Stockwinners Market Radar for October 16, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:11 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 918.19MT from 919.66MT - This is the second consecutive decline and the lowest level of holdings since September 24th.

19:14 EDT Corporacion America Airport reports September passenger traffic up 1.2% - Corporacion America Airports reported preliminary year-over-year passenger traffic growth of 1.2% in September 2019. Total passenger traffic in September 2019 increased 1.2% YoY primarily reflecting growth of 5.9% in Argentina, 19.2% in Armenia and 2.4% in Italy, partially offset by declines in Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay.

18:37 EDT Netflix says shares viewing data with producers each week - Says shares viewing data with producers every week. Sees "tremendous" opportunity to build service overseas.

18:19 EDT Netflix to test mobile only plans in other markets - Says will test mobile only plans in other markets. Says "uniquely positioned" to be able to deliver on scope and scale for film and television. Says cost of making top programs has increased 30% in one year.

18:12 EDT Neflix says price increase responsible for U.S. shortfall - Says price increase responsible for U.S. shortfall. Says movie slate for later this year and next year better than in any previous year. Says Q4 has "big, theatrically ambitious" original films. Says pricing of competitors is not a significant factor for how Netflix prices its services.

18:06 EDT Netflix says price increases 'hugely' revenue positive - Says Q3 was a "really strong" quarter around overall business performance. Says Q3 membership growth "closest to forecast" ever. Says saw some elevated churn in Q3. Says price increases "hugely" revenue positive for company. Says Q4 guide "down a bit" from previous forecast due to "a number of moving parts" that are difficult to forecast. Says Q4 guidance hard to know based on number of new intellectual properties upcoming. Says trying to factor in impact from new competitive streaming services. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

18:01 EDT Investar Holding gains regulatory, holder approvals for Bank of York acquisition - Investar Holding announced that necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals have been obtained for its previously announced pending acquisition of Bank of York, York, Alabama. The company also provided an update regarding expected timeframes to complete the acquisition. On July 30, 2019, the company announced that it and Investar Bank had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization with Bank of York. At June 30, 2019, Bank of York had approximately $99.5 million in assets, $46.0 million in net loans, $82.3 million in deposits, and $11.2 million in stockholders' equity. Bank of York is an Alabama state bank, offering a full range of banking and financial services to individual and corporate customers. Its operations in Alabama include a main office in York, a branch in Livingston, and loan production office in Tuscaloosa, which is expected to be converted into a full-service branch at some point after the closing of the transaction, subject to Investar Bank's receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals for that branch. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the company will pay a total amount of cash merger consideration to shareholders of Bank of York equal to $15.0 million. Bank of York will also be permitted under the Merger Agreement to make regular and special pre-closing cash distributions to its shareholders in an aggregate amount of approximately $1.0 million. Bank of York shareholders approved the acquisition at a shareholder meeting held on October 16, 2019. No vote of the shareholders of the company is required to complete the transaction. Completion of the acquisition remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions under the terms of the Merger Agreement. Upon satisfaction of all closing conditions, the Company anticipates it will close the Bank of York acquisition on or about November 1, 2019. Branch and operating system conversions are currently scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2020.

17:50 EDT Eldorado Gold reports Q3 preliminary gold production of 101,596 oz. - Eldorado Gold reported preliminary Q3 total gold production of 101,596 ounces for Q3 and 276,376 ounces year to date. Guidance for 2019 remains unchanged. Recent test results from Kisladag support an extension of mine life beyond the company's current three year guidance. Waste stripping to support a mine life extension will commence prior to the end of October. Test work is still ongoing to determine the ultimate heap leach recovery of this material and thus the ultimate length of the mine life extension. Estimated expenditure for waste stripping in 2019 is $4M. Production at Olympias was lower than plan. During Q3 measures to increase production volumes were continued in key areas of the operation and will support the ramp up towards 2020 and beyond. These measures included increased capital development resources and other operational improvement initiatives.

17:35 EDT BHP Group reports Q1 iron ore output 61MT, down 1% from last year - Reports Q1 petroleum output 29MMBOE, down 11% from last year. Reports Q1 copper production 430 kt, up 5% from last year. Reports Q1 Metallurgical coal production 9 MT, down 10% from last year. CEO Andrew Mackenzie says: "We delivered a solid start to the 2020 financial year through ongoing strong operational performance across our portfolio. While Group production for the quarter decreased slightly due to the expected impacts of planned maintenance and natural field decline in Petroleum, guidance remains unchanged and we are on track to deliver slightly higher volumes than last financial year. The South Flank iron ore projectis 50per centcomplete, withall our major projects onscheduleand budget. We achieved further encouraging exploration results in Petroleum and at the Oak Dam copper prospect."

17:25 EDT Cal-Maine Foods to acquire Mahard Egg Farm egg production assets - Cal-Maine Foods announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Mahard Egg Farm, relating to its commercial shell egg production, processing, distribution and sale of shell eggs business. The assets to be acquired, subject to the completion of this transaction, include commercial shell egg production and processing facilities with current capacity for approximately 3.9 million laying hens and permitted capacity for up to 8.0 million laying hens, a feed mill, pullets and related production facilities located in Chillicothe, Texas, and Nebo, Oklahoma, and a distribution warehouse located in Gordonville, Texas. The company expects to close the transaction in the next few weeks.

17:17 EDT Tandem Diabetes announces NEJM publication of t:slim X2 insulin pump study - Tandem Diabetes announced publication by the New England Journal of Medicine of results from the landmark Protocol 3 study of the National Institutes of Health-funded International Diabetes Closed Loop trial using the t:slim X2 insulin pump with Control-IQ advanced hybrid closed-loop technology. The DCLP3 study was the first-ever large-scale, six-month closed-loop study that included a dedicated control group. Over the six-month study period, use of Control-IQ technology led to a higher percentage of time spent in range, less hyper- and hypoglycemia and better HbA1c levels than use of a sensor augmented pump. No severe hypoglycemic events were reported, and 100% of participants completed the study. The article was published today on the journal website, NEJM.org, and will appear in the October 31, 2019 printed issue.

17:15 EDT IBM says deleveraging plan is on track after suspending dividend payment in July

17:13 EDT Boeing awarded $193.32M Navy contract modification - Boeing was awarded a $193.32M modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, time and material, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This modification provides CFM56-7B27A/3 and CFM56-7B27AE engine depot maintenance and repair, field assessment, maintenance repair and overhaul engine repair, and technical assistance for removal and replacement of engines for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft in support of the Navy, the government of Australia and foreign military sales customers. Work will be performed in Atlanta, Georgia and Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be completed in October 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:08 EDT IBM CFO says Q3 cloud revenue growth accelerated across segments - Says entering "next chapter" of Cloud. Says Red Had is at the center of the transformation. Says company ideally positioned to lead in Hybrid Cloud. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

17:01 EDT Sunesis announces presentation of SNS-510 preclinical data - Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, announced a poster presentation at the 2019 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics being held October 26-30, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts.

16:35 EDT Crown Castle received SEC subpoena for documents from 2015 to present - In September, Crown Castle International received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission requesting certain documents from 2015 through the present, primarily related to the company's long-standing capitalization and expense policies for tenant upgrades and installations in its services business. Prior to receiving this subpoena, the company previously provided information to the SEC related to certain services-related transactions. The company is cooperating fully with the SEC's investigation.

16:31 EDT GameStop SVP, Chief Accounting Officer Troy Crawford to resign - On October 11, the company and Troy Crawford agreed that Mr. Crawford would resign from the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of GameStop (GME), effective October 28. Mr. Crawford will remain in service with the company as a Senior Advisor until November 30 to support the transition of his duties to his successor. At the end of that transition period, Mr. Crawford will resign from employment with the company and be entitled to the payments, rights and benefits associated with a "good reason" resignation under his existing employment and retention agreements. Mr. Crawford's resignation did not result from a disagreement with the company or any of its officers or directors on any matter relating to the operations, policies or practices of the company. The company has previously filed copies of Mr. Crawford's employment agreement, as amended, and retention agreement as exhibits to Current Reports on Form 8-K, as reflected in the list of exhibits included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities Exchange Commission on April 2. Bernard R. Colpitts, will succeed Mr. Crawford as the company's Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, effective October 28, 2019. Since February 2017, Mr. Colpitts has served as Vice President, Finance and Treasury and Chief Accounting Officer of ON Semiconductor (ON).

