Stockwinners Market Radar for November 05, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:25 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise to 915.85MT from 914.67MT - This is the first increase in holdings since October 18th.

20:21 EDT TTEC Holdings to partner with LivePerson - TTEC Holdings (TTEC) and LivePerson (LPSN) announced a strategic partnership to "redefine the customer experience" with digital engagement, messaging, and AI-driven automation. The TTEC-LivePerson partnership brings together two customer experience pioneers to help brands improve NPS and CSAT while also reducing friction and accelerating customer experience and digital transformation.

19:03 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Inogen (INGN) up 9.4%... Five9 (FIVN) up 8.6%... Evolent Health (EVH) up 8.6%... Kratos (KTOS) up 7.8%... Avalara (AVLR) up 5.0%... Codexis (CDXS) up 5.0%... Trupanion (TRUP) up 5.0%... PaySign (PAYS) up 4.8%... Rigel Pharma (RIGL) up 4.6%... Devon Energy (DVN) up 4.4%... Ichor Holdings (ICHR) up 4.2%... SSR Mining (SSRM) up 2.5%... Boingo Wireless (WIFI) up 1.9%... Portola (PTLA) up 1.7%... iRhythm Technologies (IRTC) up 1.7%... Insulet (PODD) up 1.5%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Plantronics (PLT) down 27.7%... Fluidigm (FLDM) down 19.6%... Match Group (MTCH) down 15.5%... Optimize RX (OPRX) down 15.3%... Sierra Wireless (SWIR) down 13.4%... WW International (WW) down 12.8%... Diamondback Energy (FANG) down 11.6%... HyreCar (HYRE) down 11.1%... Altice (ATUS) down 8.8%... Whiting Petroleum (WLL) down 8.4%... Acadia Healthcare (ACHC) down 7.6%... Red Rock Resorts (RRR) down 6.8%... HubSpot (HUBS) down 6.3%... Team (TISI) down 6.0%... Fiesta Restaurant Group (FRGI) down 5.9%... Coherent (COHR) down 5.8%... Renewable Energy (REGI)) down 5.8%... Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (RRGB) down 5.8%... Zymeworks (ZYME) down 4.1%... BioTelemetry (BEAT) down 4.1%... Microchip (MCHP) down 4.0%... New Relic (NEWR) down 3.8%... Adesto Technologies (IOTS) down 3.2%... Cooper Standard (CPS) down 3.1%... Cara Therapeutics (CARA) down 2.5%... CarGurus (CARG) down 2.4%... Harvard Bioscience (HBIO) down 2.2%... Alarm.com (ALRM) down 2.0%... Iteris (ITI) down 1.8%... Chiasma (CHMA) down 1.5%. ALSO LOWER: Supernus Pharma (SUPN) down 24.8% after Q3 results and announcing its Phase 3 trial of SPN0810 did not meet primary endpoint. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:47 EDT Mallinckrodt discloses SEC subpoena over Acthar gel litigation - Mallinckrodt said in a regulatory filing that in August 2019, the company received a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for documents related to the company's disclosure of its dispute with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services concerning the base date average manufacturer price under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program for Mallinckrodt's Acthar Gel, which is now the subject of litigation between the company and the Agency. The company is cooperating with the SEC's investigation.

18:18 EDT Mueller Water sees FY20 adjusted EBITDA up 4%-8% - Sees ,unicipal spending growing in the low-single digit range, residential construction growing in the low-single digit range and natural gas distribution growing in the mid-single digit range; consolidated net sales growth between 3%-5% primarily driven by higher shipment volumes; total SG&A expenses 19%-20% of consolidated net sales; net interest expense between $21M-$22M; effective income tax rate 24%-26%; and depreciation and amortization $60M-$63M and capital expenditures between $80M-$90M.

18:01 EDT San Jose Water says will provide disaster relief customer protections - San Jose Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of SJW Group, said it now provides disaster relief protections to support customers who fall victim to unpredictable emergencies. If someone loses a home, business or property due to a disaster declared by the state or federal government, the company will offer certain case-specific financial assistance, including waiving bills and automatically closing accounts. The new program also offers support to residents who experience more temporary disaster impacts. Customers whose homes are damaged, evacuated or temporarily uninhabitable due to a disaster, will be able to receive bill credits and/or prorated monthly service charges. Other protections include waiving deposit requirements and reconnection or facility fees. In addition, San Jose Water will offer extended payment plans on a case-by-case basis, work with residents to resolve unpaid bills and minimize service disconnections for non-payment.

17:51 EDT Diamondback Energy down 12% to $79.40 after Q3 results miss estimates

17:35 EDT Team backs FY19 forecasts for CapEx of $30M and free cash flow of $30M

17:25 EDT Supernus trading resumes

17:22 EDT Match Group down 15% after Q3 results, review of IAC separation proposal - In after-market trading, shares are down 15.4% to $58.20.

17:14 EDT Caesars sees single digit revenue growth in Q4 - Says outlook for Las Vegas looks positive. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

17:09 EDT Comerica: Executive Chairman Ralph Babb Jr. to retire, Curtis Farmer to succeed - Comerica announced that Ralph Babb Jr., Executive Chairman, Comerica Incorporated and Comerica Bank, will retire on December 31, 2019. Babb will be succeeded by Curtis Farmer, President and CEO, Comerica Incorporated and Comerica Bank, who will assume the additional title of Chairman, effective January 1, 2020.

17:07 EDT Oasis Petroleum sees Q4 Production in MBoepd 83.3-85.3 - Sees Q4 Differential to NYMEX WTI in $ per Bbl $3.00-$4.00.

17:04 EDT Livent announces MOU for supply agreement with LG for lithium hydroxide - In addition to reporting third quarter results, Livent is announcing a memorandum of understanding for a multi-year supply agreement with LG for lithium hydroxide starting in 2020. Under this arrangement, Livent would be committed to supply significant volumes of various specifications of lithium hydroxide to LG for multiple battery applications. "We are pleased to partner with LG, a respected leader in the global battery industry, to ensure that their rapidly growing needs for the highest quality lithium hydroxide are met," said Paul Graves, president and CEO of Livent. "We have a long history of being a leading provider of lithium hydroxide for demanding battery applications. Multi-year, multi-application partnerships are core to our strategy of remaining the lithium supply partner of choice in a rapidly growing and evolving market."

