Stockwinners Market Radar for August 27, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:56 EDT Saint Joe, Key International to build Panama City, FL Embassy Suites hotel - St. Joe Company and Key International announce the commencement of construction of a 255-room Embassy Suites hotel in the Pier Park area of Panama City Beach, Florida. Once complete, St. Joe will manage the day-to-day operations of the hotel. The parties anticipate this new Embassy Suites to be completed in 2021.

18:28 EDT Santander Chile holders agree to acquire 51% of Santander Consumer Chile - During this afternoon, at the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting of Banco Santander Chile, the purchase of 51% of Santander Consumer Chile S.A. by the entity was approved. The board agreed to a total purchase price of Ch$62.136B for 51%, corresponding to Ch$59.063B for 49% held by SKBerge and Ch$3.073B for 2% held by Grupo Santander. Santander Consumer Chile has the second largest portfolio of automobile loans in Chile, with Ch$407B at the end of March 2019. More than 30,000 cars are financed each year in the national market. Upon completion of the transaction, which is awaiting approval by the Financial Markets Commission, the Bank will consolidate the results of this subsidiary in its financial statements.

17:56 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise to 873.32MT from 859.83MT - This is the highest level of holdings since November of 2016.

17:38 EDT Starboard raises stake in GCP Applied Technologies to 7.7% from 6.4% - In a regulatory filing, Starboard Value fund disclosed that it has increased its stake in GCP Applied Technologies from 6.4% to 7.7%, which represents 5.61M shares. The filing allows for activism.

17:32 EDT Aveo Pharmaceuticals CFO Matthew Dallas leaving to pursue new career opportunity - On August 27, Matthew Dallas, the CFO of AVEO Pharmaceuticals provided notice of his intention to leave the company to pursue a new career opportunity. Following a one month transition, Dallas will resign from the company effective as of September 26. The company is in the process of commencing an external search for its next CFO. Effective as of September 26, Michael Bailey, the company's president and CEO, would assume the role of principal financial officer until a replacement chief financial officer is appointed.

17:02 EDT Lumber Liquidators says stores able to transact following security incident - Lumber Liquidators provided information on a recent network security incident. Beginning today, Tuesday, August 27, 2019, with very few exceptions, stores regained the ability to transact using normal point of sales systems, and much of the customer-facing impact of the incident has been resolved. Restoration efforts continue, and the company, is in the early stages of broader recovery efforts and forensic analysis that are expected to last several weeks. Although the investigation remains ongoing, to date, the company has not discovered anything that leads it to believe any sensitive and confidential consumer or employee data was compromised. That data is further protected by the fact that the vast majority of customer and employee data, including customer credit card information, is secured and maintained on systems outside of the company's network. The company first discovered the incident at approximately 9:15 am on Wednesday, August 21, 2019, when its network and computer systems began to manifest symptoms of malware that ultimately disabled certain corporate and store systems nationwide. The company took immediate action to contain the incident and, within hours, the information technology team had mobilized to diagnose and begin remediation processes, including securing outside expertise to help ensure the company could return to normal operations as soon as possible. In addition, employees have worked diligently to implement established business continuity procedures, and stores have remained open and serving customers throughout this incident. The company maintains cyber-security and other insurance and has been working collaboratively with its carrier throughout this incident, although it is too early in the restoration and recovery process to determine the net impact of costs and recoveries on the company's financial results. The company will provide periodic updates as appropriate or required.

16:31 EDT Scholar Rock CFO steps down to pursue other opportunities - Scholar Rock Holding announced that its CFO, Rhonda Chicko, will be leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. She will continue in the position through September 30, 2019 as she works with Scholar Rock's senior management team to ensure a smooth transition. The company has initiated a search for a new CFO.

16:25 EDT Phibro Animal Health down 13% after Q4 results, FY20 profit view miss estimates - In after-hours trading, shares are down 13% to $27.50.

16:20 EDT Lannett sees FY20 adjusted EBITDA $145M-$160M

16:18 EDT Bristol-Myers announces EC approval of EPd - Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced that the European Commission, or EC, has approved Empliciti plus pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone, or EPd, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies, including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor, and have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy. This approval is based on data from the ELOQUENT-3 trial in which EPd doubled both median progression-free survival and overall response rate among patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma versus pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone alone.

16:16 EDT Hershey to acquire ONE Brands, LLC - The Hershey Company announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ONE Brands, LLC, the maker of a line of low-sugar, high-protein nutrition bars. ONE Brands purchase price is $397M, or approximately $325M net of tax benefits. The transaction will be financed with cash on hand as well as short-term borrowings. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 of 2019, subject to customary regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. ONE Brands acquisition is expected to be slightly accretive to earnings in the first full year post closing.

16:12 EDT HP Enterprise reports Q3 Hybrid IT revenue $5.55B vs. $6.11B last year

16:12 EDT Universal Logistics amends "Dutch auction" tender offer - Universal Logistics Holdings announced that it is amending its previously announced modified "Dutch auction" tender offer to purchase up to 300,000 shares of its outstanding common stock at a price of not less than $21.00 and not more than $24.00 per share. Under the amended terms, the Company is now offering to purchase up to 600,000 shares of its common stock. The Company is also extending the expiration date of the tender offer. The tender offe is now set to expire at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 13, unless further extended or withdrawn. The tender offer otherwise remains subject to all previously announced terms and conditions.

