board of directors and stockholders. Shares of Prothena closed Monday up 2.5%, or 17c, to $7.06.
ORCL

Hot Stocks

15:48 EDT Oracle to appeal Court of Federal Claims JEDI decision - Oracle America filed notice of appeal regarding the JEDI procurement. The following statement may be attributed Dorian Daley, General Counsel, Oracle Corporation: "The Court of Federal Claims opinion in the JEDI bid protest describes the JEDI procurement as unlawful, notwithstanding dismissal of the protest solely on the legal technicality of Oracle's purported lack of standing. Federal procurement laws specifically bar single award procurements such as JEDI absent satisfying specific, mandatory requirements, and the Court in its opinion clearly found DoD did not satisfy these requirements. The opinion also acknowledges that the procurement suffers from many significant conflicts of interest. These conflicts violate the law and undermine the public trust. As a threshold matter, we believe that the determination of no standing is wrong as a matter of law, and the very analysis in the opinion compels a determination that the procurement was unlawful on several grounds."
IDEX

Hot Stocks

15:05 EDT Ideanomics updates MEG operations, Chairman Wu acquires additional 1.7M shares - Ideanomics has released details of its Mobile Energy Group,MEG, operations, including details of MEG's 4 key business units as revenue drivers. The company has been very active in the new energy vehicle market through a mixture of acquisition, JV, and partnership activities with leading EV, Fuel Cell, Charging Network, Electrical Grid, Fleet Management, Lease Financing, and ABS providers to develop participation in the full value chain...Additionally, the MEG group is positioning a concept for commercial vehicle and fleet markets based on fractional ownership of commercial vehicles, such as trucks, to democratize the ownership of profitable fleet activities and help manufacturers, distributors, and last-mile delivery providers achieve a more efficient ownership model. "Now that we are underway with the new energy vehicle sales and financing activities, we felt it was the right rime to share our MEG activities in detail for the first time. The value chain you see in our model has been carefully constructed over the past 24 months, as we became aware of the opportunity to help the new energy vehicle industry come together in an innovative and cohesive manner that benefits participants at every level, whether parts suppliers and manufacturers, energy providers, or fleet managers," said Alf Poor, CEO of Ideanomics. "We're focused on delivering value to each of our partners, and the broader industry in general, and we're excited to see our MEG division take shape and emerge with a strong thought leadership role in the future of the automotive industry. This model is a blueprint for efficiency, which we believe will serve the entire value chain and help new energy vehicles accelerate the pace of change in the automotive industry such that we reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. We're thrilled to share this with our partners and the broader investment community at this time." To that end, Ideanomics' Chairman, Dr. Bruno Wu, recently completed a private purchase of 1.7M shares at a price of $3.00 per share, which represents a premium to the current share price. Dr. Wu became aware of another investor requiring liquidity from their share holding in Ideanomics and negotiated to purchase those shares directly at a price which both sides agreed better represented the value of the shares. The total value of the transaction was $5.1M dollars and was reported in the company's recent 10-q filing for Q2.
PM

Hot Stocks

14:47 EDT Philip Morris drops 5%, or $4.28, to $76.94
MTH

Hot Stocks

14:35 EDT Meritage Homes director Raymond Oppel sells almost $400K in company shares - Meritage Homes director Raymond Oppel disclosed in a filing that he had sold 6,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $65.11 per share on August 23. The total transaction value of the sale was $$390,643.
AKRX

Hot Stocks

13:54 EDT Akorn jumps 11%, or 29c, to $2.99 after FDA approves nasal spray
AKRX

Hot Stocks

13:37 EDT Akorn receives FDA approval for Azelastine Hydrochloride Nasal Spray - Akorn announced that it received a new Abbreviated New Drug Application approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Azelastine Hydrochloride Nasal Spray, 0.15%. The product is manufactured at Akorn's Amityville, New York manufacturing facility. Azelastine Hydrochloride Nasal Spray, 0.15% is indicated for the relief of the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients 6 years of age and older and perennial allergic rhinitis in patients 6 years of age and older.
MITO

Hot Stocks

13:30 EDT Stealth BioTherapeutics Corporation (ADS) trading resumes
MITO

Hot Stocks

13:25 EDT Stealth BioTherapeutics Corporation (ADS) trading halted, volatility trading pause
TRNX

Hot Stocks

13:25 EDT Taronis Technologies jumps 8.5% after announcing increase to fuels dividend - Earlier on Monday, Taronis Technologies announced that the Board of Directors of Taronis Technologies had approved an increased stock dividend ratio of 5:1, which is an increase from the previous 1:1 ratio. This means that Taronis Technologies will distribute five shares of Taronis Fuels common stock for every one share of Taronis Technologies common stock outstanding on the record date for the share distribution. The new record date for the share distribution is anticipated to be November 5, which is 60 days from the date the company plans to file the Taronis Fuels Form 10 registration statement. Shares of Taronis Technologies are up 16c per share or 8.5% to $2.13 per share in afternoon trading.
GSX

Hot Stocks

12:00 EDT GSX Techedu falls -6.3% - GSX Techedu is down -6.3%, or -85c to $12.72.
DGAZ

Hot Stocks

12:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN falls -8.1% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is down -8.1%, or -$14.29 to $161.41.
CO

Hot Stocks

12:00 EDT Global Cord Blood falls -13.0% - Global Cord Blood is down -13.0%, or -72c to $4.80.
UGAZ

Hot Stocks

12:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN rises 8.3% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is up 8.3%, or $1.05 to $13.66.
SBOW

Hot Stocks

12:00 EDT SilverBow Resources rises 8.4% - SilverBow Resources is up 8.4%, or 67c to $8.64.
CSU

Hot Stocks

12:00 EDT Capital Senior Living rises 12.7% - Capital Senior Living is up 12.7%, or 50c to $4.45.
FTI

Hot Stocks

11:56 EDT TechnipFMC trading resumes, shares up 6% to $24.55 after split plans
FTI

Hot Stocks

11:55 EDT FMC Technologies trading resumes
FTI

Hot Stocks

11:47 EDT TechnipFMC approves plan to separate into two publicly traded companies - TechnipFMC announced its board has unanimously approved its plan to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies: RemainCo, a technology and services provider, and SpinCo, an engineering and construction company. "The separation would enhance both RemainCo's and SpinCo's focus on their respective strategies and provide improved flexibility and growth opportunities," the company said in a statement. The transaction is expected to be structured as a spin-off of TechnipFMC's Onshore/Offshore segment to be headquartered in Paris, France. The separation is expected to be completed in the first half of 2020. "The exceptional performance of TechnipFMC since the merger has made the proposed spin-off possible and, when completed, will enable the two companies to unlock additional value," it added. Catherine MacGregor, who currently serves as TechnipFMC's President, New Ventures, will serve as CEO of SpinCo. Bruno Vibert will serve as CFO, and Marco Villa will serve as COO. SpinCo will be incorporated in the Netherlands with its headquarters in Paris and listed on the Euronext Paris exchange. Doug Pferdehirt, Chairman and CEO of TechnipFMC, and Maryann Mannen, Executive Vice President and CFO of TechnipFMC, will continue to serve in their roles following the separation. RemainCo will remain incorporated in the United Kingdom with headquarters in Houston and listed on both the NYSE and Euronext Paris exchange.
FTI

Hot Stocks

11:43 EDT TechnipFMC announces plan to separate into two public companies
FTI

Hot Stocks

11:32 EDT FMC Technologies trading halted, news pending
GD

Hot Stocks

11:09 EDT Gulfstream receives order from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - General Dynamics announced that Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has established a contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for a Gulfstream G550. The aircraft will support NOAA's weather forecasting and research programs.
T

Hot Stocks

11:07 EDT AT&T Communications CEO John Donovan to retire - John Donovan, CEO of AT&T Communications, announced his intention to retire effective Oct. 1. Donovan joined AT&T in 2008 as CTO, overseeing the company's global technology direction and innovation road map. AT&T will name a replacement for Donovan soon.
ATR

Hot Stocks

11:04 EDT AptarGroup, Nippon Closures announce partnership for tethered beverage closures - AptarGroup and Nippon Closures announced that they have entered into an exclusive partnership to cross-license technology for tethered beverage closures. The companies intend to expand this exchange into other areas as well. Together, Aptar and NCC are working to continuously improve the consumer drinking experience, while also creating solutions for beverage closures that are better for the environment. Flip Lid by Aptar is a dispensing closure designed to promote post use recycling as the closure remains united with the bottle throughout its lifecycle. NCC's StrapBand solution is also a tethered solution available for flat caps which provides a hinge functionality with a wide opening angle and a click sound when tethered.
DAN

Hot Stocks

10:34 EDT Dana acquires Nordresa Motors, terms not disclosed - Dana Incorporated announced that it has completed the acquisition of Nordresa Motors. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The company said, "The investment further enhances Dana's electrification capabilities by combining its complete portfolio of motors, inverters, chargers, gearboxes, and thermal-management products with Nordresa's proprietary battery-management system, electric powertrain controls and integration expertise to deliver complete electric powertrain systems...Dana will continue to leverage the nearly two decades of electrification knowledge and experience of Nordresa's founders, who will serve in leadership positions at Dana."
DG DLTR