17:02 EDT Oasis Midstream Partners sees FY19 adjusted EBITDA $154M-$158M - Sees Q4 distribution coverage of 1.9x to 2.0x. Estimate gross Adjusted EBITDA by DevCo in 2019 - Bighorn DevCo: $72M-$74M Bobcat DevCo: $124M-$127M. Beartooth DevCo: $64M-$67M, and Panther DevCo: less than $1M due to the updated timing of the assignment. Updated 2019 CapEx plan to a range of $197M-$206M, net to OMP, a 3% decrease compared to prior guidance of $203M-$214M. CapEx in 4Q is expected to increase compared to 3Q with the closing of the Panther DevCo assignment.

16:58 EDT Trupanion announces $15M share repurchase program - Trupanion's board has adopted a share repurchase program that will allow the repurchase of up to $15M of the company's common stock over the next 12 months.

16:54 EDT Caesars, Eldorado Resorts merger on track to close in 1H20 - Caesars (CZR) filed a definitive proxy statement with the SEC on October 11, and the shareholder votes for each of Caesars and Eldorado Resorts (ERI) on the merger agreement will occur on November 15. The two companies have made significant progress on the integration planning process, and the merger of the two companies remains on track to close in the first half of 2020, subject to all required regulatory approvals.

16:52 EDT Caesars reports Q3 adjusted EBITDA increased 5.8% to $635M - Non-GAAP hold adjusted EBITDA increased 1.3% to $624M.

16:49 EDT Innospec increases semi-annual dividend - Innospec announced that it has declared a semi-annual dividend of 52c per common share for the second half of 2019, which will be paid on November 27 to shareholders of record as of November 19. This brings the annual dividend to $1.02 per share, a 15% increase over 2018.

16:48 EDT Vince Holding acquires Rebecca Taylor and Parker - Vince Holding announced that it has acquired Rebecca Taylor and Parker. Rebecca Taylor and Parker are contemporary women's brands distributed to high-end department and specialty stores worldwide as well as through their own branded e-commerce sites and in six Rebecca Taylor retail locations. Combined net sales for Rebecca Taylor and Parker totaled approximately $84 million for the twelve-months ended February 2, 2019. The Acquisition closed on November 3, 2019. Total cash consideration was $19.7 million reflecting the payoff of $19.2 million of outstanding debt obligations under the credit facility of the Acquired Businesses and $0.5 million of compensation expense. On the closing date, the assets of the Acquired Businesses included $0.7 million of cash. Vince funded the purchase with cash utilizing its existing revolving credit facility, which was increased by $20 million to $100 million simultaneously with the Acquisition. No changes to covenants were associated with the increase in the revolving credit facility. The Acquisition is expected to be dilutive to fiscal 2019 earnings, both including and excluding expected fiscal 2019 non-cash pre-acquisition asset impairment charges related to the Acquired Businesses, the aforementioned payment of compensation expense as well as transaction costs incurred by Vince. The Company plans to provide additional details regarding the expected financial impact of the Acquisition on its fiscal 2019 financial results when it reports its third quarter earnings.

16:45 EDT Pope Resources trading resumes

16:40 EDT Supernus trading halted, news pending

16:32 EDT Poly sees Q3 non-GAAP EPS 1c-31c, consensus $1.59 - Sees Q3 revenue $383M - $423M, consensus $511.9M. In Q3 the Company expects to reduce channel inventory by approximately $65M by reducing sales to channel partners, and has adjusted its financial guidance accordingly. "During the Q2 we made further progress reducing our debt and managing corporate spend," said the company. "As we analyze inventory levels across our value chain, in light of the evolving macroeconomic conditions and significant product transitions underway, we believe it is prudent to reduce channel inventory at this time by reducing sales to channel partners. This reduction will primarily impact our fiscal Q3 results and is incorporated into the guidance we are providing today."

16:32 EDT Huntington Ingalls increases share repurchase program by $1B - The board authorized an increase in the company's share repurchase program from $2.2B to $3.2B and extended the term of the program from October 31, 2022, to October 31, 2024.

16:29 EDT Puma licensing partner receives registration approval in Hong Kong for Nerlynx - Puma Biotechnology announced that its licensing partner in Greater China, CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc., has received registration approval from the Department of Health in Hong Kong to market NERLYNX for the extended adjuvant treatment of adult patients with early stage hormone receptor positive HER2-overexpressed/amplified breast cancer and who have completed adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy less than one year ago. "The rapid and smooth advancement of NERLYNX through the Hong Kong regulatory process to market approval is a testament to the quality of our regulatory expertise, and the CANbridge commitment to bring new treatments to underserved patient populations in greater China," said James Xue, PhD, Founder, Chairman and CEO, CANbridge Pharmaceuticals. "With this first targeted therapy approved in our oncology platform, CANbridge is able to provide women in Hong Kong, with HER2-positive breast cancer at risk of recurrence, a new and vital treatment option shortly after approval in the West."

16:29 EDT Federated National increases quarterly dividend 12.5% - FedNat Holding Company announced that its board declared a quarterly dividend of 9c per share of FedNat common stock, payable on December 2 to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 15. This represents a 12.5% increase to the previous 8c quarterly dividend.

16:28 EDT Consolidated-Tomoka approves additional $10M share buyback program - Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. announced that its Bboard approved an additional $10M share buyback program. This is a continuation of the company's year-to-date repurchases of approximately $31.1M, or approximately 532,000 shares, or approximately 9.8% of outstanding shares.

16:25 EDT Match Group says 'reviewing' IAC separation proposal - Match Group said in its quarterly investor letter: "On October 10, 2019, IAC conveyed to a special committee of disinterested directors of our Board of Directors a preliminary proposal for a transaction that would result in the full separation of Match Group from IAC. The proposal is more fully described in a Schedule 13D amendment filed by IAC with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 11, 2019. Our special committee is evaluating the proposal. There can be no assurance that any transaction will occur or that if a transaction does occur as to the timing or terms of any such transaction."