16:22 EDT Columbia Property to acquire Normandy Real Estate Management in $100M deal - Columbia Property Trust announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Normandy Real Estate Management, LLC, a developer, operator and investment manager of office and mixed-use assets in New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Columbia will acquire Normandy's operating platform and its general partner interests in three active management funds in a cash and stock transaction with a total value of approximately $100M, exclusive of transaction and closing costs. The transaction is expected to close by year-end 2019 pending the completion of customary closing conditions. Columbia will acquire the Normandy operating platform and real property interests for aggregate consideration of approximately $100 million, exclusive of transaction and closing costs. This consideration will consist of $13.5 million in cash and approximately $86.5 million in convertible preferred units, issued at a strike price of $26.50 per share. In addition to Normandy's property and investment management businesses and their related fee streams, Columbia will acquire the general partnership interests and certain limited partnership interests totaling approximately 2 percent in each of Normandy Real Estate Fund III, LP; Normandy Real Estate Fund IV, LP; and Normandy Opportunity Zone Fund, LP. Not included in the transaction are Normandy Real Estate Fund, LP and Normandy Real Estate Fund II, LP, as well as several mixed-use suburban development projects. The transaction, which has been approved by Columbia's Board of Directors and Normandy's ownership partners, is expected to close before the end of the year, subject to various partner and lender consents, and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is not contingent upon receipt of financing.

16:21 EDT Hepion Pharmaceuticals announces CRV431 findings published - Hepion Pharmaceuticals announced that the peer-reviewed Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics has published Hepion's research article. The study presents findings on CRV431 that highlight its potential as a drug candidate for chronic liver diseases. In an in vitro cyclophilin isomerase assay, CRV431 inhibited all cyclophilin isoforms tested, suggesting multiple disease mechanisms in the liver could be targeted. Daily oral CRV431 dosing in mice and rats, across a wide range of dosing levels, led to up to a 15-fold accumulation of CRV431 in the liver compared to the blood, suggesting CRV431's pharmacokinetics favor hepatic delivery. In a six-week carbon tetrachloride mouse model of fibrosis, CRV431 decreased liver fibrosis by 43% compared to control, whereas obeticholic acid had no statistically significant direct effect on fibrosis. Three studies were conducted in a streptozotocin, high-fat diet mouse model of NASH with CRV431 doses of only 50 mg/kg administered orally each day. Fibrosis significantly decreased by approximately 50%, compared to the control group. In a late-stage NASH model where mice developed liver tumors, 10 weeks of oral CRV431 treatment significantly decreased tumor burden by about 50%.

16:19 EDT Umpqua Holdings reports Q3 net interest margin 3.63% - The company's net interest margin was 3.63% for the third quarter, down seven basis points from 3.70% for the second quarter, primarily driven by the decrease in short-term interest rates during the quarter.

16:18 EDT CNX Midstream Partners raises quarterly distribution 3.5% to 40.01c per unit - CNX Midstream Partners announced that the Board of Directors of its general partner, CNX Midstream GP, has declared a cash distribution of 40.01c per unit with respect to the third quarter. The distribution will be made on November 12 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on November 5. The distribution, which equates to an annual rate of $1.6004 per unit, represents an increase of 3.5% over the prior quarter, and an increase of 15% over the distribution paid with respect to the third quarter of 2018.

16:15 EDT Alcoa backs 2019 shipment outlook for Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminum - Alcoa's 2019 shipment outlook for Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminum remains unchanged from the prior full-year estimates. Total annual bauxite shipments are expected to range between 47.0-48.0M dry metric tons. Total alumina shipments are projected between 13.6-13.7M metric tons with anticipated operational improvements and higher year-on-year production. Aluminum shipments are expected to be between 2.8-2.9M metric tons. In Q4, Alcoa expects continued strong results in the Bauxite segment. In the Alumina segment, aside from market price impacts, the company expects benefits from higher volumes and lower costs for raw materials and maintenance. In the Aluminum segment, the company expects improvements primarily from lower alumina costs.

16:14 EDT Alcoa announces portfolio review to reduce costs - In addition to reporting quarterly results, Alcoa announced a multi-year portfolio review to drive lower costs and sustainable profitability. Planned initiatives include: "Over the next 12 to 18 months, Alcoa intends to pursue non-core asset sales expected to generate an estimated $500M to $1B in net proceeds. Based on annualized 2019 year-to-date results, the company estimates approximately $50M to $100M in reduced adjusted EBITDA due to such asset sales. Over the next five years, Alcoa plans to realign its operating portfolio, and has placed under review 1.5M metric tons of smelting capacity and 4M metric tons of alumina refining capacity. The review will consider opportunities for significant improvement, potential curtailments, closures or divestitures."

16:12 EDT CSX says metals and equipment declined due to reduced metals demand - CSX says metals and equipment declined due to reduced metals demand, primarily in steel, construction and scrap markets.

16:09 EDT Carrizo Oil & Gas sees Q3 production volumes 69.5-69.6 BOE/d, up 6% from Q2 - Carrizo Oil & Gas provided an update on the company's operations for the third quarter. Production volumes during Q3 are currently expected to be 69,500-69,600 Boe/d, an increase of approximately 6% from the second quarter. Crude oil production is expected to account for approximately 66% of the company's production during the quarter, while natural gas and NGLs are expected to account for approximately 18% and 16%, respectively.

16:09 EDT Waitr Holdings CFO Yurecko to resign - Waitr Holdings announced that Jeff Yurecko, the company's current Chief Financial Officer, will resign from the position effective November 1, 2019. The company has initiated a search process to select a Chief Financial Officer. In addition, the company also announced that Board members, Sue Collyns and Scott Fletcher have resigned from the Board. The Board has initiated a search process to select new Board members. Jeff, Sue and Scott's decisions to resign were not related to a disagreement with the company over any of its operations, policies or practices, the company said.

16:08 EDT Netflix backs FY19 view of free cash flow of -$3.5B - Netflix said: "Net cash used in operating activities in Q3'19 was -$502 million vs. -$690 million in the prior year period. Free cash flow in Q3 totaled -$551 million vs. -$859 million in Q3'18. For the full year 2019, we're still expecting FCF of approximately -$3.5 billion. With our quickly growing revenue base and expanding operating margins, we will be able to fund more of our content spending internally. As a result, we're expecting free cash flow to improve in 2020 vs. 2019 and we expect to continue to improve annually beyond 2020. As we move slowly toward FCF positive, our plan is to continue to use the high yield market in the interim to finance our investment needs."

16:07 EDT Netflix says preparing for new wave of competition 'for a long time' - Netflix said: "We did well during the first decade of streaming. We've been preparing for this new wave of competition for a long time. It's why we started investing in originals in 2012 and expanded aggressively ever since - across programming categories and countries with an ambition to share stories from the world to the world. In Q4, with The Crown, The Witcher, Klaus, The Irishman, The Two Popes, 6 Underground, and many other amazing titles launching, we're ready to compete to earn consumers' attention and viewing."

16:06 EDT Netflix says launch of competing services will be 'noisy' - Netflix said: "Many are focused on the 'streaming wars,' but we've been competing with streamers (Amazon, YouTube, Hulu) as well as linear TV for over a decade. The upcoming arrival of services like Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Peacock is increased competition, but we are all small compared to linear TV. While the new competitors have some great titles (especially catalog titles), none have the variety, diversity and quality of new original programming that we are producing around the world. The launch of these new services will be noisy. There may be some modest headwind to our near-term growth, and we have tried to factor that into our guidance. In the long-term, though, we expect we'll continue to grow nicely given the strength of our service and the large market opportunity. By way of example, our growth in Canada, where Hulu does not exist, is nearly identical to our growth in the US (where Hulu is very successful at about 30 million paid memberships)."

