Stockwinners Market Radar for September 10, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:16 EDT Allegiant Travel reports August total system traffic up 4.0%, capacity up 5.2% - Reports August total system load factor 81.6% vs. 82.6% last year.

19:05 EDT Incyte granted orphan status for splenic marginal zone lymphoma treatment - The FDA granted Incyte orphan status for its treatment of splenic marginal zone lymphoma. Reference Link

18:46 EDT VMware COO: We are going big on containers - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, VMware COO Sanjay Poonen said: We are making security a part of our platform... Our integration of Carbon Black will transform the security industry.

18:10 EDT Audi unveils all-electric off-roader AI: TRAIL quattro - Volkswagen's (VWAGY) Audi (AUDVF) said it will be at IAA 2019 to showcase an electric off-roader known as the AI: TRAIL quattro, a "comprehensive concept for sustainable mobility off the beaten track." All four visionary use case vehicles-the Audi Aicon, AI:ME, AI:RACE and AI:TRAIL will be on show together at Audi's stand in Hall 3 throughout the whole of IAA 2019. The four-seater Audi AI:TRAIL quattro combines the capacity for automated driving with off-road capabilities. The glass surrounding the cabin extends all the way to ground level, providing all-round visibility, Audi said. The ample battery capacity ensures sufficient range even away from dense networks of charging stations. Marc Lichte, Audi's Head of Design, said, "With the AI:TRAIL, we are showing an off-road concept with an emissions-free electric drive for an innovative driving experience away from paved roads. Consistent with this, we designed a monolithic basic vehicle body with maximum glazing to create an intense connection to the surroundings. A concept for sustainable mobility on demand." Reference Link

17:55 EDT ViaSat awarded $100.47M Navy contract modification - ViaSat was awarded a $100.47M modification to its current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to increase the ceiling of the existing production contract line item number, or CLIN, and the systems engineering and integration CLIN of the referenced contract. In response to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council memorandum, current Link-16 platform users identified the need for the procurement and/or retrofit of 3,370 additional multifunctional information distribution system joint tactical radio system, or MIDS JTRS, CMN-4, F-22 Raptor, tactical targeting network technology terminals. The modification will increase the contract value to $889.47M. This contract also includes purchases to NATO and all NATO nations under the foreign military sales program. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, California and is expected to be completed May 2020. No additional funding will be placed on contract or obligated at the time of modification award. Existing contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future contract actions will be issued and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. This contract modification was not competitively procured because it is a follow on, sole source, multiple award procurement pursuant to the authority of Title 10 U.S. Code 2304. Non-competitive procedures were approved for this modification. Naval Information Warfare System Command is the contracting activity.

17:32 EDT Range Resources announces optimization work at Marcus Hook terminal - Range Resources (RRC) has been notified by Sunoco (SUN) that they will be performing optimization work at the Marcus Hook export terminal that is expected to result in more efficient transportation to end markets. This upgrade will cause the Mariner East pipeline to experience downtime during the month of September. As a result of the outage, Range will sell ethane volumes in its residue natural gas stream that would typically be transported via the Mariner East system. Range's propane volumes which were previously shipped on Mariner East 1 will be transported via the Mariner East 2 pipeline. Q3 production has not changed in terms of expected MMBtu produced, and the impact to cash flow is expected to be minimal.

17:11 EDT Vintage Capital keeps 11.6% stake in Red Robin, says it misrepresents events - In a 13D/A regulatory filing, Vintage Capital has maintained its 11.6% stake in Red Robin, claiming that in rejecting its unsolicited proposal last week, the management misrepresented events to shareholders. Vintage Capital writes: "Vintage Capital Management writes in response to the press releases issued by the company on September 5, 2019, disclosing that it hired Paul Murphy as Chief Executive Officer and that the Board unanimously rejected our proposed all-cash acquisition of the company at a substantial premium. While both of these actions are profoundly disappointing, given the Board's prior actions, neither is remotely surprising. The Press Release grossly misrepresents to the company's stockholders what has occurred since Vintage first announced its position in the company. In the Press Release, you state that the company "appreciate the constructive dialogue with Vintage". Despite our repeated requests, there has been no substantive dialogue, let alone one that could be described as "constructive". Since the Press Release fails to tell the true story that the company's stockholders are entitled to hear, we are forced to do so." Reference Link

17:03 EDT Zscaler says starting to see large deals take longer to close - Says started to see large deals take longer to close in Q4. Says not sure if macroeconomic environment having an impact on closing of deals. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:01 EDT Safehold to originate $275M ground lease in NYC - Safehold announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to create a new $275M Safehold ground lease at 195 Broadway in New York City. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 of 2019, and is subject to customary closing conditions.

16:57 EDT Dynamo Internacional reports 9.14% passive stake in Avon Products - Dynamo Internacional disclosed a 9.14% stake in Avon Products, which represents over 256K shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:46 EDT Lexicon spikes over 35% after saying sotagliflozin data to be presented at EASD - Shares of Lexicon are up 35.5% or 61c to $2.33 per share in after-hours trading.

16:42 EDT Lululemon founder Dennis Wilson sells over $29M in company shares - Lululemon founder and shareholder Dennis Wilson disclosed in a filing that he had sold 145,858 shares of company stock at an average price of $ $199.92 per share between September 6 and September 9. The total transaction value of the sale was $29,159,465.

16:34 EDT Golden Star Resources consents to La Mancha acquiring additional 5% of shares - Golden Star Resources announced that La Mancha has requested to acquire up to an additional 5% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the company through ordinary market or block trade purchases.The investor rights agreement entered into between Golden Star and La Mancha on August 1, 2018 in connection with La Mancha's equity investment of $125.7M to acquire a 30% stake in Golden Star, restricts La Mancha from acquiring any additional common shares beyond 30% until October 2020 without the prior consent of Golden Star. Golden Star believes that a further investment by La Mancha is in the best interests of the company and therefore has provided its consent to the additional purchases. Accordingly, the investor rights agreement has been amended and will now restrict La Mancha from acquiring any additional common shares beyond 35% until October 2020 without the prior consent of Golden Star. All of the other terms of the rights agreement will continue to be in force in accordance with their terms.

16:31 EDT EQT Corporation announces reorganization, workforce reduction of about 23% - EQT Corporation announced that it is streamlining its business to improve operational effectiveness and create a more efficient and nimbler organization. The new structure will simplify the company from 58 to 15 departments, streamline management and focus the organization on processes and functions that are directly aligned with its mission. As part of the reorganization, EQT is reducing its workforce by approximately 23%, or 196 positions. These positions represent approximately $50M of annual general and administrative costs. EQT anticipates providing guidance on run-rate G&A in connection with its third quarter 2019 earnings results.

16:30 EDT Northern Oil and Gas names Nicholas O'Grady president - Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. announced the appointment of Nicholas O'Grady as President, in addition to his current role as Northern's Chief Financial Officer. "Since joining Northern in June 2018, Mr. O'Grady has been instrumental in the acquisitions and financing transactions that have positioned Northern to thrive by fortifying our balance sheet and nearly doubling our production," commented Bahram Akradi, Chairman of the Board. "Mr. O'Grady has championed our transition to a free cash flow model as both a leader internally and a trusted voice to investors, and I look forward to continuing our work together as we seek to drive shareholder returns."

16:30 EDT Lexicon Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

16:15 EDT MetLife names Lyndon Oliver as Treasurer - MetLife announced that Lyndon Oliver will rejoin the company as executive vice president and treasurer, reporting to CFO John McCallion. The appointment will be effective Nov. 18, 2019, and he will be based in New York City.

16:14 EDT Zscaler down 14% following Q4 report, FY20 guidance - In after-hours trading, Zscaler shares are down $8.57, or 13.9%, to $53.03.

