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

20:05 EDT NBA 2K league to launch Shanghai team - The NBA 2K League announced that Gen.G, the esports organization connecting gamers in the U.S. and Asia, will launch an NBA 2K League team from Shanghai that will join the other 22 NBA 2K League teams for the 2020 season.

19:36 EDT Cummins to partner with Hyundai Motor on Hydroger Fuel Cell technology - Hyundai Motor (HYMTF) and Cummins (CMI), announced that they have entered into a memorandum of understanding to jointly evaluate opportunities to develop and commercialize electric and fuel cell powertrains. These new powertrains are expected to be developed by combining Hyundai's fuel cell systems with Cummins' electric powertrain, battery, and control technologies. The initial development will be focused on the North American commercial vehicle market, including working with North American OEMs on the integration of these systems into their vehicles. The companies will also explore ways they can work together to develop next generation fuel cell systems, and have each committed to assign a team of individuals to investigate and pursue other areas of collaboration.

18:58 EDT Eni confirms CEO received warranty notice alleging illegal conduct in Congo - Eni confirmed that today, 26 September 2019, the company's Chief Executive Officer, Claudio Descalzi, received a warranty notice by the Prosecution office in Milan, Italy, alleging that Descalzi did not disclose - as per art. 2629 bis of the Italian Civil Code - a potential conflict of interest with regards to the relations between Eni Congo S.A. and the group Petroservice. With reference to the accusation against Descalzi, the company reaffirms that it has already concluded thorough investigations, which were outsourced by its controlling committees, to independent, third-party consultants. These investigations have excluded any breaches and behaviours in favour or against Eni, aimed at benefitting service suppliers. The investigations undertaken confirm that the tenders won by Petroservice took place within a competitive framework and in substantial respect of the existing tendering procedures. Furthermore, the conclusions of these investigations have been shared with the Prosecutors, within the framework of routine cooperation.

18:45 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Vail Resorts (MTN) up 3.8%. ALSO HIGHER: LatAm Airlines (LTM) up 47.0% after Delta (DAL) disclosed forming strategic partnership with company and exiting its stake in Gol Linhas (GOL), which is down 9.4%... Las Vegas Sands (LVS) up 4.7% after entering S&P500 index... Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) up 1.4% after entering S&P MidCap400 index. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Progress Software (PRGS) down 15.3%... Micron (MU) down 6.5%... CalAmp (CAMP) down 5.4%. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:07 EDT Endeavor postpones IPO, will continue to evaluate the timing - Endeavor Group Holdings announced that it has postponed its previously announced initial public offering. Endeavor will continue to evaluate the timing for the proposed offering as market conditions develop. A registration statement relating to the proposed sale of these securities has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

18:01 EDT Tidewater COO, General Counsel to resign effective September 30th - Tidewater announced that the company has reached agreements with Jeffrey Gorski, Executive Vice President and COO, and Bruce Lundstrom, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, whereby both will resign from the company effective September 30, 2019. The company has eliminated the Chief Operating Officer position and has appointed Daniel Hudson to succeed Mr. Lundstrom as the company's General Counsel. As part of the agreements, Messrs. Gorski and Lundstrom have agreed to provide transition services on an as needed basis.

17:55 EDT American Water awarded Joint Base San Antonio water treatment contract - American Water's Military Services Group has been awarded a contract for ownership, operation and maintenance of the water and wastewater systems at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas. The total contract value as awarded is approximately $448M over a 50-year period. The contract will be subject to an annual economic price adjustment.

17:48 EDT American Airlines comments on termination of Latam partnership - American Airlines (AAL) provided a comment on the termination of the partnership with Latam (LTM): "Given the recent negative ruling by the Chilean Supreme Court, which would have significantly reduced the benefits of our partnership since Chile was not approved as a part of the potential joint business arrangement, we understand Latam's decision to partner with a U.S. carrier that isn't burdened by the ruling. Further, this change in partnership is not expected to have a significant financial impact to American as the current relationship provided less than $20M of incremental revenue to American, and the proposed joint business without Chile would have provided limited upside. During the transition period, American will work with Latam to ensure a seamless experience for customers (...)."

17:38 EDT Tidewater names Daniel Hudson as General Counsel - Tidewater announced that the company has promoted Daniel Hudson to serve as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Hudson previously served as Tidewater's Assistant General Counsel and has been employed by the company since July 2006.

17:34 EDT General Dynamics awarded $192.75M Navy contract modification - General Dynamics was awarded a $192.75M modification to a previously awarded contract for engineering, technical, design agent, and planning yard support for operational strategic and attack submarines. The contract provides for drawings and related technical data; design change documentation; logistics technical data; configuration management; hull, mechanical and electrical engineering; submarine safety design review; non-propulsion plant electrical system engineering; propulsion plant engineering; maintenance engineering; refit/availability technical support; on-site support; configuration change program design and installation support; configuration change program material support; submarine technical trade support; training and facility support; research, development, test and evaluation program support; research and development submarine/submersibles support; miscellaneous special studies; temporary alteration support; modernization of submarine/submersible systems/subsystems and affordability/cost reduction technical support. Work is expected to be completed by September 2023. FY19 other procurement funding in the amount of $190,193 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:30 EDT Micron down over 7% after reporting Q4 earnings, giving Q1 guidance

17:27 EDT Las Vegas Sands up 4% to $58.25 after being added to S&P 500

17:23 EDT Northrop Grumman awarded $1.36B Navy contract modification - Northrop Grumman was awarded a $1.36B firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive contract. This modification is for non-recurring and recurring engineering for the production and delivery of nine Japan configuration E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft under the Foreign Military Sales Act. This modification definitizes a previously awarded modification for long lead parts associated with the Japan E-2D aircraft. FMS funds in the amount of $1.36B will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:17 EDT Nektar to replace Sotheby's in S&P 400 at open on 10/3 - BidFair USA is acquiring Sotheby's in a transaction expected to be completed soon pending final conditions.

17:06 EDT Union Pacific CFO Rob Knight to retire on Dec. 31, Jennifer Hamann to succeed - Union Pacific announced Rob Knight, CFO since 2004, plans to retire Dec. 31. Union Pacific appointed Jennifer Hamann to succeed Knight, effective Jan. 1. Hamann will lead all aspects of Union Pacific's financial activities for Union Pacific Corporation and Union Pacific Railroad. Currently senior vice president - Finance, she previously held leadership positions in Investor Relations and Marketing and Sales, formerly served as general auditor and also worked in Workforce Resources. Hamann joined Union Pacific in 1992 as corporate auditor.

17:03 EDT Logitech to acquire Streamlabs for $89M in cash - Logitech announced that it has agreed to acquire Streamlabs of San Francisco, California. Streamlabs. Logitech has agreed to acquire Streamlabs for approximately $89M in cash, with an additional payment of $29M in Logitech stock subject to the achievement of revenue growth targets for Streamlabs. The Streamlabs acquisition is not expected to materially impact Logitech's FY20 annual net sales or non-GAAP operating profitability. It is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the coming weeks.

17:01 EDT Delta, Latam form strategic airline partnership - Delta (DAL) and LATAM Airlines Group (LTM) ("LATAM") announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership that "for the first time combines the strengths of the leading airlines in North and Latin America." Delta will invest $1.9B for a 20% stake in LATAM through a public tender offer at $16 per share, to be funded principally with newly issued debt and available cash. Delta will also invest $350M to support the establishment of the strategic partnership. Delta will acquire four A350 aircraft from LATAM and has agreed to assume LATAM's commitment to purchase 10 additional A350 aircraft to be delivered beginning in 2020 through 2025, supporting Delta's ongoing fleet transformation. Delta will be represented on LATAM's board. Delta expects that the transaction will be accretive to EPS over the next two years. In addition, the transaction will not impact the company's existing financial commitments to shareholders, including free cash flow and shareholder returns. Delta also expects to remain within targeted leverage ratios. For LATAM, the transaction will improve free cash flow generation, reduce forecasted debt by over $2B by 2025 and improve LATAM's capital structure, enhancing its ability to execute its long-term strategy.

16:56 EDT Visa to deposit $300M into litigation escrow account - According to a regulatory filing, on September 25, 2019, Visa announced plans to deposit $300M into the litigation escrow account previously established under the company's U.S. retrospective responsibility plan. Under the terms of the Plan, when the company funds the U.S. litigation escrow account, the value of the company's class B shares - which are held exclusively by U.S. financial institutions and their affiliates and successors - are subject to dilution through a downward adjustment to the conversion rate of the shares of class B common stock to shares of class A common stock. This has the same effect on earnings per share as repurchasing the company's class A common stock, by reducing the class B conversion rate and consequently the as-converted class A common stock share count by the equivalent amount of the Loss Funds. The deposit of the Loss Funds and the adjustment to the class B conversion rate will be conducted in accordance with the company's certificate of incorporation currently in effect.