16:25 EDT Fox Corp. to acquire stations in Seattle, Milwaukee from Nexstar for about $350M - Fox Corporation (FOXA, FOX) announced a definitive agreement with Nexstar Media Group (NXST) to acquire three television stations for a purchase price of approximately $350M. The stations FOX will be acquiring are located in Seattle, WA and Milwaukee, WI, two key markets that align with the company's sports rights. The transaction will expand Fox Television Stations' market presence to 14 of the top 15 DMAs. As part of this transaction, FOX has agreed to sell Nexstar two stations in Charlotte, NC, FOX-affiliate WJZY and MyNetworkTV-affiliate WMYT, for approximately $45M. Completion of the stations acquisition and divestiture by FOX is expected to occur during the first half of calendar year 2020, subject to regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions.

16:24 EDT Voya Financial increases stock buyback authorization by $800M - Voya announced that its board of directors has increased the amount of the company's common stock authorized for repurchase under the company's share repurchase program by an additional $800M. Under its share repurchase program, the company may, from time to time, purchase shares of its common stock through various means, including open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions, forward, derivative, accelerated repurchase, or automatic repurchase transactions, or tender offers. The additional $800M share repurchase authorization expires on Dec. 31, 2020 (unless extended), and does not obligate the company to purchase any shares. The authorization for the share repurchase program may be terminated, increased or decreased by the board of directors at any time. With the new repurchase authorization, Voya has approximately $850M remaining under its share repurchase authorizations.

16:23 EDT Voya Financial backs FY19 normalized adjusted operating EPS growth target - "During the third quarter, we made further progress on our growth plans and generated normalized third-quarter 2019 adjusted operating earnings of $1.36 per diluted share," said Rodney O. Martin, Jr., chairman and CEO, Voya Financial, Inc. "For the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2019, we generated normalized adjusted operating earnings of $3.87 per diluted share, which is up 11% compared with the prior period and - combined with our expectations for the fourth quarter - means we fully expect to achieve our target of at least 10% annual adjusted operating earnings per share growth, on a normalized basis, in 2019."

16:20 EDT FuelCell ends engagement with Huron - FuelCell Energy announced that based on the progress made by the company, the board ended the engagement with Huron and the restructuring services being provided effective October 31. Beginning on June 2, Huron provided various services related to the company's restructuring and contingency planning initiatives. The board's decision was based on the outcome of many actions undertaken by Huron at the direction of the board that led to the company's successful restructuring, including the right sizing of the business, implementation of cost control measures, and pay off of substantial corporate debt.

16:19 EDT Theravance expects to deliver data from key development programs in 2020 - The company said, "2020 will be an important year for our company in terms of delivering data across all of our key development programs: TD-1473, our gut-selective pan-JAK inhibitor, is moving forward in a Phase 2b/3 study in ulcerative colitis and a Phase 2 study in Crohn's disease, partnered with Janssen; ampreloxetine, our norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, is advancing in a Phase 3 registrational program in symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH); TD-8236, our lung-selective pan-JAK inhibitor for which we reported promising Phase 1 data, is planned to be evaluated in additional asthma trials; and TD-5202, our gut-selective irreversible JAK3 inhibitor for inflammatory intestinal diseases, is advancing in Phase 1."

16:14 EDT Ichor Holdings says Jeff Anderson to succeed Tom Rohrs as CEO - Ichor Holdings announced the transition of Tom Rohrs to executive chairman of the company and the promotion of Jeff Andreson to chief executive officer, effective January 6, 2020. Remarking on Mr. Andreson's promotion, Tom Rohrs said, "Since our IPO nearly three years ago, one of my primary goals has been to build the strongest possible team to lead the company. Since Jeff assumed the president role earlier this year, he has been doing an excellent job running the company and engaging with customers. The organization has never been stronger than it is today. Heading into 2020, I will continue to work closely with Jeff and be directly engaged with the strategic vision of Ichor as the executive chairman."

16:11 EDT Pope Resources trading halted, news pending

16:08 EDT Diamondback Energy sees FY20 average daily production of 310.0 - 325.0 MBOE/d - Diamondback expects full year 2020 average daily production of 310.0 - 325.0 MBOE/d and average daily oil production of 205.0 - 215.0 MBO/d with an estimated capital spend of $2.8 - $3.0 billion. The capital budget includes $200 - $225 million of midstream capital and $150 - $175 million of infrastructure capital. During 2020, Diamondback expects to complete between 320 - 360 gross operated wells from a 20 - 23 rig drilling program. Full year 2020 well costs are expected to be between $720 - $750 per lateral foot in the Midland Basin and between $1,075 - $1,125 per lateral foot in the Delaware Basin.

16:06 EDT DaVita raises FY19 adjusted operating income view to $1.740B-$1.770B - Previous adjusted operating income view was $1.640B-$1.700B. Raises FY19 Operating cash flow from continuing perations view to $1.525B-$1.675 from $1.450-$1.625 and capital expenditures from continuing operations $740M-$780M

16:02 EDT Caesars CEO says 'delivered solid financial results' in Q3 - Tony Rodio, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, said, "We are pleased to have delivered solid financial results in the third quarter with net revenue growth across all business verticals, despite headwinds across our portfolio. Revenue performance was driven by our Las Vegas region due to increased consumer demand, with particular strength in the hotel business which continues to outpace prior years across properties. Coupled with corporate expense reductions, this led to strong adjusted EBITDA growth as well as margin expansion."

15:18 EDT FMC Corporation CEO sells 24,738 common shares - In a regulatory filing, FMC Corporation chairman and CEO Pierre R. Brondeau disclosed the sale of 24,738 common shares of the company at a price of $93.45 per share on November 1.