16:10 EDT HP Enterprises backs FY19 free cash flow outlook of $1.4B-$1.6B.

16:09 EDT Gray Television renews all Fox affiliation agreements - Gray Television (GTN) has reached an agreement with the Fox Television Network (FOX) that extends and renews the network affiliations for all of Gray's Fox affiliated television stations across 21 markets, including Cincinnati, West Palm Beach, Birmingham, and

16:08 EDT Fox Factory CFO Zvi Glasman to leave - Fox Factory announced that after more than 10 years with the company, Zvi Glasman will leave his role as CFO to pursue other interests, effective on November 1, following its Q3 earnings. FOX has initiated a search to identify its next CFO and will consider both internal and external candidates with the assistance of an executive search firm. Glasman will remain available to ensure a transition through February 28, 2020.

16:07 EDT Autodesk CFO says 'taking a prudent stance' on 2H20 outlook - "We closed a solid first half of the year with a very strong second quarter as revenue, billings, earnings, and free cash flow came in ahead of expectations," said Andrew Anagnost, Autodesk president and CEO. "ARR grew to a record $3.1 billion, driven by all parts of the business. Construction demonstrated continued strength with wins across all parts of the portfolio, and Fusion 360 - our design-to-manufacturing platform - continued to build momentum. We also made further strides in capturing opportunities within our non-paying user base. In an environment of increasing uncertainty, we believe we are well-positioned to achieve our FY23 goals." "Our strong performance during the second quarter helped us achieve two milestones," said Scott Herren, Autodesk CFO. "First, we drove our largest quarterly non-GAAP net income to date, followed by a record setting last twelve months free cash flow of $731 million. While we continue to execute well and are not materially impacted by current trade tensions and macro uncertainty, we are taking a prudent stance to our second half fiscal 2020 outlook. Despite these near-term headwinds, our recurring revenue model is much more resilient than in prior cycles."

16:06 EDT Autodesk cuts FY20 free cash flow view to about $1.3B from about $1.35B

15:10 EDT Apple releases beta of iOS & iPadOS 13.1 - On its Developer blog, Apple stated: "The iOS & iPadOS 13 SDK provides support for developing apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS & iPadOS 13. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 11 beta available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 11, see Xcode 11 Beta 7 Release Notes." Reference Link

14:11 EDT Camping World slides as recreational vehicle sales fall - Shares of Camping World (CWH), a national chain of RV dealerships, are falling in afternoon trading after recent reports that recreational vehicle sales have drastically slowed. RV SHIPMENTS TANKING: Last month, the trade group for the RV industry put out a report saying that total RV shipments ended July with 28,044 wholesale shipments, a decrease of 23.2% from the 36,525 units shipped last July. LEMONIS STRUGGLING: Camping World's CEO Marcus Lemonis, best known for his TV show "The Profit," has been unloading some of the outdoor retailers he scooped up to improve cross-selling opportunities "The Lincolnshire-based Camping world, which consists of a national chain of RV dealerships and Good Sam, an RV travel club under the same holding company, announced this month that it was dumping Chicago-based Uncle Dan's and Rock/Creek Outfitters' 10 locations around Tennessee," reported Crain's over the past weekend. According to the Crain's report, an analyst at North Coast Research noted that Lemonis and his company were "overconfident and overstating their ability to execute." RV SALES A RECESSION INDICATOR: According to a recent story from the Associated Press, "Economists are warning that a downturn in shipments of recreational vehicles from the northern Indiana county that calls itself the 'RV Capital of the World' suggests an impending recession." Tariffs imposed on key markets such as China, Mexico, and Canada are also impacting sales in the space. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Camping World are down 6% in afternoon trading to $6.00 per share. OTHER RECREATION STOCKS: Shares of Winnebago (WGO), Thor (THO), Polaris (PII), and Brunswick (BC) are all lower on Tuesday afternoon.

13:36 EDT Former Uber engineer indicted for alleged theft of Google trade secrets - A federal grand jury in California has indicted Anthony Scott Levandowski on theft of trade secrets charges, announced United States Attorney David Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John Bennett. The indictment alleges Levandowski was a Google (GOOG, GOOGL) engineer and one of the founding members of the group that worked on Google's self-driving car project. Levandowski worked on the project from 2009 until he resigned from Google without notice on January 27, 2016. The indictment alleges that in the months before his departure, Levandowski downloaded from secure Google repositories numerous engineering, manufacturing, and business files related to Google's custom LiDAR and self-driving car technology. The indictment also alleges that at the time he took the files, Levandowski was involved with two companies competing with Google in the self-driving space: Tyto LiDAR LLC and 280 Systems, the latter of which would become Ottomotto. Ottomotto acquired Tyto in May 2016, shortly after Uber Technologies (UBER) agreed to acquire Ottomotto and hire Levandowski. The indictment charges Levandowski with 33 counts of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets. Reference Link