16:33 EDT Arbitration affirms Intellia's interpretation of Caribou licensing pact - Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. announced that an arbitration panel issued an Interim Award confirming that certain structural and chemical guide RNA modification technologies were exclusively licensed to Intellia by Caribou Biosciences under the parties' July 2014 agreement. This Interim Award is subject to additional negotiations between the parties and potentially further arbitration proceedings before it becomes final. After concluding that the chemical modification technology was within the scope of Intellia's exclusive license from Caribou, the arbitration panel noted that its decision could delay or otherwise adversely impact the continued development of these modified guide RNAs as human therapeutics. It also noted that Intellia currently is not using these modified guide RNAs in any of its active programs. For this reason, the panel stated it will declare that Caribou has "leaseback" rights, which it described as exclusive, perpetual and worldwide, to the chemically modified guide RNAs. This "leaseback" only applies to the chemically modified guides and will be subject to terms, including Caribou's future payments to Intellia, to be negotiated by the parties or, if unsuccessful, to additional arbitration proceedings. The "leaseback" will not include the structural guide modifications intellectual property at issue in the arbitration, any other intellectual property exclusively licensed or sublicensed by Caribou to Intellia under the Caribou license, or any other Intellia intellectual property. Upon, and subject to the terms of, a final award, which will follow negotiations between the parties and potential further legal proceedings, Caribou would be able to use the modified guide RNAs at issue for human therapeutics. Intellia or Caribou may challenge the arbitration panel's decisions under limited circumstances.

16:32 EDT Wyndham Destinations provides update on Hurricane Dorian impact - Wyndham Destinations provided an update of the anticipated impact of Hurricane Dorian on its operations. 23 of its vacation ownership resorts, as well as many RCI developer affiliates, were either in the path of, or anticipated path of, Hurricane Dorian. Physical damage to properties was minor, however, the storm caused the loss of approximately 5,000 vacation ownership tours in Q3. The disruption to travel led to cancelations in reservations, sales tours, rentals, exchanges and other services over the important Labor Day weekend and led to approximately $8M-$10M of Adjusted EBITDA impact in Q3. For the full year, the anticipated impact to vacation ownership tours and Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately 6,000 tours and $10M-$12M, respectively.

16:30 EDT Histogenics stockholders approve merger with Ocugen - Histogenics' stockholders approved all proposals related to its proposed merger with Ocugen at a special meeting on September 26. The proposed merger will create a public company under which the stockholders of Ocugen will become majority holders of the combined company. Histogenics and Ocugen expect the closing of the merger to occur on or about September 27. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will change its name to "Ocugen, Inc." and the Nasdaq trading symbol will become "OCGN." The executive team of Ocugen will serve as the executive team of the combined company, led by Shankar Musunuri as Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder. Ocugen is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing a pipeline of innovative therapies that address rare and underserved eye diseases.

16:26 EDT Micron sees ongoing uncertainty surrounding U.S.-China trade talks - According to prepared remarks from Micron's Q4 earnings conference call, "Before talking about the market outlook, I want to provide an update on our business with Huawei and the ongoing impact of trade uncertainties. As we noted last quarter, we started shipping some products to Huawei that are not subject to Export Administration Regulations and Entity List restrictions. In the F4Q, sales to Huawei declined sequentially and were down meaningfully from the levels we anticipated prior to the addition of Huawei to the Entity List. We have applied for licenses with the Department of Commerce that would allow us to ship additional products, but there have been no decisions on licenses to date. We see ongoing uncertainty surrounding U.S. China trade negotiations. If the Entity List restrictions against Huawei continue and we are unable to get licenses, we could see a worsening decline in our sales to Huawei over the coming quarters."

16:19 EDT Granite Point Mortgage names Michael Karber as General Counsel - Granite Point Mortgage Trust announced the appointment of Michael J. Karber as General Counsel, effective January 1, 2020. Rebecca B. Sandberg, who has served as General Counsel of Granite Point since its inception, will remain in her role as Secretary of Granite Point.

16:17 EDT Lockheed Martin increases share repurchase authorization by $1.0B - Lockheed Martin has authorized the purchase of up to an additional $1.0B of Lockheed Martin common stock under its share repurchase program. With this increase, the total remaining authorization for future repurchases under the share repurchase program is approximately $3.3B.

16:16 EDT Penn National CFO William Fair to step down - Penn National Gaming announced that William J. Fair, will be stepping down as Executive Vice President and CFO at the conclusion of his current employment contract term, which expires March 31, 2020. Mr. Fair has agreed to stay with the company through the end of the first quarter 2020, which will allow time for the company to conduct a formal search for his successor and ensure a seamless transition of his responsibilities.

16:15 EDT Zuora names Robbie Traube chief revenue officer - Zuora (ZUO) announced that Robbie Traube, vice president, strategic and vertical accounts, North America at Adobe (ADBE), will be joining the company as its Chief Revenue Officer, becoming part of the executive management team reporting to Zuora co-founder and CEO Tien Tzuo. He spent the last 10 years at Adobe, most recently serving as its vice president, strategic and vertical accounts, North America.

16:12 EDT Vail Resorts CEO says 'very pleased' with season pass sales to date - Commenting on the company's season pass sales for the upcoming 2019/2020 North American ski season, CEO Katz said, "We are very pleased with the results for our season pass sales to date. Through September 22, 2019, North American ski season pass sales increased approximately 14% in units and 15% in sales dollars as compared to the period in the prior year through September 23, 2018, including Military Pass sales in both periods, excluding pass sales from Peak Resorts in both periods and adjusted to eliminate the impact of foreign currency by applying an exchange rate of $0.75 between the Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar in both periods for Whistler Blackcomb pass sales. Excluding sales of Military Passes, season pass sales increased approximately 13% in units and 14% in sales dollars over the comparable prior year period." Katz continued, "Our pass sales growth was modestly ahead of our expectations through this point in the season, with strong results in our destination markets. In particular, we have seen very strong growth in our Northeast markets, which are benefiting from the first full year of pass sales with unlimited access at Stowe, Okemo and Mount Sunapee included on the Epic and Epic Local pass products, and the improved impact of the expanded guest data and insight we now have in that region. Our broader destination markets continue to perform well through our enhanced ability to reach destination guests with our data-driven marketing. Our local markets continue to show solid growth, driven by favorable results among our local guests in the Whistler Blackcomb region, with particular strength in Seattle from the first full pass sales season with access to Stevens Pass. We are also seeing strong results from our Northern California and Utah guests, partially offset by more modest sales growth in our Colorado local market. The vast majority of our growth came from our Epic and Epic Local products, and we are also driving material contributions from Epic Day Pass and Military Pass products. We anticipate that the majority of the sales of the new Epic Day Pass products will be concentrated in the remainder of the selling period. We are very pleased with the performance of our pass sales effort to date, especially given the increased size and scale of the program. As we enter the final period for season pass sales, we expect our December 2019 non-military season pass sales growth rate will be modestly lower than the growth rates reported today, primarily driven by the inclusion of Peak Resorts' passes in our current and prior year reporting and the impact of our success in moving purchasers earlier in the selling cycle, partially offset by the ramp up of Epic Day Pass sales." Regarding Epic Australia Pass sales, Katz commented, "Our Epic Australia Pass sales launched on August 15, 2019 for next season and are off to a very strong start with growth of approximately 23% in sales dollars through September 22, 2019 compared to the prior year period ended September 23, 2018, though it is important to note that it remains early in the Australian sales cycle. We are pleased with our sales results in Victoria with the addition of Hotham and Falls Creek, which together with Perisher, offer a very compelling product for our Australian guests who can ski locally at our three Australian resorts in New South Wales and Victoria, as well as experience our growing network in North America and at Rusutsu and Hakuba Valley in Japan. Pass sales will continue through the Australian off-season leading up to the 2020 season."

16:08 EDT CalAmp CEO says 'we posted a solid quarter' - "We posted a solid quarter with consolidated revenue, adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP EPS all within the higher end of the guidance range and further highlighted by a record quarter of Software and Subscription Services revenue that expanded to $31 million, or 33% of total revenue," said Michael Burdiek, president and CEO. "Our recent acquisitions performed well, generating both increased revenue opportunities as well as newly identified cost synergies. Additionally, we are beginning to see the benefits from the 3G to LTE transitions by our Telematics Systems customers, which helped contribute to solid bookings in the quarter. Overall, I am pleased with our progress on key initiatives as we advance our strategic transformation to a global SaaS solutions provider."