16:12 EDT Prevail Therapeutics provides update on PR001 program - Prevail Therapeutics provided an update on the company's clinical development of PR001, a potentially disease-modifying, single-dose gene therapy in development for Parkinson's disease with GBA1 mutations, or PD-GBA, and neuronopathic Gaucher disease, or nGD. Prevail has an open investigational new drug application, or IND, for PR001 for the treatment of PD-GBA, the first indication the company is pursuing. The company is in the process of activating clinical sites for its Phase 1/2 clinical trial in PD-GBA and is on track to initiate patient dosing this year. Approximately 7%-10% of Parkinson's disease patients harbor an underlying mutation in the GBA1 gene, and it is estimated that there are 90,000 PD-GBA patients in the U.S. alone. No therapies currently available have shown the ability to slow or stop the disease progression of PD-GBA. This randomized, double-blind, sham procedure-controlled, ascending dose Phase 1/2 clinical trial will enroll up to sixteen PD-GBA patients. Two escalating dose cohorts are planned. In each cohort, six patients will receive PR001, administered as a single injection, and two patients will receive a sham procedure as control. The trial will investigate the safety and tolerability of PR001 and will also measure key biomarkers and exploratory efficacy endpoints. Prevail is also developing PR001 for pediatric nGD, a second indication with urgent unmet need. The company submitted an IND to the FDA for PR001 for the treatment of pediatric patients with nGD. Following discussions with the FDA, and based on preclinical studies that demonstrated increased efficacy at a higher dose, Prevail is modifying the design of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial in nGD to commence at a dose higher than originally proposed. Prevail's IND for PR001 for the treatment of pediatric nGD has been placed on clinical hold pending FDA review of an amendment to the nGD IND, which will detail this modification. No safety or adverse events have been observed in any of Prevail's studies of PR001. The start of the Phase 1/2 trial in nGD is anticipated to be delayed approximately one quarter and to begin enrollment in the first half of 2020. The modification to the nGD Phase 1/2 trial design is not anticipated to delay the overall timeline to trial completion.

16:11 EDT Dave & Buster's expands buyback to $800M - The company said it has expanded share repurchase authorization by $200M to $800M; repurchased 3.4M shares for approximately $137Mand paid a quarterly cash dividend of 15c per share.

16:08 EDT Gevo signs joint development agreement with Leaf Resources - Gevo announced the signing of a joint development agreement, or JDA, with Leaf Resources. The JDA is to explore the potential use of cellulosic derived sugars and glycerol from Leaf and the ability to convert these to hydrocarbon molecules useful as fuels or chemicals. The JDA is structured around three phases of joint work designed to establish a bankable project. Phase 1 will develop the feasibility of a potential facility, followed by phases investigating the commercial development and commercialization of the project. Gevo and Leaf will carry their own costs during phase 1 of the project, with further funding to be determined by a future written agreement after completion of the phase 1 milestones.

16:04 EDT Lexicon announces sotagliflozin data to be presented at EASD - Lexicon Pharmaceuticals announced that clinical data for Zynquista,sotagliflozin, will be presented at the upcoming European Association for the Study of Diabetes, EASD, 55th annual meeting. The accepted abstracts, including two oral presentations, reflect Lexicon's efforts to address the unmet need for new options for the management of type 1 diabetes.

16:02 EDT Xencor names Celia Eckert as General Counsel - Xencor announced the appointment of Celia Eckert as vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. Ms. Eckert brings more than 20 years of experience as a corporate attorney in both law firm and in-house roles.

15:38 EDT Dodge & Cox reports 10% passive stake in Dell Technologies - In a regulatory filing, Dodge & Cox disclosed a 10% stake in Dell Technologies, which represents over 23M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

14:58 EDT Tutor Perini trading resumes

14:50 EDT Tutor Perini says $101M collected to date in connection with contract resolution - In a regulatory filing, Tutor Perini reports that it has collected a total to date of $101M of cash in connection with the resolution of the five contract matters totaling $125M that the company discussed in its second quarter earnings call on August 8. "Most of the $101M was collected in the company's third quarter, which ends September 30, and the company still expects to receive additional cash collections in the near term in connection with the resolution of these five matters. The company does not expect that amounts collected will have an impact on the company's third quarter earnings, in light of the amount of estimated collections previously recorded by the company in its contract assets. The company also confirms that it is continuing to make progress in resolving disputed amounts relating to other contract assets that are subject to negotiation, arbitration or litigation. The cash collections from the resolution of these five contract matters should not be considered representative of future cash collections with respect to other matters," the company stated in the filing. Shares of Tutor Perini remain halted for trading.

14:40 EDT Apple introduces dual camera iPhone 11, starting at $699 - Apple announced iPhone 11, which it said delivers "innovations that make the world's most popular smartphone even more powerful." iPhone 11 introduces a dual-camera system, "offering an intuitive camera experience with the highest quality video in a smartphone and Night mode for photos." iPhone 11 is powered by the A13 Bionic chip "to perform the most demanding tasks, while getting through an entire day on a single charge, and is designed to withstand the elements with improved water resistance," Apple added. iPhone 11 will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models in purple, green, yellow, black, white and PRODUCT(RED) starting at $699 in the U.S. Customers in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and more than 30 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone 11 beginning at 5 a.m. PDT on Friday, September 13 with availability beginning Friday, September 20.

14:39 EDT Apple Arcade launches on September 19 - Apple announced that Apple Arcade will be available on the App Store on Thursday, September 19 with iOS 13, offering an "all-new way to enjoy games without limits." With a subscription to Apple Arcade for $4.99 per month, users get unlimited access to the entire catalog of over 100 new, exclusive games, all playable across iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV. Apple Arcade is launching with a one-month free trial and users will not find the games on any other mobile platform or subscription service. Apple Arcade games can all be played offline and a single subscription includes access for up to six family members with Family Sharing. The catalog will exceed 100 games in the coming weeks as new titles are introduced, with more games to come every month. Apple Arcade will be available on September 30 on iPadOS and tvOS 13 and in October on macOS Catalina.

14:35 EDT Apple says iPhone 11 Pro will start at $999, iPhone Pro Max at $1,099

14:18 EDT Apple says iPhone 11 Pro has 3 cameras, including ultra wide and telephoto

14:13 EDT Innophos Holdings up 9% after report of exploring potential sale - Following the report from Bloomberg, Innophos shares are up $2.62, or 9.1%, to $31.35.

14:09 EDT Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces iPhone 11 Pro

14:05 EDT Apple say iPhone 11 has 1 hour increased battery life

13:59 EDT Alkaline Water: Revenue projection for FY20 includes gross margin of approx. 40%

13:57 EDT Alkaline Water: AQUAhydrate transaction an 'arm's length' transaction

13:53 EDT Apple announces Apple Watch Series 5 - Apple announced Apple Watch Series 5, debuting an Always-On Retina display that never sleeps. New location features, from a built-in compass to current elevation, help users better navigate their day, while international emergency calling allows customers to call emergency services directly from Apple Watch in over 150 countries, even without iPhone nearby. Apple Watch Series 5 is available in a wider range of materials, including aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic and an all-new titanium. Combined with the power of watchOS 6, users are empowered to take charge of their health and fitness with new features like Cycle Tracking, the Noise app and Activity Trends. Apple Watch Series 5 is available to order in 41 countries and regions and Apple Watch Series 5 is available to order in 22 countries and regions. Both models will be available in stores beginning Friday, September 20. Apple Watch Series 5 starts at $399 and Apple Watch Series, GPS + Cellular, 5 starts at $499. The popular Series 3, with built-in GPS, optical heart rate sensor and water resistance, starts at a new low price of $199 and Series 3, GPS + Cellular, is $299.

13:51 EDT Apple says iPhone 11 has 6.1" liquid retina display

13:48 EDT Fitbit shares move lower, turns flat on day as Apple discusses Watch at event - Among its news, Apple disclosed a lower starting price for its Series 3 Watch.

13:47 EDT Roku down 7% after Apple prices streaming service at $4.99 - Shares of Roku (ROKU) moved lower after Apple (AAPL) at today's event announced that its TV streaming service will be priced at $4.99 per month. Roku is down 7% to $149.22 while Netflix (NFLX) is down 3% to $285.77 and Disney (DIS) is down 2% to $136.09.

13:44 EDT Apple says Apple Watch Series 3 will now start at $199

13:39 EDT Apple introduces Apple Watch Series 5, with Always On Display - Comment taken from the Apple Special Event.