13:09 EDT IBM plans release of Cloud multizone region in Latin America by late 2020 - IBM announced an expansion of its global cloud footprint, with plans to launch a new IBM Cloud multizone region, MZR in Latin America by late 2020. The MZR in Brazil will become IBM's first in Latin America, and will help clients in the region quickly deploy mission-critical workloads and applications across hybrid cloud environments. "Our continued cloud investment reflects that clients are increasingly seeking hybrid cloud environments that offer access to cutting edge tools including AI, analytics, IoT and blockchain to boost competitiveness," said Tonny Martins, General Manager, IBM Brazil. "As companies in Brazil look to gain greater control of their data in the face of upcoming tighter compliance and protection regulations, IBM offers the cloud capabilities that allow them to innovate and take advantage of data from all sources across any hybrid multicloud environment." "The cloud market is being redefined as hybrid. As companies shift more of their business applications to the cloud, they are looking to build efficiencies and maintain security as they look to manage data, services, and workflows across a hybrid multicloud environment," said Ana Paula Assis, General Manager, IBM Latin America. "The new IBM Cloud multizone region is being designed to bring a portfolio of enterprise-grade infrastructure and services to deliver our best possibilities and benefits of hybrid cloud to clients in Latin America."

13:06 EDT AstraZeneca granted orphan status for esophagitis treatment - The FDA granted AstraZeneca orphan status for Fasenra, its treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis. Reference Link

13:03 EDT Puma Biotechnology granted orphan status for breast cancer treatment - The FDA granted Puma Biotechnology orphan status for Nerlynx for the treatment of breast cancer patients with brain metastases. Reference Link

12:47 EDT Activision Blizzard jumps after World of Warcraft re-release - On Monday evening, video-game maker Activision Blizzard announced that all current World of Warcraft subscribers can start playing Classic at no additional cost. "It's been a long time coming, but we're overjoyed to welcome our friends new and old to classic Azeroth," said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. "The community's excitement is infectious and deeply motivating-it's clear they're as thrilled as we are to relive the World of Warcraft Classic experience. We look forward to rediscovering its wonders and challenges together with them, starting today," said the game maker in a statement. Shares of Activision Blizzard are up 3.30% or $1.59 per share to $50.30 in early afternoon trading.

12:39 EDT Sprint rolls out True Mobile 5G to LA, NYC, Phoenix, DC - Sprint said it is bringing True Mobile 5G to Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. "True Mobile 5G from Sprint is set to power new experiences for wireless customers, from gaming and entertainment services, to IoT and business applications," the company said. "Starting today, Sprint customers can enjoy Hatch mobile cloud gaming on Sprint's 5G smartphones." With the latest launch, Sprint's True Mobile 5G service is now available in areas of nine markets. In May, Sprint launched 5G service in areas of Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Kansas City, following with Chicago in mid-July. Sprint 5G covers approximately 2,100 square miles, with approximately 11M people expected to be covered in total across all nine market areas in the coming weeks, more than any other U.S. carrier to date, the company said.

12:22 EDT Mallinckrodt falls 13% after appeals court rejects patent suit against Praxair - Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals (MNK) said in a statement earlier that it is "disappointed" by today's decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upholding a Federal District Court's decision rejecting the company's patent infringement lawsuit against Praxair's nitric oxide drug product delivery system. Praxair is a unit of Linde (LIN). Mallinckrodt is "confident its well-established presence and INOmax Total Care, its comprehensive product and service offering, are highly valued by customers." The company believes that the "prospects for a newcomer succeeding in this market are by no means a foregone conclusion." Further, the company said it remains committed to INOmax and that it will consider all its available legal options. Shares of Mallinckrodt are down 13%, or 55c, to $3.67 in midday trading. Reference Link

12:00 EDT GTT Communications falls -11.6% - GTT Communications is down -11.6%, or -$1.04 to $7.95.

12:00 EDT Laix falls -20.1% - Laix is down -20.1%, or -$1.61 to $6.40.

12:00 EDT Standex rises 20.6% - Standex is up 20.6%, or $12.68 to $74.20.

11:55 EDT Sempra Energy reaches resolution on Mexican pipelines - Sempra Energy issued the following statement in response to agreements reached between its Mexican subsidiary, Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S.A.B. de C.V., or IEnova, and the Comision Federal de Electricidad, or CFE, on the Guaymas-El Oro pipeline and the Sur de Texas-Tuxpan marine pipeline, a joint venture with TC Energy Corporation. "Sempra Energy is pleased that IEnova was able to reach a mutually agreeable resolution to the contracts with CFE on these important pipelines. The Sur de Texas-Tuxpan and Guaymas-El Oro pipelines are among Mexico's most important infrastructure projects, bringing more reliable supplies of clean U.S. natural gas to Mexico to help meet the growing energy needs of the country for generations to come."

10:32 EDT Amag Pharmaceuticals awarded $111M Department of Veterans Affairs contract - According to a posting on FedBizOpps.Gov, the Department of Veterans Affairs awarded Amag Pharmaceuticals a $111.18M contract. Reference Link

10:27 EDT Hasbro CEO says open to selling Entertainment One asset Death Row Records - Brian Goldner is speaking on CNBC.

