Stockwinners Market Radar for October 24, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:01 EDT Brown & Brown raises quarterly dividend 6.25% to 8.5c per share - The dividend is payable on November 20, 2019 to shareholders of record on November 8, 2019.

18:35 EDT Tesla's Musk says Solar Tile Roof V3 launch tomorrow at 2:00 PM PT - Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the Tesla Solar Tile Roof V3 launch will be tomorrow at 2:00 PM PT. Musk added that he will do an open call Q&A. Reference Link

18:01 EDT Celanese announces vinyl acetate monomer price increases - Celanese Corporation will increase list and off-list selling prices for Vinyl Acetate Monomer to EUR70 per MT in EMEA, 5c per pound in the U.S. and Canada, and $125 per MT in Mexico and South America. The price increases will be effective immediately, or as contracts otherwise allow, and are incremental to any previously announced increases.

17:42 EDT Amazon.com says 'excited' about holiday season - Says made great progress with one day shipping. Says investing a lot more this year with sales force and customer personnel as company adds more products and expands geographically. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

17:24 EDT Former Apple lawyer indicted for insider trading of Apple stock - The US Attorney in New Jersey said in a press release: "The former corporate secretary and director of corporate law at a global technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, was indicted for orchestrating a five-year insider trading scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. Gene Levoff of San Carlos, California, was indicted on six counts of securities fraud and six counts of wire fraud. Levoff was initially charged by complaint in February 2019. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Between February 2011 and April 2016, Levoff - the top corporate attorney at "company-," who also served as the company's assistant secretary and corporate secretary -allegedly misappropriated material, nonpublic information about Company-1's financial results and then executed trades involving the company's stock. This scheme to defraud Company-1 and its shareholders allowed Levoff to realize profits of approximately $227,000 on certain trades and to avoid losses of approximately $377,000 on others////Levoff was subject to Company-1's regular quarterly "blackout periods," which prohibited individuals who had access to material nonpublic information from engaging in trades until a certain period after the company disclosed its financial results to the public. Levoff ignored this restriction, as well as the company's broader Insider Trading Policy - which he was responsible for enforcing - and instead repeatedly executed trades based on material, nonpublic information without Company's knowledge or authorization." Reference Link

17:19 EDT KKR Real Estate Finance to replace FTI Consulting in S&P 600 at open on 10/30

16:51 EDT Capital One CEO says marketing, technology investments 'building our momentum' - "Our marketing and technology investments are building our momentum and creating great value," said Richard Fairbank, Founder, Chairman and CEO. "Our domestic card business delivered strong year-over-year growth in purchase volume and branded card loans, and our consumer banking business posted strong year-over-year growth in auto originations and retail deposits."

16:49 EDT AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon form JV for cross carrier messaging - AT&T (T), Sprint (S), T-Mobile (TMUS) and Verizon (VZ) have created a joint venture - the Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative - to deliver the next generation of messaging to consumers and businesses. The service, based on GSMA's Rich Communications Service industry standard, will enable an engaging way for consumers to interact and transact with each other and with businesses. To enable the service, the CCMI joint venture is working to develop and deploy the standards-based, interoperable messaging service starting with Android and expected in 2020. Working with its carrier ownership group and other companies in the RCS ecosystem, the CCMI service will: Drive a robust business-to-consumer messaging ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of Rich Communications Services; Enable an enhanced experience to privately send individual or group chats across carriers with high quality pictures and videos; Provide consumers with the ability to chat with their favorite brands, order a rideshare, pay bills or schedule appointments, and more; Create a single seamless, interoperable RCS experience across carriers, both in the U.S. and globally. More details will be announced at a later date.

16:46 EDT Cancer Genetics announces transactions related to sale of BioPharma business - Cancer Genetics (CGIX) announced the completion of several strategic transactions. As the result of the previously announced sale of the company's BioPharma business to Interpace Diagnostics (IDXG) or its affiliate, IDXG or its affiliate paid approximately $6M in cash to CGIX as partial settlement of a promissory note in the original face amount of approximately $7.7M due to CGIX. The gross purchase price of the BioPharma sale transaction was $23.5M less certain closing adjustments totaling approximately $2M, in addition to the assumption by IDXG of approximately $5.2M of liabilities relating to the BioPharma business. IDXG or its affiliate paid approximately $9.25M in cash at closing to the company's former senior secured lenders and the balance of the cash portion of the purchase price of approximately $2.25M was paid to the company. IDXG's subsidiary also issued a promissory note to CGIX in the original face amount of approximately $7.7M, subject to certain post-closing adjustments and holdbacks. The note was due upon the approval by IDXG's shareholders of a significant investment by Ampersand Capital Partners in IDXG and the closing of that investment, which occurred on October 16. The payment of approximately $6M represents amounts known to be due at this date. After known post-closing reductions of approximately $0.8M, the company may receive up to an additional $0.9M in January 2020 or thereafter, subject to certain contingencies and set-off rights of IDXG. Previously, CGIX borrowed $1.5M under a credit agreement and unsecured convertible promissory note with NovellusDx on September 18, 2018 in connection with a proposed merger, which merger was subsequently terminated in December 2018. To resolve all matters under the credit agreement and the terminated merger agreement, on October 21, CGIX entered into a settlement agreement with NovellusDx, under which CGIX paid NovellusDx $100,000 in cash, and agreed to remit $1M within five business days from the date in which it received the note payment from IDXG on behalf of its affiliate described above. In addition, CGIX is required to pay NovellusDx $50,000 per month for the next subsequent nine months, or a total of $450,000, upon satisfaction of which the credit agreement and promissory note will terminate. Subject to the company making the $1M payment, NovellusDx and CGIX each agreed to waive any and all claims against the other in connection with the credit agreement and the terminated merger agreement from December 2018, other than the remaining payments totaling $450,000. On October 21, CGIX entered into a note purchase agreement with Atlas Sciences to borrow $1.25M pursuant to an unsecured promissory note in the initial principal amount of approximately $1.35M. The proceeds of the note, along with a cash amount of approximately $1.46M to be provided by CGIX, will be used to repay the outstanding amount due to Iliad Research and Trading under the promissory note issued on July 17, 2018. Also on October 21, CGIX entered into an M&A advisory engagement with H.C. Wainwright to assist CGIX with its ongoing strategic initiatives to identify and evaluate potential acquisition, merger, business combination or other strategic transaction involving CGIX. The company does not intend to discuss or disclose further developments regarding the strategic review process unless and until its board has approved a specific action or otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required by law.

16:38 EDT Covanta backs 2019 adjusted EBITDA view $420M-$445M - Backs 2019 free cash flow view of $120M-$145M.

16:34 EDT Generac announces investment in Sofdesk - Generac Holdings announced an investment that bolsters its move into the energy storage market. Generac served as the lead investor in a $4.3M Series B funding round for Sofdesk, a Canadian software company offering sales acceleration tools for multiple markets including solar and roofing. In addition to taking a minority interest in Sofdesk, Generac and Sofdesk entered into an exclusive commercial agreement to collaborate and develop a new online software tool, PowerPlay CE, designed specifically for Generac's Clean Energy aligned contractors.

16:32 EDT Yamana Gold declares Q4 dividend of 1c per share - Yamana Gold declared a Q4 dividend of 1c per share. Shareholders of record at the close of business on December 31 will be entitled to receive payment of this dividend on January 14, 2020. The dividend reflects the level increased in Q3, which was a 100% increase over the previous level. Yamana will continue to evaluate its dividend policy as it increases free cash flow and cash balances with the potential for further increases to its dividend.

16:31 EDT Pennsylvania American Water acquires Exeter wastewater assets in Berks County - Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, announced that it has acquired the wastewater assets from the Township of Exeter in Berks County. The purchase price for the system, which serves more than 9,000 customers, is $93.5M and marks Pennsylvania American Water's fifth acquisition in 2019. As approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Pennsylvania American Water has adopted Exeter's existing sewer rates, which will now be billed monthly. Over the next three years, Pennsylvania American Water plans to invest $3M in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements within Exeter Township.

16:30 EDT Camber Energy approves 1-for-50 reverse stock split - Camber Energy announced that, its board has approved a 1-for-50 reverse stock split of the company's authorized shares of common stock and issued and outstanding shares of common stock. The reverse stock split will be effective as of the open of the market on October 29. As a result, the company will not be increasing its authorized but unissued shares of common stock as a result of the reverse split.

16:30 EDT Castlight Health signs 30-month enterprise license agreement with Anthem - Castlight Health (CSLT) announced it has signed a thirty-month enterprise license agreement with Anthem (ANTM), effective January 1, 2020. This agreement extends the relationship Anthem and Castlight first announced in November 2015 and expands Anthem's use of Castlight's core health navigation platform and technology. This agreement renews the existing relationship for the Castlight-powered Engage health navigation app, including the deployment to more than one million National Account members in Anthem's affiliated health plans, as well as the Castlight provider search and pricing technology. In addition, Castlight will provide Anthem with a new, non-exclusive license for some of Castlight's underlying health navigation platform technology services, such as transparency and personalization.

16:26 EDT Enova International announces new $75M share repurchase plan - On October 22, the Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program totaling $75M that expires December 31, 2020. The new program replaces the prior authorization of $50M. Year-to-date through October 22, the company acquired 310,000 shares at a cost of $6.4M under the previous share repurchase program.

16:23 EDT Hologic objects to USA Today article about 3D mammograms - Hologic said it objected to the October 24, 2019 USA Today article, "3D mammograms getting the hard sell," and reaffirmed its position that breast cancer screening with 3D mammography offers women the best chance of early diagnosis. "This article, which comes as women nationwide are focused on their health during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is misleading because it is touted as an investigative piece, yet fails to recognize the more than 250 peer-reviewed clinical studies that consistently demonstrate the benefits of 3D mammography over 2D mammography," said Pete Valenti, Hologic's Division President, Breast and Skeletal Health Solutions. "Articles like this have the potential to confuse and mislead women into questioning the fact that early detection saves lives. Ultimately, we have to ask, 'if we don't screen, what is the alternative?' At Hologic, we are not willing to wait and let women present with late-stage cancer, when we know breast cancer screening with 3D mammography offers women the best chance of early diagnosis."