16:07 EDT CalAmp sees Q3 adjusted EBITDA $9.5M-$13.5M

16:07 EDT Vail Resorts sees FY20 reported EBITDA $778K-$818K vs. $702K in FY19 - Expects to incur approximately $20M of acquisition and integration related expenses in FY20.

16:03 EDT NYSE suspends trading in Superior Energy shares, to commence delisting process - The New York Stock Exchange announced that the staff of NYSE Regulation has determined to commence proceedings to delist the common stock of Superior Energy Services - ticker symbol SPN - from the NYSE. Trading in the company's securities will be suspended immediately. NYSE Regulation has determined that the company is no longer suitable for listing based on "abnormally low" price levels. The company has a right to a review of this determination by a Committee of the Board of Directors of the Exchange. The NYSE will apply to the SEC to delist the securities upon completion of all applicable procedures, including any appeal.

15:20 EDT Tesla says its 'biggest software update ever' coming via over-the-air update - In a post to its corporate blog, Tesla stated: "Software Version 10.0 - our biggest software update ever. We're raising the bar for what people have come to expect from their cars with new entertainment, gaming, music, and convenience features designed to make your car much more capable, as well as making time spent in your car more fun. This week, Tesla owners around the world will start waking up to Version 10.0 features via an over-the-air update." Reference Link

15:17 EDT FDA expands approval of AbbVie's Mavyret - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the approval of Mavyret tablets for an eight-week duration for the treatment of adults and children ages 12 years and older or weighing at least 99 pounds who have chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 infection and compensated cirrhosis and have not been previously treated for HCV. "Mavyret is now the first eight-week treatment approved for all treatment-naive adult and certain pediatric patients with HCV genotypes 1-6 both without cirrhosis and with compensated cirrhosis. Standard treatment length for patients with compensated cirrhosis was previously 12 weeks or more," the FDA said. The FDA granted the approval of Mavyret to AbbVie.

14:58 EDT AstraZeneca reports new data from TWILIGHT Phase 4 trial - New data from TWILIGHT, a Phase IV independent trial funded by AstraZeneca, showed that in patients at high-bleeding risk who underwent PCI and completed three months of dual antiplatelet therapy, BRILINTA monotherapy reduced the risk of BARC - Bleeding Academic Research Consortium - type 2, 3 or 5 bleeding compared to BRILINTA plus low-dose aspirin after 12 months, the company announced. Ticagrelor monotherapy was associated with a 44% lower risk of BARC 2, 3 or 5 bleeding over one year, with an absolute risk reduction of 3.1%, compared to ticagrelor plus aspirin. The incidence of the primary endpoint, time to first occurrence of BARC type 2, 3 or 5 bleeding between month 3 and 15, was 4.0% in patients treated with ticagrelor plus placebo compared to 7.1% in patients treated with ticagrelor plus aspirin.

14:20 EDT Superior Energy trading halted, news pending

14:17 EDT Dish says Fox removed local channels in 17 markets - Dish (DISH) reported that Fox Corporation (FOXA) blocked Dish customers' access to its local channels in 17 markets across 23 states and the District of Columbia. Fox has also removed cable networks FS1, FS2, Big 10 Network, Fox Soccer Plus and Fox Deportes. "Fox is demanding a double-digit percentage rate increase for continued carriage of its local channels. Fox is also attempting to 'force bundle' its local channels and unrelated cable networks to get more money and gain negotiating leverage," according to Dish. Andy LeCuyer, DISH senior vice president of Programming, added: "To add insult to injury, Fox pulled its channels right as viewers head into the heart of the NFL and college football season. We ask Fox to stop punishing its own viewers so we can focus on reaching a fair deal."

14:00 EDT Telecom Italia announces resignation of Chairman Fulvio Conti - Telecom Italia said its Board of Directors met for an update on the status of the most significant dossiers the company's offices are considering. The Board received the resignation of Fulvio Conti who stepped down as Chairman of the Board and Director of the company as of the end of the meeting. Conti stated that he believes his mandate has been completed, in light of the Board achieved stability in its operations and the renewed focus on creation of sustainable value for all the company's stakeholders. The company said the Board is called for October 21 to deliberate on his replacement, following the reintegration of the Board in its original number. Reference Link

13:48 EDT Online brokers fall after Interactive Brokers announces commission-free trades - Shares of TD Ameritrade (AMTD), E-Trade Financial (ETFC) and Charles Schwab (SCHW) fell after Interactive Brokers (IBKR) announced "IBKR Lite," a new offering that will provide commission-free, unlimited trades on U.S. exchange-listed stocks and exchange traded funds. On top of zero commissions, IBKR Lite includes no account minimums, no inactivity fees and free market data for U.S. exchange-traded stocks. The new offering will be available in October. Following Interactive Brokers' announcement, shares of TD Ameritrade are down 4% to $46.40, E-Trade is down 3% to $42.60, and Schwab is down 1.5% to $41.15.

13:33 EDT Uber, EVgo announce partnership to accelerate rideshare electrification - Uber and EVgo announced a new agreement to accelerate the electrification of rideshare across the U.S. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Agreement that "codifies Uber and EVgo's shared commitment to reduce pollution, increase economic access and mobility, and promote equity through transportation electrification. The first phase of the new MOU between Uber and EVgo will focus on supporting Uber driver-partners who currently drive electric vehicles through education and access to the nation's largest and most reliable public fast charging network. Uber and EVgo will also work together to evaluate where more fast charging is needed and how to optimize charging behavior. The two companies will also work to develop a series of pilot programs to make it easier for Uber driver-partners to make the switch to an EV and to develop new partnerships to accelerate the electrified rideshare ecosystem, including integrations between the Uber and EVgo apps," the companies stated.

13:18 EDT CDC says 805 probable illness cases, twelve deaths linked to vaping - As previously reported, the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state and local health departments, and other clinical and public health partners are investigating a multistate outbreak of lung injury associated with e-cigarette product use. In an update posted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the CDC said: "There have been 805 cases of lung injury reported from 46 states and 1 U.S. territory. Twelve deaths have been confirmed in 10 states." These figures are up from the 530 cases of lung injury and seven deaths reported by the CDC on September 19. "All reported cases have a history of e-cigarette product use or vaping. Based on initial data from certain states we know: Most patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette products containing THC. Many patients have reported using THC and nicotine. Some have reported the use of e-cigarette products containing only nicotine," the CDC noted in its update. Publicly traded companies in the tobacco products space include Altria Group (MO), British American Tobacco (BTI), Imperial Brands (IMBBY) and Philip Morris (PM). Reference Link

13:17 EDT Ferrari signs new performance boonus for Italian workforce - Ferrari N.V. and the trade unions signed a new performance bonus agreement, which will be in force from 2020 to 2023, in the context of the trade union relationships as normed by the Collective labor agreement. The agreement improves the economic conditions and places a strong focus on training, parenting and sustainability. New training modules have been designed to address topics not directly linked to specific job skills, but rather aimed at further engaging Ferrari employees in the company's activities, values and history. As a result of the company's positive results, the performance bonus has been redefined and will increase over the next years. The bonus will depend on production, financial and quality-related KPIs and on the contribution of each employee to the results of the company, Ferrari said in a statement.

12:48 EDT Exxon Mobil to sell Norway upstream operations for $4.5B - ExxonMobil signed an agreement with Vundefinedr Energi AS for the sale of its non-operated upstream assets in Norway for $4.5B as part of its previously announced plans to divest approximately $15B in non-strategic assets by 2021. "Our objective is to have the strongest, most competitive Upstream portfolio in the industry," said Neil Chapman, senior vice president of ExxonMobil. "We're achieving that by adding the best set of projects we've had in many years and divesting assets that have lower long-term strategic value. This sale is an important part of our divestment program, which is on track to meet our $15 billion target by 2021." The transaction includes ownership interests in more than 20 producing fields operated mostly by Equinor, including Grane, Snorre, Ormen Lange, Statfjord and Fram, with a combined production of approximately 150,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day in 2019. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to standard conditions precedent, including customary approvals from regulatory authorities. The majority of the ExxonMobil employees impacted by the sale will transfer to positions at Vundefinedr Energi. In 2017 the company sold its ownership interests in the ExxonMobil-operated fields Balder, Jotun Ringhorne and Ringhorne East to Point Resources. The ExxonMobil refinery in Slagen and network of approximately 250 independently owned Esso-branded retail sites are unaffected by the agreement.