16:04 EDT Netflix says on track to achieve FY19 operating margin goal of 13% - Netflix said: "We're on track to achieve our full year 2019 operating margin goal of 13%. In 2020, we'll be targeting another 300 basis points in operating margin expansion, consistent with the annual margin improvement we've delivered each year since 2017. As we've said previously, large swings in F/X could lead to some variations from our steady annual margin progression, partially because we don't buy derivatives to hedge our F/X exposure and about half of our revenue is not in US dollars."

16:03 EDT United Insurance pre-announces Q3 catastrophe losses of $46M - United Insurance announced that it expects to incur approximately $46M pre-tax of net retained catastrophe losses from Tropical Storms Barry and Imelda, Hurricane Dorian and increased retention from non-tropical events related to the company's aggregate reinsurance program for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. During Q3, the company is also estimating approximately $15M pre-tax of adverse reserve development stemming from catastrophe losses in prior accident years.

16:02 EDT Future FinTech regains compliance with Nasdaq periodic filing requirement - Future FinTech has received a letter from Nasdaq notifying the company that it has regained compliance with Nasdaq's periodic filing requirements for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and the matter is now closed. On September 18, the company submitted its plan of compliance in connection with its failure to meet the requirement of maintaining a minimum of $2.5M in shareholders' equity for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. If the plan is accepted, Nasdaq can grant the company an extension up to 180 calendar days to demonstrate compliance. The company is still waiting for the Nasdaq's determination whether the plan is accepted.

15:24 EDT Boeing contracted to build rocket stages for NASA's Artemis missions - NASA and Boeing have initiated a contract for the production of 10 Space Launch System core stages and up to eight Exploration Upper Stages to support the third through the twelfth Artemis missions, the company announced. Up to 10 additional core stages may be ordered under the contract, leveraging active labor, materials, and facility resources and supply chain efficiencies for production savings. "We greatly appreciate the confidence NASA has placed in Boeing to deliver this deep space rocket and their endorsement of our team's approach to meeting this unprecedented technological and manufacturing challenge in support of NASA's Artemis program. Together with a nationwide network of engaged and innovative suppliers we will deliver the first core stage to NASA this year for Artemis I. This team is already implementing lessons learned and innovative practices from the first build to produce a second core stage more efficiently than the first. We are committed to continuous improvement as they execute on this new contract," said Jim Chilton, senior vice president of Boeing's Space and Launch division.

15:13 EDT Health Insurance Innovations rises 3% to $27.13 - A late day move higher in shares of Health Insurance Innovations may be attributable to speculation that the company cancelled out of a planned conference appearance, according to Fly contacts.

14:46 EDT Citi reports agreement to purchase 580 CrossPoint Parkway from Uniland - Citi has signed a purchase and sale agreement for 580 CrossPoint Parkway in the CrossPoint Business Park and approximately nine acres of adjacent land from owner Uniland Development Company. "This building purchase is a part of Citi's Amherst office complex, and demonstrates Citi's long-term commitment to remain in Western New York. With this transaction, Citi will own the 158,000 square foot building located at 580 CrossPoint Parkway and will extend its lease with Uniland on the conjoined 107,000 square foot building located at 540 CrossPoint Parkway," the bank stated. The transaction is expected to close in November 2019.

14:23 EDT Premier, GE collaborating on U.S. model for same-day breast cancer diagnosis - GE Healthcare (GE) and Premier (PINC) have announced a collaboration to develop a model to bring a same-day breast cancer diagnosis and treatment model to the United States. A similar model has already proven effective at the Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus in France, the companies stated. To support the effort, Premier conducted a Rapid Evidence Review, one of the first comprehensive evaluations of expedited diagnosis for patients with breast cancer. Based on the results of the first phase of the collaboration, GE Healthcare and Premier will next evaluate the potential and merits associated with adopting the One-Stop Clinic model in the United States. The companies have convened an advisory board to provide insight on the One-Stop Clinic model, as well as guidance and counsel on best approaches to redesign it for the U.S. market.

13:08 EDT Wolverine World Wide appoints Angelo Ng as chief merchant officer - Wolverine World Wide (WWW) announced the addition of veteran merchandising and branding expert Angelo Ng as the company's first-ever chief merchant officer. Most recently, he served as VP of Levi's (LEVI) men's, collections, collaborations and accessories merchandising. In this newly created role, Ng will lead the merchandising growth strategy and innovation roadmap for the portfolio of brands. Ng will focus on aligning consumer insights, market intelligence, advanced concepts, trends and strategy.

13:02 EDT Lattice MachXO3D secure control FPGA receives security certification from NIST - Lattice Semiconductor announced its MachXO3D FPGAs for secure system control received the National Institute of Standards and Technology's, NIST, Cryptographic Algorithm Validation Program, CAVP, certification. CAVP certification validates that critical MachXO3D cryptographic algorithms are compliant with Federal Information Processing Standards, FIPS, the U.S. federal government's standard for cryptographic software. By complying with both the CAVP and NIST's Platform Firmware Resilience specifications, the MachXO3D FPGA's security mechanisms can protect, detect and recover the device and other system components from unauthorized firmware access throughout its operating life: from the device's initial integration, through system shipment, installation and its entire operational life.

12:33 EDT U.K.'s CMA announces formal investigation of Amazon's Deliveroo investment - The Competition and Markets Authority, the U.K.'s antitrust watchdog, has launched a formal probe into the acquisition by Amazon of certain rights and a minority shareholding in Roofoods, trading as Deliveroo, it said in a statement. The Fly notes that in July, British authorities said it was reviewing Amazon's proposed investment in the food delivery startup. Reference Link

12:18 EDT General Motors confirms UAW's statement regarding proposed tentative agreement - GM said in a statement: "We can confirm the UAW's statement regarding a proposed tentative agreement. Additional details will be provided at the appropriate time." Reference Link

12:00 EDT ServiceNow falls -8.3% - ServiceNow is down -8.3%, or -$22.84 to $251.40.

12:00 EDT Hovnanian rises 8.2% - Hovnanian is up 8.2%, or $2.15 to $28.40.

12:00 EDT Fitbit rises 8.7% - Fitbit is up 8.7%, or 30c to $3.75.

11:55 EDT Judge rules Patterson Companies violated U.S. antitrust laws in FTC complaint - Chief Administrative Law Judge D. Michael Chappell has held that two of three respondents named in a Federal Trade Commission complaint violated U.S. antitrust laws by conspiring to refuse to provide discounts to, or otherwise serve, buying groups representing dental practitioners. The FTC's February 2018 administrative complaint named the nation's three largest dental supply companies: Benco Dental Supply Company, Henry Schein (HSIC), and Patterson Companies (PDCO). As full-service dental distributors, these companies offer gloves, cements, sterilization products and a range of other consumable supplies, as well as equipment, such as dental chairs and lights. Collectively, the big three control more than 85% of all distributor sales of dental products and services nationwide. The U.S. market for dental products is valued at approximately $10B. Judge Chappell held that Benco and Patterson were part of the conspiracy, but Schein was not. Reference Link

11:48 EDT SharkNinja says 'will aggressively defend' against iRobot patent suit - SharkNinja announced that it filed a complaint last week against iRobot Corporation in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware seeking a ruling from the court that the Shark IQ Robot does not infringe certain iRobot patents directed to robotic vacuum cleaners. "SharkNinja filed this lawsuit in response to a threatening letter from iRobot wrongly accusing SharkNinja of infringing these patents. SharkNinja takes intellectual property very seriously and takes active steps to avoid violations of any intellectual property. In response to SharkNinja's lawsuit, yesterday iRobot filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts alleging infringement of some of the patents identified in SharkNinja's original Delaware lawsuit. iRobot also filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction. iRobot's lawsuit is their latest attempt to dominate the robot vacuum cleaner market through litigation and deny consumers the choice of robotic vacuum cleaners at affordable prices. SharkNinja filed its lawsuit first in order to quickly clear its name and put an immediate stop to iRobot's threats. SharkNinja will aggressively defend itself against any and all unsubstantiated claims of patent infringement and is confident that it will prevail in this matter," the company stated.