16:20 EDT Juniper approves $1B stock buyback authorization increase - Juniper Networks announced that its board has approved a $1B stock buyback authorization increase, adding to the existing buyback authorization, which has $900M remaining for a total of $1.9B. Juniper plans to enter a $200M accelerated share repurchase program in Q4 2019 and intends to continue to be opportunistic with its share repurchases thereafter.

16:17 EDT Aflac backs FY19 share repurchases of $1.3B-$1.7B - "We remain committed to maintaining strong capital ratios on behalf of our policyholders and balancing our financial strength with reinvesting in our business, increasing the dividend, and repurchasing shares. It goes without saying that we treasure our record of dividend growth. With the fourth quarter's declaration, 2019 will mark the 37th consecutive year of dividend increases. Our dividend track record is supported by the strength of our capital and cash flows. We continue to anticipate that we'll repurchase in the range of $1.3 to $1.7 billion of our shares in 2019, with the range allowing us to be more tactical in our deployment strategy. As is always the case, this assumes stable capital conditions and the absence of compelling alternatives. At the same time, we recognize that prudent investment in our platform is critical to our growth strategy and driving efficiencies that will impact the bottom line for the long term."

16:16 EDT Cabot Oil & Gas provides 2020 outlook - As the 2020 NYMEX forward curve continued to decline to levels below the company's original budget price assumption. in addition to its initial preliminary 2020 guidance, Cabot is also evaluating a maintenance capital plan that holds 4Q20 production levels flat to the midpoint of the 4Q19 production guidance range - 2%-3% growth in full-year production per debt-adjusted share - based on a $575M capital program, including non-drilling and completion capital. The growth scenario delivers a 4Q20 exit growth rate of 5% and is designed to position Cabot for continued growth in 2021, while the maintenance scenario is designed to position the company for a continued flat production profile in 2021. "We continue to maintain a cautiously optimistic outlook for the natural gas markets in 2020, driven in large part by our expectation for a pronounced decrease in operating activity across North American natural gas basins due to continued price weakness," said Dinges. "However, we are prepared to modify our 2020 plan early next year in response to lower anticipated natural gas prices, if necessary, with a continued focus on delivering a combination of strong free cash flow generation, high return on capital employed, consistent return of capital to shareholders including our recent dividend increase, low financial leverage, and growth in production and reserves per share-all of which are provided by both of the 2020 scenarios we are currently evaluating."

16:14 EDT Intel reports Q3 DCG revenue up 4% to $6.4B, PC-centric revenue down 5% to $9.7B - Intel said PC-centric revenue was in-line with expectations, down 5% compared to last year on lower year-on-year platform volume, partially offset by a strong mix of Intel's higher performance products as the commercial segment of the PC market remained strong. Collectively, Intel's data-centric businesses achieved record revenue in the third quarter, up 6% YoY. The Data Center Group, or DCG, delivered record revenue driven by a strong mix of high-performance Intel Xeon processors and growth in every segment of the business. The communications service provider segment grew 11% while the cloud segment returned to growth, up 3%, and enterprise and government revenue grew 1%. The Internet of Things Group also achieved record revenue, up 9% on strength in retail and transportation.

16:11 EDT Cypress Semiconductor not giving guidance due to proposed merger - The company said, "On October 16, 2019, the European Commission cleared the proposed acquisition of Cypress by Infineon Technologies AG ("Infineon") without any conditions. The proposed transaction previously received antitrust clearances in the Philippines and South Korea. As announced on June 3, 2019, Infineon and Cypress have entered into an agreement and plan of merger providing for Infineon to acquire Cypress for $23.85 per share in cash, corresponding to an enterprise value of approximately $10 billion. The combination of our highly-complementary product portfolios opens up great potential in the high-growth areas of automotive and IoT. Due to the pending transaction, Cypress will not hold an earnings conference call and has suspended the practice of providing forward-looking guidance."

16:08 EDT Beyond Meat appoints Stuart Kronauge Chief Marketing Officer - Beyond Meat announced the appointment of three consumer goods veterans to further strengthen the marketing and communications teams. Stuart Kronauge has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer, Marc Patrick will join as senior VP of Marketing, and Shira Zackai has assumed the role of VP and Head of Communications.

16:05 EDT Amazon.com down 6% in after-hours trading after earnings report - In after-hours trading, Amazon shares are down $110.59, or 6.2%, to $1,670.19.

16:04 EDT Amazon says millions of products available for free one-day delivery for holiday - "We are ramping up to make our 25th holiday season the best ever for Prime customers - with millions of products available for free one-day delivery. Customers love the transition of Prime from two days to one day - they've already ordered billions of items with free one-day delivery this year. It's a big investment, and it's the right long-term decision for customers. And although it's counterintuitive, the fastest delivery speeds generate the least carbon emissions because these products ship from fulfillment centers very close to the customer - it simply becomes impractical to use air or long ground routes. Huge thanks to all the teams helping deliver for customers this holiday," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO.

16:02 EDT Power Integrations settles patent litigation with ON Semiconductor - Power Integrations (POWI) announced a comprehensive settlement of its patent disputes with ON Semiconductor (ON) and its subsidiary, Fairchild Semiconductor. Consistent with the terms of the term sheet disclosed on October 9, the companies have entered into a definitive agreement that ends all litigation between them, including lawsuits in Delaware, California, Taiwan and China. Power Integrations has received a cash payment of $175M from ON; neither company granted any licenses to the other. The settlement concludes a fifteen-year legal battle between PI and Fairchild Semiconductor . The settlement with ON follows two earlier instances in which PI asserted its patents against infringing competitors; each of the prior cases was also settled favorably for PI.

15:15 EDT Micron unveils new solid-state drives - Micron unveiled new solid-state drives that expand Micron's broad portfolio of drives available to both consumer and enterprise customers for storing the world's data. The new Micron 7300 NVMe series and Micron 5300 SATA series of SSDs enable enterprises to modernize, economize and maximize return on their data center investments. Addressing consumers' need for mobility, Micron also announced its entry into the consumer portable SSD market with the launch of its Crucial X8 Portable SSD. "We are excited to introduce these new products that significantly expand our addressable market - with mainstream NVMe SSDs for the datacenter and portable SSDs for consumers - while building on our leadership in enterprise SATA SSDs," said Sumit Sadana, executive vice president and chief business officer of Micron. "Micron's growing portfolio of high-value storage solutions is built on industry-leading 3D NAND technology and provides customers a broad set of options to address their increasing data storage needs."

14:31 EDT CDC raises estimate of lung injury cases associated with vaping to 1,604 - CDC announced the updated number of confirmed and probable lung injury cases and deaths associated with the use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products. As of October 22, 2019, 1,604 confirmed and probable lung injury cases associated with use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products were reported by 49 states, all states except Alaska, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Data on age, sex, and substances used in e-cigarette, or vaping, products will be updated in a CDC MMWR report being released on Friday, October 25, 2019. 34 deaths have been confirmed in 24 states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. The median age of patients who have died is 49 years, ranging from 17 to 75 years old. The Fly notes that Altria (MO) has a 35% stake in Juul. Other publicly traded companies in the tobacco space include British American Tobacco (BTI), Imperial Brands (IMBBY) and Philip Morris (PM). Reference Link

14:13 EDT Moody's says J&J proposed opioid agreement credit negative - Moody's says Johnson & Johnson's agreement in principle to settle outstanding opioid litigation is "credit negative because of its adverse effect on the company's cash balances and free cash flow." However, the cash outflow is "somewhat moderate" relative to J&J's $18B of cash on hand and its annual free cash flow after dividends of $9B, the ratings agency added. There is currently no impact on J&J's Aaa ratings or its negative outlook, Moody's noted. Reference Link

13:09 EDT Midatech Pharma granted Orphan designation for malignant glioma treatment - The FDA has granted orphan designation to Midatech's treatment of malignant glioma, according to to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

13:06 EDT Hexo cuts approx. 200 positions including chief marketing officer - HEXO announced it has taken steps to reduce its workforce. The Company is rightsizing its operations to adjust to a changing market and regulatory environment with a view towards profitability and long-term stability. The company said, "Slower than expected store rollouts, a delay in government approval for cannabis derivative products and early signs of pricing pressure are being felt nationally. The delay in retail store openings in our major markets has meant that the access to a majority of the target customers has been limited. Additionally, regulatory uncertainty across the pan-Canadian system and jurisdictional decisions to limit the availability and types of cannabis derivative products have contributed to an increased level of unpredictability." As part of the changes to its operations, the Company has eliminated approximately 200 positions across its departments and locations. The cuts include the elimination of some executive positions and the departures of Arno Groll, Chief Manufacturing Officer and Nick Davies, Chief Marketing Officer.

12:38 EDT Stearns plan of reorganization confirmed by court, to emerge from Chapter 11 - Stearns Holdings, the parent company of Stearns Lending, announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has confirmed the company's plan of reorganization. The company expects to complete its restructuring process and successfully emerge from Chapter 11 in early November. Upon emergence, Stearns will reduce its debt by more than $150M and Blackstone (BX), as the owner of the reorganized company, will contribute substantial new capital to fund payments to creditors made on the effective date of the plan. Blackstone's contribution includes $65M to be paid to holders of Stearns' prepetition notes and additional funds to satisfy certain unsecured claims.