13:34 EDT Alibaba confirms Ma exit, Zhang succession as executive chairman - Alibaba Group released an account of the company's celebration of its 20th anniversary on Tuesday with a gala celebration in Hangzhou, which featured Jack Ma's final appearance as executive chairman. In his final speech, Ma addressed staff, telling them that the celebration was not about his retirement but rather "the beginning of a legacy of succession," according to the company. "Alibaba has long prided itself on its corporate governance, particularly its use of a partnership system that was created to ensure that the culture and ethos that have underlined the company and its approach to business for two decades remained intact long after the founders were gone. That focus on a responsible transition is what drove Ma's decision to announce that Zhang would succeed him as chairman a year ago, offering customers, employees and shareholders that same visibility," Alibaba added in a post to its Alizila site for Alibaba Group news. During the event, CEO Daniel Zhang, who succeeds Ma as chairman, spoke about the future as well, saying that Alibaba's goal was to service more than 1 billion consumers globally and handle over RMB 10 trillion in transactions by 2024. Reference Link

13:28 EDT Apple says new iPad will start at $329, will ship at end of month

13:23 EDT Netflix down 3% as Apple unveils details, $4.99 per month price for Apple TV+

13:23 EDT Apple introduces 7th generation iPad at special event

13:20 EDT Apple CEO Tim Cook says Apple TV+ available on November 1

13:20 EDT Apple CEO Tim Cook says Apple TV+ will be $4.99 per month

13:13 EDT Apple says Apple Arcade will cost $4.99 per month

13:11 EDT Apple begins special event with look at exclusive games for Apple Arcade

12:43 EDT Raytheon, Hanwha Systems partner to upgrade Identification Friend or Foe systems - Raytheon Company and Hanwha Systems signed a technical cooperation agreement to produce Identification Friend or Foe Mode 5 systems for the Korean military. Under the agreement, Raytheon will provide its IFF technology while Hanwha Systems will oversee domestic production. "Our Mode 5 IFF solutions help lift the fog of combat," said Barbara Borgonovi, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Communication Systems. "Cluttered airspace, crowded battlefields and uncertain seas characterize today's operational environment. We are providing the latest technology that gives coalition forces the ability to distinguish between friend and foe with absolute certainty in the midst of these challenging conditions."

12:35 EDT Electronic Arts launches cloud gaming external trial - Ken Moss, Chief Technology Officer at Electronic Arts (EA) wrote in part earlier: "Cloud gaming. It seems like these days, it's on everyone's mind, with new possibilities, paths, and players emerging from all corners of the industry. The collective enthusiasm and attention in this space couldn't be more exciting and we are looking forward to working with more partners and platforms! For EA, our continued focus will be on making sure our games will be ready for a cloud-powered future where our players can engage and enjoy anytime, anywhere, and on any device. To that end, I'm excited to share that we'll be taking an important step in this learning journey as we host an exclusive external trial for our players to experience games streamed through EA's cloud technology...We're also testing a wide breadth of games and genres to be able to better understand how the streaming technology performs across each. From the visual fidelity for games that are known for stunning graphics and demanding rendering, to the uncompromised precision and accuracy which are so critical to multiplayer FPS games - all of this must perform seamlessly. As part of the external trial, players will get hands-on with four HD games, including FIFA 19, Titanfall 2, Need for Speed Rivals, and Unravel...The bottom line is this. Cloud gaming is coming. It's no longer a question of if, but when." The Fly notes that Google (GOOG) Stadia will launch in November 2019 in fourteen countries and at that time, limited to the Pro tier users. By 2020, Google plans to expand Stadia to more countries and bring free Base service online. Reference Link

12:17 EDT Chipotle sued by De Blasio administration for violating city's Fair Workweek Law - New York City Mayor de Blasio and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Lorelei Salas today announced a lawsuit against Chipotle Mexican Grill for widespread violations of the City's Fair Workweek Law, which requires predictable schedules in the fast food and retail industries and a pathway to stable, full-time employment for fast food workers. "In New York City, predictable schedules for fast food and retail workers are a right, not a privilege," said Mayor de Blasio. "No corporation can get away with blatantly violating the rights of New York City workers without consequences. Chipotle must immediately stop their unfair labor practices and put their employees above profit." The lawsuit, which has been filed at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, alleges that Chipotle violated nearly every aspect of the City's Fair Workweek Law, including failing to provide good faith estimates of work schedules and schedules two weeks in advance, failing to get consent and pay premiums for last minute schedule changes and for working "clopenings," and failing to offer newly available shifts to current employees. DCWP also found that Chipotle had an illegal sick leave policy. More than 30 workers from five different Chipotle locations in Brooklyn filed complaints with DCWP about ongoing violations of the Fair Workweek Law. Reference Link

12:10 EDT Fresenius says over 25,000 patients receiving dialysis treatment at home - Fresenius Medical Care North America announces "record growth" in home dialysis in the six months since its merger with NxStage Medical. The growth rate for home dialysis is now eight times the rate of in-center dialysis, and the company has surpassed 25,000 patients currently receiving treatment at home, Fresenius said in a statement. "As the industry leader in dialysis products and services, we are committed to actively shaping the future of patient care to provide the best quality of life for people living with kidney failure," said Bill Valle, Chief Executive Officer of Fresenius Medical Care North America. "We want to ensure home dialysis is offered as the best option if transplant is not feasible, and are focused on giving life back to this patient population."

12:00 EDT Qudian falls -7.4% - Qudian is down -7.4%, or -58c to $7.30.

12:00 EDT Fair Isaac falls -8.6% - Fair Isaac is down -8.6%, or -$30.11 to $319.15.

12:00 EDT Seadrill rises 20.0% - Seadrill is up 20.0%, or 57c to $3.42.

12:00 EDT Xeris Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

11:56 EDT State Street sees Q3 NII flat, slightly better than guidance of down 1%-3%

11:53 EDT Alcoa says hopes to retain Arconic as a 'great customer'

11:50 EDT Alcoa sees 'sizeable impact' from Indonesia bauxite ban

11:35 EDT Xeris Pharmaceuticals announces expanded $85M debt facility - Xeris Pharmaceuticals announced that it has entered into an amended and restated loan and security agreement with Oxford Finance and Silicon Valley Bank. The agreement increases the borrowing base from $45M to up to $85M, subject to certain conditions, and extends the maturity date of the debt to as late as June 2024, if the second tranche is drawn. "We are pleased to expand and extend our financing partnership with Oxford and SVB at this important stage of our company as we prepare to launch our first commercial product later this year. The expanded debt facility provides Xeris with greater financial flexibility and additional access to capital as we continue to leverage our technology and advance our pipeline," said Chairman and CEO Paul Edick.

11:32 EDT Xeris Pharmaceuticals reports FDA approval for GVOKE injection - Xeris Pharmaceuticals announced that it has received regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for GVOKE injection, its ready-to-use, room-temperature stable liquid glucagon for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia in pediatric and adult patients with diabetes ages 2 years and above. GVOKE is the first glucagon product approved that can be administered via a prefilled syringe or auto-injector, the company stated. GVOKE will be available in two doses: a 0.5 mg/0.1 mL dose for pediatric patients and a 1 mg/0.2 mL dose for adolescent and adult patients. GVOKE is contraindicated in patients with pheochromocytoma, insulinoma, and patients with a known hypersensitivity to glucagon or to any of the excipients in GVOKE. Paul Edick, Chairman and CEO of Xeris Pharmaceuticals, said: "We are actively preparing to introduce GVOKE in two different administration options to accommodate the community's preferences starting with our pre-filled syringe in 4-6 weeks and the auto-injector in 2020."

11:08 EDT Match Group says subscriber growth not impacted by Facebook Dating launch - In slides presented by Match Group (MTCH) CFO Gary Swidler at the Deutsche Bank 2019 Technology Conference, the company stated that Match Group subscriber growth is "not impacted" by the launch of Facebook Dating (FB). The slide included data regarding the previous launches of Facebook's dating service in Canada and other countries.

10:59 EDT Alkaline Water Company Inc trading halted, news pending

10:41 EDT BB&T sees Q3 core NIM down 4-8bps vs. Q2 - Sees Q3 noninterest income up 4%-6% y/y. Sees expenses up 1%-3% vs. last year. Sees average total loans down 4%-6% annualized vs. Q2. Sees Q3 effective tax rate 20%-21%.

10:39 EDT BB&T CEO sees no 'cataclysmic' turn to negative rates - Comments taken from the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference.

10:31 EDT Lyft partners with SambaSafety to receive 'near-real-time' driver information - SambaSafety and Lyft announced a partnership that will provide Lyft with "near-real-time insight into drivers' new driving citations, "enabling the company to quickly deactivate any drivers that don't meet Lyft's safety standards." SambaSafety says its Qorta platform allows companies "to receive timely insight into high, medium and low-risk drivers, leveraging its nationwide motor vehicle record network, additional data sources, and powerful data analytics and reporting tools." Lyft currently uses SambaSafety to screen motor vehicle records at onboarding and annually thereafter. This new partnership, says the companies, "will take this screening to the next level by continuously monitoring the driving records of United States-based Lyft drivers to identify unsafe drivers as quickly as possible and removing them from the platform as soon a violation of Lyft's safety standards is detected." Lyft also plans to leverage Qorta intelligence in programs to communicate with drivers, "to let them know how they are doing, recognize driving excellence, and improve the safety of the Lyft community." The partnership will provide state motor vehicle record data, real-time alerts of negative driver activity, and driver scoring configured to Lyft's safety standards.