10:00 EDT J.M. Smucker falls -8.4% - J.M. Smucker is down -8.4%, or -$9.46 to $103.47.

10:00 EDT Laix falls -19.0% - Laix is down -19.0%, or -$1.52 to $6.49.

10:00 EDT Trinseo rises 12.4% - Trinseo is up 12.4%, or $3.48 to $31.45.

09:58 EDT Pyxus, Cornell University partner to advance research on hemp cultivation - Pyxus International has signed an agreement with Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to fund research designed to identify and address knowledge gaps surrounding hemp production through the evaluation of cannabidiol hemp cultivars and cannabinoid production. The Pyxus and Cornell University research project will last multiple years with the first year of research focusing on accomplishing four objectives meant to educate both growers and landowners. The objectives include: Evaluating and comparing commercially-available cultivars of hemp grown for CBD; Conducting a detailed study of cannabinoid production over the course of the plant's floral development; Observing the effects of controlled stress treatments on cannabinoid levels; and Extending knowledge of CBD hemp cultivars and cannabinoid accumulation to growers. .

09:55 EDT Abacus Health Products announces partnership with Rob Gronkowski - Abacus Health Products announced an agreement with retirement professional football player Rob Gronkowski. The agreement includes a commitment by Gronkowski to support the company's existing products in a manner that Abacus believes "will meaningfully increase awareness with consumers and retail buyers." In addition, Gronkowski will collaborate with Abacus in the development and marketing of new products. "The partnership with Gronkowski offers Abacus a unique position from which to communicate the value of CBDMEDIC pain relief products to consumers. Additionally, Gronkowski's health-conscious lifestyle is an excellent fit for the planned launch in 2020 of a new nutrition & wellness brand which will mark Abacus' entry into the larger market of ingestible CBD products," the company said in a statement. The agreement with Gronkowski and related agreements include payment of an upfront fee, royalties to be derived from a new sports-oriented nutrition and wellness brand that is planned to be launched, and an issuance of 302,835 subordinate voting shares in the company and warrants to acquire 35,666 subordinate voting shares at a price of $15.00 per share. Abacus shares are down 13%, or 79c, to $5.13 in early trading.

09:47 EDT GTT Communications falls -7.1% - GTT Communications is down -7.1%, or -64c to $8.35.

09:47 EDT Altria Group rises 10.4% - Altria Group is up 10.4%, or $4.88 to $52.00.

09:47 EDT Caleres rises 17.1% - Caleres is up 17.1%, or $2.60 to $17.84.

09:36 EDT Therapix Biosciences receives extension to comply with Nasdaq listing rule - Therapix Biosciences announced that the Nasdaq Stock Market has granted the Company an extension until November 18, 2019, to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), which will permit the continued listing of Therapix's stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market. As previously reported on May 23, 2019, Therapix received a letter notifying the Company that the stockholders' equity reported in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2018, was below the minimum stockholders' equity of $2,500,000 required for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, as set forth in Nasdaq listing rule 5550(b)(1). On July 5, 2019, Therapix submitted to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq listing rules. After reviewing Therapix's plan to regain compliance, Nasdaq granted an extension to enable the Company to regain compliance with the listing rules. Under the terms of the extension, Therapix must on or before November 18, 2019, complete a stockholders' equity raising transaction, or other event, including the previously announced transaction with Destiny Biosciences Global Corp, and evidence compliance by furnishing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Nasdaq in a publicly available report detailing such actions to regain compliance. In the event that Therapix does not satisfy the terms set forth in the extension, Nasdaq will provide written notification that Therapix's securities will be subject to delisting proceedings. In such an event, Therapix would be eligible to appeal Nasdaq's determination to a Listings Qualification Panel.

09:29 EDT NN, Inc. names Thomas DeByle as new CFO - NN, Inc. (NNBR) announced the approval of the appointment of Thomas DeByle as the company's Senior Vice President and CFO, which is anticipated to be effective on or before September 23. He most recently served as Vice President, CFO and Treasurer of Standex International (SXI).

09:26 EDT Philip Morris drops 3.5% to $75.05, Altria jumps 8% to $50.83

09:24 EDT Philip Morris confirms talks with Altria regarding potential merger of equals

09:09 EDT Anaplan announces acquisition of Israel-based Mintigo - Anaplan on its earnings conference call announced the acquisition of Israel-based Mintigo. "At Mintigo we are building the ultimate 'GPS for marketers'. Mintigo's Predictive Marketing Platform empowers marketers to be successful and get the results they want...every time. It helps marketers drive better marketing and find the fastest route to revenue," the company explains on its website.

09:07 EDT Greenbrier subsidiary awarded order to build ATB by Crowley Fuel - The Greenbrier Companies announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Gunderson Marine, has entered an agreement for the construction of a 55,000-barrel-capacity articulated tug barge, or ATB, with Crowley Fuel, the Alaska-based business unit of Crowley Maritime, a provider of marine solutions and energy and logistics services. Construction on the barge will begin in the Q1 of calendar FY20, and delivery is expected by January 2021. Barge construction will occur at Gunderson Marine, located along the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. The barge will be dual-certified to comply with both U.S. EPA Tier III and IMO Tier III air-quality emission standards, a rigorous set of U.S. and International standards intended to significantly reduce nitrous oxide emissions from marine diesel engines. The vessel will primarily operate in Western Alaska. This is the 10th barge Gunderson Marine has built for Crowley since 1985, when Greenbrier acquired Gunderson.