12:36 EDT Southwest says assuming FAA ungrounding date for MAX in mid-December

12:31 EDT Infosys says SEC probing company over whistleblower complaints - In a regulatory filing, Infosys said it has been in touch with the SEC regrading the anonymous whistleblower complaints and has learned that the SEC has initiated an investigation into this matter. Infosys said it will cooperate with the SEC's investigation. Also, Securities and Exchange Board of India has requested additional information from the company concerning the complaints and said it will provide the information as per SEBI's request. Infosys also said it is aware of a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed against the company in federal court in the U.S. based on the generalized allegations in the complaints and said it intends to defend itself vigorously in such a lawsuit.

12:00 EDT CoreLogic falls -15.3% - CoreLogic is down -15.3%, or -$7.26 to $40.17.

12:00 EDT Nokia falls -22.2% - Nokia is down -22.2%, or -$1.14 to $3.98.

12:00 EDT Montage Resources rises 15.1% - Montage Resources is up 15.1%, or 56c to $4.32.

11:55 EDT Spotify tests feature allowing artists to pay for sponsored recommendations - In an earlier blog posting, media-services provider, Spotify said: "We know it can be difficult to keep up on all of your favorite artists' new music. We get it - you're busy, and there's a lot going on. Discovering new music should be simple, and now we're making it even easier. You've probably noticed the occasional full-screen recommendation in your Spotify mobile app, letting you know that one of your favorite artists has a new album out. Based on interviews we've conducted with Premium users, as well as your shout outs on Twitter, listeners seem to like this feature. We personalize these new album recommendations based on your listening taste, combined with human curation. With an upcoming test we're running in the US, we're giving artists and their teams the ability to directly tap into this process and connect with the fans that care most about their music." Reference Link

11:39 EDT CACI gets $250M contract for continuing work by the Department of the Interior - CACI International announced that it has been awarded a 5-year, single-award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, with a ceiling value of $250M for continuing work, by the Department of the Interior, DOI, Business Integration Office to provide enterprise expertise by managing the agency's Financial and Business Management System, FBMS. Under the contract, CACI will provide operations, maintenance, and development services for the FBMS, a fully integrated, modernized business management system utilizing SAP enterprise resource planning software. FBMS improves the efficiency of operations and streamlines the majority of DOI's financial and business management functions across the Department. CACI has provided functional and technical expertise to the program and the Interior Department since 2006, leading to the decommissioning of over 80 department and bureau-specific systems and helping DOI to realize the benefits of standardized business processes, a common technology platform, and integrated real time data to optimize operational decision making. John Mengucci, CACI President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "CACI will continue to support the Department of the Interior with our demonstrated expertise supporting SAP and business and financial systems solutions. We are committed to delivering our technical enterprise solutions to enable the Department to successfully fulfill its mission of modernization, integration, accountability, and customer value."

11:00 EDT Noble Midstream increases quarterly distribution 4.7% to 67.16c per unit - Noble Midstream Partners announced that the Board of Directors of its general partner, Noble Midstream GP LLC, declared a cash distribution of 67.16c per unit for the third quarter of 2019, a 20% increase compared to the prior year quarter and a 4.7% increase sequentially. The third quarter 2019 distribution will be payable on November 11, 2019 to unitholders of record as of November 4, 2019.

10:26 EDT Peoples Utah Bancorp trading resumes

10:15 EDT Spirit Airlines sees growing capacity in mid-teens range over next few years

10:14 EDT Spirit Airlines sees CASM ex-fuel up 1%-2% in FY20

10:09 EDT Spirit Airlines sees Q4 CASM ex-fuel up 3.5%-4.5% y/y

10:08 EDT Spirit Airlines sees FY20 capacity up 17%-19% y/y

10:08 EDT Spirit Airlines says domestic, international demand trends remain strong

10:03 EDT Spirit Airlines: Operational performance 'very good' post-Labor Day - Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

10:00 EDT Twitter falls -18.1% - Twitter is down -18.1%, or -$7.03 to $31.80.

10:00 EDT Montage Resources rises 14.5% - Montage Resources is up 14.5%, or 55c to $4.30.

10:00 EDT On Deck Capital rises 18.5% - On Deck Capital is up 18.5%, or 67c to $4.30.

09:47 EDT Proto Labs falls -13.7% - Proto Labs is down -13.7%, or -$14.71 to $92.53.

09:47 EDT Nokia falls -21.1% - Nokia is down -21.1%, or -$1.08 to $4.03.

09:47 EDT Montage Resources rises 17.1% - Montage Resources is up 17.1%, or 64c to $4.39.

09:43 EDT Standex announces 10% increase in quarterly dividend to 22c per share - Standex International announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 22c per share, a 10% increase over the prior four quarterly dividend payments. The dividend is payable November 26, 2019 to shareholders of record on November 12, 2019. The dividend is the company's 221st consecutive quarterly cash dividend.

09:26 EDT eXp World Holdings appoints Jason Gesing as CEO of eXp Realty - eXp Realty, The Real Estate Cloud Brokerage and a subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc., announced that Jason Gesing has been named CEO. As CEO, Gesing will support eXp Realty's business by leading corporate decisions, and managing the overall operations and resources of the company. Jason will remain a member of the eXp World Holdings Board of Directors. Gesing has been a critical part of eXp Realty since joining the company in March 2010 and has served in a number of capacities, most recently as EVP, Business Development, for eXp World Holdings. Glenn Sanford will remain CEO of eXp World Holdings. This change will allow him to focus his time, energy and passion on all aspects of the overall parent company.

09:22 EDT American Airlines may upgrade regional capacity at Chicago - Management said Chicago has outperformed.

09:19 EDT Sunworks, Bright Power announce rooftop solar project for California complex - Sunworks announced it has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract to develop a 657 kilowatt roof mount solar photovoltaic project for a Southern California residential complex in partnership with Bright Power. Sunworks was contracted by Bright Power, a strategic energy and water management company that provides solutions to building owners and operators across the nation. Specializing in multifamily apartment buildings, Bright Power works with building owners to increase their net operating income through energy and water savings while decreasing negative impact on the environment. Sunworks' dedicated, in-house construction team will manage all of the engineering, procurement and construction for this project while Bright Power conducted the original schematic design and sizing of the solar array. Construction is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2019 and be completed in 2020.

09:17 EDT Sony Bank selects Domo to support digital transformation - Domo announced that Sony Bank Ltd. has deployed Domo to support the bank's digital transformation journey. Data management is crucial to the financial industry, as putting data to use remains an ongoing challenge. Sony Bank sought a way to implement a single data management system across all departments, which would improve operational efficiency and allow data to be used and analyzed across the company in a timely fashion.

09:16 EDT W.R. Grace says underlying operating momentum remains strong - Says: Reaffirms FY19 adjusted free cash flow view $235M-$250M... Prioritizing de-leveraging versus share buybacks. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:15 EDT First Solar begins production at new PV module manufacturing facility in Ohio - First Solar announced the start of production at its new photovoltaic module manufacturing facility in Lake Township, Ohio, its second factory in the United States. First Solar continues to operate its flagship factory in Perrysburg, Ohio, effectively scaling its total annualized production capacity in the U.S. to 1.9-gigawatts DC. First Solar's expanded manufacturing footprint in the United States, which represents over $1 billion in cumulative investment and directly created approximately 500 new jobs, makes it the largest solar manufacturer in America and the Western Hemisphere. The investment includes a new $265 million TCO coated glass factory being built by the NSG Group in Troy Township, Ohio, its first new float glass line in the country since 1980.

09:11 EDT GeoVax says vaccine to be used in Phase 1 trial of cell therapy for HIV - GeoVax Labs announced its participation in a planned clinical trial led by researchers at American Gene Technologies, to develop a therapy aimed at eliminating HIV from infected people. On October 18, 2019, AGT announced the submission of an Investigational New Drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for AGT's lead HIV program, AGT103-T, a lentiviral vector-based gene therapy. Upon clearance by the FDA, this IND will allow AGT to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial that will investigate the safety of AGT103-T in humans, measure key biomarkers, and explore surrogate markers of efficacy. AGT expects to begin recruiting patients for the Phase 1 study in January. Pursuant to its collaboration agreement with AGT, GeoVax will provide its novel MVA-VLP HIV vaccine (MVA62B) for evaluation in an arm of the clinical trial in combination with AGT103-T. T cells obtained from vaccinated individuals will be reprogrammed by AGT's lentivirus vector and infused back into the study participants as a therapeutic cell product. MVA62B is the boosting component for GeoVax's preventive HIV vaccine which has successfully completed a Phase 2a clinical trial and is awaiting funding in support of a Phase 2b pivotal trial.

09:09 EDT Zosano Pharma initiates Phase 2/3 clinical study in cluster headache - Zosano Pharma Corporation announced that the company has begun enrolling cluster headache patients in the ATAC clinical trial. This Phase 2/3 study will evaluate the efficacy of C213 for the acute treatment of cluster headache. C213 is the company's investigational proprietary formulation of zolmitriptan delivered utilizing its proprietary ADAM patch technology, which consists of titanium micro-projections coated with drug and is the same formulation as Qtrypta, for the acute treatment of migraine. Zosano has begun enrolling patients in its Phase 2/3 study, in which approximately 120 adults who suffer from cluster headache will be randomized to receive 1.9 mg of C213, 3.8 mg of C213, or placebo in a 1:1:1 fashion. The co-primary endpoints of the study are the proportion of patients who achieve pain relief at 15 minutes and the proportion of patients whose pain relief is sustained from 15 minutes to 60 minutes.

09:06 EDT KVH Industries ships 10,000th VSAT system for global maritime connectivity - KVH Industries announced that it has shipped its 10,000th VSAT satellite communications system. This is the latest milestone for a company whose history of innovation in the maritime satellite communications industry began in 2007, when KVH introduced the TracPhone V7, the first maritime 60 cm VSAT terminal, and the mini-VSAT Broadband service.