10:05 EDT American Electric accelerates carbon dioxide emissions reduction target - American Electric Power is cutting carbon dioxide emissions faster than anticipated and has revised its 2030 reduction target to 70% from 2000 levels. The company's previous target was a 60% reduction from 2000 levels by 2030. AEP also is confident that it will cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80% from 2000 levels by 2050. "AEP's overall strategy is focused on modernizing the power grid, expanding renewable energy resources and delivering reliable energy to our customers. Our transition to a cleaner, more balanced resource mix helps mitigate risk for our customers and shareholders alike and will ensure a more resilient and reliable energy system into the future," said Nicholas K. Akins, AEP chairman, president and CEO.

10:03 EDT Macy's announces vision to advance diversity, inclusion - Macy's announced a five-point approach to further ensure the company reflects the diversity of the customers and communities it serves. As part of this effort, the company has set goals and outlined specific strategies to increase its impact. "At Macy's, diversity and inclusion are essential to our culture and core values. Our mission is to embed D&I into how we think, act, and operate by fostering an inclusive culture and an environment that inspires, reflects, and embraces everyone," said Jeff Gennette, chairman and CEO. "We hope the steps we are taking will encourage others to reaffirm their commitments to inclusion for all." As part of its effort, Macy's will: "Update Customer Bill of Rights and expand colleague training. Macy's strives to create a safe and comfortable environment for all customers. The newly updated and expanded Customer Bill of Rights will be in every Macy's and Bloomingdale's store by the start of the 2019 holiday season. Require 50 percent representation of gender/gender identity, ethnicity, age, size and differently abled subjects in our advertising by 2020. The company's goal is to consistently and genuinely reflect all customers. Achieve more ethnic diversity by 2025 at senior director level and above, with a goal of 30 percent. Achieve a diverse supplier spend of at least 5 percent by 2021."

10:00 EDT X Financial falls -6.0% - X Financial is down -6.0%, or -20c to $3.09.

10:00 EDT Washington Prime rises 7.6% - Washington Prime is up 7.6%, or 29c to $4.09.

10:00 EDT Seadrill rises 10.9% - Seadrill is up 10.9%, or 31c to $3.16.

09:47 EDT DRDGold falls -4.7% - DRDGold is down -4.7%, or -18c to $3.61.

09:47 EDT Comstock Resources falls -7.1% - Comstock Resources is down -7.1%, or -65c to $8.48.

09:47 EDT Borr Drilling rises 6.7% - Borr Drilling is up 6.7%, or 43c to $6.89.

09:44 EDT Xeris Pharmaceuticals trading halted, news pending

09:29 EDT Brooks Automation announces termination of President of Brooks Life Sciences - In a regulatory filing last night, Brooks Automation reported that it entered into a separation agreement with Maurice H. Tenney, III, the company's President, Brooks Life Sciences, under which Tenney's employment with the company was terminated as of September 6. In connection with the separation agreement, the company and Tenney also entered into a consulting agreement, under which Tenney will provide certain transitional services to the company through November 30, in exchange for the continued vesting of his outstanding equity awards through the term of the consulting agreement.

09:25 EDT EchoStar announces completion of spin-off and merger with Dish Network - EchoStar (SATS) announced the completion of its previously announced spin-off and subsequent merger with DISH Network (DISH) of the portion of its business that manages, markets and provides broadcast satellite services primarily to DISH, Dish Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. and their respective subsidiaries and telemetry, tracking and control services to satellites owned by DISH and a portion of EchoStar's other businesses, and certain related assets and business operations. The transaction was announced on May 20, 2019 and a record date of August 19, was announced on August 9. The transaction is structured in a manner intended to be tax-free to EchoStar and its stockholders.

09:21 EDT Barrick Gold announces monetization of Royal Road Minerals investment - Barrick Gold Corporation announced that it sold 22,576,161 ordinary shares of Royal Road Minerals in a pre-arranged trade executed through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange at a price of $0.19 per Ordinary Share for gross proceeds of approximately $4,289,471. Barrick completed the Disposition in order to monetize its investment in Royal Road. Immediately prior to the Disposition, Barrick had beneficial ownership of, or control or direction over, 22,576,161 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 10.7% of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares on a non-diluted basis. As a result of the Disposition, Barrick does not have beneficial ownership of, or control or direction over, any Ordinary Shares.

09:18 EDT Ultragenyx, Kyowa Kirin plan to submit sBLA to FDA for Crysvita - Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical and Kyowa Kirin announced plans to submit a supplemental Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Crysvita for the treatment of FGF23-related hypophosphatemia associated with phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors that cannot be curatively resected or localized. The decision to submit follows the completion of a pre-sBLA meeting with the FDA and agreement on the filing package. The submission of the Crysvita sBLA is planned for the first half of 2020 and will be based on the current clinical data package. The BLA package will include data from two single-arm Phase 2 studies, a 144-week Phase 2 study in 14 adult patients conducted by Ultragenyx in the U.S. and an 88-week Phase 2 study in 13 adult patients conducted by Kyowa Kirin in Japan and South Korea. In both studies, Crysvita was associated with increases in serum phosphorus and serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels. Increased phosphate levels led to improvements in osteomalacia, mobility, and vitality. Bone scans also demonstrated an increase in healed fractures and decrease in new fractures during Crysvita treatment. Adverse events generally reflected the patients' underlying disease, and there were no serious treatment-related adverse events during the studies. Crysvita is approved by the U.S. FDA, Health Canada, and Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency for the treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemia in adult and pediatric patients one year of age and older, and has received European conditional marketing authorization for the treatment of XLH with radiographic evidence of bone disease in children 1 year of age and older and adolescents with growing skeletons.

09:14 EDT Comtech awarded multiple orders totaling about $3.6M - Comtech Telecommunications announced that during Q4, its New York-based subsidiary, Comtech PST Corp., which is part of Comtech's Government Solutions segment, received multiple orders totaling approximately $3.6M for solid-state high-power RF amplifiers from a major domestic prime contractor.

09:11 EDT Telenor Sweden selects Fortinet to deliver Secure SD-WAN solution - Fortinet (FTNT) announced that it has been chosen by Telenor Sweden, a part of Telenor Group (TELNY), to deliver its new, next-generation SD-WAN network, which aims to help customers gain increased agility, flexibility and security to drive digital transformation adoption. With its unique carrier-grade Secure SD-WAN solution, Fortinet has enabled Telenor to become one of the very first operators in the Nordic market to launch a secure SD-WAN service.

09:07 EDT Innovation Pharmaceuticals plans for clinical trial of oral Brilacidin in Q4 - Innovation Pharmaceuticals announced it is planning for the first human trial utilizing an oral formulation of Brilacidin in the program for Ulcerative Colitis, a common type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, in December 2019. Brilacidin is the lead drug candidate in the Company's portfolio of novel compounds called defensin-mimetics, which are modeled on the body's host defense response and exhibit immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. The Company is working closely with BDD Pharma to utilize their patented OralogiK tablet technology, enabling targeted delivery of Briladicin to the colon. The first planned clinical trial of oral Brilacidin in the UC program will be in healthy volunteers in the United Kingdom. We are now engaged in having our vendor prepare Brilacidin for shipment to BDD where it will be manufactured into tablets for the trial. Final feedback and approval from the governing regulatory agency will be required to commence the study. The trial is designed to assess safety, toleration, pharmacokinetics, and whether the drug is being dispersed directly in the colon. With the continued development of Brilacidin in IBD, the Company is building upon its successfully completed Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept trial of locally-administered Brilacidin, as a retention enema, for Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis.

09:05 EDT Tyson Foods appoints John Tyson as chief sustainability officer - Tyson Foods announced the appointment of John Tyson as chief sustainability officer, effectively immediately. He will report to Noel White, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. Justin Whitmore, who has been serving as Tyson Foods' CSO since 2017, will now turn his full attention to leading Tyson Foods' growing alternative protein business. Tyson will lead Tyson Foods' efforts to support a more sustainable food system. This includes driving improvement by implementing the company's sustainability strategy and commitments as well as managing the sustainability, animal welfare, environmental and social responsibility teams. Tyson is currently a lecturer at the Sam M. Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas.