09:05 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Papa John's (PZZA), up 6% after appointing Rob Lynch as CEO and reaffirming FY19 guidance... WW (WW), up 5% after Craig-Hallum analyst Alex Fuhrman upgraded the stock to Buy and raised his price target to $35 from $25, saying he sees "improving trends" for the company with the positive reception of its Kurbo By WW launch and the upside potential of its new upcoming diet program launch. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Momo (MOMO), up 2%... J.Jill (JILL), up 12%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: J.M. Smucker (SJM), down 6%... Bank of Montreal (BMO), down 1% LOWER: Red Robin (RRGB), down 2% after BofA/Merrill analyst Gregory Francfort downgraded shares to Underperform from Neutral with an unchanged price target of $30. The analyst believes the company's earnings growth will "materially miss" consensus expectations in 2020.

09:03 EDT Humana, Baptist Health Care sign new agreement - Baptist Health Care and Humana signed a new contract that provides in-network access for Humana Medicare Advantage members. The agreement to participate in the Humana Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO networks, which became effective July 1, includes all three of Baptist Health Care's hospitals. It also includes Andrews Institute for Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine and all Baptist Medical Group, Baptist Physician Group and Cardiology Consultants specialty providers. In addition, the agreement to participate in the Humana Medicare Advantage PPO network includes select Baptist Medical Group primary care practices located throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

08:53 EDT Performance Shipping announces sale of panamax container vessel M/V Pamina - Performance Shipping announced that it has signed, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, a Memorandum of Agreement to sell to an unaffiliated third party the 2005-built vessel "Pamina", with delivery to the buyer latest by November 15, 2019, for a sale price of $9125M before commissions.

08:46 EDT Liberty Tax to acquire outlet business from Sears Hometown for $132.9M - Liberty Tax and Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores announced that they have entered into a definitive purchase agreement whereby Liberty Tax will acquire Sears Hometown's Outlet business as well as its Buddy's Home Furnishings in an all cash transaction valued at up to approximately $132.9M. Liberty Tax intends to finance the transaction through a combination of new debt, Liberty Tax's balance sheet cash and/or an equity contribution from an affiliate of Vintage Capital Management, LLC. In connection with the execution of the purchase agreement, Liberty Tax entered into a debt commitment letter with Guggenheim Credit Services, LLC, as administrative agent and lead arranger, and clients managed by Guggenheim Investments, the global asset management and investment advisory business of Guggenheim Partners, and an equity commitment letter with an affiliate of Vintage, each of which is subject to customary conditions. The sale of the Sears Outlet business is in accordance with the terms of the agreement and plan of merger between Sears Hometown and Transform Holdco LLC which was previously announced by Sears Hometown and Transform on June 3, 2019. As a result of the Sale, which is estimated to result in Net Proceeds of approximately $121M, the merger consideration payable by Transform in the merger transaction for the outstanding shares of Sears Hometown not owned by ESL Investments, Inc. and its affiliates is estimated to be approximately $3.25 per share in cash, an increase of approximately $1.00, or approximately 44.4%, from the previously announced base merger consideration of $2.25 per share. The actual increase, if any, in the per share base merger consideration in the merger transaction with Transform is dependent on the actual amount of Net Proceeds realized by Sears Hometown in the Sale, which may be lower than the current estimate. ESL Investments, Inc. and its affiliates, the majority owners of Transform, presently hold approximately 55.2% of the outstanding shares of Sears Hometown. Concurrently with its entry into the Purchase Agreement, Sears Hometown entered into a letter agreement with Transform and a wholly owned subsidiary of Transform which, among other things, provides that, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, the merger will close substantially concurrently with the closing of the Sale. Both the Sale and the terms of the Purchase Agreement have been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both Liberty Tax and Sears Hometown, and have also been approved by the Special Committee of the Sears Hometown Board of Directors. The Sale and the merger between Sears Hometown and Transform are each expected to close in October 2019, subject to the satisfaction of specified conditions. In addition, Buddy's Newco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Tax, has acquired 41 Buddy's Home Furnishings stores from A-Team Leasing, an existing Buddy's Home Furnishings franchisee. In connection with its sale of these Buddy's Home Furnishings stores to Liberty Tax, A-Team Leasing intends to become a franchisee of five Sears Outlet locations, with this franchising transaction expected to become effective concurrently with the Sale. Liberty Tax's acquisition of the 41 Buddy's Home Furnishings stores from A-Team Leasing was financed, in part, through approximately $23M of additional borrowings under the existing secured credit facility of Buddy's.