11:42 EDT CommScope patents upheld by German federal patent court - The German Federal Patent Court has issued decisions upholding the validity of important CommScope patents that had been challenged by a competitor, COMLAB. At an October 9 oral hearing, the German Federal Patent Court rejected challenges by COMLAB regarding the validity of the German part of European Patent EP1022849B1 owned by CommScope's affiliate Andrew Wireless Systems. The Federal Patent Court already upheld the German part of European Patent EP2180605B1 in a decision dated March 27, 2019. COMLAB filed appeal against the Federal Patent Court's decision that is now pending before the Federal Supreme Court and can appeal the most recent decision. Earlier this year, CommScope won two patent infringement actions against COMLAB's InTrain repeaters, asserting the German parts of European Patents EP1022849B1 and EP2180605B1. Both decisions were appealed and are now pending before the Higher Regional Court Dusseldorf. During the infringement proceedings, one of the claims for The German part of European Patent EP2180605B1 was revised and upheld as valid, which COMLAB was found to infringe by the District Court of Dusseldorf. COMLAB attempted to challenge the validity of both patents, but the October 9 decision by the German Federal Patent Court has now upheld both patents. "We are pleased with the court's decision," said Thomas Kummetz, vice president of Distributed Coverage and Capacity Systems for CommScope's Mobility Solutions. "CommScope remains committed to protecting the valuable innovations it delivers to its customers, and we are satisfied that the Patent Court has recognized the contributions these inventions have made in this field." In addition, in June 2019, CommScope won a jury verdict in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas against Dali Wireless for patent infringement of multiple patents relating to digital distributed antenna systems.

11:32 EDT Casey's General Stores appoints Tom Brennan as chief merchandising officer - Casey's General Stores announced that it has named Tom Brennan as chief merchandising officer, reporting to Darren Rebelez, CEO. Brennan will lead the development and implementation of the company's overall merchandising and prepared foods strategy. Brennan joins Casey's from CKE Restaurants Holdings, the parent of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, where he was COO.

10:50 EDT United Airlines sees potential for higher fares over holidays - Management says all hubs are profitable on an annual basis.

10:45 EDT PNC Financial sees one rate cut for rest of 2019

10:43 EDT United Airlines says Boeing 737 MAX returns impact won't affect profit guidance

10:42 EDT United Airlines plans to increase aircraft size to help with costs - Comments provided during Q3 earnings conference call.

10:18 EDT Cresco Labs receives adult-use approval for all five Illinois dispensaries - Cresco Labs announced that it has received Early Approval Adult-Use Dispensing Organization Licenses for all five of its existing Illinois medical cannabis dispensaries. Cresco received approval for adult-use cultivation on September 30th making it the only company approved for both adult-use cultivation and adult-use dispensary operations in the state. Cresco Labs currently has five medical dispensaries in the state of Illinois, including: Phoenix Botanical; MedMar Lakeview; MedMar Rockford; PDI Medical; and FloraMedex. Each of these dispensaries has received approval for adult-use sales. As an existing medical cannabis dispensary operator, the Company will receive an additional adult-use license for each of its current medical dispensaries, which will bring Cresco Labs' total adult-use footprint to 10 total retail dispensary locations. In July, Cresco Labs announced the formation of a new national retail brand Sunnyside, a wellness-focused retailer designed to build trust, education and convenience for both existing and new cannabis consumers. All of the Company's Illinois dispensaries will transition to this new retail concept. The Company's three cultivation licenses located in Joliet, Kankakee and Lincoln, can represent a total combined cultivation space at completion of 630,000 square feet per Illinois state regulations.

10:05 EDT American Eagle to hire roughly 10,000 part-time seasonal brand ambassadors - American Eagle Outfitters announced plans to hire nearly 10,000 part-time seasonal brand ambassadors to join its American Eagle and Aerie store teams. A hiring event in the U.S. and Canada will take place at AE and Aerie stores on Sunday, October 20, 2019. Part-time associates receive a 40% merchandise discount and access to a rewards app to redeem individualized prizes and merchandise.

10:00 EDT Alteryx falls -6.8% - Alteryx is down -6.8%, or -$7.68 to $104.55.

10:00 EDT American Vanguard falls -12.2% - American Vanguard is down -12.2%, or -$1.88 to $13.45.

10:00 EDT Teva rises 6.3% - Teva is up 6.3%, or 44c to $7.41.

09:49 EDT Abbott says focused on organic execution - Says: Continuing to strengthen product portfolio... Sees no change to momentum across business units... All fundamentals are strong... Anticipates significant expansion of FreeStyle Libre product... Libre 2 facing "handful" of issues at FDA... Confident on future of Libre... In a strong cash position... No active M&A on radar screen... Happy with R&D pipeline... MitraClip in "early innings" of growth... China "doesn't seem" to be affecting the business... Demand for company's products in China has been strong... China business is good... Underlying growth in emerging markets "has slowed some, but is still good." Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:47 EDT Donnelley Financial Solutions rises 5.1% - Donnelley Financial Solutions is up 5.1%, or 54c to $11.09.

09:47 EDT Micro Focus rises 5.1% - Micro Focus is up 5.1%, or 71c to $14.58.

09:37 EDT Cannabics reports publication of study on controlled release capsules - Cannabics Pharmaceuticals announced that the final results of its pilot study to test the efficacy of Cannabics' Dosage-Controlled capsules for the treatment of cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome in advanced cancer patients have been published on the Journal of Integrative Cancer Therapies. The study objective was to evaluate the effect of dosage-controlled cannabis capsules on CACS in advanced cancer patients, and more specifically, on patient weight variation. During the study, some patients reported several psychoactive side effects and it was decided to reduce the capsules' dosage to 5 mg. Almost no side effects were reported with the Cannabics 5 mg dosage. It seems that this dosage is appropriate for the treatment of CACS in advanced cancer patients under active treatment. Despite various limitations, the current preliminary study demonstrated a weight increase of greater than or equal to10% in 3/17 of the patients with doses of 5 mg x 1 or 5 mg x 2 capsules daily, without significant side effects. The results justify a larger study with dosage-controlled cannabis capsules in CACS.

09:33 EDT Synchrony, Polaris extend consumer financing partnership - Synchrony (SYF) announced it has renewed a multi-year financing agreement with Polaris (PII), For more than 13 years, Synchrony and Polaris have partnered to provide Polaris buyers access to special financing options and customized promotional installment loan offers through Polaris's widespread U.S. dealer network.

09:17 EDT Evolus, Clarion Medical announce first shipment of Nuceiva in Canada - Evolus and Clarion Medical Technologies announced the first shipment of Nuceiva in Canada. Nuceiva is a 900 kDa purified botulinum toxin type A formulation that is approved by Health Canada for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines in adult patients less than 65 years of age. The product was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in February 2019 and launched under the brand name, Jeuveau, in May 2019. Nuceiva was authorized for sale by Health Canada in August 2018.

09:13 EDT Swire Coca-Cola, USA, selects Domo technology for business data - Domo announced that Swire Coca-Cola, USA, has chosen Domo to drive more value from its business data and help its managers serve their selling region, associates and business relationships more effectively. With headquarters in Draper, Utah, Swire Coca-Cola produces, sells and distributes Coca-Cola and other beverages to more than 60,000 retail customers in 13 states across the American West.=

09:10 EDT Hardee's tests new Beyond Breakfast Sausage, Original Beyond Thickburger - Hardee's announced it will be partnering with Beyond Meat as one of the first U.S. quick service restaurants to offer plant-based breakfast, lunch and dinner options. In keeping with the brand's innovative heritage of offering new twists on classic favorites, Hardee's will be testing a new Beyond Breakfast Sausage Biscuit and an Original Beyond Thickburger for a limited-time in two regional markets - Raleigh, NC and Kansas City, MO, beginning October 16.