Hot Stocks

10:30 EDT Dollar General, Dollar Tree fined $1.2M for selling expired products - New York Attorney General Letitia James announced discount retail chains Dollar General (DG), Dollar Tree (DLTR), and Family Dollar will pay $1.2M in fines and damages for selling expired products. The announcement said, "The settlements resolve a multi-month undercover investigation over the chains' sale of expired over-the-counter drugs, Dollar General's sale of obsolete motor oil, and Dollar Tree and Family Dollar's failure to comply with New York's bottle deposit law...The settlements with both Dollar General and Dollar Tree/Family Dollar require the New York stores to make significant reforms to their policies and procedures for managing their stock of over-the-counter drugs, including: Maintaining and utilizing a system for electronically recording and tracking the expiration dates on merchandise delivered to their distribution centers, Maintaining and enforcing policies and procedures that require employees to rotate stock when restocking store shelves, as well as conducting weekly inspections of store shelves to remove any expired products, Conducting monthly audits of each retail store to check for expired products, and Instituting third-party audits of 10% of the chains' New York stores for a period of at least one year to check for expired over-the-counter drugs. Additionally, Dollar General discontinued the sale of obsolete motor oil during the course of the investigation and has agreed to pay $1,100,000 in restitution, damages, penalties, and costs to the State of New York...Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have also agreed to comply with New York's bottle deposit law, train its employees on redemption procedures, and pay $100,000 in penalties and costs to the state." Reference Link
CBL

Hot Stocks

10:08 EDT Exeter Capital reports 5.97% stake in CBL & Associates - Exeter Capital Investors disclosed a 5.97% stake in CBL & Associates, which represents 10.35M shares. The filing allows for activism. Exeter believes the shares are undervalued and represent an "attractive investment opportunity."
EPD

Hot Stocks

10:01 EDT Enterprise Products begins open season for ATEX ethane pipeline - Enterprise Products Partners announced the start of a binding open season to determine demand for expanded capacity on the partnership's Appalachia-to-Texas ethane pipeline. The 1,200-mile ATEX pipeline transports ethane from the Marcellus/Utica Basin of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio to Enterprise's natural gas liquids storage complex in Mont Belvieu, Texas, and features pipeline access to petrochemical plants along the Gulf Coast. Subject to sufficient customer commitments during the open season, Enterprise would add up to 50,000 barrels per day of incremental capacity through a combination of pipeline looping, hydraulic improvements and modifications to existing infrastructure. The expanded capabilities would be in service by 2022.
DWT

Hot Stocks

09:47 EDT Britannia Bulk falls -6.8% - Britannia Bulk is down -6.8%, or -49c to $6.64.
UVXY

Hot Stocks

09:47 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF falls -6.3% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is down -6.3%, or -$2.21 to $33.11.
DGAZ

Hot Stocks

09:47 EDT VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN falls -8.9% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is down -8.9%, or -$15.69 to $160.01.
QEP

Hot Stocks

09:47 EDT QEP Resources rises 7.7% - QEP Resources is up 7.7%, or 27c to $3.78.
UGAZ

Hot Stocks

09:47 EDT VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN rises 8.6% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is up 8.6%, or $1.09 to $13.70.
PBI

Hot Stocks

09:47 EDT Pitney Bowes rises 16.9% - Pitney Bowes is up 16.9%, or 61c to $4.22.
LTC

Hot Stocks

09:35 EDT LTC Properties acquires nursing center, land parcel for approx. $37M - LTC Properties announced it acquired a post-acute skilled nursing center plus a land parcel to develop a similar product in the Kansas City metro area. The centers will be operated by Ignite Medical Resorts. LTC acquired a 90-bed post-acute skilled nursing center built in 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri for $19.5M. The lease term is 12 years at an initial cash yield of 8.3%, escalating 2% annually, and two five-year renewals. The center averages 90% occupancy and generates more than $1M in monthly revenue. LTC also acquired a parcel of land and committed to develop a 90-bed post-acute skilled nursing center in Independence, Missouri. The commitment totals $17.4M. Upon certificate of occupancy and licensure, the center will have a 12-year lease at an initial cash yield of 9.3%, escalating 2% annually, and two five-year renewals. Completion is scheduled for the fall of 2020. Avenue Development, a full-service development company focused on healthcare and senior living, is managing the project.
TMDI

Hot Stocks

09:26 EDT Titan Medical completes study of robotic surgical system with 'high assessment' - Titan Medical announces that the human factors evaluation required to support its planned Investigational Device Exemption, or IDE, filing with the FDA was completed successfully and received a highly favorable assessment from the surgeon investigators. Based on a reassessment of ongoing preparations for the IDE filing and planned human confirmatory studies, and to optimize resources while maintaining its goal for best-in-class product quality and reliability, the company is in the process of revising its product development and regulatory timeline. Titan now expects to file and receive FDA approval for its IDE submission during the fourth quarter of 2019, and to file its 510(k) application with the FDA during the first half of 2020, compared with previous published projections which included filing the application by year-end 2019.
EYEG

Hot Stocks

09:22 EDT EyeGate reaches 50% randomization of patients in pivotal study of OBG - EyeGate Pharmaceuticals announced that it has completed randomization of over 50% of the patients required for its corneal wound repair pivotal study using the Ocular Bandage Gel, or OBG, eye drop. The pivotal study will enroll up to 270 patients requiring corneal wound repair following photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, surgery. After enrolling, each patient is required to attend a formal screening to determine their suitability for the surgery. If approved, the surgery is scheduled for approximately 2 weeks post the screening visit, after which the patient is randomized into either the OBG or standard-of-care group. The patient is then required to return for 2 weeks of follow-up visits where the success of their randomized treatment is measured.
MACK IPSEY

Hot Stocks

09:22 EDT Merrimack outlines plan to unlock $500M in shareholder value - In a letter to shareholders, Merrimack (MACK) claims that activist hedge fund JFL Capital Management has "no plan for the company other than potentially pursuing risky transactions and conducting a redundant strategic process." The company also outlines a $500M shareholder value maximizing plan, stating: "Merrimack is entitled to receive up to an aggregate of $450M in potential regulatory-based milestones from Ipsen S.A (IPSEY)., as well as up to approximately $54.5 million in potential milestone payments from 14ner Oncology, Inc. Merrimack has implemented a series of measures designed to extend its cash runway into 2027 and preserve its ability to capture these milestones." Reference Link
BEBE

Hot Stocks

09:20 EDT bebe stores raises quarterly cash dividend to 17c per share from 12.5c per share - bebe stores announced that its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 17c per share of the company's common stock payable on September 23 to shareholders of record as of September 6. This represents a 36% increase from the prior dividend of 12.5c per share.
ATGE GRPN

Hot Stocks

09:19 EDT Adtalem Global Education appoints Groupon CFO Mike Randolfi as CFO - Adtalem Global Education (ATGE) announced that Mike Randolfi has been appointed senior vice president and CFO, succeeding Patrick Unzicker, effective immediately. Randolfi was most recently CFO at Groupon (GRPN).
PRO

Hot Stocks

09:18 EDT Pros Holdings acquires Travelaer SAS for $12M - Pros Holdings announced it has acquired Travelaer SAS for approximately $12M. "With Travelaer, Pros further extends its comprehensive portfolio to enable airlines to transform the traveler's digital experience across all retail channels: airline.com, mobile and New Distribution Capability platform."
KHC

Hot Stocks

09:14 EDT Kraft Heinz appoints Paulo Basilio as CFO to succeed David Knopf - In a regulatory filing, the company said, "The Kraft Heinz Company hereby announces certain organizational changes. First, Miguel Patricio, the company's CEO, made the strategic decision to shift a seasoned veteran, Paulo Basilio, back into the critical role of global CFO, effective September 1, 2019. In June 2013, Basilio joined H.J. Heinz Holding Corporation as CFO...Since July 2019, Basilio has served as the Company's Chief Business Planning and Development Officer. Following a transition period with Basilio, David Knopf, current EVP and global CFO will depart from the Company to return to 3G Capital, where he has been a Partner since 2015...As of the date of this filing, the Company has not determined to make any material change to Mr. Basilio's compensation in connection with his appointment to this new role...Secondly, effective September 1, 2019: Nina Barton, who currently serves as President of the Canada Zone and President of Digital Growth, will assume the new role of Chief Growth Officer, where she will be responsible for improving the Company's organic growth and developing capabilities; and Bruno Keller, who currently serves as the Head of Category Development in Canada, will succeed Ms. Barton in the role of Zone President of Canada."
MYE

Hot Stocks

09:11 EDT Myers Industries acquired assets of Tuffy Manufacturing - Myers Industries announced that it has acquired the assets of Tuffy Manufacturing Industries, a warehouse distributor of tire repair equipment and supplies. Tuffy will operate as part of Myers Tire Supply and Steve Zimmerman will continue to lead Tuffy as a premier customer and service driven operation. Tuffy's sales for the trailing twelve months ended June 30 nwere approximately $20M. Tuffy is expected to be accretive to earnings in 2020.
GNUS

Hot Stocks

09:09 EDT Genius Brands announces debt reduction - Genius Brands International announced it has repaid $750,000 of its Senior Secured Convertible Notes, the first of six planned payments. The Company also reported it has withdrawn the S-1 registration statement previously filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission on July 23, 2019 and has terminated its agreement with the Company's underwriter.
FOCS