14:11 EDT Adobe, NYT and Twitter announce system for adding content attribution - Adobe (ADBE) said on Monday afternoon, at Adobe MAX, the Content Authenticity Initiative, along with The New York Times (NYT) and Twitter (TWTR), aimed at developing an industry standard for digital content attribution.The ability to provide proper content attribution for creators and publishers is critical to ensure trust and transparency online. Adobe, The New York Times Company and Twitter believe that creating a long-term solution is a shared responsibility among creators, technology, and media companies, and that joining forces will accelerate progress. "With the proliferation of digital content, people want to know the content they're seeing is authentic," said Dana Rao, executive vice president and general counsel, Adobe. "While this is a formidable challenge, we are thrilled to be championing the adoption of an industry-wide content attribution system, along with The New York Times Company and Twitter. It is critical for technology and media companies to come together now in order to empower consumers to better evaluate and understand content online." Adobe is developing an opt-in system that will allow creators and publishers to securely attach attribution data to content they choose to share. The framework is designed to let authors verify their content so that they receive proper attribution and provide consumers with an attribution trail to give them greater confidence about the authenticity of the content they're consuming. Adobe demonstrated a prototype of its content attribution technology embedded in Photoshop at Adobe MAX, the world's largest creativity conference. Reference Link

13:57 EDT Visa 'excited' to work with Tencent on mobile payment experience in China - Visa (V) the following statement in response to Tencent's (TCEHY) announcement that it intends to support international card schemes in its mobile wallet: "Visa believes this is a great step forward, both for consumers travelling to China and the overall payments industry. In a truly global commerce environment, collaboration is essential to provide consumers with a seamless payments experience. Visa is excited to work with Tencent, one of China's leading fintech companies, on a secure, convenient and interoperable mobile payment experience that will benefit the large number of international travelers visiting China. This partnership means that we'll be working towards an environment where Visa cardholders will be able to use their Visa card in China at the millions of places where WeChat Pay is accepted, instead of having to rely on cash."

13:37 EDT Walgreen Boots trading resumes

13:32 EDT Walgreen Boots trading halted, volatility trading pause

13:29 EDT Google's YouTube expands monetization for creators with Super Stickers - YouTube has expanded its way viewers can show their support for creators with Super Stickers. "Introducing Super Stickers: Another way to help you earn money while connecting with your viewers Tuesday, November 5, 2019. Like Bushiba over there, your fans want to say hello, connect with you, and even share theirappreciation. hether it's to congratulate you for a game well played! Or thank you for keeping up the good work, your fans are looking to deepen their connections with you in fun, new ways. That is why we're so excited to launch Super Stickers! Super Stickers are launching today in 60 countries to all eligible creators (same creator eligibility criteria as Super Chat), allowing your viewers to buy cool stickers to connect with you during live streams and Premieres." Reference Link

13:17 EDT Boston Scientific announces 'positive' data for Ranger balloon, Eluvia stent - Boston Scientific announced "positive" data for two devices within the peripheral drug-eluting product portfolio during separate late-breaking clinical trial presentations at the Vascular InterVentional Advances, or VIVA, meeting in Las Vegas, the company announced. Data presented included a 12-month interim analysis from the RANGER II SFA trial of the Ranger Drug-Coated Balloon as well as 24-month results from the IMPERIAL trial of the Eluvia Drug-Eluting Vascular Stent, which exhibited "the highest 24-month primary patency reported to date for the treatment of femoropopliteal disease in a U.S. pivotal trial with a DCB or DES," according to Boston Scientific. "We are very pleased with the safety and efficacy demonstrated by the Ranger DCB and the Eluvia stent, both of which showed exceptional durability while preventing repeat TLRs in 66% and 40% of treated patients, respectively. The excellent outcomes presented today underscore our commitment to physicians and their patients with PAD. We continue to drive innovation in the drug-eluting vascular space and these results add to the growing body of evidence supporting our therapy options for the treatment of this challenging disease," " said Ian Meredith, M.D., executive vice president and global chief medical officer of Boston Scientific.

12:33 EDT Medtronic MiniMed recall identified as Class I by FDA - The FDA posted a notice on its site regarding Medtronic's recall of MiniMed insulin pumps for potential cybersecurity risks, stating in its post that the recall described in the notice is the same one that was announced in the FDA Safety Communication from June 27, 2019. The FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, "the most serious type of recall. Use of these devices may cause serious injuries or death," the posted dated today states. Reference Link

12:19 EDT AT&T to pay $60M to resolve FTC allegation it misled consumers with data claims - AT&T Mobility will pay $60M to settle litigation with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that the wireless provider misled millions of its smartphone customers by charging them for "unlimited" data plans while reducing their data speeds. In a complaint filed in 2014, the FTC alleged that AT&T failed to adequately disclose to its unlimited data plan customers that, if they reach a certain amount of data use in a given billing cycle, AT&T would reduce-or "throttle"-their data speeds to the point that many common mobile phone applications, such as web browsing and video streaming, became difficult or nearly impossible to use. "AT&T promised unlimited data-without qualification-and failed to deliver on that promise," said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "While it seems obvious, it bears repeating that Internet providers must tell people about any restrictions on the speed or amount of data promised." Reference Link

12:05 EDT Amedisys makes statement on CY 2020 Home Health Final Rule - Amedisys has learned that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, has chosen to not finalize the entirety of the behavioral assumptions in the CY 2020 Home Health Final Rule and instead only apply 4.36%. The company said, "This is welcome and warranted relief to patients and the home health industry. If the behavioral assumption reduction of 8% had been fully implemented in the first year of PDGM, patient access would have been significantly impacted as it was projected that as much as a third of the home health industry, especially in rural areas, would have been at risk." While Amedisys is still reviewing the totality of the Final Rule, the company applauded CMS for listening and responding to the industry, other providers, and patients who voiced their concerns over the last sixteen months. Amedisys said it strongly believes this reduced impact of the behavioral assumption for 2020 better maintains access to care for home health patients as the industry moves to an entirely new payment model for the first time in twenty years. The decision also allows patients to continue receiving necessary treatments in the low-cost setting of their own home. Amedisys said it looks forward to a continuing dialogue with CMS as both entities seek to implement the new payment model in the least disruptive manner for patients and the industry.

12:02 EDT Universal Logistics acquires Roadrunner Intermodal Services, terms not disclosed - Universal Logistics Holdings announced its acquisition of Roadrunner Intermodal Services, LLC, Morgan Southern, Inc., Wando Trucking, LLC, and Central Cal Transportation from Roadrunner Transportation Systems (RRTS). Roadrunner Intermodal is a nationwide drayage provider, servicing major port and rail locations throughout the United States. Operating a fleet of over 700 tractors, Roadrunner Intermodal services a broad range of customers utilizing a mix of company-owned and owner-operator provided capacity. For the trailing 12-month period ended September 30, 2019, Roadrunner Intermodal reported total operating revenues of $125M. After giving effect to the acquisition of Roadrunner Intermodal and before any synergies, Universal expects its intermodal drayage business to operate an estimated fleet of over 2,500 tractors, transact business from 49 terminals strategically located throughout the United States, and produce future annual revenues in excess of $500M. Universal anticipates that Roadrunner Intermodal will operate as a subsidiary of Universal Intermodal, Inc. The transaction should be immediately accretive to Universal's earnings per share and cash flow.