12:13 EDT Microsoft expands Xbox voice capabilities with Google Assistant - Microsoft (MSFT) announced in a blog post that it is further expanding our digital assistant capabilities on Xbox One with the Xbox Action for the Google Assistant (GOOG). The new Xbox Action for the Google Assistant releases to public beta on Xbox One today and is available to all customers in English during the beta period. Google and Xbox are working together to expand language support before launching more broadly to the Xbox community later this fall. The move follows a similar voice command expansion with the release of Xbox Skill for Alexa (AMZN) and Cortana last fall, the company noted. Reference Link

12:00 EDT Pearson falls -14.3% - Pearson is down -14.3%, or -$1.52 to $9.08.

12:00 EDT Euronav NV rises 8.0% - Euronav NV is up 8.0%, or 68c to $9.19.

12:00 EDT Rite Aid rises 15.3% - Rite Aid is up 15.3%, or $1.18 to $8.87.

11:46 EDT Genmab announces FDA approval of Darzalex combination for FMM - Genmab (GMAB) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of DARZALEX in combination with bortezomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone as treatment for patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant. The supplemental Biologics License Application for this indication was submitted by Genmab's licensing partner, Janssen Biotech, Inc. (JNJ) in March 2019. The U.S. FDA subsequently granted priority review to the sBLA, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target date of September 26, 2019. In August 2012, Genmab granted Janssen Biotech, Inc. an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab. The approval was based on data from part one of the Phase III CASSIOPEIA study of daratumumab in combination with VTd as treatment for patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma who are candidates for ASCT. The study is sponsored by the French Intergroupe Francophone du Myelome in collaboration with the Dutch-Belgian Cooperative Trial Group for Hematology Oncology and Janssen. "Today's approval is an important step forward for patients with multiple myeloma. There are now three different treatment combinations that include DARZALEX for patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma, whether they are eligible for ASCT or not. We are grateful for the efforts of the IMF, HOVON and Janssen that led to the strong data from the CASSIOPEIA trial, which formed the basis of this new approval," said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., CEO of Genmab.

11:12 EDT IRSA Propiedades Comerciales trading resumes

11:05 EDT Keysight Technologies, Qualcomm extend 5G collaboration - Keysight Technologies (KEYS) announced an extended collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies (QCOM) to accelerate commercialization of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing technology, which will enable mobile operators to quickly and cost-effectively roll out 5G new radio services. The collaboration utilizes Keysight's 5G network emulation solutions to accelerate the development of Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF System to support DSS, an emerging technology that is part of the 3GPP Release 15. By 2020, mobile operators are expected to start implementing DSS on existing 4G LTE base stations, speeding nationwide deployments of 5G services. DSS allows mobile operators to transform LTE base stations via a software upgrade to create hybrid 4G/5G base stations. As a result, users of DSS-capable 5G NR devices can access 5G services in urban and rural environments.

10:57 EDT Precipio says orders expected from 'major labs' for for IV-Cell, HemeScreen - Precipio announced that as it approaches the end of Q3, several of the large laboratories have successfully completed validation studies to test Precipio's IV-Cell cytogenetics media product, as well as its HemeScreen Assay, and are "proceeding towards placing orders." "As with many new products, the first sale is always the most difficult one. Absent a product track record and prior customer references, the product introduction is challenging. However, the combination of the clinical value of products such as IV-Cell, combined with its operational and cost-advantage benefits, have proven extremely attractive to the customers approached by Precipio. Over the past six months the team has been focused on approaching customers and obtaining agreements for trials. As in all sales, this is very much a "shots on goal" approach, and the more customers the company approaches, the more trials are conducted, the more end-user customers we project to have. The company has had substantial success (as measured by the response rates) and has a pipeline of numerous additional trials underway both domestically and internationally," the company stated.

10:39 EDT Abiomed announces results from PROTECT III study for Impella 2.5, Impella CP - Abiomed announces the results of PROTECT III, the ongoing, prospective, single-arm FDA post-approval study for the PMA approval of Impella 2.5 and Impella CP in high-risk PCI. PROTECT III follows the PROTECT II Randomized Controlled Trial. PROTECT III demonstrates a reduction in the primary endpoint of death, stroke, myocardial infarction and repeat procedures at 90 days with Impella-supported Protected PCI, compared to PROTECT II. The PROTECT series of FDA clinical studies, which includes PROTECT I, the PROTECT II RCT and PROTECT III, has enrolled 1,366 patients as of July and includes the only FDA randomized controlled trial ever conducted for hemodynamically supported high-risk PCI. Patients in PROTECT III are statistically older, include more women and non-Caucasians, received longer support and had more complex procedures with more vessels treated than patients in PROTECT II. Yet the 90-day MACCE rate in PROTECT III is lower than the intra-aortic balloon pump control arm from PROTECT II. The composite MACCE rate in the IABP arm was 31%, compared to the Impella 2.5 and Impella CP arm at 16.8%. High-risk PCI patients face elevated risk of AKI due to high levels of contrast and long procedures. Additionally, chronic kidney disease is a common co-morbidity. According to a NCDR Cath PCI Registry Study of 985,737 patients, in-hospital mortality for patients with AKI is 10% and escalates to 34% if dialysis is required. In PROTECT III, a sub-study of patients were evaluated for acute kidney injury rate and compared to a propensity matched control group. The results will be presented during the TCT Scientific Sessions. Multiple studies with Impella have measured the AKI rate based on predicted AKI risk factors, including contrast volume. These include: The PROTECT II RCT found Impella patients had statistically higher contrast volume than the IABP arm, but a numerically lower rate of acute renal dysfunction at 30 days and 90 days, showing a decoupling of contrast volume from renal dysfunction. Flaherty, et al., identified a six-fold reduction in AKI requiring dialysis when Impella support was used, compared to without Impella support. Flaherty et al., found, compared to a predicted rate of 22%, only 5% of Impella-supported patients developed AKI at 48 hours, representing a 77.6% lower AKI risk.

10:31 EDT Carnival CEO says 'way too early' to give guidance for 2020

10:20 EDT Baidu announces launch of public robotaxi trial operation - Baidu announced that it has debuted Apollo Robotaxi in Changsha, Hunan province, with the first batch of 45 self-driving taxis officially starting trial operations on urban roads. Apollo Robotaxi deploys L4 Hongqi EV vehicles jointly developed with Chinese carmaker FAW Group. Apollo Robotaxi is set to offer passenger rides in a pilot zone in Changsha covering a total area of 70km and 135km-long open roads, "making it the largest in China with the most extensive coverage of complex road conditions and the most advanced vehicle-infrastructure cooperative systems," the company stated. "The robotaxi trial operations in Changsha demonstrate that the Apollo Robotaxi is progressing from research and development to a market reality, which will serve to provide rich feedback from real-world scenarios. Throughout the entire process, we have been and will always be committed to safety first and foremost. Intelligent driving is a great journey, and today marks a solid step forward," said Zhenyu Li, Vice President of Baidu and General Manager of its Intelligent Driving Group.

10:05 EDT Gap announces plans to hire seasonal associates - Gap Inc. announced plans to hire seasonal associates for its Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Old Navy, and Janie and Jack stores, as well as customer contact centers and distribution centers for the 2019 holiday season. The company plans to hire as many as 5,000 associates during the one-day event.

10:00 EDT FactSet falls -10.1% - FactSet is down -10.1%, or -$27.44 to $243.55.

10:00 EDT Pearson falls -14.8% - Pearson is down -14.8%, or -$1.57 to $9.03.

10:00 EDT Ardmore Shipping rises 6.8% - Ardmore Shipping is up 6.8%, or 44c to $6.95.

09:55 EDT Court approves New Residential agreement to buy Ditech assets - New Residential Investment Corp. (NRZ) announced last night that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has approved the company's previously announced asset purchase agreement with Ditech. The final purchase price will be determined at the closing of the acquisition based on the tangible book value of the related assets, subject to certain agreed upon adjustments, the company said. New Residential expects to finance the acquisition with existing financing facilities and cash on hand. Under the terms of the agreement, New Residential will purchase Ditech's forward Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae and non-agency mortgage servicing rights, the servicer advance receivables relating to such MSRs and other net assets core to the forward origination and servicing businesses. Additionally, New Residential has agreed to assume certain Ditech office spaces and make employment offers to a number of Ditech employees. The acquisition is expected to close in Q4 of 2019.

09:47 EDT Actuant falls -12.3% - Actuant is down -12.3%, or -$3.04 to $21.70.

09:47 EDT Frontline rises 5.3% - Frontline is up 5.3%, or 47c to $9.39.