Hot Stocks

09:08 EDT Harvest Capital Management to join Focus partner firm The Colony Group - Focus Financial Partners announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Harvest Capital Management, a registered investment advisor based in Concord, New Hampshire, will join Focus partner firm The Colony Group. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions. Harvest was founded in 1995 by Marshall Rowe, the firm's CEO. Rowe later partnered with Jim Fitts, CFP, and John Weeks, CExP, as the firm enhanced its talent and service offerings to meet the needs of business owners anticipating strategic transactions with respect to their businesses. Harvest's services and capabilities will further expand Colony's family office service offering for ultra-high net worth and high net worth families. Harvest's sustainable investing solutions will also enhance Colony's existing investment strategies. Rowe will join Colony's executive team and lead its Business Owner Practice.
OCSI

Hot Stocks

09:06 EDT Oaktree Strategic Income announces resignation of CEO Edgar Lee - Oaktree Strategic Income announced that Edgar Lee, CEO and CIO, has resigned from the Company for personal reasons, effective September 30, 2019. OCSL's Board of Directors has appointed Armen Panossian to succeed Lee as CEO and CIO. Messrs. Panossian and Lee, who joined Oaktree at the same time and have a long-standing relationship, will work closely together through the end of the calendar year to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities. Panossian, Managing Director and Head of Oaktree's Performing Credit organization, has spent over 12 years at the firm, including most recently as Head of Liquid Credit and Portfolio Manager of Oaktree's U.S. Senior Loan strategy. In connection with this transition, Matt Pendo has been appointed President, effective immediately. Mr. Pendo will also continue to serve in his role as COO.
OCSL

Hot Stocks

09:05 EDT Oaktree Specialty Lending announces resignation of CEO Edgar Lee - Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation announced that Edgar Lee, CEO and CIO, has resigned from the Company for personal reasons, effective September 30, 2019. OCSL's Board of Directors has appointed Armen Panossian to succeed Lee as CEO and CIO. Messrs. Panossian and Lee, who joined Oaktree at the same time and have a long-standing relationship, will work closely together through the end of the calendar year to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities. Panossian, Managing Director and Head of Oaktree's Performing Credit organization, has spent over 12 years at the firm, including most recently as Head of Liquid Credit and Portfolio Manager of Oaktree's U.S. Senior Loan strategy.
RTN

Hot Stocks

09:04 EDT Raytheon awarded $190M U.S. Navy contract - The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon a $190M low-rate initial production contract for ESSM Block 2 missiles featuring a new guidance system with a dual mode active and semi-active radar. This award follows the Navy's decision to shift from development to production on the enhanced intermediate-range, surface-to-air missile, placing the Block 2 variant on track for initial operating capability in 2020.
ABT

Hot Stocks

09:03 EDT Abbott announces results from TRACK-TBI study - Abbott announced that a new study, published in Lancet Neurology, found that elevated levels of a protein measured with the company's blood test under development could help detect mild traumatic brain injuries, even when a CT scan did not detect it. Findings from the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury study - one of the largest TBI efforts of its kind - show this new technology could help fill a gap in emergency rooms today by identifying patients who might otherwise have gone undiagnosed.
EARS

Hot Stocks

09:02 EDT Auris Medical forms Scientific Advisory Board fr tinnitus programs - Auris Medical Holding announced the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board for its tinnitus research and development programs. The appointments to Auris Medical's Tinnitus SAB include:Wolfgang Arnold, Professor Emeritus, former Director of the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery of the Technical University of Munich, Germany; David Baguley, PhD, MBA, Professor in Hearing Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK; Richard Salvi, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Director for the Center for Hearing and Deafness at the University at Buffalo, NY; Hinrich Staecker, MD, PhD, Professor, Director Division Otology/Neurotology, University of Kansas, KS. The Company aims to implement the further development of Keyzilen as well as its early-stage tinnitus programs with non-dilutive funding.
CHTR

Hot Stocks

09:01 EDT RDX to acquire Navisite, terms not disclosed - Charter Communications and RDX announced a definitive agreement under which RDX will acquire and merge with Navisite, a leading provider of managed cloud services. Within the Madison Dearborn Partners investment portfolio, RDX, a specialized provider of managed IT services, will own and operate the assets including client relationships, employees dedicated to supporting the Navisite business, fixed assets, leases and Navisite-operated facilities. The transaction is expected to close within the next few weeks.
PBI...

Hot Stocks

09:00 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Pitney Bowes (PBI), up 12% after entering into a definitive agreement to sell its Software Solutions business to Syncsort for $700M in cash and issuing FY19 guidance... The Medicines Co. (MDCO), up 11% after announcing the ORION-11 Phase 3 study of inclisiran sodium 300 mg met all primary and secondary endpoints with efficacy consistent with findings from Phase 1 and 2 studies... Arcadia Biosciences (RKDA), up 23% after announcing Matthew Plavan as its next CEO and providing FY20 revenue guidance... SRC Energy (SRCI), up 3% after entering into a definitive merger agreement under which PDC Energy (PDCE) will acquire the company in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.7B. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Brainsway (BWAY), up 2%. LOWER: Amgen (AMGN), down 2% after entering into an agreement with Celgene (CELG) in connection with its previously announced merger with Bristol-Myers (BMY) to acquire worldwide rights to Otezla for $13.4B in cash... Cree (CREE), down 2% after Piper Jaffray analyst Harsh Kumar downgraded the stock to Underweight from Neutral and cut his price target for the shares to $38 from $57. The analyst reduced his estimates reducing to reflect broader weakness in the LED market and the impact of Huawei on the Cree's Wolfspeed business.
ARMK

Hot Stocks

08:50 EDT Aramark CEO Eric Foss to retire - Aramark announced that Chairman, President & CEO Eric Foss is retiring and Lead Independent Director Stephen Sadove has been named non-executive Chairman of the board. Foss will remain in an advisory capacity until October 2. The company's board has established an Office of the Chairman, whose members will oversee the company's day-to-day operations and engage with the Board on a regular basis until a successor to Foss is named. The Office of the Chairman will consist of Sadove; Stephen Bramlage, CFO; Lynn McKee, Executive Vice President, Human Resources; and Lauren Harrington, Senior Vice President, General Counsel. The Board has commenced a search for a successor.
JWCAF

Hot Stocks

08:47 EDT James E Wagner expects revenue growth 'to accelerate' over next several quarters - The company said, "Inventories totaled approximately 458 kg of dried cannabis and 14 liters of formulated oil at the end of fiscal Q3 2019. These products are in the process of being sold in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019. The Company expects to soon begin selling cannabis products through recreational channels, further developing customer demand, as it continues scaling JWC2 towards full production capacity. Given its expanding production capacity, the Company anticipates revenue growth to accelerate over the next several quarters, with modest increases in expenses. Management sees this trend resulting in the Company achieving breakeven to positive net and comprehensive income in Q4 2019 on an IFRS accounting basis. In Q1 2020, the Company expects to be revenue positive, along with positive net and comprehensive income. By Q2 2020, the Company sees continued revenue growth driving strong gross margins, positive cash flow, and net and comprehensive income."
MLNX...

Hot Stocks

08:41 EDT Mellanox announces RDMA networking solutions achieve higher GPU efficiency - Mellanox (MLNX) announced that its remote direct memory access, or RDMA, networking solutions for VMware (VMW) vSphere enable virtualized machine learning solutions that achieve higher GPU utilization and efficiency. Benchmarks demonstrate that the Nvidia (NVDA) vComputeServer, or vCS, for virtualized GPUs achieve two times better efficiency by using VMware's paravirtualized RDMA technology than when using traditional networking protocols. The benchmark was performed on a four-node cluster running vSphere 6.7 equipped with Nvidia T4 GPUs with vCS software and Mellanox ConnectX-5 100 GbE SmartNICs, all connected by a Mellanox Spectrum SN2700 100 GbE switch. The PVRDMA ethernet solution enables VM-to-VM communication over RDMA, which boosts data communication performance in virtualized environments while achieving higher efficiency compared with legacy TCP/IP transports.
IBCP

Hot Stocks

08:40 EDT Independent Bank hires Stephen Erickson as CFO effective Feb. 1 - Independent Bank Corporation announced that Stephen Erickson has been hired as the organization commencing February 2020. Previously, IBCP announced on June 27, 2019, that Robert Shuster, the current EVP and CFO of the Corporation and the Bank, had notified the organization of his intention to retire on Jan. 31, 2020. Beginning on Sept. 23, 2019, Mr. Erickson will serve the organization as its EVP and Treasurer and will succeed Shuster following his retirement on Jan. 31, 2020.
ORBC

Hot Stocks

08:35 EDT Texas Freight selects Orbcomm's in-cab solution for fleet-wide management - ORBCOMM announced that it has been selected by Texas Freight Services, a dry van truckload carrier based in Houston, TX, to provide its in-cab solution across their entire fleet of trucks. ORBCOMM's advanced solution provides wireless connectivity through its industry-leading hardware and integrated Cloud-based analytics platform and information management engine for optimal fleet management.
FGEN

Hot Stocks

08:34 EDT FibroGen announces passing of CEO Thomas Neff - FibroGen announced that Thomas Neff, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of FibroGen, passed away unexpectedly this past weekend. Board member James Schoeneck has been named FibroGen's Interim CEO.
PLUS