12:01 EDT Rayonier Advanced Materials falls -28.9% - Rayonier Advanced Materials is down -28.9%, or -$1.27 to $3.12.

12:00 EDT Schweitzer-Mauduit rises 11.5% - Schweitzer-Mauduit is up 11.5%, or $4.54 to $44.08.

12:00 EDT Chegg rises 15.4% - Chegg is up 15.4%, or $4.51 to $33.84.

11:44 EDT Cboe Global reports October European Equities ADNV up 5.7% month-over-month - Cboe Global Markets reported October monthly trading volume, stating that European Equities ADNV was up 5.7% over September 2019, Global FX ADNV was up 4.3% over September 2019 and U.S. Equities ADV was down 7.5% from September 2019.

11:43 EDT Prudential decides not to host annual outlook call in December - On its Q3 earnings call, Prudential said that with new disclosures now in place and provided on a regular basis, it has decided not to provide annual earnings per share guidance or host an outlook call in December. The company said it believes its enhanced disclosures and processes provide "insightful" information on a more frequent basis.

11:28 EDT Marriott sees Q4 North America RevPAR flat to up 1% y/y - Sees Asia Pacific RevPAR flat to down modestly in Q4, but will be up at a low single digit rate excluding Hong Kong. Sees Q4 Europe RevPAR up at low to mid single digit rate, Caribbean and Latin America RevPAR up at low single digit rate.

11:20 EDT GWG Holdings trading resumes

11:15 EDT GWG Holdings trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:11 EDT Marriott sees FY20 global comparable systemwide RevPAR growth flat to up 2%

11:10 EDT Marriott sees 2020 NA RevPar growth around midpoint of 0%-2% global guide - Sees 2020 Asia Pacific, Europe RevPAR up at LSD rate. Says "hopes" Hong Kong comparisons will ease in 2H. Sees 2020 Middle East and Africa RevPAR flat to up slightly.

11:07 EDT Marriott sees similar net rooms growth in 2020 vs. 2019 - Marriott currently sees 2019 global net room additions of 5%-5.25% for full year 2019. Comments taken from the Q3 earnings conference call.

10:59 EDT NextCure Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:56 EDT Peloton CEO says U.K. and Canada markets 'way out in front of expectations' - Peloton CEO John Foley continues to be interviewed on CNBC.

09:47 EDT Autohome falls -12.7% - Autohome is down -12.7%, or -$11.42 to $78.16.

09:47 EDT Shake Shack falls -18.1% - Shake Shack is down -18.1%, or -$15.21 to $69.00.

09:47 EDT Pitney Bowes rises 8.3% - Pitney Bowes is up 8.3%, or 41c to $5.34.

09:46 EDT iFresh receives news on ongoing investigation of Zhejiang Xiaotai - iFresh received news regarding an ongoing investigation of Zhejiang Xiaotai Technology by the Hangzhou Police Department, Binjiang Branch through a public notice released by the Hangzhou Police on November 2, 2019. Zhejiang Xiaotai is alleged to have conducted illegal fundraising from the public. The report also stated that several executives of Zhejiang Xiaotai have been detained and are being held in custody. Zhejiang Xiaotai is a variable interest entity of Xiaotai International Investment Inc. in China. Shareholders of iFresh previously voted to approve the acquisition of Xiaotai International in September 2019. Closing of the acquisition had been pending subject to regulatory approval by NASDAQ. iFresh's management and board of directors are closely monitoring and actively assessing the situation. The Company plans to provide its shareholders and public with updates as soon as more information becomes available.

09:35 EDT Tapestry sees inventories 'elevated' in Q2 - Says: Sees FY20 CapEx ~$300M... Focused on "sharpening execution"... Greater China business "constrained" by Hong Kong... Focused on being "consumer-centric"... Footwear to be "additive" in 2H20... Kate Spade brand pressured by China tariffs... "Confident" in FY20 guidance... Does not expect significant shift in marketing spend going forward.

09:26 EDT Safe-T regains compliance with NASDAQ listing rules - Safe-T announced that Nasdaq has determined that the Company has regained compliance with its minimum bid price requirement set forth in Rule 5550 of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. The Nasdaq determination is based on the closing bid price of the Company's American Depositary Shares being at $1.00 per share or greater for at least ten consecutive business days.

09:19 EDT Generex announces first-in-human trial of Altsulin - Generex Biotechnology Corporation announced that the Company's soon to be subsidiary ALTuCELL, in collaboration with Dr. Jaime Guevara-Aguirre, has submitted the proof-of-concept Phase IIa clinical trial protocol to evaluate the safety of Altsulin) in Laron Syndrome Patients to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health and the Institutional Review Board at the Institute of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Reproduction. The proof-of-concept clinical study is designed to demonstrate the long-term safety of Sertoli cell implantation using ALTuCELL's encapsulation technology, the in vivo expression of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 from implanted Sertoli cells, and the retrievability of Altsulin microcapsules using a proprietary surgical technique.

09:17 EDT Nesco Holdings closes acquisition of Truck Utilities - Nesco Holdings announced that it has closed the previously announced acquisition of Minnesota-based Truck Utilities, a specialty rentals, service and truck upfitting company serving the electric transmission, distribution, telecom and other regional end-markets. Truck Utilities provides specialized fleet and equipment, service, upfit, parts, tools and accessories to the Upper Midwest region from its three facilities located in St. Paul, Fargo and Kansas City. Truck Utilities' current fleet includes 132 specialty units with an average age of 2.3 years and original equipment cost of $44M. The purchase price is $42.2M prior to certain capital expenditures to support fleet additions, as well as other customary adjustments. The transaction is anticipated to have the potential to create approximately $4M of annual revenue and cost synergies. Nesco expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to earnings per share. Nesco financed the transaction by drawing on its asset-based credit facility. As a result of the transaction, Nesco's leverage metric declined on a pro forma basis.