09:47 EDT Rite Aid rises 7.9% - Rite Aid is up 7.9%, or 61c to $8.30.

09:35 EDT Pressure BioSciences announces presentations on PCT platform - Pressure BioSciences announced that the Company's patented pressure cycling technology platform was prominently featured in no less than ten separate presentations from scientists affiliated with seventeen research institutions worldwide at the International Human Proteome Organization World Congress. The multiple PCT-related presentations included development of new methods and applications using PBI's unique PCT platform to advance knowledge and understanding in areas such as cancer research, with particular focus on cancer biomarker discovery. PCT-related presentations delivered at this meeting were primarily in the key areas of new and approved methods and protocols and in new applications for the discovery and identification of cancer markers. The presentations continue to show the flexibility and increasing potential for the PCT platform in cancer diagnostics and discovery. These include: Dr. Dylan Xavier presented data on a novel method combining bead beating with a PCT-based Barocycler 2320EXT system from PBI. The data showed that this new method facilitated full sample preparation for proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry in under one hour and resulted in an increase in diversity and abundance in yields of proteins for analysis compared to current methods. Dr. Philip Robinson emphasized in his presentation that new methods, such as the one reported by Dr. Xavier, "are essential for greater accuracy and high-throughput capabilities that are required to realize the vision of precision medicine." A team of scientists from South Africa reported on their efforts to develop a seamless, fully automated workflow that included PCT sample preparation as an integral step, from the extraction of proteins to the analysis by mass spectrometry. Several presentations illustrated the flexibility of PCT to extract proteins and nucleic acids from different types of tissue biopsies used in the characterization of specific cancers. Data presented from a study conducted by 12 scientists from four leading academic and research institutions in China demonstrated the effectiveness and practicality of PCT in a study of colorectal cancer. Another study showed PCT to be an effective component of the workflow to help highlight details of gastric cancer, including key information that could aid in the discovery of novel prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets. Yet another cancer-related study showed that the combination of PCT and mass spectrometry could result in a superior method for "ruling-in and ruling-out" cancer in thyroid nodules compared to current diagnostic tests.

09:30 EDT FEMSA announces $750M investment for minority stake in Jetro Restaurant Depot - Fomento Economico Mexicano announced that it has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to acquire a minority stake in privately-held Jetro Restaurant Depot. The MOU also contemplates that FEMSA and JRD will enter into a Joint Venture to take JRD's business model to Mexico and other Latin American markets. The amount of FEMSA's investment as per the MOU is $750M.

09:26 EDT One Horizon changes name to Touchpoint, executes 1-for-25 reverse stock split - The Company announced a name change to Touchpoint Group Holdings, effective immediately, which reflects the Company's expanded focus within digital marketing and entertainment. Effective immediately, the Company also executed a 1-for-25 reverse stock split of its common stock, as previously approved by shareholders. Any fractional shares of common stock were rounded up to the next full share. As a result of the reverse stock split, the Company will trade under the new symbol TGHID for the next 20 days. The "D" will be removed in 20 business days, and the symbol will then revert to TGHI.

09:23 EDT Philip Morris says will focus on Altria collaboration for 'foreseeable future' - Philip Morris CEO Andre Calantzopoulos is speaking on CNBC.

09:20 EDT Kratos awarded $7.5M as prime contractor for satellite EM&C architecture - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced that it received a $7.5M award to enhance the Enterprise Management & Control architecture with a Satellite Situational Awareness, Common Operating Picture. In addition, Kratos will introduce new orchestration capabilities that automate the configuration of terminals and supporting networks and scale this capability to support a worldwide network of satellite gateways, terminals and terrestrial infrastructure

09:18 EDT BioLargo signs MOU with BKT, City of Daegu - BioLargo announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BKT Co., and the City of Daegu, South Korea. The MOU represents the formation of a strategic alliance aimed at exploring opportunities for BioLargo's technologies in the water and wastewater industry of South Korea. The MOU calls for an initial focus by the group on seeking clients to utilize BioLargo's disruptive odor and VOC control product, CupriDyne Clean, in South Korea's wastewater treatment industry.

09:15 EDT Medici Ventures announces $2M purchase in Evernym's SAFE - Medici Ventures, Overstock.com's wholly-owned blockchain subsidiary, participated in Evernym's recent Simple Agreement for Future Equity, which entitles Medici Ventures to convert its interest in the SAFE to preferred stock in Evernym's future, priced round of equity financing. Evernym is an identity company using blockchain technology to facilitate the development of self-sovereign identity networks. Evernym closed its SAFE on September 4, 2019, in which Medici Ventures allocated $2M to help the company continue to bring blockchain-based identity products into production. Evernym uses blockchain technology to return control of identity sharing to the individual. It ensures identity information cannot be altered, creating a decentralized ecosystem of digital credentials that is even more trustworthy than the physical credentials carried in individuals' wallets.

09:13 EDT Western Resources executes binding offtake agreement with Archer Daniels - Western Resources announced that Western Potash Corp has entered into a binding offtake agreement with Archer Daniels Midland Company for 100% of the potash production from the Milestone Phase I plant. ADM will be utilizing both their transportation and sales expertise to create a direct sale channel to market in North America. The purchase of potash through a local off-take agreement substantially reduces the Company's cost to transport potash from the Phase I project to market, as well as expanding ADM's diverse agricultural portfolio. Key terms of the offtake agreement include: Binding commitment to take 100% of the produced potash from the Phase I project; Free-on-board mine site and transported from the site by truck to the nearby Port Lajord Terminal, only 13 kilometers from the project site; A structure to incentivize the best final sale price for both parties.

09:12 EDT Bloom Energy, Fordham announce clean energy server installation for library - Fordham University and Bloom Energy announced a clean energy server installation for the William Walsh Family Library at Fordham University. The 250-kilowatt installation will generate clean electricity on-site and provide that power directly to the five story, 240,000 square foot library. The solid oxide fuel cell technology produces electricity without combustion using a electrochemical process, resulting in electricity that is cleaner than the local utility grid. By using the servers, Fordham University will offset more than 300 metric tons of CO2 each year. Bloom Energy servers generate virtually none of the smog-forming pollutants and particulate emissions that cause air pollution, asthma, and lung disease. The servers will be located next to and supply clean electricity to Fordham's Walsh Library.

09:10 EDT GSI Technology expands board to eight with appointment of Elizabeth Cholawsky - GSI Technology announced the appointment of Elizabeth Cholawsky to its Board of Directors. Cholawsky is currently the CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of HG Insights. In connection with the appointment of Dr. Cholawsky, GSI Technology's Board of Directors expands to eight members.

09:05 EDT Energy Recovery awarded $6M for water projects in the Middle East - Energy Recovery announced a $6M award to supply its PX Pressure Exchanger devices along with related equipment and services to seawater reverse osmosis desalination facilities in the Middle East. The devices are expected to ship in Q3 and Q4 of 2019. Energy Recovery President and CEO Chris Gannon said: "Through the operational cost savings and efficiency measures delivered by our technology, we enable communities to access clean water that could otherwise be out of reach. With over 20,000 devices deployed around the world, we are proud that our PX technology is the most widely used energy recovery solution in SWRO desalination globally."

09:03 EDT Nesco Holdings announces strategic partnership with Condux Tesmec - Nesco Holdings announced that the company has entered into a definitive equipment supply, rental and services agreement with Condux Tesmec, a provider of stringing equipment and accessories to the North American electrical transmission and distribution market. Condux Tesmec is a joint venture between U.S. based Condux International and Tesmec S.p.A. of Italy. Under the terms of the agreement, Nesco will be an authorized dealer, rental and service arm for Condux Tesmec's equipment and parts in the United States and Canada. Condux Tesmec will manufacture and supply tensioner and stringing equipment to Nesco, serving to further expand the company's existing equipment offering across their network of more than 60 locations. Condux Tesmec's stringing technology provides utilities and contractors the ability to improve productivity and efficiency while limiting downtime and improving job site safety.

08:46 EDT Luckin Coffee, Louis Dreyfus Company to lauch juice joint venture in China - Louis Dreyfus Company and Luckin Coffee have signed an agreement to establish a joint venture to develop a co-branded Luckin Juice business in China. The business will focus on co-branded Not From Concentrate orange, lemon and apple juices, for which LDC masters the full value chain from its farms to customers at destination, and plans to build its own bottling plant in the future. It also plans to bottle and brand other fruit and vegetable juices. Luckin Coffee stores will play an important role as sales outlets, while the business also plans to market its juices via other channels.