Hot Stocks

08:33 EDT ePlus acquires ABS Technology - ePlus announced it has acquired certain assets and liabilities of Innovative Technology Systems & Solutions, which does business as ABS Technology. The acquisition establishes ePlus as a provider of consultative technology solutions in the region and gives it a foothold in commercial accounts. ABS, a Virginia Beach-headquartered solutions provider with expertise in managed services, networking, collaboration and security solutions, will provide cloud, data center, security, AI/emerging solutions, along with a comprehensive set of managed and staffing services. The acquisition closed on August 23.
GAIN

Hot Stocks

08:33 EDT Gladstone Investment exits investment in Alloy Die Casting Corporation - Gladstone Investment Corporation announced the sale of its investment in GAIN ADC Holdings parent company to Alloy Die Casting Corporation to PWP Growth Equity on August 23, 2019. The transaction resulted in a significant realized gain on Gladstone Investment's equity investment and full repayment at par of the debt investment. Gladstone Investment acquired ADC in October 2013.
YUM BYND

Hot Stocks

08:32 EDT Kentucky Fried Chicken in partnership with Beyond Meat - Kentucky Fried Chicken (YUM) becomes the first national U.S. quick service restaurant to introduce a plant-based chicken, in partnership with Beyond Meat (BYND). Beyond Fried Chicken will make its debut August 27 in a limited test. Atlantans will be the first to get a taste of KFC's new Beyond Fried Chicken as part of an exclusive, one restaurant test on August 27 at the Cobb Parkway restaurant near SunTrust Park in Atlanta.
GLAD

Hot Stocks

08:31 EDT Gladstone Capital exits investment in Alloy Die Casting Corporation - Gladstone Capital Corporation announced the sale of its investment in Alloy Die Casting Corporation to PWP Growth Equity on August 23, 2019. The transaction resulted in a significant realized gain on Gladstone Capital's equity investment and full repayment at par of the debt investment including all accrued interest and exit fees. Gladstone Capital invested in ADC in October 2013.
NVDA...

Hot Stocks

08:18 EDT Nvidia, VMware to deliver accelerated GPU services for VMware Cloud on AWS - NVIDIA (NVDA) and VMware (VMW) announced their intent to deliver accelerated GPU services for VMware Cloud on AWS (AMZN) to power modern enterprise applications, including AI, machine learning and data analytics workflows. These services will enable customers to seamlessly migrate VMware vSphere-based applications and containers to the cloud, unchanged, where they can be modernized to take advantage of high-performance computing, machine learning, data analytics and video processing applications. Increasingly businesses are applying artificial intelligence technologies to differentiate and advance their processes and offerings. Enterprises are rapidly adopting AI1 and implementing new AI strategies that require powerful computers to create predictive models from petabytes of corporate data. Across industries, enterprises are implementing machine learning applications such as image and voice recognition, advanced financial modeling and natural language processing using neural networks that rely on NVIDIA GPUs for faster training and real-time inference. Additionally, VMware recently acquired Bitfusion, which enables VMware to efficiently make GPU capabilities available for AI and machine learning workloads in the enterprise. Through this partnership, VMware Cloud on AWS customers will gain access to a new, highly scalable and secure cloud service consisting of Amazon EC2 bare metal instances to be accelerated by NVIDIA T4 GPUs, and new NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server software.
SPI

Hot Stocks

08:15 EDT SPI Energy announces closing of Manchester, Waterford solar projects - SPI Energy announced the closing of two projects from the previously announced framework agreement to acquire up to eight solar projects in the state of Oregon. The acquired Manchester and Waterford solar projects will produce a total of approximately 5.4MW in the State of Oregon. Both the Manchester and Waterford solar projects are ground-mounted PV projects and they are located in Yamhill County and Polk County, Oregon, respectively. Upon completion of these two PV projects, we will sell their power to Portland General Electric - generating clean, renewable energy for the local communities.
BB

Hot Stocks

08:14 EDT BlackBerry, Geotab announce partnership - BlackBerry and Geotab announced the availability of BlackBerry Radar, an IoT based asset-tracking solution, on the Geotab Marketplace. The combined solution will help commercial fleets boost productivity, improve asset utilization, reduce costs and improve services to their customers. BlackBerry Radar provides multi-sensor reporting and with the integration into Geotab's MyGeotab software platform, will equip fleet owners with unparalleled visibility into their operations, allowing them to better optimize their assets and improve utilization.
VMW

Hot Stocks

08:13 EDT VMware unveils VMware Tanzu portfolio to manage software on Kubernetes - VMware unveiled VMware Tanzu, a new portfolio of products and services to transform the way enterprises build, run and manage software on Kubernetes. This includes a technology preview of Project Pacific-focused on transforming VMware vSphere into a Kubernetes native platform in a future release; and VMware Tanzu Mission Control-a single point of control from which customers will manage all their Kubernetes clusters regardless of where they run. With the recently announced definitive agreement to acquire Pivotal, VMware will be positioned to deliver the most comprehensive enterprise-grade Kubernetes-based portfolio for modern applications.
EQIX...

Hot Stocks

08:13 EDT Equinix announces expanded partnership with VMware - Equinix (EQIX) announced an expanded partnership with VMware (VMW) to support VMware Cloud on Dell EMC (DELL) on Platform Equinix. Through the expanded partnership, VMware will support Equinix as a global colocation provider for VMware Cloud on Dell EMC, combining industry-leading systems and storage with forward-thinking innovation in hybrid cloud infrastructures.
VMW

Hot Stocks

08:12 EDT VMware introduces new, expanded cloud offerings - VMware introduced new and expanded cloud offerings that will help customers meet the unique needs of traditional and modern applications. VMware empowers IT operators, developers, desktop administrators, and security professionals with the company's hybrid cloud platform to build, run, and manage workloads on a consistent infrastructure across their data center, public cloud, or edge infrastructure of choice. With a hybrid cloud platform enabled by VMware, customers can migrate and modernize applications across clouds, data centers, and edge locations, while simplifying cloud planning, deployment, costs and ongoing operations. VMware Cloud unlocks the future of hybrid IT and helps customers meet application needs by delivering the hybrid cloud as a platform. VMware uniquely enables a consistent hybrid cloud platform spanning all major public clouds - AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud - and more than 60 VMware Cloud Verified partners worldwide. More than 70 million workloads run on VMware. Of these, 10 million are in the cloud. These are running in more than 10,000 data centers run by VMware Cloud providers.
VMW

Hot Stocks

08:11 EDT VMware unveils innovations to Workspace ONE platform - VMware unveiled innovations to its VMware Workspace ONE digital workspace platform to help organizations engage employees from the moment they sign their offer letter, and to unleash productivity to grow, expand and transform their business. The new modern management, security and multi-cloud VDI innovations will allow IT teams to leverage the power of automation to intelligently manage and secure access to any app, on any cloud, delivered to any device. Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub - the central launchpad for employees to securely access apps, workflows and notifications and connect with colleagues - now includes a virtual assistant, powered by IBM Watson Assistant, that users can interact with using natural language processing or text. With the new digital concierge service, Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub Virtual Assistant, employees will be able to complete numerous IT- and HR-related tasks such as procuring and registering a new device, troubleshooting Wi-Fi profiles, opening and managing service desk tickets, and enrolling into company benefits. Employees will also be able to use the virtual assistant to access organization-specific resources such as company policies, office locations and seating maps, as well as other company and team processes. In addition, VMware is enhancing the productivity value of Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub with new and unique Mobile Flows integrations to support HR, line of business and IT Service Management applications.
CURLF

Hot Stocks

08:11 EDT Curaleaf Holdings announces $28.3M sale-leaseback deal with Freehold Properties - Curaleaf Holdings announced it has signed a sale-leaseback agreement with Freehold Properties valued at approximately $28.3M for six of its properties in Florida, Massachusetts and New Jersey. As a result of the transaction, Curaleaf will have sold a portion of its real estate assets while retaining use of the properties for cultivation, processing and retail, respectively. The sale price of $28.3M for the six properties covers initial investment plus all tenant improvements made to date and the proceeds will go towards Curaleaf's continued expansion in the United States. In addition, Curaleaf intends to access further real estate capital to finance additional operational facilities and certain current expansionary construction projects.
IQV

Hot Stocks

08:08 EDT Iqvia recommends holders reject 'mini-tender' offer by TRC Capital - Iqvia announced that it received notice of an unsolicited "mini-tender" offer by TRC Capital to purchase up to one million IQVIA common shares at a price of $148.35 per share in cash. The offering price is 4.42 percent below the closing price per share of IQVIA's common stock on August 16, 2019, the last trading day before the offer was commenced, and 3.13 percent below the closing price per share of IQVIA's common stock on August 23, 2019. The offer is for approximately 0.51 percent of the common shares outstanding. IQVIA does not endorse TRC Capital's unsolicited mini-tender offer and recommends that shareholders do not tender their shares into the tender offer, because the offer is at a price below the current market price for IQVIA's shares and subject to numerous conditions. IQVIA is not associated with TRC Capital, its mini-tender offer or the mini-tender offer documentation. Mini-tender offers seek to acquire less than 5 percent of a company's shares outstanding. Consequently, they can avoid many disclosure and procedural requirements of SEC rules that apply to offers for more than 5 percent of a company's shares outstanding. The SEC has cautioned investors about mini-tender offers, stating that mini-tender offers "have been increasingly used to catch investors off guard," and that investors "may end up selling their securities at below-market prices." TRC Capital has made many similar unsolicited mini-tender offers for shares of other public companies. Shareholders should obtain current market quotations for their shares, consult with their broker or financial advisor, and exercise caution with respect to TRC Capital's mini-tender offer. IQVIA recommends that shareholders who have not responded to TRC Capital's offer take no action. Shareholders who already have tendered their shares may withdraw them at any time prior to 12:01 a.m., New York City time, on September 18, according to TRC Capital's offering documents. TRC Capital may extend the offering period at its discretion.
CVU NOC