09:04 EDT Square, SimPRO announce partnership to offer payment processing solution - SimPRO has announced a partnership with Square to provide payment processing options to field service professionals. SimPRO is a software solution with features to simplify field service management for trade contracting businesses. The Square integration with simPRO will provide field service businesses with a mobile payment solution to help them get paid on the spot. Now, simPRO users will have the ability to accept card payments at the time of service, receive funds as early as the next business day, and issue invoices from the field.

09:03 EDT Zai Lab says GSK receives FDA approval for expanded indication for Zejula - Zai Lab Limited (ZLAB) announced that its partner GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an expanded indication for Zejula, an oral, once-daily poly polymerase inhibitor for the treatment of advanced ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer patients, who have been treated with three or more prior chemotherapy regimens and whose cancer is associated with homologous recombination deficiency positive status defined by either a deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA mutation, or genomic instability and who have progressed more than six months after response to the last platinum-based chemotherapy. Patient selection is based on an FDA-approved companion diagnostic for Zejula. This new indication in the U.S. is based on the QUADRA study, a Phase 2, multi-center, open-label, single-arm clinical study representing a real world, difficult-to-treat patient population with high unmet needs. QUADRA is the largest clinical trial of a PARP inhibitor in women who received three or more treatments for advanced ovarian cancer. The trial enrolled a broad patient population including women with BRCA+ platinum-sensitive, resistant and refractory disease as well as women with HRD+ platinum-sensitive disease. Clinically meaningful and durable benefit was demonstrated in the FDA-indicated patient population with an objective response rate of 24%. A median duration of response of 8.3 months was observed. Additional analyses were conducted in various sub populations where efficacy of Zejula was also demonstrated for patients with tBRCA and GIS; defined as deleterious or suspected deleterious somatic or germline BRCA mutation and genomic instability score as identified with FDA approved companion diagnostic test, respectively: tBRCA+ platinum-sensitive disease, ORR of 39%; tBRCA+ platinum-resistant disease, ORR of 29%; tBRCA+ platinum-refractory disease, ORR of 19% or non-BRCA mut, GIS-positive, platinum-sensitive disease, ORR of 20%. The safety profile was consistent with that seen in the Phase 3 NOVA trial in the recurrent maintenance population. Most common grade greater than or equal to3 adverse reactions reported in greater than or equal to10% of patients in the QUADRA study included thrombocytopenia, anemia, neutropenia and nausea. Zai Lab plans to leverage the QUADRA study to accelerate the approval pathway in China for this additional indication.

09:03 EDT Heat Biologics announces poster presentation of Phase 2 HS-110 data - Heat Biologics announced that data from its ongoing Phase 2 trial of HS-110 was accepted for poster presentation at The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer's 34th Annual Meeting. This data set represents a cohort of patients who have previously received a checkpoint inhibitor for advanced NSCLC, and whose disease has subsequently progressed. The study explores the efficacy of re-challenging the immune system with nivolumab in combination with HS-110 after checkpoint inhibitor failure. The poster, titled "Treating advanced non-small lung cancer patients after checkpoint inhibitor treatment failure with a novel combination of Viagenpumatucel-L plus nivolumab," will be presented starting at 7AM Eastern Time on November 8, 2019.

09:00 EDT Jiayin Group announces transaction price for equity transfer - Jiayin Group announced that the transaction price has been determined for the previously announced transfer of all equity interests of Shanghai Caiyin Asset Management Co., Ltd. from Shanghai Jiayin Finance Services Co., Ltd to Shenzhen Rongxinbao Non-Financial Guarantee Co., Ltd., an independent third-party guarantee company under the equity transfer agreement entered into by and among Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Service Co., Ltd., a consolidated affiliated entity of the Company, Shenzhen Rongxinbao and Shanghai Jiayin on September 16, 2019. Under a settlement agreement entered into by Shenzhen Rongxinbao, Niwodai Internet and Shanghai Jiayin on October 16, 2019, the total transaction price for the Equity Transfer is up to RMB1,078.7 million, among which RMB372.1 million is contingent upon Shanghai Caiyin's liability status in the period proceeding December 31, 2022 and subject to certain adjustments. The total transaction price was determined based on a valuation of Shanghai Caiyin's net liabilities by a third-party valuation company as of August 31, 2019, minus Shanghai Caiyin's payables to Niwodai Internet as of the same date. Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, Niwodai Internet will pay all the transaction price for the Equity Transfer to Shenzhen Rongxinbao. Part of the transaction price to be paid by Niwodai Internet will be set off against Niwodai Internet's loan to Shanghai Caiyin incurred from September 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019. The rest of the transaction price will be settled during future collaboration between Shenzhen Rongxinbao and Niwodai Internet. If, upon termination of such collaboration, any transaction price has not been fully settled, it is subject to further negotiation among parties to the Settlement Agreement.

08:58 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Tesla (TSLA), up 18%... PayPal (PYPL), up 8%... Comcast (CMCSA), up 2%... Dow Inc. (DOW), up 3%... Southwest (LUV), up 2%. ALSO HIGHER: Aircastle (AYR), up 8% after announcing that its board is evaluating strategic alternatives, which may include a sale, after the company received "preliminary non-binding expressions of interest from multiple third parties regarding a potential transaction." DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Twitter (TWTR), down 18%... Baxter (BAX), down 6%... eBay (EBAY), down 7%... 3M (MMM), down 1%... Danaher (DHR), down 1%. ALSO LOWER: Acorda Therapeutics (ACOR), down 13% after announcing a corporate restructuring to reduce costs and focus its resources on the launch of Inbrija. As part of this restructuring, Acorda is reducing headcount by approximately 25% through a reduction in force.

08:57 EDT Cassava Sciences announces presentation of Phase 2a study of PTI-125 - Cassava Sciences announced that clinical results of its Phase 2a study of PTI-125 have been selected as a late-breaking oral presentation by the 12th International Conference on Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease. PTI-125 is Cassava Sciences' lead drug candidate for Alzheimer's disease. The drug targets both neurodegeneration and inflammatory components of Alzheimer's disease. In a first-in-patient, Phase 2a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, treatment with PTI-125 for 28 days reduced biomarkers of Alzheimer's pathology, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, consistent with years of basic research and pre-clinical data. As a result of positive clinical results from its Phase 2a study of PTI-125 in Alzheimer's disease, Cassava Sciences recently initiated a Phase 2b study. Phase 2b is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability and drug effects of PTI-125 on Alzheimer's disease. This blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, oral dose study will enroll approximately 60 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. Patients will be dosed with PTI-125 100 mg, 50 mg or matching placebo, twice daily for 28 continuous days. The primary endpoint is improvement in biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease from baseline to Day 28. The study is supported by a clinical research grant award from NIH.

08:56 EDT Orbcomm selected by Vishipel for Vessel Monitoring System - ORBCOMM announced that it has been selected by Vishipel to provide its Vessel Monitoring System for commercial fishing vessels throughout Vietnam. ORBCOMM's VMS delivers complete visibility and control of fishing vessels and maintains vital communications links with home ports utilizing ORBCOMM's satellite service offering.

08:53 EDT Shell Midstream raises quarterly distribution 3.5% to 44.5c per unit - Shell Midstream Partners announces that the Board of Directors of its general partner declared a cash distribution of 44.5c per limited partner unit for the third quarter of 2019. This represents an increase of 3.5 percent over the previous quarterly distribution of 43c per unit and a 16.5 percent increase over the distribution paid with respect to the third quarter of 2018. The distribution will be paid November 14, 2019 to unitholders of record as of November 4, 2019.

08:52 EDT American Airlines saw no revenue impact since Latam partnered with Delta

08:50 EDT American Airlines will slowly reintroduce MAX when grounding is lifted - American Airlines (AAL) management said the company will slowly reintroduce Boeing's (BA) one the grounding has been lifted. The company will only do so after re-evaluating it with certain flight crews and management and will add more MAX jets to the fleet as they become available.

08:48 EDT Bionano Genomics announces takeaways from presentations on Saphyr system - Bionano Genomics announced the key takeaways from presentations given between October 15-19 by scientists from top institutes and diagnostic companies at the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting and at Bionano's satellite educational event. Alka Chaubey, Ph.D., Head of Cytogenomics at PerkinElmer Genomics summarized the validation of Saphyr technology by PerkinElmer that enabled the development of PerkinElmer's assay for Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy, which PerkinElmer and the University of Iowa developed based on the Bionano EnFocus FSHD Analysis tool. Dr. Chaubey presented 100% concordance between the assay and known disease state for publicly available cell lines, and 100% reproducibility among all runs and all FSHD patient samples at multiple test sites and with multiple operators. Joe Devaney, Ph.D., Associate Director of R&D of diagnostic company GeneDx presented a Saphyr validation study for the detection of the disease-causing variants in FSHD and repeat expansion disorders such as Mytonic Dystrophy 1 and 2. For the 40 samples genotyped for the contraction causing FSHD and the 36 samples genotyped for CNBP gene expansion that causes Mytonic Dystrophy 2, the results generated with Saphyr had a sensitivity, specificity and Positive Predictive Value of 100%. Dr. Gokce Toruner from the MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated 100% concordance between data generated with Saphyr and structural variant data generated with "gold standard" cytogenetic methods in five bone marrow specimens with hematological malignancies. All previously identified cytogenetic abnormalities detected by karyotyping, FISH or microarray analysis were detected by Saphyr. In addition, several novel structural and copy number changes were detected. Professor Mark Ebbert from the Mayo Clinic used Saphyr to resolve challenging genomic regions implicated in neurodegenerative diseases on 31 brain samples collected post-mortem from patients with ALS, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. One of the causes of ALS is an expansion of a repeat in a gene called C9orf72. While no technology commonly used today for genome analysis has been capable of spanning and measuring the larger repeat expansions of this gene, Dr. Ebbert was able to use the Saphyr system to size a range of expansions from a single brain biopsy, demonstrating a full continuum of mosaicism. In patients with Parkinson's disease, Saphyr resolved the structure of an inverted triplication of an associated gene. In patients with Alzheimer's disease, Saphyr detected structural variants in CR1, an important gene with a repeat structure that cannot be fully analyzed with next-generation sequencing, and detected inversions in the Tau gene that protect against the disease. Frances High, MD., Ph.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital for Children at Harvard University presented results of a study on 19 samples from patients with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, a common and severe structural birth defect that leads to malformation for the developing lungs. Using data from the Saphyr system, Dr. High's team confirmed all high-confidence structural variants that were detected by cytogenetic methods, provided additional higher-resolution detail and elucidated the structure of several, and identified novel likely causative variants. Dr. High announced an upcoming larger study of 50 patient-parent trios, or 150 samples total, to identify novel structural variants that are causative for this disease. Professor Jennifer Mulle from Emory University School of Medicine used the Saphyr system to study a genetic syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, autism and a 40-fold increased risk for schizophrenia. She identified a high degree of previously undocumented structural variation in the disease region, identified a new gene previously not known to be involved in the disease, and was able to develop a new hypothesis about the disease mechanism from the data generated by Saphyr. Professors Eric Vilain and Hayk Barseghyan from the George Washington University and Children's National Medical Center presented a number of cases from the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, patients with Disorders of Sex Development, Gitelman's Syndrome, FSHD and Beckwith-Wiedeman syndrome where Bionano was able to provide a molecular diagnosis, identify new likely causative genes, or identify structural variants affecting known or expected disease genes. Other talks included those by Professor Claudia Carvalho of Baylor College of Medicine, who used data from the Saphyr system to analyze repeat-mediated inversions, which are complex genomic structures that are hard or impossible to resolve with other molecular methods but can predispose to genetic disease; Tina Graves-Lindsay from the McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, who corrected structural errors in the official human reference genomes with data generated with Saphyr; and Amir Trabelsi, CEO of Genoox, who announced the new release of a software pipeline that now automatically validates, annotates and classifies Bionano translocation calls from whole genome sequence data.