09:03 EDT Acuity Brands acquires The Luminaires Group, sees accretion to 2020 earnings - Acuity Brands announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Acuity Brands Lighting has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire all of the equity interests of The Luminaires Group. TLG's indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures are marketed to architects, landscape architects, interior designers and engineers through five niche lighting brands: a-light, Cyclone, Eureka, Luminaire LED and Luminis. TLG generates annual sales of approximately $100M and employs over 350 associates located across five locations in the U.S. and Canada. Each TLG brand has its own niche focus: a-light designs and markets indoor architectural lighting to enhance contemporary spaces; Cyclone specializes in high-quality outdoor decorative luminaires for the municipal market; Eureka concentrates on indoor and outdoor contemporary decorative lighting; Luminaire LED offers indoor and outdoor vandal-resistant lighting to withstand both environmental and physical abuse; and Luminis designs a wide range of indoor and outdoor specification lighting products for commercial and institutional applications. Management expects that the acquisition will be immediately accretive to fiscal 2020 earnings. Terms of the purchase agreement are not disclosed. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. Management anticipates the acquisition will be completed by the end of the month.

09:02 EDT Robbins Arroyo anounces purchaser of RCI Hospitality filed derivative complaint - Shareholder rights law firm Robbins Arroyo announces that a purchaser of RCI Hospitality Holdings filed a derivative complaint against the company's directors and officers for breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, waste of corporate assets, gross mismanagement, abuse of control, and violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from August 10, 2017 to the present. RCI is a holding company that operates live adult entertainment and restaurant and bar operations through its subsidiaries.

08:50 EDT MyoKardia to evaluate mavacamten as alternative to septal reduction therapy - MyoKardia announced that it will study mavacamten as a therapeutic alternative to septal reduction therapy. The study will be conducted at leading HCM centers that regularly perform surgical myectomy or alcohol septal ablation procedures, with support from the established referral networks at those centers. The randomized, double-blind study will enroll symptomatic, obstructive HCM patients referred for SRT, and MyoKardia anticipates that enrollment will begin in the first half of 2020. MyoKardia is developing mavacamten for the treatment of HCM. Mavacamten was specifically developed to correct the abnormal mechanics of the HCM heart by normalizing the number of myosin-actin cross-bridges that drive the excessive contractility, left ventricular hypertrophy and reduced compliance characteristic of HCM. In the company's Phase 2 PIONEER-HCM clinical trial of patients with obstructive HCM, mavacamten reduced or eliminated the obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract, resulting in improvements in how patients feel and how their hearts are functioning. MyoKardia is currently conducting the pivotal Phase 3 EXPLORER-HCM clinical trial of mavacamten in patients with symptomatic obstructive HCM. Enrollment in the EXPLORER study completed in August 2019 at clinical sites in the U.S., Europe, and Israel. Topline data from the EXPLORER-HCM trial are anticipated in the second quarter of 2020. The EXPLORER trial, along with data from the MAVA long-term extension study, as well as MyoKardia's ongoing and completed clinical trials of mavacamten, are expected to form the basis for a registrational submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

08:42 EDT MTBC, Inc announces upcoming release of video telehealth solution - MTBC announced the upcoming release of its video telehealth solution for selected behavioral health and addiction medicine specialists. MTBC is planning to launch its telehealth solution for all existing talkEHR clients later this year, but given the call-to-action by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House, and many other physician organizations, MTBC is offering its telehealth solution to qualified clinicians currently fighting the opioid epidemic.

08:40 EDT GenTech issues LOI to acquire CBD e-commerce retailer - GenTech Holdings announced the issuance of a Letter of Intent to acquire a California-based CBD ecommerce retailer in an all-stock transaction with a working capital stipulation to provide for an aggressive growth agenda. The Target is an already-profitable CBD distributor focused on the CBD Coffee and Tea Market. The Company believes the acquisition will powerfully compliment its brick-and-mortar CBD-infusion Cafe model, giving it a widened exposure footprint to the rapidly growing CBD market. GenTech is slated to open its first CBD-infusion Cafe in Q1 2020.

08:38 EDT Martinrea announces additional strategic investment in Nanoxplore - Martinrea International announced that it filed an early warning report in connection with the acquisition by Martinrea of 10 million common shares in NanoXplore, a publicly listed company on the TSX Venture Exchange trading under the ticker symbol GRA, pursuant to several private agreements. Of the 10 million common shares of NanoXplore acquired by Martinrea, 5,474,669 of the common shares were acquired at a price of $1.20 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $6,569,603 and 4,525,331 of the common shares were acquired at a price of $1.30 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $5,882,930. After the Share Acquisitions, the Company holds 30,199,800 common shares of NanoXplore, or approximately 25 percent of NanoXplore's issued and outstanding common shares. Martinrea expects to evaluate on an ongoing basis NanoXplore's financial condition, results of operations, business and prospects, the market price of the Shares, conditions in securities markets generally and in the market for shares of companies like NanoXplore, general economic and industry conditions and other factors Martinrea deems relevant to its investment decisions. Based on such evaluations, Martinrea may at any time or from time-to-time determine to acquire additional shares, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares or derivatives relating to shares, or to dispose of shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares or derivatives relating to shares Martinrea owns or may hereafter acquire, through open market or privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, at such prices and on such terms as Martinrea deems advisable.

08:33 EDT GAIN Capital reports August operating metrics - In the retail segment in August, OTC Trading Volume was up 29.5% sequentially and up 0.7% y/y. OTC Average Daily Volume was up 35.6% sequentially and up 5.3% y/y. 12 Month Trailing Active OTC Accounts were down 0.4% sequentially and were down 9.2% y/y. 3 Month Trailing Active OTC Accounts were up 1.0% sequentially and down 2.6% y/y.

08:31 EDT Capstone Turbine announces 1.6MW contract in California oil and gas market - Capstone Turbine announced that it continues to build its long-term service contract business with a 1.6 megawatt contract in the California oil and gas market. "The conversion of oil and gas customers to the Capstone Factory Protection Plan is a strong indicator for the continued top and bottom-line growth of our aftermarket service business," stated Darren Jamison, Capstone's President and CEO. "The aftermarket service business was approximately 47% of Capstone's fiscal Q1 2020 revenue and accounted for approximately 97% of the gross margin, which is why growing the aftermarket business is so fundamental to our near-term return to positive adjusted EBITDA and long-term profitability goals," added Jamison. Cal Microturbine, Capstone's exclusive distributor for California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, signed the Capstone Factory Protection Plan long-term service contract in California covering 1.6 MWs of Capstone microturbines installed at a single location for a major oil and gas company.

08:27 EDT Mallinckrodt: Specialty generics president Matthew Harbaugh leaves company - In a regulatory filing, Mallinckrodt said that on August 7, it announced that it was not proceeding with a planned spin-off of its Specialty Generics business. Given that the spin-off plans have been suspended, Matthew Harbaugh, Executive Vice President and President, Specialty Generics, left the company effective September 6, the company said.

08:18 EDT Mallinckrodt CEO says may have pathway to settle opioid litigation

08:13 EDT Casella Waste announces permit expansion at WasteUSA Landfill - Casella Waste Systems announced that the State of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Board have issued all necessary permits and approvals for the Company to expand its WasteUSA landfill located in Coventry, Vermont. The expansion will increase the lined disposal area by 51.2 acres, or by approximately 13.7 million cubic yards, which will create approximately 20 years of additional airspace at the current run-rate. The landfill is currently permitted to accept up to 600,000 tons per year of municipal solid waste. New England Waste Services of Vermont, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Casella Waste Systems, Inc., is the owner and operator of the facility. On July 23, 2019, the State of Vermont District Environmental Commission #7 issued a land use permit for the landfill expansion project.