09:08 EDT Comtech subsidiary receives $7M in orders for RF amplifiers - Comtech announced that during Q1, its New York-based subsidiary, Comtech PST Corp received multiple orders totaling $7M for solid-state high-power RF amplifiers from a domestic prime contractor. These amplifiers are elements in data communication systems and these orders supplement an installed base of solid-state high-power RF amplifiers previously delivered by Comtech to this major domestic prime contractor.

09:04 EDT Bank of America sees Q4 effective tax rate around 19%

09:03 EDT Nektar initiates Phase 1 clinical study of NKTR-255 candidate - Nektar initiated a first-in-human, Phase 1 clinical study evaluating NKTR-255, an interleukin-15 receptor agonist, as monotherapy for patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma or multiple myeloma. The study will also combine NKTR-255 with multiple targeted antibodies to evaluate the safety and efficacy in adults with relapsed or refractory MM. In nonclinical studies, NKTR-255 exhibited anti-tumor activity and substantially enhanced in vivo proliferation and activation of NK cells to provide sustained cytotoxic function. NHL is one of the most common cancers in the United States, accounting for about 4% of all cancers.

08:52 EDT Bank of America reaffirms net interest income guidance of up 2% vs. FY18

08:51 EDT Bank of America CEO says economy 'still in solid shape' - Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan says client borrowing shows that the U.S. economy is "still in solid shape" despite concerns over trade. Comments taken from the Q3 earnings conference call.

08:43 EDT Aileron Therapeutics announces initiation of clinical trial evaluating ALRN-6924 - Aileron Therapeutics announced that the first patient has completed the initial cycle of treatment in the Company's first clinical trial evaluating ALRN-6924 as a myelopreservation agent in patients with p53-mutant small-cell lung cancers treated with the chemotherapy topotecan. One basis for the potential anti-tumor effects lies in the fact that cancer cells frequently possess a mutated p53 gene, whereas normal cells, including immune system cells of cancer patients are not mutated, i.e., "p53-wildtype." Importantly, the activation of p53-wildtype has been shown to have effects on the immune system that can enhance anti-tumor efficacy and ALRN-6924 is a first-in-class dual MDM2/MDMX-inhibitor that can activate p53-wildtype. Aileron's ongoing Phase 1b myelopreservation trial is designed to identify a recommended phase 2 dose for ALRN-6924 and evaluate the safety and efficacy of ALRN-6924 when administered to protect SCLC patients from toxicities caused by treatment with topotecan. The study will enroll up to 40 patients and will use existing standard gene tests to screen patients for p53-mutations as a biomarker-based patient selection strategy unique to ALRN-6924. The Company plans to expand its clinical program for ALRN-6924 in myelopreservation to include an additional Phase 1b cohort in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with docetaxel. In addition, the company is planning a randomized expansion cohort of the Phase 1b SCLC trial to treat patients with alternating cycles of chemotherapy with and without ALRN-6924, This "on/off" cohort is designed to provide a robust clinical proof of concept to demonstrate the effects of ALRN-6924 as a myelopreservative agent, as each patient will serve as his/her own control. After identifying a recommended phase 2 dose in the ongoing phase 1b trial, patient enrollment into these 2 new cohorts is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2020. The Company currently plans to reallocate resources from early-stage pipeline programs to accommodate the greater investment into the clinical development of ALRN-6924.

08:37 EDT Cronos Group issues statement on IPO of Cronos Australia - Cronos Group noted the separately announced A$20M initial public offering of Cronos Australia, Under the offering, Cronos Australia is expected to issue 40 million new shares at an offering price of A$0.50 per share ahead of its planned listing on the Australian Securities Exchange in November 2019. Established in February 2018, Cronos Australia is a 50/50 joint venture between Cronos Group and NewSouthern Capital Pty Ltd., and is led by Rodney Cocks and Peter Righetti. Upon completion of the Cronos Australia IPO, Cronos Group is expected to hold approximately 31 percent of the issued capital of Cronos Australia, and Cronos Australia is expected to have an initial market capitalization of approximately A$64.4M.

08:34 EDT Atossa Genetics receives IRB approval for Phase 2 breast cancer study - Atossa Genetics announced that the Institutional Review Board has approved a Phase 2 clinical study of Atossa's intraductal microcatheter technology for the administration of fulvestrant in patients with early-stage breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ. Susan Love, M.D., inventor of the technology, will advise Atossa as it conducts the trial. Fulvestrant is FDA-approved for metastatic breast cancer. It is administered as a monthly intramuscular injection of two injections, typically into the buttocks. This trial is a Phase 2 study in women with Stage 1 or 2 breast cancer or DCIS scheduled for mastectomy or lumpectomy within 14 to 45 days. This study will assess the safety, tolerability, cellular activity and distribution of fulvestrant when delivered directly into breast milk ducts via Atossa's intraductal technology, compared to those who receive the same drug by injection. Of the 30 patients required for full enrollment, six will receive the standard intramuscular injection of fulvestrant and 24 will receive fulvestrant with Atossa's intraductal technology. The primary endpoint of the clinical trial is to compare the safety, tolerability and distribution of fulvestrant between the two routes of administration. The secondary endpoint of the study is to determine if there are changes in the expression of Ki67 as well as estrogen and progesterone receptors between a pre-fulvestrant biopsy and post-fulvestrant surgical specimens. Digital breast imaging before and after drug administration in both groups will also be performed to determine the effect of fulvestrant on any lesions as well as breast density of the participant. This Phase 2 study is currently underway at Montefiore Medical Center, which will transition all future work to the new study site.

08:30 EDT CorMedix says FDA 'supportive' of Neutrolin's proposed manufacturing program - CorMedix announced that it has completed its interaction with the FDA related to the chemistry, manufacturing and controls package that will be needed to support Neutrolin's new drug application. The FDA was supportive of Neutrolin's proposed manufacturing program, including the active pharmaceutical ingredients, the container closure and testing, and indicated that it will conduct a thorough review of all of the CMC information as well as assess the commercial readiness of the various manufacturing facilities at the time of NDA filing. No further CMC meetings with FDA are planned prior to NDA submission. A pre-NDA meeting has now been scheduled and CorMedix is looking forward to discussing with the FDA the filing of the NDA for Neutrolin, including the FDA programs intended to facilitate and expedite review of the application, such as Priority Review designation, rolling submission, and LPAD.

08:28 EDT PNC Financial sees Q4 net interest income down approximately 1% - Sees Q4 average loans up approximately 1%, with fee income stable to up 1%. Sees noninterest expense up approximately 1% and loan loss provision of $175M-$225M. The company reiterated that it is positioned to deliver full year positive operating leverage. Comments from slides being presented on the Q3 earnings conference call.

08:23 EDT Beyond Air completes 30-day rat toxicology study for LungFit - Beyond Air announced completion of a 30-day rat toxicology study and provided an update on its 12-week toxicology studies in both rats and dogs. All administrations in the studies were done with LungFit, the company's proprietary cylinder-free, phasic flow NO generator and delivery system. In both the 30-day rat study and the 12-week rat and dog studies, animals were dosed intermittently, multiple times per day with animals in the 30-day study receiving NO doses of up to 400 ppm. Results from the 30-day study demonstrated clean safety results with no unexpected findings. The 12-week rat study completed earlier this month, and the 12-week dog study is in week 8 with animals receiving NO doses of up to 250 ppm. The 30-day rat study was a 4-arm study examining NO dosed intermittently, multiple times per day. All animals survived through the scheduled termination of the study. Histopathological examination revealed no evidence of NO-related macroscopic or microscopic findings. Nitrogen dioxide approximate mean level was 6.5 ppm at the 400 ppm NO dose, with a maximum level of 10 ppm during administration. Methemoglobin levels increased during NO administration as anticipated. However, all MetHb levels returned to baseline/normal range prior to the next NO administration. The 12-week rat and dog studies are both 2-arm studies examining NO dosed intermittently, multiple times per day. The studies were designed to mimic the intended treatment regimen for NTM patients with the LungFit NTM system. Dosing in the rat study was completed on October 1, 2019, with all animals surviving through the scheduled termination of the study. Dosing in the dog study is ongoing and is presently in week 8, with no mortality and all animals tolerating treatment.