08:45 EDT Agraflora Organics to develop terpene-infused OTC CBD alternatice - AgraFlora Organics International announced the Company has initiated development of Cannessence, a terpene-infused, organic cannabis sativa seed oil consumer packaged good. AgraFlora will position Cannessence within the marketplace as a legal, over-the-counter substitute to conventional CBD. Cannessence will have a unique formulated terpene profile coupled with organic cannabis sativa seed oil to amplify the activation of the endocannabinoid system; thus optimizing cannabinoid uptake, as well as standardizing pharmacological effects within the ECS of both humans and pets. The Company anticipates that it will market its Cannessence product portfolio in capsule, topical and tincture format. The Company also plans to incorporate its proprietary Cannessence formulation as a base serum into its existing Whole Hemp Health product line. This scalable integration will further augment its vertically integrated "farm-to-face" mandate while increasing the efficiency of the Company's existing premium WHH SKUs. An ultra-premium all-natural, skin care line, WHH is formulated with 100 per-cent organic cannabis sativa seed oil and is marketed by way of brick-and-mortar retail outlets, Amazon Prime, as well as direct to consumer, through an integrated Shopify e-commerce platform. AgraFlora also announces the commencement of a retrofit to seven of the non-core operating buildings at its Cannabis Campus.

08:42 EDT Syros Pharmaceuticals announces updated Phase 2 SY-1425 trial data at ESH - Syros Pharmaceuticals announced that updated clinical data from its ongoing Phase 2 trial evaluating SY-1425, its first-in-class selective retinoic acid receptor alpha, or RARa, agonist, in combination with azacitidine, continue to demonstrate high complete response rates, rapid onset of action and a favorable tolerability profile in a genomically defined subset of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, patients who are not suitable candidates for standard intensive chemotherapy. These data are being presented at the European School of Haematology, or ESH. Syros presented updated data from its Phase 2 trial of SY-1425 in combination with azacitidine, a standard-of-care hypomethylating agent, in newly diagnosed unfit AML patients. The trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of the combination in patients with either the RARA or IRF8 biomarker, as well as in patients without the biomarkers. All patients were treated with azacitidine administered at standard daily doses of 75 mg/m2 intravenously or subcutaneously for seven days, followed by SY-1425 administered at 6 mg/m2/day orally, divided in two doses, for the remainder of each 28-day cycle. As of August 22, 40 newly diagnosed unfit AML patients had been enrolled in the trial and were eligible for the safety analysis. The median age of patients enrolled in the study was 76. Of the 17 biomarker-positive patients evaluable for response, 13 were RARA-positive and four were IRF8-positive. Enrollment in the newly diagnosed unfit cohorts of the ongoing Phase 2 trial is nearly complete. Syros will continue to follow patients enrolled in the trial to further characterize the overall profile of the combination, including safety, efficacy and durability of response. In the study there was 62% complete response, or CR and complete response with incomplete blood count recovery, or CRi, rate in RARA-positive patients. Also, there was 54% CR rate in RARA-positive patients, consisting of seven CRs, including three molecular CRs and three cytogenetic CRs. Most initial responses were seen at the first response assessment. Duration of these responses in RARA-positive patients was up to 344 days, with three of the eight responding patients having responses lasting beyond seven months at the time of the data cutoff. Overall, 82% of RARA-positive patients achieved or maintained transfusion independence. Responses were seen in RARA-positive patients across AML risk groups, including patients with mutations that are typically associated with poor outcomes. In patients with only the IRF8-biomarker, the CR/CRi rate was 0%, supporting Syros' decision to use RARA as the sole biomarker for patient selection in SY-1425 clinical trials going forward. Based on data from 112 newly diagnosed patients screened for its clinical trial, Syros believes that approximately 30% of newly diagnosed AML patients are RARA-positive. In the 22 response-evaluable RARA-negative patients, the CR/CRi rate was 27%, which is consistent with the published response rates of 18-29% observed in newly diagnosed unfit AML patients treated with single-agent azacitidine. SY-1425 in combination with azacitidine was generally well-tolerated with no evidence of increased toxicities beyond what is seen with either SY-1425 or azacitidine alone. Rates of myelosuppression, including neutropenia, were comparable to reports of single-agent azacitidine in this AML population. The majority of non-hematologic AEs were low grade. Across all grades and of all causalities, the most commonly reported AEs were nausea, decreased appetite, constipation, fatigue and peripheral edema. The most commonly reported Grade 3 or higher AEs were thrombocytopenia, anemia and febrile neutropenia.

08:42 EDT American Airlines sees adj. debt down $8B-$10B over next 5 years

08:41 EDT American Airlines sees adj. debt down $3B-$4B over the next 2 years

08:39 EDT TowneBank sees quarterly noninterest expense run rate $94M-$96M for 2019 - Sees annualized loan growth to be in the low-to-mid single digits for the remainder of 2019.

08:30 EDT CHF Solutions announces Abington Hospital study using Aquadex FlexFlow System - CHF Solutions announced that investigators at Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health in Abington, Pennsylvania are conducting a retrospective analysis of their experience using the company's Aquadex FlexFlow System in heart failure patients with fluid overload. The study, titled "Retrospective Review of a Single Center Experience with Aquapheresis in the Treatment of 344 Heart Failure Patients with Volume Overload," is designed to identify patient characteristics, ultrafiltration rates, and renal function response to the utilization of aquapheresis therapy with the Aquadex FlexFlow system. The Abington-Jefferson Health Principal Investigators, Robert Watson, MD, chief of Cardiology and co-director of the Comprehensive Heart Failure program and Donald Haas, MD, medical director, Ventricular Assist Device Program, co-director, Comprehensive Heart Failure Program along with the Sub-Investigators Maureen Hummel, CRNP and Patricia Barrella, RN, MSN are conducting the analysis with the intention of publishing their findings in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

08:27 EDT Replimune Group announces first patient enrolled in Phase 1 trial of RP2 - Replimune Group announced that the company has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 1 clinical trial of RP2. RP2 expresses a genetically encoded anti-CTLA-4 antibody-like molecule, in addition to GALV-GP-R- and GM-CSF, both of which are expressed in Replimune's first product candidate, RP1. This is intended to block the inhibition of the initiation of immune responses caused by CTLA-4. The Phase 1 clinical trial will study RP2 as a single agent and in combination with Opdivo in patients with advanced solid tumors. The Phase 1 clinical trial is designed to assess the safety, tolerability and to determine the optimal dose of RP2 alone and in combination with anti-PD1 therapy and is being conducted as a collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. BMS has granted Replimune a nonexclusive, non-transferable, royalty-free license to, and will supply at no cost, Opdivo, for use in combination with RP2. BMS has no further development-related obligations under this collaboration.

08:26 EDT Twitter says may see continued impact from MAP issues in 2020 - Says not yet providing specific guidance for 2020.

08:23 EDT Procter & Gamble purchases 100% renewable electricity in three major markets - Procter & Gamble announced that it reached its 2020 goal of purchasing 100% renewable electricity in the U.S. and Canada. The company exceeded its original goal by extending the purchase of 100% renewable electricity to Western Europe. These three markets are among its largest and represent over 70% of P&G's purchased electricity. This commitment was achieved ahead of schedule and signifies a "strong" start to reaching P&G's goal of purchasing 100% renewable electricity globally by 2030. P&G's largest individual contributors to its renewable energy production are its wind farm in Tyler Bluff, Texas, which offsets 100% of the electricity needed for its fabric and home care facilities in the U.S. and Canada to produce brands like Tide, Downy, Cascade and Mr. Clean, and its onsite combined heat and power biomass facility in Albany, Georgia, which provides 100% of the Bounty and Charmin steam requirements at this site. In addition to these large-scale projects, the company is reducing emissions across its operations through a diverse portfolio of renewable energy projects focused on wind, solar, geothermal, hydro and renewable energy certificates.