09:14 EDT CohBar completes Phase 1a, initiates Phase 1b stage of CB4211 trial - CohBar announced the completion of the Phase 1a stage of the company's ongoing Phase 1a/1b study evaluating the safety, tolerability, and activity of CB4211, and the initiation of recruitment for the Phase 1b stage. CB4211 is under development as a potential treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and obesity, and is the first therapeutic candidate based on a mitochondrial-derived peptide to enter clinical testing. The Phase 1b stage of the ongoing study is designed to assess the safety, tolerability, and activity of CB4211 in obese subjects with NAFLD. The double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation will be conducted over four weeks in twenty patients with ten patients receiving CB4211 and ten receiving placebo. Assessments will include changes in liver fat as determined by MRI-PDFF, body weight, and biomarkers relevant to NASH and obesity. Results from both stages of the study are anticipated in mid-2020. An estimated 75 million U.S. adults have NAFLD, and as many as 35% of them, or 26 million, will progress to NASH. Approximately 20% of people with NASH will go on to develop fibrosis of the liver, leading to cirrhosis and an increased risk of liver failure and cancer. There are no approved treatments for the disease

09:10 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line announces strategic initiatives for Alaska cruise market - Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced strategic initiatives that further strengthen its position in the fast growing, popular Alaska cruise market. The Company recently entered into a 30-year preferential berthing agreement with Ward Cove Dock Group, LLC. This agreement allows for construction of a new double ship pier in Ward Cove, Ketchikan, Alaska. The pier will be built to simultaneously accommodate two of Norwegian Cruise Line's 4,000 passenger Breakaway Plus class ships and is expected to be ready for the summer 2020 season. In addition, the Company recently won a competitive bid for the last waterfront parcel in greater Juneau, Alaska and is engaging local stakeholders, including government, business and community leaders to develop a plan which will benefit both the city and its various stakeholders and the Company. These investments follow the Company's announcement earlier this year of its partnership with Alaska Native-owned Huna Totem Corporation to develop a second cruise pier in Icy Strait Point, Huna Totem's world-class cruise ship destination in Hoonah, Alaska.

09:06 EDT Western Digital collaborates with lowRISC, Google in support of OpenTitan - Western Digital (WDC) announced that it has teamed up with lowRISC, Google (GOOGL) and a coalition of partners in support of OpenTitan, the first open-source project building reference design and integration guidelines for silicon root of trust, or RoT, chips that can be used in data storage, compute and other hardware platforms. Leveraging the company's expertise in data infrastructure and open-source technologies, Western Digital is working with ecosystem partners to optimize the OpenTitan framework to meet the diverse security demands of data-centric storage use cases from the core to the edge, including machine-learning applications, smartphones and connected Internet of Things, or IoT, devices. The OpenTitan project was established with the belief that the ability to understand, inspect and verify a device from the chip to the application is critical in data security. As it's open, adopters of the new OpenTitan framework can now review, audit and contribute to OpenTitan's register-transfer level, or RTL, reference design, firmware and integration guidelines. This transparency will help to create more secure RoT solutions and enable continued innovation. As part of the company's ongoing participation in the OpenTitan project, Western Digital is collaborating with lowRISC, Google and others to develop the OpenTitan RoT, including contributing to its initial overall design, hardware block implementation and firmware.

09:06 EDT RCI Hospitality to acquire assets of top gentlemen's club from $15.0M - RCI Hospitality Holdings announced subsidiaries have signed definitive agreements to acquire the assets and related real estate of a well-established, top gentlemen's club located in the Northeast Corridor for $15.0M. Under the terms of the agreements, RCI subsidiaries will pay $7.2M for the club and $7.8M for the real estate using $4.0M in seller financing at 6.0% for the club with the balance of cash from an anticipated $11.0M bank loan at a blended rate of 6.25%. RCI has agreed not to disclose the club's name and location until closing, which is subject to transfer of all necessary permits, licenses and other authorizations, and usual closing conditions for transactions of this kind, including due diligence.

09:04 EDT Pareteum appoints Laura Thomas as interim CFO - Pareteum announced that the Company has appointed Laura W. Thomas as Interim CFO, effective November 1, Laura will succeed Ted O'Donnell whose status with the company is under review. Thomas brings over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, including assisting large and small organizations through significant operational challenges and upholding corporate governance and transparency among stakeholders. Thomas currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Delta Dental of Virginia and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, or NACD.

09:02 EDT BioLineRx announces results from Phase 2b trial of BL-8040 with KEYTRUDA - BioLineRx announced results of a Phase 2b trial assessing the efficacy of BL-8040 in combination with KEYTRUDA, or pembrolizumab, for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer. The data demonstrated that the dual combination shows clinical activity in heavily pretreated patients. The results of this investigator-sponsored study will be presented by MD Anderson Cancer Center in a poster titled, "A phase IIB study of Pembrolizumab plus BL-8040 in metastatic pancreatic cancer: Clinical outcomes and biological correlates," at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer 34th Annual Meeting, which is being held November 6-10, 2019 in National Harbor, Maryland. "These promising data demonstrate that the dual combination of BL-8040 and KEYTRUDA shows encouraging clinical activity even in an extremely challenging patient population of heavily pretreated pancreatic cancer patients." said Philip Serlin, CEO of BioLineRx.

08:54 EDT Peloton CEO says choosing to focus on growth vs. being profitable - Says U.S. profitability is a managed outcome. Says bike is already profitable and will continue to be. Comments taken from the company's Q1 earnings conference call.