08:19 EDT Intellia Therapeutics announces presentations at 2019 Annual Congress of ESGCT - Intellia Therapeutics announced one oral presentation and four poster presentations were accepted for the 27th Annual Congress of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy taking place October 22-25, 2019, in Barcelona, Spain. Intellia's data includes important updates about the company's programs and platform development activities. Oral Presentation: "In Vivo Gene Knockout Followed by Targeted Gene Insertion Results in Simultaneous Reduced Mutant Protein Levels and Durable Transgene Expression": Intellia will present data on its alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency program, which uses a modular hybrid delivery system combining lipid nanoparticle encapsulated CRISPR/Cas9 with an adeno-associated virus donor DNA template. Intellia's gene knockout approach eliminates the production of the faulty PiZ variant of the protein, while targeted insertion of a wild-type gene copy facilitates production of a functional circulating protein. This builds on Intellia's similar approach for targeted gene insertion of Factor 9, which achieved increased levels of circulating human Factor IX protein through two months in non-human primates and sustained through 12 months in mice. Poster Presentations: "In Silico, Biochemical and Cell-Based Integrative Genomics Identifies Precise CRISPR/Cas9 Targets for Human Therapeutics": This poster presentation will highlight Intellia's approach to assess off-target activity to identify highly specific CRISPR/Cas9 guides. Researchers demonstrated that potential off-target editing profiles discovered through empirical data from biochemical approaches were the most sensitive and accurate. "Generation of a Library of WT1-Specific T Cell Receptors for TCR Gene Edited T Cell Therapy of Acute Leukemia": This poster presentation focuses on Intellia's ongoing research collaboration with IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele to develop CRISPR/Cas9-edited T cell therapies to address intractable cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia. Researchers have successfully established a protocol enabling consistent and efficient tumor-specific TCR isolation and characterization from healthy donors. Based on these results, Intellia has selected multiple lead TCRs, which are undergoing development candidate evaluation. "Engineering of Highly Functional and Specific Transgenic T Cell Receptor T Cells Using CRISPR-Mediated In-Locus Insertion Combined with Endogenous TCR Knockout" This poster presentation focuses on the company's T cell engineering technology, which is being applied in its Wilms' Tumor 1 lead ex vivo program. Intellia has identified an efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated process that inserts tumor-specific TCRs with high yield into the TRAC locus. Simultaneous knockout of the TRBC1 and TRBC2 loci substantially eliminates production of the endogenous T cell receptors. "CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Knockout to Address Primary Hyperoxaluria": This poster presentation will demonstrate the effects of independent CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of each of two target genes involved in oxalate formation, lactate dehydrogenase A and hydroxyacid oxidase 1, to address primary hyperoxaluria type 1.

08:14 EDT MarketAxess appoints Justin Gmelich to board of directors - MarketAxess Holdings (MKTX) announced the election of Justin Gmelich to its Board of Directors, effective October 15, 2019. Gmelich has had a distinguished career in credit markets where he was most recently Global COO for Fixed Income, Commodities, and Currencies at Goldman Sachs (GS).

08:11 EDT MicroStrategy announces new technology partnership with DataRobot - MicroStrategy announced a new technology partnership with DataRobot designed to make it easier for businesses to integrate AI into their most popular applications and core processes by leveraging HyperIntelligence cards to deliver AI-driven insights and recommendations. HyperIntelligence injects analytics into popular business applications on both web and mobile making it possible to reveal insights to users without interrupting their existing workflows.

08:08 EDT West Pharmaceutical increases equity stake in Daikyo Seiko to 49% - West Pharmaceutical has increased its minority equity stake to 49% in Daikyo Seiko, a company that West has partnered with for more than 40 years to develop and manufacture high-quality components and solutions for the primary containment and delivery of injectable medicines. West and Daikyo have long-standing agreements which include a distribution agreement, by which West distributes and markets Daikyo products throughout the world, on an exclusive basis, as well as a technology exchange and cross license agreement, which grants each party certain exclusive intellectual property rights for the manufacture of products covered by the relationship. Additionally, Daikyo has distribution rights of West products within Japan. This transaction is not expected to have a material impact to West's 2019 financial outlook.

08:06 EDT CACI awarded $88M task order from U.S. Army - CACI announced it has been awarded a five-year task order, with a ceiling value of $88 million, to support the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Software Engineering Center's Army Reprogramming Analysis Team, or ARAT, Program Office. Under the task order, CACI will provide scientific, systems, and software engineering and technical services in support of ARAT. ARAT provides rapid reprogramming infrastructure that develops, delivers, and sustains software for electronic warfare systems and other electromagnetic spectrum capabilities. Awarded under the SSES NexGen contract vehicle, the work represents continuing work for CACI.

08:03 EDT Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives announces $67M wind energy project award - Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives announced a new wind energy project award valued at approximately $67M. The award is for construction of the Richland Wind Farm in Sac County in western Iowa. This is a 130-megawatt project. The power generated by the project's planned 53 GE WTG turbines will be delivered into the Iowa electrical grid. Work on the Richland project is scheduled to begin in October with full operation by September 2020. The scope of IEA's work includes all engineering, procurement and construction of project roads, WTG foundations, the MV collection system and the project substation.

08:00 EDT Dream Global REIT mails information circular for special unitholder meeting - DREAM GLOBAL REIT (DUNDF) announced that it is mailing its Management Information Circular and related voting materials in connection with the special meeting of the unitholders of the REIT to approve the proposed transaction pursuant to which affiliates of real estate funds managed by The Blackstone Group (BX) will acquire all of Dream Global REIT's subsidiaries and assets in an all-cash transaction valued at $6.2B. The purpose of the Meeting is to approve the Transaction, which presents Unitholders with the opportunity to earn a premium return over and above the exceptional value created since the REIT's 2011 initial public offering. On closing of the Transaction, Unitholders will receive cash consideration of $16.79 per unit of Dream Global REIT, as described in the Circular. This represents a significant premium of 18.5% to the closing price of the Units on the Toronto Stock Exchange on September 13, 2019, the last trading day prior to the announcement of the Transaction. Assuming the Transaction is completed by December 31, 2019, the 2019 annualized total return to Unitholders will be approximately 47%. The Transaction requires a separation of Dream Asset Management Corporation from its role as external asset manager to the REIT. The consummation of the Transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain customary conditions, including approval of at least 66 2/3% of the votes cast by Unitholders at the Meeting and a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting by Unitholders other than DAM and other related parties, and certain regulatory approvals. On September 23, 2019, the Commissioner of Competition issued an Advance Ruling Certificate in respect of the Transaction, thereby satisfying the requirement to obtain Competition Act approval, and on October 8, 2019, the TSX confirmed acceptance of the notice of the Transaction, subject to delivery by the REIT of customary documentation at or prior to the closing. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions to the Transaction, the Transaction is expected to close in December 2019.

07:56 EDT Unisys' enterprise service management solution selected by Nutreco - Unisys announced that Nutreco, a provider of animal nutrition and aqua feed, has extended its engagement with Unisys, expanding its partnership from managed end-user, IT service management and data center support to further include an enterprise service management platform. Under the terms of the agreement, the solution leverages Unisys' InteliServe and ServiceNow technology, to enable an omnichannel approach to service desk support for an improved end user experience.

07:42 EDT Penske Automotive raises quarterly dividend to 41c from 40c per share - The dividend is payable on December 3 to shareholders of record on November 8.

07:34 EDT Novocure announces STELLAR trial results published in oncology journal - Novocure announced that results from the STELLAR trial were published in The Lancet Oncology. The STELLAR trial was a prospective, single-arm trial including 80 patients that studied the use of Tumor Treating Fields, delivered via the NovoTTF-100L system, in combination with pemetrexed plus cisplatin/carboplatin as a first-line treatment for patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma, or MPM. Data showed a median overall survival of 18.2 months for patients treated with NovoTTF-100L and pemetrexed plus cisplatin or carboplatin. One- and two-year survival rates were 62.2% and 41.9%, respectively. No serious systemic adverse events were considered to be related to the use of NovoTTF-100L. The most common mild to moderate adverse event was skin irritation beneath the transducer arrays. Median progression free survival was 7.6 months for patients treated with NovoTTF-100L and pemetrexed plus cisplatin or carboplatin. There was a 97% disease control rate in patients with at least one follow-up CT scan performed. In the study, 40% of patients had a partial response, 57% had stable disease and 3% had progressive disease.