Hot Stocks

08:08 EDT CPI Aerostructures' WMI awarded $1.23M in new orders from Northrop Grumman - CPI Aerostructures (CVU) announced that its Welding Metallurgy has been awarded $1.23M in new requirements for aerial refueling probe assemblies from Northrop Grumman (NOC) for new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The probe assembly is a long, welded tube assembly that enables a U.S. Air Force or Navy tanker aircraft to provide fuel to the E-2D while in flight.
LIQT

Hot Stocks

08:07 EDT LiqTech receives $8.4M marine scrubber filtration order - LiqTech announced the receipt of the company's largest single order to date for its proprietary ceramic silicon carbide water filtration systems for marine scrubber applications. The order was placed by one of the world's three largest shipping companies and follows the recent installation and system deployment by this same customer on the two largest container ships in the world. The new orders are expected to be delivered starting in late 2019, with completion in 2020
TROV JNJ

Hot Stocks

08:06 EDT Trovagene reports 'positive' results from ongoing Phase 2 study of onvansertib - Trovagene announced the presentation of positive clinical data from its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of onvansertib in combination with Zytiga (abiraterone acetate)/prednisone, an androgen-receptor signaling inhibitor, in metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, at the 20th Asia-Pacific Prostate Cancer Conference in Melbourne, Australia. These data demonstrate the efficacy of onvansertib in patients showing resistance to the ARS inhibitor, Zytiga, including those with the highly-aggressive and difficult-to-treat androgen receptor variant 7. "We have discovered that adding onvansertib to daily ARS inhibitor therapy changes the trajectory of resistance in patients harboring AR-V7, as demonstrated by the immediate decrease in serum PSA levels in patients showing initial signs of resistance to Zytiga," said Mark Erlander, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Trovagene. "The inhibition of the PLK1 enzyme by onvansertib appears to enhance the efficacy of Zytiga by repressing the ARS pathway, which is consistent with preclinical data."
WAAS

Hot Stocks

08:05 EDT AquaVenture segment announces nine-year extension with customer in the Bahamas - Seven Seas Water, an operating segment of AquaVenture, announced that it has extended its agreement with its customer in the Bahamas by nine years. Under this agreement, the company will continue delivering potable water and wastewater treatment services to the Emerald Bay development in Great Exuma, the Bahamas. In addition, the company will be performing certain equipment upgrade services for the customer.
MSBI

Hot Stocks

08:05 EDT Midland States announces departure of CFO Stephen Erickson - Midland States Bancorp announced that Stephe Erickson, CFO, has resigned from the Company and Midland States Bank in order to accept a position with another financial institution based in Michigan. The Company also announced that Donald Spring, Corporate Controller for the Company and Midland States Bank, has been promoted to Chief Accounting Officer, and will lead the Company's finance department on an interim basis while Midland conducts an executive search for Mr. Erickson's replacement.
INFN

Hot Stocks

08:04 EDT Infinera reports inducement grant under NASDAQ listing rules - Infinera announced, as required by NASDAQ Stock Market Rules, equity inducement awards to Nancy Erba, Infinera's new CFO. In accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), the Compensation Committee of Infinera's Board of Directors approved the grant of the following equity awards to Ms. Erba as a material inducement to her accepting employment with Infinera: an award of 562,500 restricted stock units, and an award of 187,500 performance shares. The RSUs shall vest as to 1/4th of the underlying shares annually on each one-year anniversary of the vesting commencement date, subject to Ms. Erba's remaining a service provider of Infinera through each applicable vesting date. The PSAs shall vest subject to achievement of a financial performance objective related to non-GAAP operating income targets, as determined by the Compensation Committee of Infinera's Board of Directors in its discretion. The PSAs shall vest based on meeting such performance-based objective and include a service-based requirement should the performance objective be met before the three-year performance period is completed. The performance period begins on the first day of Infinera's 2019 fiscal year and ends on the last day of Infinera's 2021 fiscal year consistent with similar performance awards granted to other Infinera executives. These awards were made under Infinera's 2019 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan and related award agreements.
LCTX

Hot Stocks

08:03 EDT Lineage Cell Therapeutics announces issuance of patent from USPTO - Lineage Cell Therapeutics announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, has issued U.S. Patent No. 10,344,262, for a system for production of antigen presenting dendritic cells from human embryonic stem cells, or hESCs. The claimed system and cell populations involve culturing cells in a serum-free medium utilizing factors including bone morphogenetic protein-4, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, stem cell factor and vascular endothelial growth factor to generate hESC-derived mature dendritic cells.
INSP

Hot Stocks

08:02 EDT Inspire Medical announces draft local coverage determinations - Inspire Medical Systems announced that two draft Local Coverage Determinations were published proposing coverage of Inspire therapy. The proposed draft LCDs are available on the Medicare Coverage Database site for public review. The Medicare Administrative Contractors issuing these first two policies are Noridian and Palmetto, which collectively represent 19 states. Following the public comment period, which is expected to be 60 days, Noridian and Palmetto will host formal review meetings in September and October, respectively. Final policies are expected to be issued by Noridian and Palmetto in 2020. Both draft LCDs from Noridian and Palmetto state that for individuals with obstructive sleep apnea who are treated with hypoglossal nerve stimulation, the evidence is sufficient to determine that the technology results in a meaningful improvement in the net health outcomes when utilized as outlined in the LCDs. The criteria for potential patients identified in the draft policy are closely aligned with the approved U.S. Food and Drug Administration indication statement for Inspire therapy. Noridian covers Medicare patients in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Palmetto covers Medicare patients in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
CSCO

Hot Stocks

08:02 EDT Cisco announces intent to acquire CloudCherry - Cisco announced its intent to acquire privately-held CloudCherry based in Salt Lake City, UT. CloudCherry is a Customer Experience Management company that provides customer journey mapping, out-of-the-box integrations, and predictive analytics. Predictive analytics help contact center agents make real-time journey modifications such as up and cross-selling, discounts, service modifications and more, to meet customer needs and improve loyalty. Key Facts: The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of Cisco's fiscal year 2020, subject to customary closing conditions and required approvals. Upon completion of the transaction, the CloudCherry team will join Cisco's Contact Center Solutions business, led by Vasili Triant, vice president and general manager. Read the blog for more details. Cisco collaboration customers include 95% of the Fortune 500. 30,000+ Cisco Contact Center Customers. 3M+ Contact Center Agents.
JE

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07:38 EDT Just Energy Chair says Globe and Mail article contains 'inaccuracies' - Just Energy Group announced that the Globe and Mail article dated August 25, 2019 with respect to Just Energy contained inaccuracies, and Executive Chair, Rebecca MacDonald, would like to clarify. MacDonald stated, "The reporter did not reach out to me or, to my knowledge, any executive at Just Energy for comment and it is incorrect that I have been seeking a restructuring. I continue to work with the Board and the Special Committee on a robust strategic review process and getting the best outcome for Just Energy's investors, despite articles such as this that appear to simply benefit short sellers. I and Just Energy value our strong relationships with key shareholders, the most significant of which has not divested of any common shares. We appreciate their continued support, as we move forward with our strategic review."
BB

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07:38 EDT BlackBerry appoints Lisa Disbrow to board of directors - BlackBerry announced that it has appointed Lisa Disbrow to the company's Board of Directors. Disbrow will also serve as a member of the audit and risk management committee of the Board of Directors. The addition of Disbrow increases the size of the company's Board of Directors to nine members, eight of whom are independent, and enhances the representation of women and the diversity of competencies and skills on the Board.
EBIX

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07:35 EDT EbixCash, PMS Bazaar partner for all-in-one investment portal - Ebix announced that one of its subsidiaries in India, EbixCash Financial Technologies has partnered for a strategic collaboration with PMS Bazaar to introduce a one-stop portfolio management services & alternative investment funds tracking portal for investors. EbixCash partnership with PMS Bazaar will leverage the comprehensive offering to cover its entire wealth management functions across its various business units, replacing multiple legacy systems and improving efficiency. The newly introduced portal lets investors look into their PMS & AIF dashboards comprising different investments with comparison charts, analytics metrics and other information combined with expert investment advice.
IFSPF

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07:33 EDT Interfor CEO Duncan Davies to step down - INTERFOR announced that long-time President & CEO Duncan Davies will step down on December 31, 2019 and that Ian Fillinger, currently the Company's SVP and COO, has been appointed President & CEO effective January 1, 2020. Fillinger will also serve on the Company's Board of Directors following this date. Davies, who will also step down from his role as a director of the Company, has agreed to remain with the Company in an advisory capacity through the end of 2020.
ZGNX