08:11 EDT BeyondSpring presents novel Study 103 Phase 3 design in NSCLC - BeyondSpring announced that the Company's novel design for Study 103 was selected for poster presentation at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain. The poster, titled "DUBLIN-3, a Phase III Trial Comparing the Plinabulin / Docetaxel Combination with D Alone in Stage IIIB / IV NSCLC," was presented on September 9. Study 103, a Phase 3 global multi-center clinical trial, was undertaken in stage IIIB/IV, EGFR-wild type non-small cell lung cancer patients, in 2nd and 3rd line therapy with Docetaxel plus Plinabulin, or Docetaxel in a 1:1 ratio. Patients should have failed a prior line with a platinum-based regimen, and patients who had failed prior PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapy were allowed to enter the study. EGFR-wild type patients represent a severely underserved population, with a median overall survival at around 8-10 months, which is much shorter in comparison to patients with EGFR mutant, with a median OS at around 18 months. Even with PD-1/PD-L1 antibody treatment, only around 20 percent of these patients respond to treatment, leaving behind 80 percent of patients who require alternative therapies. Plinabulin is administered via 60 minutes of IV infusion and is given 1 hour after Docetaxel completion on Day 1. 450 patients have been enrolled in the study to date, and were treated with either: Plinabulin, a marine-derived, novel small-molecule, is BeyondSpring's lead asset that activates GEF-H1, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor. GEF-H1 activates downstream transduction pathways leading to the maturation of dendritic cells, which, in turn, leads to T-cell activation, in an antigen-specific manner. Plinabulin, combined with an antigen-generator, such as chemotherapy, facilitates antigen presentation by dendritic cells to T-cells, resulting in tumor cell killing. Antigens that can stimulate the immune system, which are also called immunogens, are more likely to induce immune cancer cell killing than antigens for which the immune system already has developed a tolerance. This type of immunogen is more likely to be found in earlier stage cancers, as opposed to more advanced cancers that have escaped immune surveillance. BeyondSpring employed this principle in the design of Study 103 by selecting patients with a measurable lung lesion, with the requirement that the lesion is present in the lung, as opposed to in a distant organ, as these lung lesions likely represent novel sub-clonal lesions, which are likely to harbor novel antigens or immunogens that are still capable of stimulating the immune system. Measurable lung lesions located in the lung are expected to provide sufficient antigens after Docetaxel treatment for effective immuno-stimulation. Patients with a measurable lung lesion, which represent more than 70 percent of NSCLC patients, currently have very few treatment options available to them in the 2nd and 3rd line. These patients typically have a low life expectancy and consider undergoing chemotherapy with the prospect of gaining only a few more months of life. However, this is typically at the expense of their Quality of Life due to severe toxicities and can be an unattractive option. With the Plinabulin/Docetaxel combination, BeyondSpring aims to create a treatment option with not only a superior OS benefit, but also with a superior safety and QoL profile. Plinabulin is not only an anticancer agent, as clinical studies have demonstrated that it also prevents Docetaxel-induced toxicities such as severe neutropenia.

08:09 EDT Hartford Financial CHRO Marty Gervasi to retire, Lori Rodden to succeed - Hartford Financial has appointed Lori Rodden as chief human resources officer,or CHRO, effective October 1. She succeeds Marty Gervasi, who is retiring after nine years with the company. Rodden will report to chairman and CEO Christopher Swift. Gervasi will remain with the company into early 2020 in an advisory role. Rodden will oversee all human-resources functions for approximately 19,000 employees, including talent management, compensation, benefits and diversity and inclusion. She has more than 20 years of experience with The Hartford, during which time she served in roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining The Hartford in 1997, she served in human resources positions for Ames Department Stores and Barnett Bank of Tampa.

08:08 EDT SCWorx signs agreement with healthcare organization for $975,000 - SCWorx announced the signing of a new agreement with a not-for-profit multi-system Integrated Delivery Network with over $6.5B in annual revenue. The $975,000 agreement is to provide data migration and integration services initially for a three-year term with the potential for additional years upon mutual written agreement by both parties.

08:07 EDT iCAD announces publication of ProFound AI reader study results - iCAD announced the results of its reader study for ProFound AI for Digital Breast Tomosynthesis were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Radiology: Artificial Intelligence. ProFound AI for DBT is an FDA-cleared 3D tomosynthesis workflow solution using artificial intelligence to aid in breast cancer detection. The study showed the concurrent use of ProFound AI increased sensitivity by 8 percent, reduced false positives and unnecessary recalls by 7 percent, and slashed reading time for radiologists by 52.7 percent. ProFound AI is a high-performing workflow solution that assists radiologists by detecting malignant soft-tissue densities and calcifications. The software rapidly and accurately analyzes each image, or slice, and provides radiologists with crucial information, such as Certainty of Finding lesion and Case Scores, which can assist in clinical decision-making and prioritizing caseloads. Featuring the latest in deep-learning intelligence, the technology allows for continuously improved performance via ongoing software updates. The reader study examined the performance of 24 radiologists, including 13 breast subspecialists, reading an enriched set of 260 DBT cases, both with and without ProFound AI. The study found ProFound AI increased radiologist performance, measured by mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, from 0.795 to 0.852. ProFound AI also increased sensitivity from 77.0 percent to 85.0 percent, increased specificity from 62.7 percent to 69.6 percent, and decreased the recall rate for noncancers from 38.0 percent to 30.9 percent. Reading time for radiologists decreased from 64.1 seconds to 30.4 seconds with ProFound AI.

08:05 EDT Smith-Midland announces $2.5M J-J Hooks barrier order - Smith-Midland announced that a $2.5M order has been placed by a long-term Smith-Midland customer for over 16 miles of J-J Hooks precast concrete highway safety barrier. The 87,750 liner feet of free-standing and anchored barrier will be produced in Smith-Midland's two Carolina plants, Smith-Carolina and Smith-Columbia. Casting has already begun, with final delivery scheduled to be completed in December 2019.

08:04 EDT Tabula Rasa's PeakTPA partners with Troy Medicare for care coordination - Tabula Rasa HealthCare announced its health plan management group, PeakTPA, has signed an agreement to partner with Troy Medicare. Troy Medicare is a licensed Medicare Advantage plan that empowers independent pharmacies to reduce health costs with data-enabled care coordination. PeakTPA provides third party administrator and "back office" services to healthcare organizations for optimized financial management and regulatory compliance. Services include claims adjudication, enrollment management, accounts receivable, and more. Troy's care coordination data and TRHC's technology, services, and revenue model optimize client financial management and help fulfill regulatory requirements for health plan functions.

08:04 EDT DuPont Electronics & Imaging sells CSS business to SK Siltron - DuPont Electronics & Imaging announced it has signed an agreement to sell its Compound Semiconductor Solutions business to SK Siltron, a leading silicon wafer supplier to the semiconductor market based in South Korea. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2019, subject to customary regulatory approvals for closing.

08:02 EDT Vystar Corp to begin trading on OTCQB on Sept. 10 - Vystar is approved to have its securities trade on the OTCQB marketplace, effective September 10, 2019. All classes of Vystar's securities that were quoted on OTC Link ATS as OTC Pink will be moved to OTCQB on Sept. 10.

08:02 EDT Target to hire more than 130,000 seasonal team members for holidays - Target announced plans to add more than 130,000 seasonal team members across the country for the upcoming holiday season, including a two-fold increase in the number of roles focused on fulfilling digital orders from its stores. In addition, the company committed to offering existing team members additional hours based on their preference and availability.

07:41 EDT HD Supply down 8% to $37.60 after lowering FY19 outlook

07:37 EDT Fluidigm files patent infringement suit against IONpath - Fluidigm Corporation announced that it has filed new legal action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California seeking to stop the infringement of its patented technology by IONpath. In the complaint, Fluidigm alleges that IONpath's MIBI Technology infringes Fluidigm's U.S. Patent Nos. 10,180,386 and 10,072,104. The lawsuit seeks damages and injunctive relief requiring IONpath to stop selling its infringing MIBI Technology

07:35 EDT Intra-Cellular says FDA has no plants to schedule Advisory Committee meeting - Intra-Cellular Therapies announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has informed the Company that it does not have plans to schedule an Advisory Committee meeting in connection with its review of the Company's New Drug Application for lumateperone for the treatment of schizophrenia. The lumateperone Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date is December 27, 2019. Additionally, the Company recently submitted to the FDA the results of non-clinical analyses the Company previously announced it had agreed to conduct related to toxicology findings in animal studies. The Company believes the results of these analyses provide additional support for its position that the metabolic pathway, and the metabolites formed, are different in animals and humans and therefore toxicity findings in animals are not relevant to humans.

07:35 EDT Baxter acquires Cheetah Medical for $190M - Baxter entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cheetah Medical, a leading provider of non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring technologies. The agreement demonstrates Baxter's ongoing commitment to improving clinical outcomes with an established patient monitoring technology to better inform and guide clinicians' treatment decisions. Cheetah Medical is a natural adjacency for Baxter, given Baxter's longstanding leadership in infusion systems and intravenous solutions, breadth of knowledge in fluid management, and strong presence in critical care and IV therapy. The transaction consists of an upfront cash consideration of $190M, with potential for an additional $40M based on clinical and commercial milestones. The proposed acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions. The company expects the acquisition to be immaterial to earnings in 2019 and 2020.