07:27 EDT EU passenger car registrations up 14.5% in September - In September, EU demand for new passenger cars increased by 14.5% from the same month of last year to reach 1.2M units registered in total, reported the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Last month, all EU member states posted increases, except for Bulgaria. "To a large extent, this strong year-on-year growth is the result of a low base of comparison, as registrations fell significantly in September 2018 by 23.5% following the introduction of the WLTP testing regime," the ACEA stated. Publicly traded automakers include Daimler AG (DDAIF), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Honda (HMC), Nissan (NSANY), Tesla (TSLA), Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VWAGY).

07:23 EDT Assembly Biosciences announces presentation of ABI-H0731, ABI-H2158 data - Assembly Biosciences announced that data on its lead HBV core inhibitor candidates, ABI-H0731 and ABI-H2158 for the treatment of chronic HBV will be featured in a late-breaking poster session during the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Annual Meeting. Title: Continued Therapy with ABI-H0731+Nrtl Results in Sequential Reduction/Loss of HBV DNA, HBV RNA, HBeAg, HBcrAg and HBsAg in HBeAg-Positive Patients. Abstract Summary: Final results from Phase 2a are reported for HBeAg+ patients with chronic HBV infection treated with 731+Nrtl for 24 weeks. In Study 202, greater mean log10 declines in HBV DNA and RNA were achieved with 731+Nrtl versus entecavir alone. In Study 201, the proportion of patients on 731+Nrtl versus Nrtl alone achieving DNA target not detected was 69% vs 0%, and the proportion of patients achieving RNA less than35 U/mL whose RNA was greater than or equal to35 U/mL at baseline was 52% vs 0% respectively. In Study 211, there are 64 HBeAg+ patients currently on extended treatment beyond 24 weeks. Among the 27 HBeAg+ patients receiving 731+Nrtl in Study 201, 41% have now achieved DNA TND along with RNA less than35 U/mL and HBeAg less than1 IU/mL. At their last timepoint, Study 202 patients now in Study 211 have demonstrated mean DNA and RNA declines of 6.1 and 3.0 logs, respectively, with observed mean log changes of greater than or equal to0.6 for HBeAg, greater than0.8 log for HBcrAg and greater than or equal to0.4 log for HBsAg. 731 continues to exhibit a favorable safety and tolerability profile in patients treated for up to 1 year, with only mild/moderate adverse events and lab abnormalities, and only a single discontinuation due to a Grade 1 rash. The combination of 731+NrtI results in faster and deeper declines in HBV DNA and RNA than NrtI alone, as well as subsequent declines in the surrogate markers of cccDNA predictive of cccDNA pool depletion, and HBsAg. The emergent data supports the continued development of 731. Abstract data are as of the time of submission; the poster is expected to include updated safety and efficacy results. Title: The Second-Generation Hepatitis B Virus Core Inhibitor ABI-H2158 is Associated with Potent Antiviral Activity in a 14-Day Monotherapy Study in HBeAg-positive Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B. Abstract Summary: The Phase 1b study is enrolling sequential cohorts of 9 patients and each cohort will be randomized to receive 2158 or placebo QD for 14 days in a blinded manner. Dosing in the 1st cohort has been completed. In patients receiving 2158, mean declines from Baseline to Day 15 in HBV DNA and RNA levels were 2.3 log10 and 2.1 log10 IU/mL respectively. No serious AEs, dose limiting toxicities or premature discontinuations were reported. Three patients reported a total of 5 mild, drug-related AEs that recovered without intervention; dizziness, fatigue, rash, headache and upper abdominal pain. Treatment emergent laboratory abnormalities were infrequent, mild and transient, with no ALT elevations Grade greater than or equal to1 in severity. Day 14 plasma 2158 Cmax and AUC0-24hr were 3,390 ng/mL and 46,100 hr*ng/mL, respectively. Results from the initial 100 mg low dose of ABI-H2158 cohort demonstrated potent antiviral activity, a favourable safety profile when administered for 14 days, and support once daily dosing in CHB patients.

07:14 EDT GlaxoSmithKline owned ViiV Healthcare submits Dovato sNDA to FDA - ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority owned by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), with Pfizer (PFE) and Shionogi Limited as shareholders, announced the submission of a supplemental new drug application, or sNDA, to the FDA for Dovato as a switch treatment for HIV-1 infection in virologically suppressed adults on a stable antiretroviral regimen with no treatment failure. In the US, Dovato is currently approved as a complete, once-daily, single-tablet regimen of dolutegravir 50 mg and lamivudine 300 mg for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults with no antiretroviral treatment history and with no known resistance to either.

07:10 EDT Neovasc retains Westwicke for investor, public relations consulting services - Neovasc announced it has retained Westwicke, an ICR company, for integrated investor and public relations consulting services. Neovasc continues to drive towards strong double-digit percentage EMEA revenue growth for the Reducer during 2019, with revenue having increased 38% for the first six months this year. In a best-case scenario, contingent on an approved FDA HUD Designation and Human Device Exemption approval, the Company might be able to begin commercializing the Reducer in the U.S. for refractory angina patients suffering from the most severe symptoms in 2020.

07:08 EDT Emerald Health's Verdelite receives sale license amendment for branded products - Emerald Health Therapeutics' wholly-owned production facility, Verdelite, in St. Eustache, Quebec, has received from Health Canada its license amendment permitting it to sell and distribute packaged, branded dried cannabis products directly to provincial/territorial wholesalers and authorized private retailers in accordance with provincial/territorial frameworks in Canada. To date, Verdelite has been packaging product under the Emerald brand. Moving forward, its marketing strategy will evolve and focus on building multiple differentiated brands, with a unique Quebec identity, targeting consumers seeking premium cannabis for adult use as well as health and wellness benefits.

07:06 EDT Axsome Therapeutics completes patient enrollment in GEMINI Phase 3 trial - Axsome Therapeutics announced the completion of patient enrollment in the GEMINI study, a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of AXS-05 in patients with major depressive disorder. AXS-05 is a novel, oral, investigational NMDA receptor antagonist with multimodal activity. Axsome remains on track to report topline results from GEMINI in the fourth quarter of 2019.

07:03 EDT CNA Financial names Mark James as Chief Risk and Reinsurance Officer - CNA announced that Mark James has been named CNA's Chief Risk and Reinsurance Officer. He assumed leadership for CNA's Enterprise Risk Management function and maintains leadership for the Global Reinsurance team. Prior to joining CNA in April 2018, James held the position of Worldwide Reinsurance and Risk Manager at Chubb for 13 years and, in 2016, moved to AIG as the Deputy Chief Ceded Reinsurance Officer.

06:57 EDT Bank of America reports Q3 consumer banking revenue $9.72B - Reports Q3 global banking revenue $5.21B. Reports Q3 global markets revenue $3.86B. Reports Q3 global wealth and investment management revenue $4.9B.

06:55 EDT Genesco appoints Scott Becker as general counsel - Genesco (GCO) announced that it has appointed Scott Becker as senior VP, general counsel and corporate secretary of the company, effective October 23. He succeeds Roger Sisson who retired from Genesco earlier this year. Becker joins Genesco with more than 30 years of legal, financial and administrative leadership experience. He comes to Genesco from Nissan (NSANY) Group of North America and Latin America, where since 2006 he served in a variety of roles with increasing responsibility. Since 2009, he was a senior VP with responsibilities for Nissan's legal, government affairs, finance, strategy and administration.

06:54 EDT U.S. Bancorp reports Q3 average total loans grew 1.1% on a linked quarter basis - Grew 4.0% y/y.