08:21 EDT Ooma announces expanded relationships with TCG, Technology Source - Ooma announced expanded relationships with two channel partners: Telecom Consulting Group and Technology Source. TCG and Technology Source are long-established master agents for Broadsmart, a telecommunications provider acquired by Ooma in May 2019. They are now extending their Ooma portfolio by including the cloud-based Ooma Office business phone service, through a channel program that offers significant benefits for themselves and their subagents.

08:19 EDT Lakeland Bancorp announces share repurchase program up to 2,524,458 shares - Under the Share Repurchase Program, the Company may repurchase up to 2,524,458 shares of its common stock, or approximately 5% of its outstanding shares of common stock at September 30, 2019. Repurchases may be made from time to time through a combination of open market and privately negotiated repurchases. The specific timing, price and quantity of repurchases will be at the discretion of the Company and will depend on a variety of factors, including general market conditions, the trading price of the common stock, legal and contractual requirements and the Company's financial performance. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to repurchase any shares.

08:16 EDT Allergan issues hold, initiating voluntary recall of affected XEN 45 lots - Earlier this week, ASCRS announced that Allergan collaborated with it on the release of the following statement pertaining to Allergan's Xen glaucoma surgical drainage device: "During Allergan's inspection process, a small number of units in an unreleased XEN 45 lot were observed to have trace amounts of polishing compounds that are used in the needle sleeve manufacturing process. Allergan has engaged regulatory agencies and is initiating a voluntary recall of affected lots of XEN 45. As a precautionary measure, Allergan issued a product hold of XEN 45 while investigating these findings. Allergan is committed to patient safety and anticipates that this voluntary recall will begin in the coming days. Allergan will provide additional information in the coming weeks on resupplying the market with newly manufactured lots of XEN 45." Reference Link

08:10 EDT Aegon NV trading halted, news pending

08:09 EDT Twitter CFO says took steps to remediate bugs that impacted MAP product - Says that it discovered and took steps to remediate, bugs that primarily affected its legacy Mobile Application Promotion product, impacting its ability to target ads and share data with measurement and ad partners. Twitter said it also discovered that certain personalization and data settings were not operating as expected. The company believes that, in aggregate, these issues reduced year-over-year revenue growth by 3 or more points in Q3.

08:08 EDT First Mid Bancshares raises semi-annual dividend 11.1% to 40c per share - The Company's Board of Directors approved its next semi-annual dividend in the amount of $0.40, representing an increase of 11.1%. The dividend is payable on December 13, 2019 for shareholders of record on November 29, 2019.

08:05 EDT PTC Therapeutics reports results from study of PTC-AADC - PTC Therapeutics announced new results from its investigational gene therapy, PTC-AADC, in patients living with aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency. The data demonstrated clinically meaningful and sustained improvements in motor, cognitive and language milestones. These included the ability to sit, walk, and talk and represents up to five years of follow up post-treatment. PTC-AADC is a one-time gene therapy treatment of the human dopa decarboxylase gene administered into the putamen, which supports production of key neurotransmitters. The data were presented at the Child Neurology Society 48th Annual Meeting.

08:02 EDT AbbVie announces strategic collaboration with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - AbbVie and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, announced a strategic collaboration in which AbbVie will develop a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator potentiator compound licensed from the Foundation. Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will advance the potentiator into clinical development for potential use in combination treatments for cystic fibrosis. Financial terms were not disclosed.

07:50 EDT Onconova on track to report top-line data from Phase 3 INSPIRE trial in 1H20 - Onconova Therapeutics announced that the Company believes it remains on target to report top-line data from the global Phase 3 INSPIRE Trial with intravenous rigosertib in second-line, higher-risk MDS patients in the first half of 2020 following full enrollment and 288 death events. The Company anticipates completion of the INSPIRE Trial in the first half of 2020 based on approaching 90 percent or 324 randomized patients of the required 360 randomized patients, and the number of confirmed death events reached to date. In addition to the pivotal Phase 3 INSPIRE study, a Phase 1 study of rigosertib in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor for patients with progressive K-Ras mutated non-small cell lung cancer is expected to commence by early 2020 as an investigator-initiated study. Ras-mutated cancers represent about a third of all human cancers. We recently participated in the RAS Drug Discovery Summit in Boston and plan to participate in the next RAS Drug Discovery Summit in Vienna, Austria in February 2020. We are also working toward filing an IND for a Phase 1 trial of ON 123300, our investigational dual inhibitor of CDK4/6 + ARK5, which we believe has the potential to treat various cancers including refractory metastatic breast cancer. The IND has been submitted in China by our corporate partner Han X.

07:48 EDT ECB sees reinvesting principal payments from APP for 'as long as necessary' - The Governing Council of the ECB said it intends to continue reinvesting, in full, the principal payments from maturing securities purchased under the APP for an extended period of time past the date when it starts raising the key ECB interest rates, and in any case for as long as necessary to maintain favorable liquidity conditions and an ample degree of monetary accommodation.

07:39 EDT Huntington Bancshares sees FY19 net interest income growth approx. 1% - Sees FY19 noninterest income growth 9%-12%, noninterest expense growth 2%-2.5%. Sees FY19 average loan growth approximately 4%, average deposit growth approximately 3% and net charge-offs less than 35 basis points. Guidance provided in Q3 earnings presentation slides.

07:37 EDT Monro signs definitive agreements to acquire 27 stores - The Company announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 18 stores, including 14 in Nevada and four in Idaho, both of which are new states for Monro. These locations are expected to add approximately $20M in annualized sales, representing a sales mix of 75% service and 25% tires. Additionally, the Company announced that it has signed definitive agreements to acquire nine stores in California, expanding our presence in a recently entered state. These locations are expected to add approximately $25M in annualized sales, representing a sales mix of 55% service and 45% tires. These acquisitions further expand the Company's geographic footprint into the West Coast region and are expected to close in the third quarter of fiscal 2020. They are expected to be breakeven to diluted earnings per share in fiscal 2020. The Company also completed the previously announced acquisitions of eight stores in Louisiana during the second quarter of fiscal 2020, expanding our presence in a recently entered market. These locations are expected to add approximately $12M in annualized sales, representing a sales mix of 50% service and 50% tires. These acquisitions are expected to be breakeven to diluted earnings per share in fiscal 2020. On a combined basis, acquisitions completed and announced in fiscal 2020 represent an expected total of $120M in annualized sales.

07:35 EDT Allergan: FDA approves sBLA for Botox - Allergan announced that the U.S. FDA approved the company's supplemental Biologics License Application for BOTOX for the treatment of pediatric patients with lower limb spasticity, excluding spasticity caused by cerebral palsy. This marks the 11th BOTOX therapeutic indication, having been approved for pediatric upper limb spasticity earlier this year. Spasticity is a debilitating neurological condition involving muscle stiffness that can result in tight muscles in the upper and lower limbs, and can interfere with movement. The severity can range from mild to severe muscle stiffness.

07:33 EDT American Airlines says Q3 impacted by continued grounding of Boeing 737 MAX - "We are pleased to report an earnings increase of 15% and earnings per share growth of 20% for the third quarter, excluding net special items," said American Airlines (AAL) Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. "However, we know that our results should have been better. Our third quarter was impacted by the continued grounding of the Boeing (BA) 737 MAX and the operational challenges resulting from ongoing labor contract negotiations. These challenges affected our customers, our shareholders and our team members, who we thank for their hard work and perseverance. We are taking decisive action to correct this performance and are excited about our prospects for 2020 and beyond. As we look forward, we are committed to restoring operational excellence, growing efficiently and profitably, and generating significant free cash flow for our investors."

07:32 EDT American Airlines reports Q3 TRASM up 2% y/y - Driven by a 3 percentage point increase in total passenger load factor, passenger revenue per available seat mile, or PRASM, grew 3% to a record 14.50 cents. Cargo revenue decreased 20% to $208 million due primarily to a 17% decrease in cargo ton miles. Total operating cost per available seat mile was 14.64 cents in the third quarter of 2019, up 1% from the third quarter of 2018. Excluding fuel and net special items, third-quarter 2019 CASM was 11.07 cents, up 5% year over year due primarily to higher salaries and benefits, maintenance and regional expense, and lower than planned capacity.

07:30 EDT Baxter announces internal investigation, does not expect timely file of Q3 10-Q - Baxter recently began an investigation into certain intra-company transactions undertaken for the purpose of generating foreign exchange gains or losses. These transactions used a foreign exchange rate convention historically applied by the company that was not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and enabled intra-company transactions to be undertaken after the related exchange rates were already known. The company is being assisted in the investigation by experienced external counsel and consultants. These intra-company transactions resulted in certain misstatements in the company's previously reported non-operating income related to net foreign exchange gains. Within "Other (income) expense, net," the company previously reported net foreign exchange gains of $8M, $113M, $28M, $50M, $73M and $22M, for the years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and the first half of 2019, respectively. The investigation is not limited to these periods and any subsequent adjustments to previously reported foreign exchange gains and losses may alter those non-operating income results. The audit committee of the company's board is overseeing this investigation with the assistance of independent, experienced external advisors. Baxter voluntarily advised the staff of the SEC that the internal investigation is underway and intends to provide additional information to the SEC as the investigation progresses. The company does not expect to file its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30 on a timely basis. The investigation is in its early stages and the company cannot predict its duration or outcome. Upon completion of the investigation and the company's evaluation of the materiality of the misstatements, the company expects to either amend its periodic reports previously filed with the SEC to include restated financial statements that correct those misstatements, or include in reports for future periods restated comparative financial statements that correct those misstatements. The company also will consider the extent to which these matters impact the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of any corrections to previously issued financial statements after completion of the non-operating income investigation, Baxter also expects to correct certain items that affect operating income and were immaterial to its previously reported results of operations. These items include the impact of the use of the foreign exchange rate convention to translate the results of the company's foreign operations into U.S. dollars and the impact of the incorrect accounting for placed equipment that the company leases to its customers. Correction of these immaterial misstatements would not affect the reported sales growth rate in Q3 or the projected reported growth rate or projected operating margin range for the Q4 presented herein.