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07:30 EDT Zogenix trading resumes
CTRP

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07:28 EDT Ctrip, Aichi Prefecture signs agreement to promote inbound tourism - Ctrip.com International signed an agreement with Aichi prefecture to cooperate in promoting inbound tourism to the region. Ctrip so far has signed five agreements with local governments and organizations, including the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau and Hokkaido Tourism Organization. The agreement ensures Ctrip's support in promoting the region to Chinese and other international tourists, while Ctrip will benefit from a range of new and unique destinations and activities to cater to a growing number of sophisticated and experienced customers.
HUSKF

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07:19 EDT Husky Energy starts production at Dee Valley thermal project - Husky Energy announced it has commenced production at its Dee Valley thermal project in Saskatchewan, the second of six 10,000-barrel-per-day thermal bitumen projects to be brought onstream from 2018 to 2022. Dee Valley will ramp up through year end, increasing Husky's thermal production in Saskatchewan to 90,000 barrels per day. Dee Valley follows Husky's Rush Lake 2 Lloyd thermal project, which began production in October 2018 and achieved its 10,000 bbls/day design capacity the following month. Current Rush Lake 2 production is approximately 11,000 bbls/day, with a steam-oil ratio of 2.1. With low operating costs, good oil quality and advantaged logistics, Husky's Lloyd thermal projects further reduce the Company's break-even Brent oil price, advancing delivery of its five-year business plan. Husky's heavy oil production is matched by its Downstream processing and pipeline takeaway capacity through 2021, with tight physical integration providing for increased margin capture. Four additional Saskatchewan thermal projects are being advanced through 2022, with a combined design capacity of 40,000 bbls/day.
BPTH

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07:17 EDT Bio-Path announces patient dosing in amended Phase 2 prexigebersen trial - Bio-Path Holdings announced patient dosing in Bio-Path's amended Phase 2 trial of prexigebersen for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, as announced in March 2019. The key change in the amended Phase 2 study is the inclusion of patients with high risk myelodysplastic syndrome and refractory/relapsed AML patients. The restructured Phase 2 clinical trial has two cohorts of patients. The first being untreated AML patients as existed in the pre-amended trial but with the addition of high risk MDS patients, and a second cohort comprised of refractory/relapsed AML patients and high risk MDS patients. The amended Phase 2 study will continue evaluating the safety of prexigebersen in combination with decitabine in both cohorts of patients at a dose of 60 mg/m2 in combination with decitabine. The study will include a total of six evaluable patients for a safety assessment of prexigebersen and decitabine. To date, the Company has enrolled five evaluable patients: three untreated AML patients in who received therapy prior to amending the trial, and two patients who are now being treated under the amended Phase 2 trial. Assuming a successful completion of this safety assessment, the study will then modify testing of both cohorts of patients to add venetoclax to the prexigebersen/decitabine combination treatment. After a six-patient safety assessment of the prexigebersen/decitabine/venetoclax combination, the Company intends to commence the efficacy segment of this trial. It is anticipated that each cohort will include an interim assessment of 19 evaluable patients that would assess whether the treatment efficacy of the combination of prexigebersen/decitabine/ venetoclax exceeds the efficacy of current standard-of-care therapy with statistical significance. Upon such favorable data, Bio-Path would petition the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for accelerated approval. The efficacy segment of the trial is expected to be conducted at up to ten clinical sites in the United States. Moving forward, the Company intends to evaluate potential clinical sites in Europe with an emphasis on patient accruals.
SLRX

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07:15 EDT Salarius, Ivy Brain Tumor Center announce collaborative partnership - The Ivy Brain Tumor Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute and Salarius Pharmaceuticals announced a collaborative partnership to test Salarius' therapeutic candidate, Seclidemstat, for the treatment of glioblastoma. The organizations will launch what they believe is the most comprehensive pre-clinical study to date, evaluating the effect of targeting LSD1, a key enzyme that has increased expression in tumors of brain cancer patients. Seclidemstat is a reversible LSD1 inhibitor that works by inhibiting LSD1's enzymatic and protein-scaffolding functions. It is currently being tested by Salarius in a Phase 1 study for refractory or relapsed Ewing's sarcoma and a Phase 1 study for Advanced Solid Tumors. Seclidemstat is among the most clinically advanced reversible LSD1 inhibitors in development, and its potential effect on glioblastoma represents a promising new therapeutic treatment option. The Ivy Brain Tumor Center's advanced pre-clinical capabilities include well-characterized patient-derived xenograft animal models and state-of-the-art pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics core facilities. A key component to this latest endeavor will be to leverage the Ivy Center's core capabilities in collaboration with Salarius to perform in-house survival studies, advanced animal imaging, toxicology assessment, and in vivo pharmaco-metabolic analyses. Should the pre-clinical phase provide sufficient evidence for positive drug effects, the program will move to the subsequent clinical evaluation of Seclidemstat. This will take place within the context of a Phase 0 clinical trial, in which researchers will quickly learn if the new regimen is having the desired impact on a patient's individual tumor.
GTBIF

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07:14 EDT Green Thumb Industries closes transaction to acquire New York license - Green Thumb Industries announced it has closed on a transaction to acquire New York-based Fiorello Pharmaceuticals, one of only 10 companies approved to operate a medical marijuana company in the state. Assets include a manufacturing and cultivation facility in Schenectady County and a retail store in each of the following locations: Manhattan, Rochester, Halfmoon and Nassau County, three of which are open.
HLNE

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07:12 EDT Hamilton Lane's SBIC Fund announces sale of LeverPoint to GTCR - The New York Credit SBIC Fund managed by an affiliate of Hamilton Lane announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its stake in LeverPoint Management to GTCR. LeverPoint will be integrated into GTCR's portfolio company, Ultimus Fund Solutions, bringing Ultimus' combined Assets under Administration to more than $220B. As part of this transaction, LeverPoint's CEO David MacPhee will become the CEO of Ultimus' Private Fund Solutions business, reporting to Ultimus CEO Gary Tenkman. LeverPoint plans to continue to invest in its service and technology capabilities to deliver high-class, customized services to its clients, with the support from the larger Ultimus platform. Ultimus' acquisition of LeverPoint was backed GTCR, which acquired both Ultimus Fund Solutions and The Gemini Companies in a strategic combination that closed in February 2019. Macquarie Capital acted as exclusive financial advisor and Pepper Hamilton provided legal counsel to LeverPoint and its shareholder, the SBIC Fund. Latham & Watkins provided legal counsel to Ultimus and GTCR. Closing is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2019 after the completion of customary closing conditions.
ZGNX

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07:10 EDT Zogenix announces acquisition of Modis Therapeutics with $250M upfront payment - Zogenix announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Modis Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for rare genetic diseases with high unmet medical need. Modis's lead product candidate, MT1621, an investigational deoxynucleoside substrate enhancement therapy, is in late-stage development for the treatment of Thymidine Kinase 2 deficiency, an inherited mitochondrial DNA depletion disorder that predominantly affects children and is often fatal. A pivotal Phase 2 retrospective treatment study of MT1621 substrate enhancement therapy in patients with TK2d was recently completed, with results demonstrating a substantial treatment benefit for patients. Thirty-eight patients from eight clinical sites in three countries were enrolled in RETRO and received MT1621 treatment for up to seven years. Outcomes from patients enrolled in RETRO were compared to outcomes from a comprehensive, global TK2d natural history dataset of 68 patients. The difference in survival probability between MT1621-treated RETRO patients and untreated natural history control patients was statistically significant; all patients treated with MT1621 remain alive. In addition, patients treated with MT1621 demonstrated marked improvements in functional abilities, in some cases re-acquiring previously lost motor milestones. Safety data from RETRO indicated that MT1621 was generally safe and well-tolerated, with mild or moderate diarrhea being the most common treatment-related adverse event, occurring in 63% of patients. Treatment-related serious adverse events were reported in four patients. Two adult-onset patients stopped treatment due to asymptomatic increases in aminotransferases, without increases in bilirubin, which resolved upon discontinuation of treatment. Under the terms of the transaction, Modis will receive an upfront payment of $250M, comprised of $175M in cash and $75M in Zogenix common stock. Modis is also eligible to receive additional milestone payments consisting of $100M upon receipt of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of MT1621in the U.S. and $50M upon European Medicines Agency approval in Europe. Zogenix will also pay a 5% royalty on any future net sales of MT1621. Zogenix's acquisition of Modis is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including expiration and termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and approval of Modis's stockholders. Pending satisfaction of the conditions to closing, the transaction is expected to close in September 2019.
MDCO