08:41 EDT Endra Life Sciences reports top level findings of liver fat feasibility study - ENDRA Life Sciences reported that Robarts Research Institute has completed the second phase of the Thermo Acoustic Enhanced Ultrasound feasibility study of liver fat and, in conjunction with the EASL Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Summit in Seville, Spain, ENDRA provided top level findings from the study. A total of 26 volunteer subjects were scanned and rescanned with updated probe architecture and a modified measurement procedure. One subject did not complete the study, and was excluded. Relative to the first study phase, the 25 subjects scanned in the second phase represented a more broadly distributed population of liver fat, with 15 out of 25 having a clinically relevant liver fat fraction of 5% or greater. Pre-defined TAEUS measurement requirements, related to signal quality and anatomical consistency with conventional ultrasound, excluded seven additional subjects from the final analysis. Eighteen subject data sets were used to determine top line results including correlation with the MRI-PDFF reference measurement, and sensitivity and specificity of the TAEUS measurement to correctly identify subjects with clinically elevated liver fat vs. subjects with healthy levels of liver fat. The coefficient of determination, comparing the TAEUS measurement to the subjects' percent liver fat fraction, as measured by MRI-PDFF was R2=0.54, with a standard error of the mean of 4.4%. In contrast, the coefficient of determination BMI compared to MRI-PDFF was R2=0.14 and the coefficient of determination for abdominal fat thickness compared with MRI-PDFF was R2=0.14. TAEUS measurements had an estimated sensitivity of 90% and an estimated specificity of 75% to correctly identify subjects with clinically elevated liver fat.

08:37 EDT Veeva to acquire Crossix Solutions - Veeva and Crossix Solutions announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Veeva to acquire Crossix. Crossix will operate as an independent business unit under its current brand led by Crossix CEO Asaf Evenhaim. Crossix delivers privacy-safe U.S. patient data and an analytics platform to help maximize media and marketing effectiveness. Crossix will remain headquartered in New York and continue operations in Israel and Belarus.

08:33 EDT BioMarin submits CTA in U.K. for investigational gene therapy for PKU - BioMarin Pharmaceutical announced that it has submitted a Clinical Trial Application with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the U.K. for BMN 307, an investigational AAV5-phenylalanine hydroxylase gene therapy designed to reduce blood phenylalanine concentrations levels in patients with PKU. BMN 307 will be evaluated to determine whether a single dose of treatment can restore Phe metabolism in patients with PKU, normalize plasma Phe level, and enable a normal diet. The company expects to start enrolling patients in a Phase 1/2 trial early next year and is actively preparing regulatory submissions for other countries. BMN 307 represents a potential third PKU treatment option in BioMarin's PKU franchise and its second gene therapy development program. BMN 307 follows BioMarin's first investigational gene therapy program, valoctocogene roxaparvovec for severe hemophilia A, currently in a Phase 3 study.

08:32 EDT Arena Pharmaceuticals presents Phase 2 data for etrasimod - Arena Pharmaceuticals presented new data from the Phase 2 OASIS trial for etrasimod, an investigational, once-daily, oral, selective sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator, in development for a range of immune-mediated and inflammatory conditions, including the ongoing ELEVATE UC Phase 3 trial that was initiated this year. These data were presented at the World Congress of Gastroenterology Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. "Steady-state etrasimod trough concentrations were achieved and maintained from weeks 1 to 12 in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis treated with 1 or 2 mg etrasimod once-daily. Statistically significant exposure-response relationships favoring 2 mg dosing were demonstrated, with reductions from baseline in circulating lymphocyte count and improvements in modified Mayo Clinic Score," stated Preston Klassen, Executive Vice President, Head of Research & Development at Arena. "In addition to previously reported dose-response data from OASIS, these new findings further strengthen the etrasimod 2 mg dosing regimen chosen for our Phase 3 ELEVATE UC program."

08:31 EDT RedHill Biopharma expects to enroll full cohort for Yeliva study by year-end - The company said, "Yeliva is being investigated in an ongoing Phase 2a study in advanced cholangiocarcinoma. The study has achieved its pre-specified efficacy goal for the first stage of the two-stage study design and is expected to complete enrollment of the full cohort by the end of the year. In addition, the National Cancer Institute grant that was previously awarded to the Medical University of South Carolina to support a study with Yeliva in hepatocellular carcinoma has been diverted to support a Phase 2 study with Yeliva in prostate cancer. The investigator-sponsored study is expected to be initiated by early 2020 at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and will be led by Dr. Michael B. Lilly. The study is supported by several pre-clinical studies in early and advanced prostate cancer models, suggesting that the administration of Yeliva disrupts multiple oncogenic-signaling pathways that are deregulated in prostate cancer."

08:28 EDT RedHill Biopharma sees additional FDA guidance on RHB-104 path in coming months - The company said, "Following positive top-line results from the Phase 3 study with RHB-104 , the last patient enrolled in the open-label extension Phase 3 study with RHB-104 in Crohn's disease has recently completed their participation in the study. A total of 30 subjects completed 52 weeks of treatment with RHB-104 in the MAP US2 study, with top-line results expected in the fourth quarter of 2019. Following additional regulatory guidance from the FDA on the path for potential approval of RHB-104, RedHill has intensified its collaborations with leading laboratories in the field of detection of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis bacteria in Crohn's disease patients, including Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine. As previously announced, additional FDA guidance on RHB-104's potential path to approval is expected in the coming months."

08:25 EDT RedHill Biopharma says NDA for RHB-105 under priority review by FDA - The New Drug Application for RHB-105 is under priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with an assigned target Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date of November 2, 2019.

08:21 EDT Office Properties sells 3 properties for $25.2M - Office Properties announced that it has sold three properties for an aggregate sales price of $25.2M, excluding closing costs. The three properties include: A one-story, 40,348 square foot vacant office building located at 882 TJ Jackson Drive, Falling Waters, WV. A seven-story, 143,934 square foot office building located at 400 SW 8th Street, Topeka, KS. A two-story, 43,918 square foot office building located at 9174 Sky Park Centre, San Diego, CA. Proceeds from today's announced sales will be used for general business purposes, including the repayment of a portion of borrowings under the company's revolving credit facility.

08:19 EDT Optinose sells North American rights of Onzetra Xsail to Currax Pharma - OptiNose has sold patent rights to Onzetra Xsail - sumatriptan nasal powder - in North America to Currax Pharmaceuticals, a specialty biopharmaceutical company. Onzetra Xsail provides a 22mg dose, dry powder formulation of sumatriptan, administered via a breath powered exhalation delivery system and is approved by the FDA for the acute treatment of migraine in adults with or without aura. Onzetra Xsail was approved by FDA on January 28, 2016.

08:18 EDT Optinose sells North American rights of Onzetra Xsail to Currax Pharma - OptiNose has sold patent rights to Onzetra Xsail - sumatriptan nasal powder - in North America to Currax Pharmaceuticals, a specialty biopharmaceutical company. Onzetra Xsail provides a 22mg dose, dry powder formulation of sumatriptan, administered via a breath powered exhalation delivery system and is approved by the FDA for the acute treatment of migraine in adults with or without aura. Onzetra Xsail was approved by FDA on January 28, 2016.

08:17 EDT Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, Jain Foundation announce CAT-1004 collaboration - Catabasis Pharmaceuticals and the Jain Foundation, a non-profit foundation whose mission is to cure muscular dystrophies caused by dysferlin protein deficiency, announced a preclinical research collaboration to study edasalonexent, or CAT-1004, in Dysferlinopathy. Dysferlinopathy is a rare disease that causes progressive muscle weakness for which there are currently no approved treatment options. Edasalonexent is in Phase 3 development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, and has the potential to benefit patients with other diseases, such as Dysferlinopathy. In Dysferlinopathy, muscles lack dysferlin and as a result NF-kB is chronically activated. Edasalonexent, an oral small molecule designed to inhibit NF-kB, has the potential to slow disease progression in dysferlin-deficient populations. Under this collaboration, Catabasis and the Jain Foundation are conducting a preclinical study to evaluate the potential of edasalonexent as a therapeutic intervention for Dysferlinopathy by measuring disease progression in dysferlin-deficient mice treated with edasalonexent. The study will utilize magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure muscle volume, fat accumulation and other changes in the dysferlin-deficient mice. Initial results are expected in the first half of 2020.