08:40 EDT Net Element: International Transaction Solutions shows 'material improvement' - Net Element announces that its International Transaction Solutions segment has shown material improvement going into the second half of 2019. Total transaction processing volume is projected to exceed $130M and revenues are projected to increase by approximately 40% over the second quarter. The dollar volume of transactions processed has shown continued improvement due to the boarding of a large merchant account in the beginning of the year. The integration was completed during the second quarter of this year. In June, 2019, the dollar volume processed increased 7% from the previous month. This trend has improved significantly in the month of July, 2019, as the dollar volume processed increased 46% from the previous month. Third quarter revenue from this segment is projected to increase 40% over the second quarter of 2019. "Our International Transaction Solutions segment shows continued improvement over the last quarter. We believe that this trend will continue and improve the overall performance and strategic vision of this segment as we progress through the second half of the year," commented Oleg Firer, CEO of Net Element.

08:38 EDT Greenlane announces distribution partnership for Bouqet CBD oil products - Greenlane Holdings announced a partnership with Bouquet for exclusive U.S. distribution of its full spectrum CBD oil products, including tinctures and capsules offering a variety of strengths. Founded by Philadelphia investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist Max Tuttleman, Bouquet provides premium quality hemp oil products sourced from state-of-the-art facilities. Bouquet CBD products are rigorously tested for purity by independent third party laboratories. Bouquet's focus is to bring consistent high quality products to the hemp market. Greenlane will leverage its expansive North American distribution network of more than 11,000 retail locations, including licensed cannabis dispensaries, and smoke and vape shops, to make Bouquet's CBD products available to consumers across the U.S.

08:36 EDT NanoVibronix awarded OEM purchase order by Medisana - NanoVibronix announced significant progress with a leading global consumer healthcare company, Medisana, which has resulted in an initial Original Equipment Manufacturing, or OEM, purchase order. The Company will commence the manufacture of a specialized product for Medisana based on its PainShield device called the PT-100. The product will be sold directly and exclusively via Medisana.

08:33 EDT DelMar has enough cash to complete enrollement in Phase 2 trials of VAL-083 - DelMar Pharmaceutical announced that the Company anticipates that its current cash position, which includes the $6.7M in net proceeds from the underwritten offering completed August 16, will be sufficient to complete enrollment in all three patient groups of its two ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials for its lead compound, VAL-083, which the Company believes will occur by the Q4 of FY20. The Company's Phase 2 trial in China is a single-arm, open-label study testing VAL-083 in combination with standard radiotherapy in GBM patients who have an unmethylated promoter of the methylguanine DNA-methyltransferase gene. The Company is also conducting a Phase 2 trial with MDACC with one arm treating patients with recurrent disease, administering VAL-083 in patients who have been heavily pre-treated with TMZ prior to disease recurrence.

08:19 EDT ForeScout expands partnership with VMware - Forescout Technologies (FCST) announced an expanded relationship with VMware (VMW) to simplify and operationalize enterprise-wide IoT lifecycle and security management by interoperating with VMware Pulse IoT Center.

08:16 EDT Chanticleer Holdings announces non-binding LOI to sell South Africa Hooters - Chanticleer Holdings announced that it has entered in to a non-binding letter of intent for the sale of its South Africa Hooters locations. The purchase price is $1,065,000 which is expected to result in net proceeds of approximately $360,000 to Chanticleer. Net working capital of the Company's consolidated financial statements is expected to improve by approximately $750,000 - $900,000 after the sale. Chanticleer will retain a 50% interest in the gambling portion of the South Africa Hooters business. Estimated closing is by the end of September. The letter of intent is subject to completion of due diligence and final material definitive agreements.

08:15 EDT Celsion announces publication of results from study of ThermoDox plus RFA - Celsion Corporation announces that a study from a single site in China titled "Thermosensitive liposomal doxorubicin plus radiofrequency ablation increased tumor destruction and improved survival in patients with medium and large hepatocellular carcinoma: A randomized, double-blinded, dummy-controlled clinical trial in a single center" has been published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. These data were generated as part of the Phase III HEATStudy sponsored by Celsion Corporation. The data from this single site at the Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute in Beijing show an overall survival improvement of 22.5 months in patients with 3-7 cm unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma tumors receiving combined radiofrequency ablation and ThermoDox, compared with the use of RFA alone. In this study, patients received 50 mg/m2 of ThermoDox or placebo, plus RFA for 45 minutes or longer. Patients were followed for 11 to 80 months, with 18 of 22 patients completing the study. The mean OS for the ThermoDox plus RFA group was 68.5 +/- 7.2 months, which was significantly greater than the placebo plus RFA group. At the end of the follow-up period, the percentage of patients alive after 1, 3 and 5 years were as follows: % of patients alive at 1 year: ThermoDox + RFA: 90.0%, RFA Alone: 87.5%; % of patients alive at 3 years: 90.0%, 50.0%; % of patients alive at 5 years: 77.1%, 37.5%.

08:10 EDT Cummins announces battery development partnership with UC San Diego - Cummins announced a multi-year partnership with the University of California San Diego and its battery validation lab to analyze viable business and technical approaches to effectively reuse and repurpose electric vehicle batteries. Under the agreement, UC San Diego will perform accelerated testing and real-world application testing, and will develop an outdoor second-life demonstration system comprised of Cummins battery modules. The collaboration will enable Cummins to acquire valuable data on the aging behaviors of its battery modules, test integration solutions for second-life battery systems and validate stationary energy storage system performance under grid energy storage applications. Batteries retired from electric vehicles still maintain significant battery capacity. While that capacity may no longer meet the minimum requirements for the initial application, they could provide sufficient capacity for less demanding applications.