Hot Stocks

07:07 EDT The Medicines Co. announces ORION-11 study meets primary, secondary endpoints - The Medicines Co. announced topline results from the first pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of inclisiran to decrease LDL-cholesterol, or LDL-C, through twice-yearly dosing. The ORION-11 study of inclisiran sodium 300 mg met all primary and secondary endpoints with efficacy consistent with findings from Phase 1 and 2 studies. The trial showed that inclisiran was well tolerated and confirmed that the safety profile was at least as favorable as that demonstrated in the ORION-1 Phase 2 and ORION-3 open label extension studies. Detailed efficacy, tolerability and safety data from ORION-11 will be presented during a late-breaking science session at the European Society of Cardiology's ESC Congress. ORION-11 is a pivotal Phase 3, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of inclisiran sodium 300 mg administered subcutaneously in 1,617 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or ASCVD, or ASCVD-risk equivalents and elevated LDL-C despite maximum tolerated dose of statin therapy. The international study was conducted at 70 sites in seven countries. Each study participant received inclisiran sodium 300 mg administered as a subcutaneous injection initially, again at three months and then every six months thereafter. The primary endpoints are percentage change in LDL-C from baseline to day 510 and time-adjusted percentage change in LDL-C from baseline after day 90 and up to day 540. Key secondary endpoints include the mean absolute change at Day 510, the average absolute reduction from Day 90 up to Day 540 and changes in other lipids and lipoproteins. The sequential release of topline Phase 3 data readouts for the ORION-9 and ORION-10 studies are expected to continue later in Q3 in advance of anticipated regulatory submissions in the U.S. in the Q4 and in Europe in Q1 of 2020. Patients who have completed their respective Phase 3 studies are now enrolling into ORION-8, an open-label, long-term extension study where patients completing ORION-9, ORION-10 and ORION-11 will receive inclisiran for three years to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of long-term dosing of inclisiran.
TAC

Hot Stocks

07:04 EDT TransAlta: Arbitration ends favorably regarding Sundance B and C PPA's - TransAlta announced that it was successful in its arbitration with the Balancing Pool for the remaining payment related to the termination of the Sundance B and C Power Purchase Arrangements. As a result of the arbitration decision, the company will receive the full amount it had been seeking to recover, being equal to $58.8M from the Balancing Pool, plus interest. This payment relates to TransAlta's historical investments in certain mining and corporate assets that the company believed should have been included in the net book value calculation of the PPA's that had been disputed by the Balancing Pool.
FULC

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07:04 EDT Fulcrum Therapeutics expects cash to fund requirements into 3Q21 - The company said, "As of June 30, 2019, cash and cash equivalents were $49.6 million, as compared to $72.8 million as of December 31, 2018. Cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2019 do not include the proceeds from the Company's initial public offering of common stock, which closed in July 2019. Based on its current plans, the Company expects that its existing cash and cash equivalents, including the proceeds from its July 2019 initial public offering, will be sufficient to enable it to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the third quarter of 2021."
PBI

Hot Stocks

07:03 EDT Pitney Bowes to sell Software Solutions business to Syncsort for $700M in cash - Pitney Bowes announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Software Solutions business to Syncsort for $700M in cash. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the calendar year, pending regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The company plans to use the majority of the net proceeds from the sale to pay down near-term debt maturities. As a result of this transaction, the Company will further streamline its operations and reduce spend. The dilution from the divestiture is expected to be earnings neutral in the 12 months following the closing of this transaction as a result of the lower interest expense related to the pay down of debt and overall spend reductions. Prior to the close, Pitney Bowes will continue to work closely with its software clients, partners and systems integrators, while partnering with Syncsort to ensure a smooth transition. This transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
ADUS

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07:02 EDT Addus HomeCare to acquire Hospice Partners of America for $130M cash - Addus HomeCare announced the signing of a definitive agreement to purchase Hospice Partners of America, a multi-state provider of hospice services, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, for a cash purchase price of $130M, representing $118.4M of value, net of the present value of $11.6M of estimated tax benefits. Hospice Partners of America currently serves an average daily census of approximately 1,000 patients through 21 locations across Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, Texas and Virginia, with annualized revenue of approximately $55M. Addus expects to complete the transaction following completion of all required regulatory approvals, subject to customary closing conditions. Addus will fund the acquisition through the company's revolving credit facility. "We look forward to Hospice Partners of America's management team and clinical staff joining our Addus family, as we leverage our combined capabilities to develop a national platform for hospice services. Importantly, we share the same mission to provide quality, compassionate healthcare services to more consumers in their homes. We believe this is a good strategic fit, which should facilitate a smooth integration. Furthermore, we expect this transaction to be immediately accretive to our 2019 financial results," said CEO Allison.
ZGNX

Hot Stocks

06:55 EDT Zogenix trading halted, news pending
BMY...

Hot Stocks

06:49 EDT Bristol-Myers to raise accelerated share repurchase to $7B from $5B - Under the terms of the agreement and subject to the closing conditions, Amgen (AMGN) will acquire OTEZLA and related intellectual property, including any patents that primarily cover apremilast, as well as other assets and liabilities related to OTEZLA. The agreement includes the transfer of Celgene (CELG) employees primarily dedicated to OTEZLA. Bristol-Myers Squibb plans to prioritize the use of proceeds from the OTEZLA divestiture for debt reduction. In the context of its overall approach to capital allocation, Bristol-Myers Squibb plans to focus on de-leveraging in the near term to maintain strong investment grade credit ratings and less than 1.5x debt/EBITDA by 2023. Beyond that, Bristol-Myers Squibb's strategic approach to capital allocation remains unchanged with future business development and sourcing external innovation a priority, while continuing to plan for annual dividend increases and disciplined employment of share repurchases. Bristol-Myers Squibb also announced that it is increasing its previously planned $5B accelerated share repurchase to $7B. The share repurchase will be executed following closing of the pending Bristol-Myers Squibb merger with Celgene, subject to Board approval. The additional authorization is based on strong business trends across both Bristol-Myers Squibb and Celgene, encouraging clinical developments across the pipeline of both companies and increased visibility into the closing of the pending merger with Celgene.
LLY

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06:48 EDT Eli Lilly announces FDA approval of Taltz for third indication of AS treatment - Eli Lilly announced that the FDA has approved Taltz injection 80 mg/mL for the treatment of adults with active ankylosing spondylitis, or AS, also known as radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, or r-axSpA. This is the third indication for Taltz, which was first approved by the FDA in March 2016 for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and then approved by the FDA in December 2017 for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis. Taltz may be administered alone or in combination with a conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or analgesics. Taltz should not be used in patients with a previous serious hypersensitivity, such as anaphylaxis, to ixekizumab or to any of the excipients. Taltz may increase the risk of infection. Other warnings and precautions for Taltz include pre-treatment evaluation for tuberculosis, hypersensitivity, inflammatory bowel disease, and immunizations.
VRSK

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06:44 EDT Verisk Analytics to acquire Genscape for $364M in cash - Verisk has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Genscape, a global provider of real-time data and intelligence for commodity and energy markets, wholly owned by DMGT, for $364M in cash. Genscape will become part of Wood Mackenzie, a Verisk business, and will enhance Wood Mackenzie's existing sector intelligence in energy data and analytics. The transaction is subject to the completion of customary closing conditions.
BMY...

Hot Stocks

06:43 EDT Bristol-Myers: Amgen to acquire global rights to OTEZLA from Celgene for $13.4B - Bristol-Myers (BMY) announced that Celgene (CELG), in connection with its merger agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb, has entered into an agreement with Amgen (AMGN) under which Amgen would acquire the global rights to OTEZLA for $13.4B in cash. Bristol-Myers Squibb previously announced the decision to divest OTEZLA in connection with the ongoing regulatory approval process for the company's pending merger with Celgene. The closing of the acquisition covered by the agreement with Amgen is contingent on Bristol-Myers Squibb and Celgene entering into a consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission in connection with their pending merger, the closing of the pending merger, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Bristol-Myers Squibb now expects the pending merger with Celgene to close by the end of 2019.
AMGN...

Hot Stocks

06:38 EDT Amgen to acquire Otezla from Celgene for $13.4B in cash - Amgen (AMGN) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Celgene (CELG) in connection with its previously announced merger with Bristol-Myers (BMY) to acquire worldwide rights to Otezla, "the only oral, non-biologic treatment for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis," and certain related assets and liabilities, for $13.4B in cash, or approximately $11.2B, net of the present value of $2.2B in anticipated future cash tax benefits. Amgen believes that the acquisition of Otezla offers many benefits including: A strong strategic fit with Amgen's long-standing expertise in psoriasis and inflammation; A differentiated, oral therapy complementary to Amgen's existing inflammation franchise of innovative biologics and biosimilar products; At least low double-digit Otezla sales growth, on average, over the next five years; Acceleration of Amgen's near- and long-term revenue growth; Immediate non-GAAP EPS accretion; Intellectual Property exclusivity through at least 2028 in the U.S.; Worldwide rights which fit well with Amgen's international presence and global expansion objectives; Support of increased R&D investment in 2020 to advance Amgen's innovative pipeline of first-in-class molecules; No interruption in deployment of Amgen's capital allocation priorities. Sales of Otezla in 2018 were $1.6B driven by strong volume growth. The closing of the acquisition is contingent on Bristol-Myers entering into a consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission in connection with the pending Celgene merger, the closing of the pending merger with Celgene and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2019.
PDM

Hot Stocks

06:35 EDT Piedmont Office Realty acquires remainder of Atlanta Galleria office towers - Piedmont Office Realty announced that it has completed the purchase of Galleria 400 and Galleria 600, two office towers totaling approximately 860,000 square feet and an adjacent 10.2 acre land parcel entitled for 1M square feet of additional development for a total of $231.2M. Piedmont's total investment in The Galleria is just under $500M, which represents a significant discount to estimated replacement cost.
AZZ

Hot Stocks

06:35 EDT AZZ Inc. acquires all assets of NuZinc - AZZ Inc. announced that it has acquired all the assets of NuZinc, a privately held plating company in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. NuZinc provides electroplating services to the markets of aerospace, defense, telecommunications, medical, transportation and commercial industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. AZZ expects the acquisition will be accretive to earnings within the first year of operation. Through the acquisition, AZZ gains the plating operations and employees of NuZinc, which operates in a 29,000 square foot facility in Garland, Texas. Going forward, AZZ intends to operate the facility as AZZ Powder Coating and Plating and will integrate it with existing powder coating and plating operations the company operates in the area.
BWAY

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06:33 EDT Brainsway CFO Hadar Levy to assume additional role of COO - Hadar Levy, the company's CFO, will relocate to the U.S. and assume the additional role of COO. The newly created position of COO in the U.S. is expected to enhance the alignment of the organization and support the company's next phase of growth
AMGN...