08:50 EDT Farmer Bros. stockholders nominate directors for the board - Jeanne Farmer Grossman, Thomas William Mortensen, and Jonathan Michael Waite, who together beneficially own approximately 4.9% of the outstanding common stock of Farmer Bros. Co. announced they have filed definitive proxy materials, including a definitive proxy statement and proxy card, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the upcoming 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company. The Annual Meeting has been set for 10:00 a.m. Central Standard Time, on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, with a record date of October 18, 2019. In conjunction with the definitive proxy filing, the Concerned Stockholders issued an open letter to their fellow stockholders. The letter read in part, " On behalf of a group of concerned stockholders of Farmer Bros. Co, who together beneficially own approximately 4.9% of the Company's common stock, have long histories with the Company and deeply care about its future success, I am deeply concerned by the tremendous decline and value destruction at Farmer Bros. under the current Board of Directors. For that reason, I am asking for your support to elect two new highly qualified directors to the Board at the upcoming 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company. Our nominees, Tom Mortensen and Jonathan Waite, bring the experience, foresight and trust of employees that the current Board lacks, but are necessary to turn this business around...While I served on the Company's Board from December 2009 until December 2018, I witnessed firsthand the current Board abandon the values and dedication to customers and employees that once made the Company great. Instead, the Board has pursued short-sighted tactics and financial engineering, seemingly designed to boost quarterly results and to enrich management and insiders at the expense of stockholders and employees...At the upcoming Annual Meeting, the Company has nominated the new CEO, D. Deverl Maserang, and renominated two current directors, Christopher P. Mottern and Charles Marcy, for election to the Board. We support Mr. Maserang and are hopeful that he can return Farmer Bros. to its core values, customer focus and winning strategy. But to succeed, he needs an active, experienced and committed Board. As such, we cannot support Mr. Mottern and Mr. Marcy, who we believe are emblematic of the problems at our Company. As the longest current serving Board members and despite their extensive resumes, they have overseen a steady erosion of the Company and a 35% net decline in the share price.iv In fact, during his just-ended four-month tenure as interim CEO, Mr. Mottern led the Company's share price to a 41% decline...The need for change at Farmer Bros. has never been more acute in our 107-year history. For our new CEO to be successful, the Company also needs change in the composition of its Board. Long-tenured directors cannot be allowed to continuously make mistakes and neglect their oversight duties at the expense of the Company's stockholders and other stakeholders. We urge you to vote today to bring relevant knowledge, experience and the Company's core values back to the boardroom."

08:43 EDT Unum Therapeutics presents preclinical data for BOXR1030 - Unum Therapeutics announced preclinical data for its BOXR1030 program presented at the SITC meeting being held November 6-10, 2019 in National Harbor, MD. Poster presentation title: "Co-expression of the Metabolic Enzyme GOT2 with a GPC3-Targeted CAR-T Overcomes Challenges of the Solid Tumor Microenvironment, Substantially Improving Therapeutic Efficacy in Solid Tumor Xenografts" BOXR1030 contains a humanized single-chain variable fragment 4-1BB CAR targeting GPC3 and separately co-expresses the glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 2 transgene from a single viral construct. Unum's BOXR platform led to the discovery of the utility of GOT2, a critical enzyme involved in cellular metabolism. When co-expressed with a GPC3-targeted CAR-T, GOT2 improved metabolic and transcriptional profiles resulted in greater anti-tumor activity compared with parental CAR-T when tested both in vitro and in vivo under stringent conditions representing the solid tumor microenvironment. Over one hundred BOXR candidates were generated by cloning a library of literature-derived, hypothesis-driven bolt-on genes into vectors containing a GPC3-targeted CAR-T and were screened through Unum's novel TME assays. Candidates were selected for their ability to overcome multiple TME challenges, while maintaining specificity and tolerability. In vitro, BOXR1030 T cells were resistant to suppressive TME-like conditions, showing improved T cell proliferation under both hypoxic and low glucose conditions compared with control GPC3+ CAR-T cells. In vivo, BOXR1030 demonstrated superior activity compared to the parental CAR-T with treated animals achieving complete tumor regressions. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes isolated from the tumors of treated animals revealed that BOXR1030 cells were more resistant to dysfunction and had fewer markers of exhaustion as compared to the control CAR-T cells.

08:36 EDT Xoma sees current cash balance sufficient to fund operations 'for multiple years - On September 30, 2019, XOMA had cash of $39.7 million. The Company ended December 31, 2018, with cash of $45.8 million. During the third quarter of 2019, XOMA acquired a royalty interest position on six assets from Palobiofarma, including one asset being developed by Novartis. The $10.0 million Royalty Purchase Agreement with Palobiofarma, was funded with $5.0 million from XOMA's cash balance and $5.0 million through a drawdown of XOMA's line of credit from Silicon Valley Bank. The Company's current cash balance is expected to be sufficient to fund its operations for multiple years.

08:33 EDT Genocea presents preclinical research on inhibitory neoantigens - Genocea Biosciences announced preclinical and clinical data demonstrating that ATLAS can identify relevant neoantigens and exclude inhibitory neoantigens that suppress anti-tumor immune responses at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, taking place from November 6 - 10, 2019 in National Harbor, Maryland. ATLAS is Genocea's unique platform that profiles each patient's T cell responses to every candidate neoantigen to select those driving pre-existing anti-tumor responses. Additional data will also be presented, demonstrating that inhibitory neoantigen profiles may predict if a patient will respond to immunotherapy and confirming broad immune response data for the company's novel neoantigen therapy GEN-009. Summary of Poster #P678 - Vaccine neoantigens empirically identified through the ex vivo ATLAS(TM) platform promote potent therapeutic responses to cancer in mice. ATLAS screening of mutations from B16F10 melanoma identified approximately 4 percent of mutations as neoantigens, and 3.5 percent of mutations as eliciting potentially deleterious inhibitory T cell responses; the majority were not algorithm-predicted. When an ATLAS-identified stimulatory neoantigen was combined in a vaccine formulation and therapeutically administered as monotherapy into tumor-bearing mice, tumor growth was either significantly delayed or completely abrogated in all mice. Vaccination with inhibitory neoantigens suppresses anti-tumor immune responses. Summary of Poster #P417 - ATLAS identifies relevant neoantigens for therapeutic anti-tumor vaccination and may serve as a biomarker for efficacy of immunotherapy of solid tumors. In an analysis of the first six patients who participated in the GEN-009 phase 1/2a study, ATLAS identified neoantigens by recalling both stimulatory and inhibitory neoantigen-specific T cell responses; many of which were not predicted using in silico approaches. Post-vaccination predicted neoantigens were not more immunogenic than not predicted neoantigens. In a separate analysis including non-vaccinated subjects, the proportion of inhibitory to stimulatory neoantigen-specific responses may be biomarker of immunotherapy success. Summary of Poster #P420 - Broad immunogenicity from GEN-009, a neoantigen vaccine using ATLAS, an autologous immune assay, to identify immunogenic and inhibitory tumor neoantigens. GEN-009-101 is a phase 1/2a study testing safety, immunogenicity and clinical activity in immune responsive tumors. The vaccine was well-tolerated with only grade 1/2 adverse events reported. With data from patients enrolled, vaccination elicited both CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses in all subjects, as measured by ex vivo and in vitro stimulation fluorospot assays, and confirms broad immune responses generated against 98 percent of all immunized neoantigens with a range of tumor types.