08:16 EDT Medtronic announces trial to study Infuse Bone Graft in TLIF spine procedures - Medtronic announced U.S. FDA approval of a prospective, randomized pivotal clinical trial for the use of Infuse Bone Graft in Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion spine procedures. A TLIF is a type of surgery that fuses - or joins - bones of the spine through a posterior approach. It is used to treat certain painful conditions of the lumbar - or low back - region of the spine. Medtronic has initiated site recruitment for the TLIF clinical trial with the potential to enroll up to 50 sites with over 1,000 patients. In 2017, Medtronic announced the FDA approval of a separate clinical trial to study Infuse Bone Graft in Posterolateral Fusion procedures. The company is currently enrolling its prospective pilot PLF clinical trial and is working with the FDA to incorporate retrospective safety and effectiveness data sufficient for indication expansion in PLF.

08:13 EDT Moderna announces multi-year research collaboration with Harvard University - Moderna announced a multi-year research collaboration with Harvard University with the goal of identifying and developing novel therapeutic approaches that could improve the lives of patients with immunological diseases. Additional funding from Moderna to Harvard Medical School, or HMS, will establish an initiative at HMS called the Alliance for RNA Therapies for the Modulation of the Immune System, or ARTiMIS, which will enable basic science research in the field of immunology using Moderna's mRNA and nanoparticle delivery technology. The HMS Department of Immunology is hosting a symposium with Moderna to launch the ARTiMIS initiative. The ARTiMIS initiative will enable HMS-affiliated investigators to access Moderna's platform for mRNA and novel immune delivery and will provide financial support for exploratory research projects, including the work of postdoctoral researchers at HMS. Moderna has provided the initial funding for ARTiMIS through a $1.2M grant and will also provide investigators with mRNA and nanoparticle delivery technology and materials. Projects selected for funding by ARTiMIS will aim to advance basic understandings of fundamental immunological processes, generate new mechanistic insights in the pathogenesis of immunological diseases and discover novel approaches to the prevention, diagnosis and therapy of human diseases. To further advance insights toward therapeutics, Moderna has also entered into a multi-year research agreement with the university at large, through the Harvard Office of Technology Development. Under this collaboration framework, Moderna will initially provide sponsored research funding of up to $2.45M. This project aims to use mRNA technologies to study and manipulate the migration of immune cells from blood to tissues.

08:11 EDT Verizon turns on 5G Ultra Wideband service in Boise, Panama City, NYC - Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network is now available in parts of New York City, Panama City and Boise, bringing the total number of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband mobility service cities to 13. Verizon plans to have 5G access in more than 30 cities by the end of this year. In New York City, users initially access Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband mobility service in parts of areas in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and around several landmarks throughout the city. In Panama City, 5G Ultra Wideband service will initially be concentrated in parts of the following areas: Downtown Panama City, Forest Park, and Lower Grand Lagoon in Panama City Beach. In Boise, 5G Ultra Wideband service will initially be concentrated in parts of the following neighborhoods: Downtown Boise, West Boise, West End, Meridian, Boise Junction around such landmarks as the Idaho State Capitol, St. Luke's Boise Medical Center, Fort Boise Park, Capital City Event Center, and Boise Town Square.

08:09 EDT First United holder Driver Management releases statement on 'board failures' - Driver Management, the manager of certain vehicles that collectively hold more than 5% of the outstanding shares of First United Corporation, issued the below statement to accompany its presentation focused on the failures and shortcomings of First United's board. Abbott Cooper, founder and managing member, commented: "Driver firmly believes First United is worth significantly more than its current trading price in a sale. We've provided the board with detailed analysis supporting this conclusion while also repeatedly inviting the disclosure of any credible plan that suggests First United can deliver sale-level value to shareholders as a standalone bank. Not only has the board failed to disclose or indicate it has a viable strategy for delivering that type of value, but it now appears to have hired advisors-obviously at shareholders' expense-to further entrench itself and presumably try to spin shareholders. Given the positive market reaction since Driver first called for a sale, this approach seems almost as irresponsible as the board's unwillingness to test the market and find out what one of the many suitable buyers in the space might pay for First United. It's unfortunate that the road to significantly greater shareholder value appears to be obstructed right now by a group of directors that seem to care more about clinging to the perks and prestige of directorship than anything else. If the current board continues prioritizing self-preservation over shareholder value in this manner, Driver will have no choice but to nominate its own slate of three highly-qualified, independent director nominees ahead of First United's next annual meeting. The board now has a clear choice: force an irrational, wasteful proxy contest to try to save itself or fulfill its obligations to shareholders by initiating a sale process. Based on the facts highlighted in our presentation, a wholesale shakeup of the board is sorely needed and long overdue-and Driver is fully prepared to deliver that shakeup. Rather than wait for the outcome of a contested election, however, we invite the board to redeem itself and salvage its reputation by taking prompt action to halt the futile waste of corporate resources and pursue a sale that can benefit all shareholders. To paraphrase George Clinton, it's time to find out who wants the FUNC."

08:07 EDT Arcturus Therapeutics announces $9.8M registered direct offering of stock - Arcturus Therapeutics announced that it has entered into definitive agreements with certain institutional investors for the purchase and sale in a registered direct offering of 850,000 shares of the Company's common stock, at a purchase price of $11.50 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $9.8M. The offering is expected to close on or about September 30, 2019, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund its continued research and development initiatives in connection with its product pipeline including, but not limited to LUNAR-CF, LUNAR-CV, LUNAR-MD and general corporate purposes. It is expected that this offering, together with the Company's prior registered direct offerings announced August 1 and August 2, and the Company's other non-dilutive funding efforts, provide adequate funding to support the Company's current programs through at least the next 18 months.

08:05 EDT MasterCard partners with Levi Strauss, others to pay garment factory workers - Mastercard (MA) announced a global effort to pay garment factory workers digitally, a pivot the industry is making from traditional cash payroll to ensure workers receive their wages securely and consistently. With industry partners including Levi Strauss (LEVI), Marks & Spencer (MAKSY) and VF Corporation (VFC), and in conjunction with global nonprofit Business for Social Responsibility, this program aims to improve the wellbeing of factory workers who currently lack access to the financial tools and services that can help them and their families thrive. Mastercard and its partners are coordinating pilots in Egypt and Cambodia with a hybrid digital payment solution. Participating factories will have the opportunity to deposit wages directly into workers' accounts. Workers can then activate debit or prepaid cards through which they can pay bills or send money directly to family and friends.

08:03 EDT Immutep announces expansion of Part A of TACTI-002 Phase II clinical trial - Immutep (IMMP) announces that the requisite number of predefined patient responses has been exceeded in cohort 1 of Part A of the TACTI-002 Phase II clinical trial based on an interim analysis. This allows the Company to proceed with the recruitment of an additional 19 patients for cohort 2 of Part A of the study. TACTI-002 is being conducted in collaboration with Merck & Co. (MRK). The decision by the Data Monitoring Committee to open cohort 2 follows the review of preliminary safety and efficacy data and their recommendation is based on predefined safety and efficacy thresholds. For seven out of 17 a partial response according to RECIST 1.1 was observed as the best overall response as of the data cut-off in this interim analysis. An additional six patients had a stabilization of disease as best overall response at this point leading to a disease control rate of 76.5 % in this highly aggressive tumour entity. Twelve patients are currently continuing treatment. Patients were allowed to participate regardless of their PD-L1 status which is a well-known predictive marker for response to pembrolizumab in NSCLC. While the response rate of pembrolizumab in NSCLC patients with greater than or equal to 50 % PD-L1 expression is approximately 40%, it is between 15-20 % in patients with 1-49 % PD-L1 expression on the tumour. Patients with no PD-L1 expression are expected to benefit significantly less than that. The final BOR numbers will not be available until the final patient that was enrolled in cohort 1 of Part A has been on study for six months and is assessed radiologically. This staged approach of patient enrolment is based on, and is consistent with, the Simon's two-stage clinical trial design. Accordingly, an additional 19 patients will be recruited to participate in Part A, bringing the total number of patients in Part A to 36. Recruitment of cohort 2 of Part A of the study will begin shortly. Recruitment is ongoing for Parts B and C of the trial. Data from the TACTI-002 Phase II clinical trial will be presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, which is taking place on November 6-10, 2019 at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Centre in National Harbor, MD. All patients are receiving the therapeutic combination of Immutep's lead product candidate eftilagimod alpha with KEYTRUDA at clinical trial sites across the U.S., Europe and Australia.

07:53 EDT BioSig Technologies appoints Martha Pease to board of directors - BioSig Technologies announced that it appointed Martha Pease as an Independent Director. Currently, Pease serves as a Partner and Director at BCG focused on growth strategy and digital transformation with an emphasis on the healthcare sector.