Hot Stocks

06:33 EDT Amgen to acquire Otezla from Celgene for $13.4B in cash
HUSA

Hot Stocks

06:32 EDT Houston American Energy enters agreement to participate in San Andres formation - Houston American Energy announced that it has signed an agreement to participate in a new drilling program in the San Andres formation located in the Northern Shelf of the Permian Basin. Under the agreement, the company will acquire a 20% working interest in an existing 5,871 gross acre block. The agreement provides that Houston American will pay 26.667% of the costs of an initial test well through the point at which the well is drilled, completed, equipped and ready for operation, production or disposal. All additional operations will be conducted on a heads up basis. The agreement also defines an area of mutual interest, or AMI, in approximately 20,367 acres in the area of, and including, the existing acreage covered by the agreement. The parties to the agreement will have the right to participate, at cost, in any interest acquired in the AMI over the following five years.
AMGN...

Hot Stocks

06:32 EDT Amgen to acquire Otezla from Celgene for $12.4B in cash
PDCE SRCI

Hot Stocks

06:16 EDT PDC Energy board to expand to nine directors upon close of SRC Energy deal - Upon closing, PDCs' (PDCE) board of directors will be expanded to nine directors, expected to include two members from the SRC (SRCI) board of directors. PDC's board of directors also plans to form a three-member group focused on integration planning and opportunities for ongoing corporate synergies and cost efficiencies. The combined company will be led by PDC's executive management team and will remain headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
PDCE SRCI

Hot Stocks

06:15 EDT PDC Energy provides preliminary pro forma 2020 outlook - PDC's long-term strategy is to be a low-cost operator that generates and returns free cash flow to shareholders, while delivering solid production and cash flow growth on a debt-adjusted per share basis. In 2020, PDC plans to invest between $1.2B-$1.4B to operate three Wattenberg and two Delaware Basin drilling rigs. The plan is expected to generate approximately $275M in free cash flow assuming $55 per barrel and $2.70 per Mcf NYMEX oil and gas prices, respectively, with full-year production averaging between 200,000 and 220,000 Boe per day. Finally, PDC expects its combined G&A and LOE to be less than $5 per Boe.
PDCE SRCI

Hot Stocks

06:12 EDT PDC Energy says SRC Energy acquisition immediately accretive to key 2020 metrics - Key Transaction Highlights: Materially increases PDC's scale with a consolidated, contiguous Core Wattenberg leasehold position of approximately 182,000 net acres located entirely in Weld County and pro forma second quarter total production of nearly 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (166,000 Boe per day in the Wattenberg). On a pro forma basis, the combined company is the second largest producer in the DJ basin. Coupled with its approximate 36,000 net acre Delaware Basin position, the company will have core assets in two of the premier U.S. onshore basins... Materially enhances free cash flow profile and enhances ability to return additional capital to shareholders. Pro forma free cash flow is estimated to be approximately $800M from the third quarter through year-end 2021, assuming $55 per barrel NYMEX. PDC has increased and extended its existing share repurchase program from $200M-$525M, with a target completion date of year-end 2021. Year-to-date, PDC has repurchased $125M of its shares and plans to utilize approximately 50% of the estimated $800M of free cash flow in the same period to complete the remaining $400M repurchase program... Creates a low-cost mid-cap producer with anticipated peer-leading G&A of approximately $2.00 per Boe in 2020. PDC expects to realize approximately $40M of G&A savings in 2020 with an incremental $10M of G&A synergies in 2021, after the completion of its integration plan. All-stock transaction ensures the combined company will have a strong balance sheet with a pro forma leverage ratio of 1.3x at June 30, and projected leverage ratio of approximately 1.0x at year-end 2020, assuming $55 per barrel NYMEX. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to key 2020 metrics, including: free cash flow per share, cash return on capital invested, net asset value, G&A per Boe, LOE per Boe, leverage ratio and inventory life.
PDCE

Hot Stocks

06:09 EDT PDC Energy raises share repurchase program to $525M from $200M - Target completion date of year-end 2021.
KXIN RENN

Hot Stocks

06:07 EDT Kaixin Auto appoints Yi 'Lucy' Yang as CFO, effective immediately - Kaixin Auto (KXIN) announced that it has appointed Ms. Yi "Lucy" Yang as its CFO, effective immediately. Yang will succeed Thomas Ren, who will continue to serve as CFO of Renren (RENN). Prior to joining Kaixin, Yang served as strategic investment director and financial controller for Jomoo, a leading manufacturer and supplier of home products, such as kitchen and bathroom units, in China.
EVFM

Hot Stocks

06:06 EDT Evofem announces completion of AMPREVENCE trial - Evofem announced the last patient has completed her last visit in AMPREVENCE, the Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating Amphora, a multipurpose vaginal pH regulator, or MVP-R, for the prevention of acquisition of chlamydia and gonorrhea in women. AMPREVENCE, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2b trial, enrolled 860 women who had been treated for chlamydia or gonorrhea in the four months preceding enrollment in the study. Subjects were randomized to either Amphora or placebo vaginal gel treatment arms. During the four months the women participated in the study, they were asked to apply the product candidate prior to each act of vaginal sexual intercourse. The primary and secondary endpoints of the study are the prevention of acquisition of urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea, respectively. Fifty U.S. centers participated in this unprecedented trial.
PDCE SRCI

Hot Stocks

06:05 EDT PDC Energy, SRC Energy to combine in all-stock transaction valued at about $1.7B - PDC Energy (PDCE) and SRC Energy (SRCI) announced they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which PDC will acquire SRC in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.7B, including SRC's net debt of approximately $685M as of June 30. Under the terms of the agreement, SRC shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.158 PDC shares for each share of SRC common stock, representing an implied value of $3.99 per share based on the PDC closing price as of August 23. The transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, has been unanimously approved by each company's board of directors.
AMRH

Hot Stocks

06:03 EDT AMERI Holdings announces exploration of strategic alternatives - AMERI Holdings announced that its Board of Directors, working together with its management team and legal and financial advisors, has commenced a process to explore, review, and evaluate a range of potential strategic alternatives focused on maximizing shareholder value. The Board of Directors has established a Special Committee comprised solely of independent directors to lead the strategic review process, and the Special Committee has retained independent legal advisors. The company has engaged a financial advisor to assist in its strategic review. No timetable has been set for Ameri Holdings' evaluation of strategic alternatives. Ameri Holdings does not expect to comment further or update the market with any additional information on this matter unless and until the Special Committee has approved a specific transaction or otherwise deems disclosure necessary or appropriate. There is no certainty that the review of strategic alternatives will result in Ameri Holdings pursuing a particular transaction or completing any such transaction.
SF

Hot Stocks

06:02 EDT Stifel Financial to acquire B&F Capital Markets, terms not disclosed - Stifel Financial announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire B&F Capital Markets, an industry leader in providing regional and community banks with extensive interest rate swap capabilities. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed and it is expected to close in the third quarter. Founded in 2003, B&F is headquartered in Cleveland, OH, and maintains seven offices nationwide with 27 employees. B&F enters into strategic partnerships with regional and community banks throughout the U.S., ranging in asset size from $500M to over $30B, providing a fully operational and professionally staffed client interest rate risk management group. Through these strategic partnerships, B&F initiates, develops, and grows interest rate derivative programs to hedge interest rate risk for the bank's commercial borrowers.
GPRO

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06:01 EDT GoPro says tariffs not expected to impact second-half of FY19 - GoPro reiterated that it does not expect the recently announced tariffs to have an impact on its second half 2019 financial performance as most of its U.S. bound camera production will come from Mexico in the second half of 2019. "As previously stated, we began production in Guadalajara, Mexico of our U.S. bound cameras in June to support sales beginning in Q3," said Brian McGee, Executive Vice President and CFO. "This shift, along with proactive inventory realignment and global channel management supports our goals of driving growth, protecting our balance sheet and neutralizing the impact of tariffs."
PDCE SRCI

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06:00 EDT PDC Energy, SRC Energy to combine in all-stock transaction valued at about $1.7B
RKDA

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05:12 EDT Arcadia Biosciences CEO to retire Sept. 1, CFO Matthew Plavan to succeed as CEO - Arcadia Biosciences announced that Raj Ketkar, president and CEO, will retire effective September 1. In line with its succession plan, the board has appointed Matthew Plavan to CEO and member of the board. Plavan is succeeded by Pam Haley as Arcadia's new CFO.