07:33 EDT Biohaven Pharmaceutical completes enrollment in phase 2/3 trial of vazegepant - Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company announced completion of enrollment in its Phase 2/3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trial of intranasally administered vazegepant, formerly BHV-3500, for the acute treatment of migraine. Vazegepant is a novel, structurally unique, third-generation calcitonin gene-related peptide, or CGRP, receptor antagonist and the second product candidate in development for the acute treatment of migraine from Biohaven's NOJECTION Migraine Platform. The Phase 2/3 trial is designed to measure efficacy on regulatory endpoints for acute treatment of migraine for vazegepant across three doses versus placebo. The trial will also study other clinical measures considered critically important to people living with migraine, such as pain relief and the return to normal functioning.

07:30 EDT Ford to launch eight electric vehicles in Europe this year - Ford demonstrated its commitment to an electrified future for customers at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, revealing a line-up of electrified vehicles, which will help drive sales anticipated to surpass conventional petrol- and diesel-models by the end of 2022 in Europe, the company announced. Earlier this year, Ford announced that every new Ford passenger vehicle nameplate will include an electrified option - either a mild-hybrid, full-hybrid, plug-in hybrid or all-electric. The company is launching 17 electrified vehicles in Europe by 2024, including eight in 2019. Ford expects electrified powertrains to account for more than half of the company's passenger vehicle sales by the end of 2022, creating a tipping point for Ford's electrified vehicle sales versus conventional petrol and diesel sales. By this time, the company also expects to have sold 1 million electrified passenger vehicles. "With electrification fast becoming the mainstream, we are substantially increasing the number of electrified models and powertrain options for our customers to choose from to suit their needs," said Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe.

07:21 EDT Stewart to proceed as standalone company, announces executive changes - Stewart announced changes to its executive leadership to maximize the ongoing execution of its strategy. Effective immediately, current director Frederick Eppinger will become CEO while Matthew Morris, who has served as CEO since 2011, will remain with the company and assume the role of President. John Killea, who has been President since 2017, will remain General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, roles he has held since 2008 and 2012, respectively. Eppinger most recently served as President, CEO and director for The Hanover Insurance Group until his retirement in 2016. "While we were disappointed with the FTC's decision regarding Stewart's combination with Fidelity, we are well-positioned to execute on a standalone strategic plan built around growth and profitability," said Thomas Apel, Stewart's chairman of the board. "The actions we have taken today are designed to enhance our strength, focus our company on the opportunities before us and build a leadership team with the best mix of experience and expertise to drive value creation. To further support the new direction, we will be actively reviewing the board's makeup to ensure the appropriate mix of diversity as well as operational and growth-oriented experience."

07:16 EDT Stewart announces termination of merger agreement with Fidelity National - Stewart Information Services (STC) announced the mutual termination of its merger agreement with Fidelity National Financial (FNF) after not obtaining the necessary approval by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. In light of the FTC's decision, the Stewart board has clearly determined that leveraging the company's strong brand, financial position, and valued employees to grow the organization as a standalone entity will create the greatest shareholder value. In connection with the termination of the merger agreement, Fidelity has agreed to pay a $50M reverse termination fee to Stewart that was contemplated by the merger agreement.

07:12 EDT Tiziana Life Sciences reports Foralumab was tolerated at all doses - Tiziana Life Sciences reported Phase 1 clinical data demonstrating that nasally administered Foralumab, a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, or mAb, was well-tolerated at all doses. Importantly, the treatment showed positive effects on the biomarkers for activation of mucosal immunity, which is capable of inducing site-targeted immunomodulation to elicit anti-inflammatory effects. These clinical data are consistent with the findings from numerous pre-clinical studies. This Phase 1 trial was a single-site, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study with nasally administered Foralumab at 10, 50 and 250 microg per day, consecutively for five days in healthy volunteers for the treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis, or pMS. Eighteen subjects received Foralumab treatment and nine patient received placebo. All nasal doses were well tolerated. Biomarker analysis showed significant positive immune effects, that were most prominent in the 50 mug cohort with minimal immunomodulatory effects at the 10 microg and 250 microg doses. Treatment was well-tolerated and no drug-related safety issues were reported at any of the doses. No drug-related changes were observed in vital signs among subjects at predose, during treatment and at discharge. Heart rates, respiratory rates and oral temperatures were unchanged among the three cohorts compared to the placebo. Nasally administered Foralumab at the 50 microg dose suppressed cytotoxic CD8+ as well as perforin secreting CD8+ cells, which have been implicated in neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis. Treatment at 50 mug stimulated production of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and suppressed production of pro-inflammatory cytokine IFN-gamma. Taken together, these results suggest stimulation of Tregs that are needed to provide clinical benefits.

07:09 EDT Johnson Matthey awarded methanol plant license for Geismar 3 plant - Johnson Matthey announces that it has been awarded the methanol plant license for Methanex Corporation's Geismar 3 plant, incorporating the world's largest standalone ATR in the methanol marketplace. In mid-July, the Methanex Board of Directors reached a final investment decision to construct a 1.8 million tonne methanol plant in Geismar, Louisiana adjacent to its existing Geismar 1 and Geismar 2 facilities. Johnson Matthey was awarded the contract to supply the licence for the ATR methanol technology flowsheet, including associated basic engineering, proprietary equipment and catalyst supply. Construction on the $1.3 - 1.4B plant will begin later this year with operations targeted for the second half of 2022. When Geismar 3 operations commence, this will become the eighth Methanex plant in operation to use JM-licensed methanol technology and the second to use a JM ATR.

07:05 EDT Ceva's Dragonfly NB2 IP solution selected by WiSig Networks - CEVA announced that WiSig Networks, an incubated company of Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad and a developer of products for 5G wireless technology, has licensed the CEVA-Dragonfly NB2 IP solution for the rapid development of a 3GPP Rel.14 compliant eNB-IoT System-on-Chip, or SoC. The SoC will be deployed in systems and products of a leading Indian mobile network operator to enable a range of services such as asset tracking, home, building and industrial automation, smart grid, agriculture and remote monitoring and control. With nationwide NB-IoT coverage expected in India starting in 2020, more than 2B IoT devices are forecast to be connected to India's cellular networks within the next few years.

07:03 EDT Kindred Biosciences awarded contract by National Cancer Institute - Kindred Biosciences announced that it has been selected by the National Cancer Institute as one of three contractors in response to the solicitation for the PREVENT Cancer Preclinical Drug Development Program: Current Good Manufacturing Practice Production of Vaccines and Biologicals for Cancer Prevention. As a cGMP pool contractor, KindredBio is eligible to provide manufacturing, formulation and analytical services to meet the needs of the PREVENT pipeline. PREVENT is an NCI-supported venture to advance preclinical development of innovative cancer prevention interventions and biomarkers towards clinical applications. A maximum amount of $49.95M will be shared across three contract pools, one of which is the cGMP manufacturing pool. Within the cGMP pool, KindredBio is one of three contractors selected for award. The contract term is four years, with specific amounts based on individual task order awards yet to be determined.

07:02 EDT EVO Payments acquires Delego Software, terms not disclosed - EVO Payment announced that it has acquired Delego Software, a provider of integrated payment solutions for merchants leveraging SAP's ERP solutions. Previously, EVO and Delego co-marketed their solutions through a strategic partnership, allowing EVO's B2B customers to benefit from Delego's SAP integrations and payment enablement solutions. The acquisition of Delego expands EVO's existing portfolio of ERP integrations to include SAP enterprise application software, broadening EVO's proprietary B2B payments offering to new and existing customers. Further, the simplified integration creates a more compelling end-to-end solution for SAP merchants looking to automate receivables and streamline the payment workflow. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

06:57 EDT Quanta Services selected for Wataynikaneyap Transmission Project - Quanta Services announced that its operating subsidiary, Valard Construction, was selected by Wataynikaneyap Power LP to provide engineering, procurement and construction, or EPC, solutions for the Wataynikaneyap Transmission Project, or Watay Project, in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The contract value for the project makes it one of the largest projects ever awarded to Quanta. Quanta's scope of work on the project consists of EPC services for more than 1,800 kilometers of transmission and distribution infrastructure ranging in voltage from 25kV to 230kV and 22 substations. Once completed, the Watay Project would be the largest electric infrastructure project ever implemented to connect remote communities in Ontario, including 17 First Nations communities, with electricity generation and distribution systems that are not currently connected to the provincial transmission grid. Preconstruction activities are expected to begin immediately, with construction to begin in the first quarter of 2020, and completion of the project is expected by the end of 2023. Full notice to proceed is expected to occur upon the project's financial close in the coming months and Quanta expects to include the project in its remaining performance obligations and backlog at that time.