08:07 EDT AtriCure receives FDA clearance for expanded labeling claims for AtriClip - AtriCure announced that it has received FDA 510 clearance of additional labeling claims for AtriClip LAA management devices, including changing the indication from occlusion of the LAA to exclusion, and also adding electrical isolation as a labeling claim. Exclusion shuts off and/or eliminates the appendage from the left atrium, whereas occlusion plugs the opening to prevent flow into the LAA. The electrical isolation claim was granted after testing demonstrated that when excluding the LAA using an AtriClip device, the appendage can no longer conduct electrical activity.

08:05 EDT Origin Agritech enters into collaboration agreement with BRI of CAAS - Origin Agritech announced that the Company has entered into a collaboration agreement with Biotechnology Research Institute, or BRI, of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, or CAAS, to speed up the commercialization of genetically modified insect resistance and glyphosate tolerance corn traits in China. CAAS is a national, integrative agricultural scientific research organization in China with responsibility for carrying out both basic and applied research, as well as research into new technologies impacting agriculture. The new collaboration agreement deepens our cooperation with BRI and mainly focuses on related research for commercialization of the double stacked corn trait of insect resistance and glyphosate tolerance. Origin and BRI will join together to apply for government sponsored funds and share research facilities and capabilities, as well as the potential benefits.

08:04 EDT NantHealth receives full URAC accreditation for Eviti platform - NantHealth announced that it has been granted full URAC accreditation for health utilization management for its Eviti platform. NantHealth's utilization management procedures have been accredited by URAC since 2010, with the last accreditation update in 2016. The recent accreditation extends URAC accreditation through September 1, 2022.

08:03 EDT Apiso and Sabre announce partnership - Apiso and Sabre announced a long-term partnership to increase virtual payments adoption in the travel industry across the Middle East region. The partnership, and resulting technical integration between Apiso and Sabre, will promote Apiso's unique product offering as the preferred payment solution for Sabre Virtual Payments' customers in the fast-growing Middle East. It will also enable Sabre to scale the volume of payment transactions processed through its global distribution system, or GDS, and other technology solutions globally.

08:02 EDT Lipocine announces court of Delaware set August 24 as trial date - Lipocine announced that the U.S. District Court of Delaware has set a trial date for Lipocine's patent infringement lawsuit against Clarus's JATENZO drug product relating to six of Lipocine's U.S. patents. Trial is set to begin August 24, 2020 at which time Lipocine plans to seek a permanent injunction for Clarus's infringement.

07:48 EDT Libbey announces organizational realignment plan and appoints new COO - Libbey announced an organizational realignment plan that is expected to reduce annual pre-tax run-rate costs by approximately $9M-$11M. The plan focuses on transformational actions and structural changes to lower the Company's cost base, improve its financial performance and cash flow generation, and create a simplified organization best positioned to deliver against its key financial and operational priorities. In connection with the organizational realignment plan, the Board has approved the appointment of James C. Burmeister to the additional role of senior vice president, COO, effective October 1. While the Company conducts a search for a new CFO, Burmeister will continue in his current role as the Company's senior vice president, CFO.

07:34 EDT Lancaster Colony expects to benefit from new product introductions in FY20 - Thee company said, "Looking ahead to FY20, Retail sales will benefit from new product introductions planned for launch throughout the year, including our New York BRAND Bakery 3-Cheese Cheese Sticks and Sister Schubert's sweet rolls in a variety of new flavors including Pumpkin Spice and Lemon Blueberry. Our Marzetti refrigerated dip lineup will also be reformulated to offer new great-tasting dips with fewer preservatives. We also anticipate continued growth from shelf-stable dressings and sauces sold under license agreements in addition to incremental sales from the Bantam Bagels acquisition. In the Foodservice segment, we will maintain our focus on strengthening customer relationships through our culinary expertise in the preparation of custom-formulated dressings and dipping sauces, frozen breads and rolls, and frozen pasta while leveraging the added benefits of our new innovation center. Based on our current assessment, following a year in which overall commodity costs were generally flat, we anticipate an uptick in commodity costs for fiscal 2020. Pricing initiatives, in addition to ongoing savings from our lean six sigma program and other cost-out projects planned by our supply chain team, will help to offset these increased costs. In the coming year, we will also continue to invest in our business for the long term as we complete a significant capacity expansion project for our Sister Schubert's frozen dinner roll facility in Horse Cave, Kentucky."

07:33 EDT Cytokinetics, Cure SMA renew partnership for SMA awareness - Cure SMA and Cytokinetics announced the renewal of their partnership to increase education, awareness, public policy and fundraising for spinal muscular atrophy. Cytokinetics will lend support for several of Cure SMA's upcoming initiatives at the national level and continues to support and participate in events in its local community throughout the year. Cytokinetics remains committed to serving the interests of patients and caregivers fighting SMA, a genetic disease that robs people of their physical strength and can take away their ability to walk, eat or breathe.