06:52 EDT BofA CEO says focused on driving 'things that are controllable' - Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan, commented: "Our teammates delivered another strong quarter of earnings and returns for shareholders.In a moderately growing economy, we focused on driving those things that are controllable. We made continued strong investments in our capabilities to serve customers,more relationship management teammates, more and refurbished branches and offices, and more digital capabilities, all while core expenses are flat. Our client activity, the expansion of our client base, and our ability to gain market share across most of our businesses in the quarter, all reflect responsible growth."

06:51 EDT Bank of America reports Q3 sales and trading revenue of $3.2B ex. DVA - Equities increased 13% to $1.1 billion, with FICC stable at $2.1 billion.

06:48 EDT Eli Lilly announces Phase 3 SEQUOIA trial did not meet primary endpoint - Eli Lilly announced top-line results from its Phase 3 SEQUOIA trial evaluating pegilodecakin plus Folfox compared to Folfox alone in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer whose disease had progressed during or following a first-line gemcitabine-containing regimen. The SEQUOIA trial did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival. The most common Grade 3/4 adverse events occurring at a higher rate on the pegilodecakin-plus-Folfox arm compared to the Folfox arm were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, fatigue and anemia. Detailed efficacy and safety results will be submitted for presentation at a future medical meeting.

06:42 EDT Aurinia Pharmaceuticals completes at-the-market share sale - Aurinia Pharmaceuticals reported that, in relation to at-the-market offerings of common shares further to its previously announced Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies, the company has completed the sale of 2,343,750 common shares at a weighted average price of $6.40 for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $15M. The company does not intend to conduct further sales pursuant to the ATM at this time.

06:40 EDT Superconductor Technologies awarded new U.S. patent - Superconductor Technologies was awarded U.S. Patent No. 10,446,294 , entitled "Coated conductor high temperature superconductor carrying high critical current under magnetic field by intrinsic pinning centers, and methods of manufacture of same" from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This patent, along with previously issued patents USP 9,362,025 and USP 9,564,258, further protects the company's unique capabilities for improving the performance of its Conductus superconductor magnet wire that utilize the advantages in superconductor magnet applications with lower operating temperatures and high magnetic field are critical.

06:33 EDT Neptune Wellness announces Sherbrooke facility to use new cold ethanol equipment - Neptune Wellness announced that its Sherbrooke, Quebec facility started to process biomass using its new cold ethanol equipment. The first shipments of cannabis extracts produced with ethanol equipment are expected in the coming weeks once the final release testing is completed on the first batches that have been extracted. Combined with Neptune's CO2 extraction line, the company's capacity to process biomass is expected to reach an annual run rate of 200,000 kg by the end of November. As indicated previously, Neptune's current capacity, including the phase II expansion, is fully committed to existing clients. Starting with Phase II and going forward, Neptune has opted for cold ethanol technology, which could be up to five times faster than current CO2 equipment and which consumes up to two times less energy than current CO2 technology. The cold ethanol process combined with the high level of automation of Neptune's Sherbrooke facility should position the company as a low-cost manufacturer in Canada. Additionally, in recent weeks, the company has received additional security clearance from Health Canada for our production personnel which should alleviate operational constraints.

06:32 EDT Broadcom ordered by EU to halt allegedly anticompetitive contract practices - The European Commission has ordered Broadcom to stop applying certain provisions contained in agreements with six of its main customers. This will prevent serious and irreparable harm to competition likely to be caused by Broadcom's conduct, which prima facie -- at first sight -- infringes EU competition rules. Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner in charge of competition policy, said: "We have strong indications that Broadcom, the world's leading supplier of chipsets used for TV set-top boxes and modems, is engaging in anticompetitive practices. Broadcom's behaviour is likely, in the absence of intervention, to create serious and irreversible harm to competition. We cannot let this happen, or else European customers and consumers would face higher prices and less choice and innovation. We therefore ordered Broadcom to immediately stop its conduct." Reference Link

06:29 EDT Amazon says consumer business turns off final Oracle database - Amazon (AMZN) said in a blog post on Tuesday that it has shut down its last Oracle (ORCL) database for its consumer business, reducing its costs by 60%. Amazon is now using Amazon Web Services databases to power its consumer businesses such as Amazon Prime, Alexa, and Kindle. "More than 100 teams in Amazon's Consumer business participated in the migration effort. This includes well-known customer-facing brands and sites such as Alexa, Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Fresh, Kindle, Amazon Music, Audible, Shopbop, Twitch, and Zappos, as well as internal teams such as AdTech, Amazon Fulfillment Technology, Consumer Payments, Customer Returns, Catalog Systems, Deliver Experience, Digital Devices, External Payments, Finance, InfoSec, Marketplace, Ordering, and Retail Systems." Amazon said it migrated 75 petabytes of internal data stored in nearly 7,500 Oracle databases to multiple AWS database services including Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Aurora, Amazon Relational Database Service, and Amazon Redshift. "The migrations were accomplished with little or no downtime, and covered 100% of our proprietary systems." Reference Link

06:03 EDT Twitter clarifies when it will enforce rules against world leaders - Twitter said in a blog post: "There continues to be meaningful public conversation about how we think about Tweets from world leaders on our service. We welcome the conversation and want to share more context on our principles and process for reviewing reported Tweets from these accounts. When it comes to the actions of world leaders on Twitter, we recognize that this is largely new ground and unprecedented. We assess reported Tweets from world leaders against the Twitter Rules, which are designed to ensure people can participate in the public conversation freely and safely. We focus on the language of reported Tweets and do not attempt to determine all potential interpretations of the content or its intent. Presently, direct interactions with fellow public figures, comments on political issues of the day, or foreign policy saber-rattling on economic or military issues are generally not in violation of the Twitter Rules. However, if a Tweet from a world leader does violate the Twitter Rules but there is a clear public interest value to keeping the Tweet on the service, we may place it behind a notice that provides context about the violation and allows people to click through should they wish to see the content. he below areas will result in enforcement action for any account on our service (without consideration of the potential public interest value in allowing the Tweet to remain visible behind a notice): Promotion of terrorism; Clear and direct threats of violence against an individual (context matters: as noted above, direct interactions with fellow public figures and/or commentary on political and foreign policy issues would likely not result in enforcement); Posting private information, such as a home address or non-public personal phone number; Posting or sharing intimate photos or videos of someone that were produced or distributed without their consent; Engaging in behaviors relating to child sexual exploitation; and Encouraging or promoting self-harm." Reference Link

05:59 EDT Applied DNA Sciences enters partnership with Molecular Isotope Technologies - Applied DNA Sciences announced that it has entered into a partnership with Molecular Isotope Technologies, or MIT. MIT LLC's technology utilizes stable isotopic "fingerprints" as a method for verification of product origin and supply chain processing to support product claims.

05:26 EDT Collins Aerospace, Lufthansa sign A380 main landing gear MRO agreement - Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies, and Lufthansa Technik AG announced a first-of-its-kind licensing and asset agreement for A380 main landing gear Maintenance Repair & Overhaul, or MRO, services. Under the agreement, which spans the life of the A380 program, Lufthansa Technik will be able to provide A380 main landing gear MRO services and access to assets supporting customer layover schedules. Collins Aerospace will provide training, parts and proprietary repair procedures, including access to technical publications required to perform A380 main landing gear MRO services. Lufthansa Technik will offer asset management services through access to a collaboratively managed pool of main landing gears, owned by Collins Aerospace.

05:21 EDT Bottomline Technologies, Currencycloud partnership selected by Hargenant Group - Bottomline Technologies announced that Hargenant Group has selected a partnered service from Bottomline and Currencycloud for their cross-border payments. Hargenant Global specialises in accounting and payroll for the film and entertainment industry.

05:16 EDT Energous enters partnership with ZPower - Energous announced a partnership with ZPower, "the world's only developer of silver-zinc microbattery technology," to develop WattUp-enabled ZPower rechargeable microbatteries. "Designed for small electronic devices, such as hearing aids, ZPower's rechargeable silver-zinc batteries are the smallest, safest and highest energy density rechargeable microbatteries available."