07:48 EDT Conagra Brands up nearly 6% to $31.61 after Q1 results, FY20 guidance

07:36 EDT Enterprise Products to build PDH 2 plant supported by LyondellBasell agreements - LyondellBasell (LYB) and Enterprise Products (EPD) announced that their respective affiliates have executed long-term contracts that support construction of Enterprise's second propane dehydrogenation, or PDH, plant PDH 2. PDH 2 will have the capacity to consume up to 35,000 barrels per day of propane and produce up to 1.65B pounds per year of polymer grade propylene, or PGP. PDH 2 will be located at Enterprise's complex in the Mont Belvieu, Texas area. The facility is scheduled to begin service in the first half of 2023. Enterprise has licensed Honeywell (HON) UOP's Oleflex propane process to produce PGP. Enterprise has over 25 years of experience with this technology. The company's existing isobutane dehydrogenation, or iBDH, plant, which uses the Oleflex butane process, commenced operations in 1993. The partnership is currently building a second iBDH facility utilizing the same process, which is expected to be completed later this year and is on time and on budget. Enterprise has negotiated terms for a fixed-cost engineering, procurement and construction contract with S&B Engineers and Constructors to build PDH 2. Construction of PDH 2 is expected to provide approximately 1,500 to 2,000 jobs, which will support economic activity in the greater Mont Belvieu and Baytown area.

07:34 EDT Conagra Brands sees 2H20 sales, EPS growth stronger than 1H20 - The company continues to expect second half results to show stronger organic net sales growth and adjusted EPS growth than the first half in light of the timing of the impact of new innovation, strong first-half brand-building investments that peak in the second quarter, the planned pace of synergy capture, and the lapping of both higher interest expense and share count. All metrics include the expected results of the DSD snack business for the full fiscal year. Following the closing of the transaction, the expected annualized impact of the divestiture is a reduction of approximately $110M of net sales and 2c of adjusted EPS.

07:31 EDT Conagra Brands CEO says 'fiscal 2020 is on-track with our plan' - Sean Connolly, president and CEO of Conagra Brands, commented, "After one quarter, fiscal 2020 is on-track with our plan as we execute against each of the priorities we outlined previously: maintaining the momentum on Legacy Conagra, applying our value-over-volume playbook to Pinnacle, and delivering against our integration, synergy, and de-leveraging commitments. I am pleased that our domestic retail businesses outperformed our first quarter organic net sales growth plan. While our Foodservice and International businesses experienced unplanned softness on the top line this quarter, they outperformed our operating profit and margin expectations. We believe the first quarter net sales issues in these segments were discrete and are now largely behind us." He continued, "Our expectation for fiscal 2020 is that the investments we are making in the first half of the year, in particular the second quarter, will result in strong second half performance, with the impacts of new innovation in the frozen and snacks businesses, smart promotional support in key grocery brands, the continued implementation of our Pinnacle improvement plan, and the impact of synergy capture all greatest in the third and fourth quarters. Given our progress in the first quarter, and expectations for the balance of the year, we are reaffirming our fiscal 2020 guidance across all elements."

07:18 EDT BioCryst says U.S. Department of HHS exercises option for additional Rapivab - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has exercised its option to purchase an additional 10,000 doses of BioCryst's approved antiviral influenza therapy, RAPIVAB. With the exercise of the second option, BioCryst plans to deliver a total of 20,000 doses of RAPIVAB, which will add approximately $14M of non-dilutive capital to the company, by the end of 2019. The RAPIVAB purchase by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response will supply the Strategic National Stockpile, the nation's largest supply of life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for use in a public health emergency. These orders are part of a $34.7M contract the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded for the procurement of up to 50,000 doses of RAPIVAB over a five-year period.

07:10 EDT Optinose announces license agreement with Currax for ONZETRA XSAIL - OptiNose announced the signing of an agreement between its Norway-based subsidiary OptiNose AS and Currax Pharmaceuticals which grants Currax the exclusive rights to certain Optinose intellectual property for the purpose of marketing ONZETRA XSAIL in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. ONZETRA XSAIL provides a 22mg dose, dry powder formulation of sumatriptan, administered via an Optinose breath powered exhalation delivery system and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the acute treatment of migraine in adults. Under the terms of the License Agreement, Currax is required to pay a $4.48M upfront payment, of which $750,000 shall be held in escrow for a limited period to cover certain indemnification obligations. Additionally, Optinose is eligible to receive a one-time 10% royalty on ONZETRA net sales in excess of $3M solely for calendar year 2020, and an additional $1M milestone payment subject to the achievement of a specified regulatory milestone.

07:08 EDT Rite Aid up 10.3% after reporting Q2 results, narrowing FY20 adj. EPS view

07:06 EDT Synthetic Biologics granted further U.S. patent for SYN-010 formulation - Synthetic Biologics has been granted a U.S. patent and a Notice of Allowance by the USPTO for a patent application covering various aspects of the clinical SYN-010 program. These USPTO issuances bolster the company's patent portfolio supporting SYN-010, the company's proprietary, modified-release formulation of lovastatin lactone, for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation, or IBS-C. The current and soon-to-be issued patents will also diversify and further strengthen the IP estate covering the use of SYN-010 for the treatment of IBS-C by providing composition of matter and patient selection method of treatment claims and will provide the company exclusivity until at least 2035. A recently granted U.S. patent co-owned by Synthetic Biologics and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and exclusively licensed to Synthetic Biologics covers the composition of matter of the SYN-010 clinical agent. A recently allowed U.S. patent owned by CSMC and exclusively licensed to Synthetic Biologics covers methods of treating IBS-C with a statin, inclusive of SYN-010, in a selected patient population.

07:02 EDT Intel announces resignation of lead independent director Aneel Bhusri - In a regulatory filing, Intel disclosed that on September 19, Aneel Bhusri, a member of the Board of Directors of Intel since 2014 and the Board's current independent Lead Director, notified the Board of his decision to resign from the Board, effective as of November 1. Bhusri's resignation is not due to any disagreement with Intel.The Board appointed Dr. Omar Ishrak, a current member of the Board, to serve as the Board's independent Lead Director, a member of the Executive Committee of the Board, and co-Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board, effective as of November 1.

07:01 EDT Zogenix resubmits NDA for FINTEPLA for treatment of Dravet syndrome - Zogenix announced that it has resubmitted its New Drug Application for FINTEPLA for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The NDA is based on data from two pivotal Phase 3 trials in Dravet syndrome and an interim analysis from an ongoing open-label extension study, which included 232 patients treated for up to 24 months. Zogenix is also investigating FINTEPLA in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, another rare childhood-onset epilepsy, for which a Phase 3 trial is ongoing and top-line data are anticipated in the first quarter of 2020.

06:54 EDT Accenture reports Q4 new bookings $12.9B

06:51 EDT Accenture declares quarterly dividend of 80c per share - Accenture declares its first quarterly cash dividend of 80c per share, a 10% increase over the equivalent quarterly rate last year. For shareholders of record at the close of business on Oct. 17, this dividend is payable on Nov. 15.

06:48 EDT Graphic Packaging raises FY19 adj. EBITDA view to $1.02B-$1.04B - In slides being presented at its investor day, Graphic Packaging boosted its FY19 adjusted EBITDA guidance range to $1.02B-$1.04B from $1.01B-$1.03B. For FY20, the company sees cash flow of $200M-$275M and adjusted EBITDA of $1.04B-$1.1B. Sees FY19 CapEx $350M, FY20 CapEx $600M, FY21 CapEx $600M.

06:46 EDT Babcock & Wilcox awarded $12M contract for boiler refurbishment - Babcock & Wilcox has been awarded a contract for more than $12M to refurbish a recovery boiler for a U.S. manufacturing facility. B&W's scope includes the design and manufacture of a steam drum, furnace, superheater, generating bank, air system, economizer and other components for one of the plant's recovery boilers. Delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2020.

06:32 EDT EnPro sells business in Rome, Georgia - EnPro Industries has sold its business located in Rome, Georgia, which was part of the company's STEMCO heavy-duty truck business unit. The business manufactures new bare steel brake shoes, lined brake shoes and wheel kits, and provides contract metal stamping services. The company expects to record total charges related to these actions of approximately $14.5M, which will be recognized in Q3. These charges, other than contract cancellation costs, severance and other expenses totaling approximately $2.7M, are non-cash charges.

06:03 EDT McDonald's tests new Beyond Meat plant-based burger in Canada - McDonald's (MCD) will be conducting a 12-week test of a new plant-based burger called the P.L.T., which stands for Plant. Lettuce. Tomato. in 28 restaurants in Southwestern Ontario, starting September 30. The P.L.T. is made with a Beyond Meat (BYND) plant-based patty "that has been crafted exclusively by McDonald's, for McDonald's, to deliver the iconic taste customers know and love."