07:25 EDT Vislink receives $300,000 order for wireless camera systems - Vislink Technologies announces that it has received an order valued at approximately $300,000 for wireless camera systems and related components for use by the U.S. Army. The systems will be used to capture, display and distribute real-time imagery.

07:24 EDT Asanko Gold appoints Judith Mosely to board of directors - Asanko Gold announced the appointment of Judith Mosely to the Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2020. Most recently, Mosely held the position of Business Development Director for Rand Merchant Bank in London with responsibility for developing the bank's African business with international mining and metals companies.

07:23 EDT Antares Pharma announces two poster presentations at SMSNA - Antares Pharma announced that data from two poster presentations will be presented on Saturday October 26, 2019 at the 20th Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America. The poster entitled "Comparison of Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Testosterone Therapy Products in Relation to Diurnal Variation of Serum Testosterone Levels" will be presented by Alexander Pastuszak, MD, PhD, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah. The submission was among a select group of key abstracts awarded the distinction of a moderated poster presentation. The goal of the study was to review the pharmacokinetic profiles of serum testosterone in different exogenous testosterone formulations and compare these PK profiles with daily variations in endogenous serum testosterone levels. A review of daily testosterone variation studies in adult men was conducted followed by literature searches and product prescribing information review of a variety of testosterone therapies. Routes of administration considered were subcutaneous testosterone enanthate, intramuscular testosterone, topical testosterone gel, topical testosterone solution, subdermal pellets, nasal testosterone gel, oral testosterone and the testosterone buccal system. The poster entitled "Testosterone Patient Journey Analysis" will be presented by Irwin Goldstein, MD, San Diego Sexual Medicine, San Diego, California. Male hypogonadism is a clinical syndrome resultant of pathological failure within the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis that normally produces physiological required concentrations of testosterone. Erectile dysfunction, fatigue/lethargy, depressive symptoms, and decreased energy and libido are common symptoms associated with decreased testosterone concentrations. Testosterone therapy is clinically recommended in men with hypogonadism. An analysis of the hypogonadal patient journey was conducted to explore the initial symptoms, impact of initial treatment, and patients' concerns and current mindset about testosterone replacement therapy.

07:20 EDT XPO Logistics joins MIT Industrial Liaison Program - XPO Logistics is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Industrial Liaison Program to advance innovation in the fast-paced logistics industry. XPO is the first global logistics company to join the MIT ILP, which pairs its world-class research resources with industry-leading corporations to solve global business challenges.

07:18 EDT Aircastle announces review of strategic alternatives, including potential sale - Aircastle announced that its Board of Directors is evaluating strategic alternatives, which may include a sale of the company. Aircastle has received preliminary non-binding expressions of interest from multiple third parties regarding a potential transaction involving the company and is engaged in preliminary discussions relating thereto. There can be no assurance that this process will result in a transaction or, if a transaction is undertaken, its terms or timing. The company has retained Citigroup Global Markets as its financial advisor and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as its legal advisor to assist in this ongoing review. The company does not intend to disclose developments or provide updates on the progress or status of this process unless it deems further disclosure is appropriate or required by law.

07:16 EDT Choom Holdings investment receives two production licenses from Health Canada - Choom announced that Sitka Weedworks, formerly Specialty Medijuana Products, of which Choom is 9.8% equity stakeholder, has received two production and processing licenses from Health Canada. These licenses allow for the production and sale of a wide range of cannabis products, including dried flower, pre-rolls, oils, capsules, edibles, vaporizer pens, and more. Sitka Weedworks is currently producing 2,200 plants in its production facilities, with plans to lease additional cultivation spaces to 53 cannabis micro-cultivators. Additionally, Choom acknowledged a proposed change in British Columbia's regulatory system concerning the direct sale of cannabis products by licensed producers. Comments made by B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnsworth have set the stage for the approval of Farm-Gate Sales in British Columbia, though the expected timeline of these changes is not defined.

07:14 EDT Rocket Pharmaceuticals presents long-term follow-up RP-L102 data at ESGCT - Rocket Pharmaceuticals presented updated long-term follow-up from the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of RP-L102 at the European Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, or ESGCT. RP-L102 is the company's lentiviral vector, or LVV-based gene therapy for the treatment of Fanconi Anemia, or FA. The data are included in an oral presentation. The presentation described nine pediatric patients who received RP-L102 utilizing fresh or cryopreserved mobilized peripheral blood CD34+ cells that were transduced with the therapeutic vector. Four of these patients have been followed for more than 2 years. The Phase 1/2 study of RP-L102 is an ongoing, open-label, single-center study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of "Process A" RP-L102 without the use of any conditioning regimen conventionally used in allogenic transplant. Rocket expects initial data from the Phase 1 "Process B" trial of RP-L102 by year-end. The registration-enabling Phase 2 study in Spain is now enrolling, and additional global sites will follow.

07:14 EDT Genocea expects cash, cash equivalents to support operations into 1Q21 - Genocea entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund for up to $30M, including an initial investment by LPC of $2.5M. LPC is an existing investor of Genocea, having participated in both of Genocea's 2019 financings. "We believe that the LPC agreements provide access to capital and can be used strategically to fund continued advancement of both GEN-009 and GEN-011," said Diantha Duvall, Chief Financial Officer. Genocea expects that its existing cash and cash equivalents are sufficient to support its operations into the first quarter of 2021.

07:13 EDT Twitter sees FY19 near low end of previous $550M-$600M range - Sees FY19 stock-based compensation expense to be at or near the midpoint of its previous guidance range of $350M-$400M.

07:13 EDT Twitter says more than 50% of tweets removed in Q3 taken down without report - In its Q3 shareholder letter, Twitter said: "We continued to make progress on health. In Q3 we gave people more control over their conversations on Twitter with the launch of author-moderated replies in the US, Canada, and Japan, and we improved our ability to proactively identify and remove abusive content, with more than 50% of the Tweets removed for abusive content in Q3 taken down without a bystander or first person report." The company added: "In Q3 we continued to improve our machine-learning models to provide more relevant content in people's Home timelines and notifications. We also improved our onboarding flow with the ability to select a preferred language on sign-up, a feature that is currently live on Android in 13 countries and rolling out on iOS soon." The company added that it grew headcount sequentially, ending the quarter with more than 4,600 employees.

07:10 EDT Soligenix granted patent for production of synthetic hypericin composition - Soligenix has been granted the divisional patent application titled "Systems and Methods for Producing Synthetic Hypericin", by the USPTO. The allowed claims are directed to unique, proprietary methods to produce a novel, highly purified form of synthetic hypericin. Synthetic hypericin is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in SGX301, the company's photodynamic therapy for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, currently the subject of an actively recruiting pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial where final topline results are expected in 1Q20.

07:09 EDT Burger King teams up with Activision Blizzard, GrubHub to promote Call of Duty - Burger King (QSR) restaurants are teaming up with Activision's (ATVI) newest game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, as well as Grubhub (GRUB), to bring fans bonus in-game content and experiences. one Burger King restaurant in Los Angeles will transform into a real-life version of the Call of Duty Burger Town restaurant. Within the restaurant, guests will find a gaming hub set up by Activision for visitors to play the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare game. Grubhub is promoting select Burger King restaurants on its app in 16 cities as "Burger Town presented by Burger King" restaurants. The rebranded "Burger Town" menu will include Call of Duty themed meals with the opportunity to get a code to unlock bonus in game content. The Burger Town menu will be available exclusively via Grubhub delivery. Guests nationwide can also order a Call of Duty themed meal from their local BK restaurant on Grubhub.

07:06 EDT Ansys to acquire Dynardo, terms not disclosed - ANSYS announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Dynardo, a leading provider of simulation process integration and design optimization technology. The acquisition will give ANSYS customers access to a full suite of process integration and robust design tools - empowering users to identify optimal product designs faster and more economically. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter. It is not expected to have material impact on ANSYS' consolidated financial statements in either 2019 or 2020.

07:05 EDT Comcast reports Q3 NBCUniversal revenue decreased 3.5% to $8.3B - Revenue for NBCUniversal decreased 3.5% to $8.3B in the third quarter of 2019. Adjusted EBITDA increased 1.6% to $2.1B. Cable Networks revenue decreased 2.8% to $2.8B in the third quarter of 2019, reflecting lower content licensing and other revenue, partially offset by higher distribution revenue. Broadcast Television revenue decreased 9.1% to $2.2B in the third quarter of 2019, reflecting a decrease in advertising and content licensing revenue, partially offset by increased distribution and other revenue. Advertising revenue decreased 12.1%, primarily due to the absence of revenue generated by Telemundo's broadcast of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. Filmed Entertainment revenue decreased 6.2% to $1.7B in the third quarter of 2019, reflecting lower home entertainment and theatrical revenue. Theme Parks revenue increased 6.8% to $1.6B in the third quarter of 2019, primarily reflecting higher attendance due, in part, to severe weather and natural disasters that negatively impacted attendance in Japan in the third quarter of 2018.

07:05 EDT Twitter CFO says to prioritize ad products to drive ongoing mDAU growth - "Despite its challenges, this quarter validates our strategy of investing to drive long-term growth. More work remains to deliver improved revenue products. We'll continue to prioritize our ad products along with health and our investments to drive ongoing growth in mDAU," said Ned Segal, Twitter's CFO. "We remain confident that focusing on our most important priorities, and delivering higher performing, better ad formats will deliver better outcomes for all of our stakeholders for years to come."