06:55 EDT Encana promotes Greg Givens to COO - Encana announced Greg Givens has been promoted to COO and will report to president Michael McAllister. Givens joined Encana in 2018 and previously served as VP and GM of Texas operations. In this role, he has managed the development of Encana's Eagle Ford and Permian Basin assets. Prior to Encana, Givens was a founding member and VP of Eagle Ford for EP Energy.

06:48 EDT Merck presents results from KEYNOTE-189, 407, 021 studies - Merck announced that first-line treatment with KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with chemotherapy demonstrated improvements in overall survival, progression-free survival and objective response rate in a pooled analysis of a subgroup of patients with advanced nonsquamous and squamous non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors do not express PD-L1 from three randomized trials. Patients with nonsquamous NSCLC with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations were ineligible. Results - from KEYNOTE-189, KEYNOTE-407 and KEYNOTE-021 - were consistent with those observed in the overall study populations across all three trials. Findings were featured in an oral presentation at the IASLC 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain. Findings from the pooled subgroup analysis of 428 patients showed that KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy reduced the risk of death by 44% compared to chemotherapy alone. The KEYTRUDA-chemotherapy combinations also reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 33% compared to chemotherapy alone. The ORR was 46.9% for patients treated with the KEYTRUDA-chemotherapy combinations versus 28.6% for those treated with chemotherapy alone. The safety profile of KEYTRUDA was consistent with what has been seen in previously reported studies among patients with advanced NSCLC.

06:46 EDT Store Capital raises dividend 6.1% to 35c - STORE Capital announced that it has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 35c per share for the third quarter ending September 30. On an annualized basis, this dividend of $1.40 per common share represents an increase of 8c per share over the previous annualized dividend. The dividend will be paid on October 15 to STORE Capital stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 30.

06:33 EDT Aveo Pharma announces results from TIVO-3 trial - AVEO Oncology announced results from the second prespecified analysis of overall survival, or OS, in the TIVO-3 trial. TIVO-3 is the Company's Phase 3 randomized, controlled, multi-center, open-label study to compare tivozanib, or FOTIVDA, to sorafenib in 350 subjects with highly refractory metastatic renal cell carcinoma, or RCC. These results include an OS hazard ratio, or HR, below 1.00, favoring tivozanib. An OS hazard ratio assesses the relative risk of death for the entirety of the data set. TIVO-3 is the first and only positive Phase 3 study in 3rd and 4th line RCC, and the first Phase 3 study in RCC to investigate a predefined subpopulation of patients who received prior immunotherapy, an emerging standard of care for earlier lines of therapy. The data cutoff date for the second prespecified analysis was August 15 two years from the last patient enrolled and approximately ten months from the data cut-off date for the first prespecified analysis.

06:09 EDT Fortis announces $18.3B investment plan for the period 2020-2024 - Fortis announced its five-year capital investment plan of $18.3B for the period 2020 to 2024, up $1.0B from the prior year's plan. Consolidated rate base is projected to increase from $28B in 2019 to $34.5B in 2022 and $38.4B in 2024, translating into three and five-year compound annual growth rates of 7.2% and 6.5%, respectively. It is expected that the capital investment plan will be primarily funded with cash from operations, debt raised at the utilities and common equity from the Corporation's dividend reinvestment plan and at-the-market common equity program.

06:06 EDT Can-Fite BioPharma enters into a collaboration agreement with Univo Pharma - Can-Fite BioPharma announced it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Univo Pharmaceuticals, a medical cannabis company, to identify and co-develop specific formulations of cannabis components for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases. There are two main components to the collaboration agreement: discovery, development, and commercialization of medical cannabis-based therapeutics; and development and commercialization of CBD screening assays. In this collaboration, Univo will provide Can-Fite with cannabis and cannabis components, as well as full access to its laboratories for both research and manufacturing. Can-Fite has agreed to pay Univo a total of $500,000 through two installments and is issuing to Univo approximately 19.9M of its ordinary shares through a private placement, representing approximately 16.6% of Can-Fite's ordinary shares outstanding after giving effect to the issuance. The companies will initially share ownership of intellectual property developed in this collaboration. Revenues derived from the collaboration will generally be shared between Can-Fite and Univo on the basis of each party's contribution. Golan Bitton, Univo's CEO, is being appointed to the Can-Fite board in connection with the collaboration agreement.

06:01 EDT Capital Senior Living appoints Brandon Ribar as COO - Capital Senior Living announced the appointment of Brandon M. Ribar as COO. Ribar brings extensive experience in healthcare operations to the Company. For nearly 10 years, he held several key operational-focused roles of increasing responsibility at Golden Living, a $3B post-acute healthcare provider. In his most recent role as senior vice president, operations, Ribar was responsible for overseeing operations of 305 skilled nursing and assisted living centers across 21 states, encompassing 20,000 employees. He developed and executed key strategies to drive top- and bottom-line growth and stabilized operating performance.

05:42 EDT Bristol-Myers announces pooled 5-year survival results for Opdivo - Bristol-Myers announced long-term pooled efficacy and safety results from the Phase 3 CheckMate -017 and CheckMate -057 studies in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC. At five years, patients treated with Opdivo continued to experience long-term overall survival, or OS, benefit versus docetaxel. OS rates at five years were 13.4% for Opdivo and 2.6% for docetaxel. The OS benefit for Opdivo-treated patients was observed across all subgroups. The safety profile for patients treated with Opdivo was consistent with previously reported findings in second-line NSCLC and no new safety signals were seen with extended follow-up. Of patients still on study, only 2 of 70 experienced a new treatment-related select AE between years three and four and there were no new treatment-related select AE's reported between years four and five among the 55 patients still on study. Among patients with an objective response to Opdivo, 32.2% continued to see a response at five years. 0% of patients with an objective response to docetaxel continued to see a response at five years. The median duration of response was 19.9 months for Opdivo-treated patients and 5.6 months for patients treated with docetaxel. Scott Gettinger, M.D., professor, Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center, commented, "The five-year CheckMate -017 and 057 data underscores the durable efficacy for Opdivo in this patient population compared to traditional chemotherapy."

05:34 EDT Genentech: blood NfL levels 'significantly lowered' following Ocrevus treatment - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced new data from Ocrevus trials in relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, or MS. The analyses provide new insights into the biology of MS that advance the understanding of disease progression, with the goal of identifying and slowing disease progression as early as possible to preserve patient function over the long term. Findings will be presented at the 35th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, or ECTRIMS, from September 11-13 in Stockholm. Following Ocrevus treatment, blood neurofilament light chain, or NfL, levels were lowered to a healthy donor range in relapsing MS, or RMS, and primary progressive MS, or PPMS, patients. NfL is a protein that provides structural support to nerve fibers in the brain. An increase in the amount of NfL may be associated with nerve cell damage, and detection of increased NfL levels in blood or cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, may serve as a biomarker of nerve cell damage. In the Phase III OPERA I study in RMS and the ORATORIO study in PPMS, blood NfL levels were significantly lower after treatment with Ocrevus. In RMS, blood serum NfL levels were reduced by 43% from baseline to 96 weeks after Ocrevus treatment compared with a 31% reduction with interferon beta-1a. In PPMS, blood plasma NfL levels were reduced by 16% from baseline to 96 weeks after Ocrevus treatment compared with 0.2% reduction with placebo. Additionally, these analyses showed higher blood NfL levels at the start of the study were correlated with more disability progression in upper and lower limbs in PPMS and overall disability in the interferon beta-1a RMS treatment group at 96 weeks. Few studies have described the relationship between NfL levels and MRI in a well-characterized PPMS patient group. New data from the Phase III OBOE study in PPMS and RMS show that PPMS patients with active MRI lesions had median CSF NfL levels twice as high as those without these lesions. As previously reported, RMS patients with active MRI lesions also had significantly higher NfL levels. Collectively, these data around NfL in MS advance the understanding of it as a potential biomarker of disease progression and may provide insight into the potential neuroprotective effects following Ocrevus treatment.