07:28 EDT Papa John's up 2.7% after naming Rob Lynch as CEO, reaffirming FY19 guidance

07:25 EDT Papa John's appoints Rob Lynch as CEO

07:08 EDT J.M. Smucker down 4% after Q1 results miss estimates, FY20 guidance lowered - In pre-market trading, shares are down 4% to $108.00

07:07 EDT STAAR Surgical announces FDA IDE clinical study approval - STAAR Surgical announced that the FDA, in a letter dated August 23, stated that it has determined that STAAR has provided sufficient data to support initiation of a human clinical study in the United States of the EVO/EVO+ VISIAN Implantable Collamer Lens for Myopia, and EVO/EVO+ VISIAN Toric Implantable Collamer Lens for Myopia with Astigmatism. FDA also recommended study design modifications, which STAAR plans to incorporate into the investigational plan in a revised submission in the coming month. STAAR's current plan for the study reflects FDA's recommendations from on-going interactive dialogue regarding the investigational protocol, including 300 subjects with a primary endpoint at six months follow up. Subjects enrolled in the trial will not undergo planned peripheral iridotomies. "Finalizing the Investigational Device Exemption, or IDE, with the FDA is an important step towards the future availability of the EVO Visian ICL family of products in the U.S."

07:05 EDT AstraZeneca says Farxiga granted Fast Track designation by FDA - AstraZeneca announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation for the development of Farxiga to delay the progression of renal failure and prevent cardiovascular (CV) and renal death in patients with chronic kidney disease, or CKD. The FDA's Fast Track program is designed to accelerate the development and review of new medicines for the treatment of serious conditions where there is an unmet treatment need. The designation was assigned to CKD patients with and without type 2 diabetes.

07:05 EDT QuickLogic partners with Retune DSP - QuickLogic announced that it has partnered with Retune DSP, a leading provider of digital signal processing solutions for voice control and communication, to provide a fully integrated solution for low cost voice control systems. Featuring the lowest power consumption of any system now available, the Retune DSP VoiceSpot wake word engine was implemented on the QuickLogic EOS S3 Voice and Sensor Processing Platform to provide a complete customer-ready solution for always-on/always-listening voice activated applications, including devices that tap into the Alexa Voice Service.

07:03 EDT J.M. Smucker CEO says Q1 results 'fell short of our expectations' - "Our first quarter performance fell short of our expectations primarily due to the timing of shipments and deflationary pricing in the coffee and peanut butter categories, as well as competitive activity in the premium dog food category," said Mark Smucker, CEO. "We have continued momentum in many key product categories, and we are already taking decisive actions and prioritizing initiatives that strengthen our business. We remain confident in our strategy, which includes a continued focus on our growth imperatives to lead in the best categories, build brands consumers love, and be everywhere, combined with a relentless focus on operating with financial discipline, all of which will enhance shareholder value for the long term."

07:01 EDT J.M. Smucker lowers FY20 outlook

06:36 EDT American Woodmark announces up to $50M stock repurchase program - The company's board authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $50M of outstanding common shares.

06:14 EDT Regis to fully franchise remaining company-owned portfolio of salons - Given the success to date of the Company's effort to profitably sell and convert company-owned salons into its franchise portfolio, Regis has reached the decision to fully franchise its remaining company-owned portfolio of salons. In doing so, the Company anticipates that a fully franchised portfolio will drive the following benefits: Improvement in the Company's return on capital given the capital-light nature of the model; a more simple business model resulting in predictable operating cash flow and providing a platform for sustainable organic growth; owners that are able to consistently deliver a better and more localized service experience to our customers; and franchise partners that are a source of the new ideas and services needed to continually refresh the Company's brands. The Company anticipates that it may require 18 to 24 months to complete its conversion to a fully franchised portfolio. The Company also noted that as of the end of FY19, approximately 1,300 company-owned salons, or approximately 48% of the remaining company-owned portfolio, are in various stages of negotiation to be purchased by new or existing franchisees.

06:05 EDT Mesoblast announces 'positive' outcomes from recent FDA meeting - Mesoblast announced positive outcomes from its recent meeting with the United States FDA on the pathway for marketing authorization of its allogeneic cell therapy product candidate Revascor in end-stage heart failure patients implanted with a left ventricular assist device. Key outcomes were: FDA reiterated that a reduction in major gastrointestinal bleeding events and/or epistaxis, collectively termed major mucosal bleeding events, is an important clinical outcome in patients implanted with an LVAD. FDA confirmed that data from the recently completed 159-patient placebo-controlled trial showing that Revascor reduced major mucosal bleeding events can support product marketing authorization through a Biologics License Application, with confirmatory clinical data. FDA agreed on a confirmatory Phase 3 trial of Revascor in LVAD patients, with a primary endpoint of reduction in major mucosal bleeding events, and key secondary endpoints demonstrating improvement in various parameters of cardiovascular function. The confirmatory trial is planned to be conducted with the International Center for Health Outcomes Innovation Research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, in line with an existing Memorandum of Understanding.

06:01 EDT Maxar Technologies awarded $44M contract by U.S. NGA - Maxar Technologies announced that it has been awarded a new, four-year contract with the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or NGA, for the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery program. The contract, which begins September 1, is valued at $44M for the base year and includes three option years at the same value that would extend the contract through August 2023.