07:04 EDT Comcast reports Q3 Cable Communications revenue up 4.0% to $14.6B - Revenue for Cable Communications increased 4.0% to $14.6B in the third quarter of 2019, driven primarily by increases in high-speed internet, business services and wireless revenue. Total Customer Relationships increased by 309,000 to 31.2M in the third quarter of 2019. Residential customer relationships increased by 288,000 and business customer relationships increased by 21,000. At the end of the third quarter, 65.6% of our residential customers received at least two Xfinity products. Total high-speed internet customer net additions were 379,000, total video customer net losses were 238,000, total voice customer net losses were 53,000 and total security and automation customer net additions were 8,000. In addition, Cable Communications added 204,000 wireless lines in the quarter.

06:58 EDT McDermott awarded fabrication subcontract for Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project - McDermott announced it has been awarded a fabrication subcontract for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim natural gas project. The scope of work for fabrication of the SPS includes: project management; fabrication engineering; procurement; pre-assembly; fabrication; acceptance tests and system-integration tests. The work is scheduled to begin in Q3 and is expected to be completed by Q3 2020 in McDermott's fabrication facility in Batam, Indonesia. As part of a previous award, McDermott is also fabricating the pipeline structures and riser structure for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim Project in Batam.

06:45 EDT Southwest sees FY19 ASM down about 1.5% - The company now expects annual 2019 ASMs to decrease approximately 1.5 percent, within its previous guidance range of a decrease of 1 to 2 percent, year-over-year.

06:45 EDT Southwest sees Q4 ASM down 0.5%-1% -

06:43 EDT Northrop Grumman reports Q3 backlog increases to $65B - Net Awards Total $10.1B; Book-to-Bill of 1.2.

06:41 EDT Southwest sees Q4 RASM flat to up 2% - Currently, passenger booking and revenue trends remain solid, and the company expects fourth quarter 2019 RASM to be in the range of flat to up 2%, compared with fourth quarter 2018. The company's outlook for fourth quarter 2019 assumes no year-over-year RASM net benefit due to the MAX groundings, unlike second and third quarter 2019. The estimated year-over-year RASM benefit of two to three points driven by lower fourth quarter 2019 capacity from the MAX groundings is expected to be offset by the negative year-over-year RASM effects from the complexity of adjusting the company's previously published fourth quarter 2019 flight schedule. The company's adjustments to remove the MAX aircraft from its fourth quarter 2019 flight schedule provide for a more uniform week-to-week schedule over the peak holiday period relative to fourth quarter 2018, which is needed to maintain schedule feasibility and minimize disruption to customers and the operation. As a result, there is more year-over-year flying in off-peak periods and-due to a fleet deficit-less flying in peak periods than planned, or optimal.

06:40 EDT Southwest sees Q4 CASM ex-items up 4%-6% - Gary Kelly, chairman of the board and CEO, stated, "Looking ahead to Q4, our financial outlook remains stable and solid. Thus far, Customer demand remains strong and the revenue environment remains healthy. Based on these trends and current bookings, we are expecting another positive year-over-year unit revenue performance in Q4, despite the sub optimized flight schedule during the holiday time periods, as a result of the extended MAX groundings. While we expect the MAX groundings will put pressure on fourth quarter 2019 unit costs, we remain diligent in our cost control efforts and currently expect fourth quarter 2019 year-over-year unit cost growth to ease from third quarter 2019's year-over-year unit cost growth, excluding fuel and oil expense and profit sharing expense, of 7.6 percent." Based on current cost trends, the company expects fourth quarter 2019 CASM, excluding fuel and oil expense and profit sharing expense, to increase in the 4 to 6 percent range, compared with fourth quarter 2018. Prior to the MAX groundings, the company expected fourth quarter 2019 CASM, excluding fuel and oil expense and profit sharing expense, to decrease approximately 2 percent, year-over-year. Approximately six points of the expected incremental year-over-year unit cost increase in fourth quarter 2019 are driven by lower fourth quarter 2019 capacity as a result of the MAX groundings, net of two to three points of year-over-year unit cost benefit driven by more year-over-year flying in off-peak periods as a result of fourth quarter 2019 flight schedule adjustments. Additionally, the Company expects approximately one point of year-over-year unit cost increase in fourth quarter 2019 due to the shifting of maintenance and technology expenses from third quarter into fourth quarter 2019. Once the company publishes its flight schedule, its operating costs are largely fixed. The Company currently has flights for sale through April 13, 2020, with the MAX removed from its flight schedule through February 8, 2020.

06:39 EDT RBS backs guidance provided in 2019 interim results - RBS retains the outlook provided in the 2019 Interim Results. In line with previous guidance, RBS expects to end the year with RWAs of around GBP 185-190 billion.

06:37 EDT 3M CEO says 'macroeconomic environment remains challenging' - "The 3M team delivered strong operational performance in the third quarter," said Mike Roman, 3M chairman and CEO. "While the macroeconomic environment remains challenging, we executed well and built on the progress we made in the second quarter. We continued to effectively manage costs and reduce inventory levels, while generating strong margins and cash flow." Roman continued, "We also continue to make good progress on our strategic priorities, including our recently-closed acquisition of Acelity, which is an exciting addition to 3M's health care portfolio. Moving ahead we'll continue to focus on driving operational improvements and investing for the future, which will position us for strong growth and premium returns as our markets recover."

06:36 EDT Daimler AG sees FY19 Group EBIT 'significantly below' prior-year level

06:29 EDT Group 1 Automotive reports Q3 U.S. new unit SSS up 2.9% - Reports Q3 UK SSS down 2.3%. Reports Q3 Brazil SSS down 9.5%.

06:25 EDT Dow Inc. reports Q3 volume down 2% y/y - Volume declined 2% versus pro forma results in the year-ago period. Demand growth in packaging, polyurethanes and silicones applications was more than offset by lower hydrocarbon co-product sales, resulting from a lighter feedstock slate in Europe, and increased ethylene integration from the startup of new U.S. Gulf Coast assets. Excluding the Hydrocarbons & Energy business, volume rose 1%.

06:23 EDT Chart Industries, Energy Capital Vietnam to promote LNG distribution - Chart Industries and Energy Capital Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding on October 23 to promote the distribution of liquefied natural gas within Vietnam, with Chart supplying the downstream equipment into ECV's terminal projects. Energy Capital Vietnam is a Vietnam-focused project development and asset management company that works closely with Vietnam's Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the key authoritative body that oversees the energy sector. With a population of nearly 100M, Vietnam benefits from both Federal and Provincial government commitment to cleaner sources of energy. The country's total LNG demand is estimated to reach 10M tons per year by 2030 and much is expected to be imported from the United States.

06:19 EDT Las Vegas Sands CEO returns to earnings call after missing several quarters - Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson returned to the company's earnings conference call on Wednesday after a nearly year-long absence from calls. On the Q3 call, the chairman and founder, who was undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma earlier this year, told analysts "I feel good." He added that he "deeply appreciates the well wishes and everyone who took the time to reach out to me."

06:10 EDT Allot Communications names Ziv Leitman as CFO, succeeding Alberto Sessa - Allot announced the appointment of Ziv Leitman as the new CFO of the company. Leitman will be replacing Alberto Sessa who will be leaving the company to pursue other professional opportunities. Leitman, who will join Allot on November 6, brings with him significant financial, technological and management experience. He served from 2017 as the CFO of Powermat Technologies, a wireless charging pioneer leader, and from 2011 to 2017 as CFO of Partner Communications, one of Israel's leading mobile, fixed-line, Internet and TV service providers.

06:03 EDT Dow Inc. CEO says managing in 'difficult business environment' - Jim Fitterling, CEO, commented on the quarter: "Our results this quarter demonstrated the Dow team's focus on managing operational levers in response to a difficult business environment. We grew volume in our packaging, polyurethanes and silicones businesses, and once again successfully leveraged our industry-leading feedstock flexibility in the U.S. and Europe. Our team also took actions to improve pricing - with notable improvements in the Packaging and Specialty Plastics business toward the end of the quarter. Further, we continued to drive down our cost structure, completing the $1.365 billion cost synergy program and removing $40 million of stranded costs. Together, these factors delivered sequential earnings, margins and free cash flow improvements. Overall, our results showcased the strengths of the Dow portfolio and team."

05:46 EDT Vertex announces agreement with NHS England - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced an access agreement with NHS England for all currently licensed Vertex cystic fibrosis, or CF, medicines and any future indications of these medicines. This means that within 30 days patients with CF in England ages 2 years and older who have two copies of the F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene can be prescribed ORKAMBI by their doctor and CF patients ages 12 years and older who either have two copies of the F508del mutation or one copy of the F508del mutation and a copy of one of the other 14 licensed mutations can be prescribed SYMKEVI in combination with ivacaftor. The agreement also offers expanded access to KALYDECO to include people ages 18 years and older who have the R117H mutation and those patients ages 12 months and older who have one of the nine licensed gating mutations.

05:25 EDT Square enters partnership with simPRO - simPRO has announced a partnership with Square to provide fast and simple payment processing options to field service professionals. simPRO is a comprehensive software solution with features to simplify field service management for trade contracting businesses. The Square integration with simPRO will provide field service businesses with an innovative mobile payment solution to help them get paid on the spot. Now, simPRO users will have the ability to accept card payments at the time of service, receive funds as early as the next business day, and issue invoices from the field.

05:17 EDT PG&E turned off power in portions of 15 CA counties - Pacific Gas and Electric confirmed that it has implemented a Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS, in 15 counties in the Sierra Foothills and North Bay-Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Sonoma, Tehama and Yuba-impacting about 178,000 customers in those areas. Power shutoffs are planned for portions of San Mateo County, affecting about 1,000 customers, and Kern County, affecting about 30 customers, and are expected to begin around 1:00 a.m. Thursday. In total, the current PSPS is expected to impact approximately 179,000 customers in 17 counties. It is possible that additional customers not impacted by PSPS may experience power outages due to PG&E equipment damaged during the wind event; those customers will not be notified in advance.