08:28 EDT Gritstone Oncology announces data on novel shared tumor-specific neoantigens - Gritstone Oncology announced data on novel shared tumor-specific neoantigens arising from recurrent cancer driver mutations that have been identified by its EDGE platform. These functionally important gene alterations recurrently observed in cancer patients have been engineered into its first SLATE immunotherapy, which is being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical study and is designed to generate a potent T cell response that is specific to those encoded neoantigens, thereby driving selective tumor cell destruction. These data will be included in a poster presentation on November 8, 2019 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer's 34th annual meeting in National Harbor, MD. In order to identify shared TSNA, the neoantigen landscape across human cancer was comprehensively characterized using accurate prediction of HLA class I peptide presentation by EDGE. From over 24,000 patients with clinical cancer gene sequencing data, EDGE ranked a large number of candidate mutation/HLA pairs based on the probability of HLA-peptide presentation. EDGE predicted nearly 200 mutations to be possible shared neoantigens across indications. Through targeted HLA class I peptide mass spectrometry sequencing of human tumors and a novel in vitro system, Gritstone was able to demonstrate HLA presentation of more than 10 new HLA class I shared neoantigens, many of which were directly observed on real human tumors. This work is ongoing to evaluate the full set of TSNA predictions. Importantly, the immunogenicity of several of these shared neoantigens was confirmed by demonstrating the presence of cognate T-cell precursors in healthy donors.

08:27 EDT RigNet signs multi-year agreement with Brazilian operators - RigNet announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement, after winning a public bid with Petrobras, to add fully Managed Communication services with O3B VSAT technology on six of their FPSO installations. This is in addition to four FPSOs Petrobras awarded RigNet last year. This represents RigNet's ongoing expansion of its portfolio of FPSO deployments for a total seventeen awarded in Brazil alone. RigNet's global expansion in the FPSO market also includes a multi-year agreement awarded in October to provide Managed Communication Service and deployment of RigNet's suite of Crew Welfare applications on three FPSOs in Thailand.

08:23 EDT Crown Holdings to conduct review of portfolio, capital allocation/return plan - Crown Holdings announced that it will conduct a comprehensive Board-led review of its portfolio and capital allocation/return to ensure that the company maintains its strong competitive position and its continued stock price outperformance. "In 2019, Crown and its shareholders have benefitted from our strategic plan with a 75% total shareholder return, far in excess of our peers and most relevant indices," said CEO Timothy Donahue. "Our stock currently trades near an all-time high, with our robust performance driven by the leading market positions of our businesses and our commitment to operational excellence and continuous cost reduction across the entire platform. We continue to invest to meet accelerating global demand for beverage cans as evidenced by an expected increase in beverage can capacity in excess of 10% in 2019 and 2020. In addition, we expect the strong and stable cash flows generated across all of our businesses will enable us to delever to our target range of 3.5x - 4.0x net leverage and return substantial capital to our shareholders. The company does not plan to pursue acquisitions as part of its capital allocation program. That said, our Board and management team believe there may be substantial opportunities to create further value for Crown shareholders. We have decided to commence a Board-led review of the company to unlock potential shareholder value, including substantial capital return to our shareholders. We have engaged leading financial, legal, tax and other advisors to assist in this review. The Board will also continue its Board refreshment process by adding new independent directors who will participate in the review and assist the Company in the evolution of its strategy and its focus on delivering strong operational and financial performance. In addition, consistent with its longstanding practice, the Board and management team will be engaging with its shareholders as part of this process."

08:20 EDT Luokung Technology signs agreement with Tencent and KDFlink - Luokung Technology announced it has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Tencent Cloud Computing and Beijing KDFlink Technology Group, jointly cooperating to build a world leading application platform called "Spatial-Temporal Ultra Brain" in terms of industrial internet based on the Tencent Industrial Cloud. "Spatial-Temporal Ultra Brain" platform will integrate the IaaS of Tencent Industrial Cloud, along with PaaS of Luokung Technology spatial-temporal big-data platform and SaaS of KDFlink industrial IOT. Tencent Industrial Cloud provides not only the infrastructure of computing power, storage, communication IaaS service, etc., but also continuous technical support services including but not limited to big data, network security with its own advantages.

08:17 EDT Celsion says DSMB recommends continuation of GEN-1 at 100mg/m2 dose - Celsion Corporation announced that the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board has completed its safety review of data from the first eight patients enrolled in the ongoing Phase I/II OVATION 2 Study. Based on the DSMB's recommendation, the study will continue as planned and the Company will proceed with completing enrollment in the Phase I portion of the trial. The OVATION 2 Study combines GEN-1, the Company's IL-12 gene-mediated immunotherapy, with the standard of care for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with Stage III and IV ovarian cancer who will undergo standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery. The OVATION 2 Study is a randomized Phase I/II study designed to evaluate the safety of 100 mg/m of GEN-1 in the Phase I portion, followed by a continuation at the safe dose in the Phase II portion in an open-label, 1:1 randomized design. GEN-1, designed using Celsion's proprietary TheraPlas platform technology, is an interleukin-12 DNA plasmid vector encased in a non-viral nanoparticle delivery system, which enables cell transfection followed by persistent, local secretion of the IL-12 protein. In the OVATION 2 Study, patients in the GEN-1 treatment arm will receive GEN-1 plus chemotherapy pre- and post-interval debulking surgery. The OVATION 2 Study will enroll up to 130 patients with Stage III/IV ovarian cancer, with 12 to 15 patients in the Phase I portion and up to 118 patients in the Phase II portion. The study is powered to show a 33% improvement in progression-free survival, the primary endpoint, when comparing GEN-1 with NACT versus NACT alone. The PFS primary analysis will be conducted after at least 80 events have been observed, or after all patients have been followed for at least 16 months, whichever is later. Developed with extensive input from the Company's Medical Advisory Board, the OVATION 2 Study builds on promising clinical and translational research data from the Phase IB dose-escalation OVATION I Study, in which enrolled patients received escalating weekly doses of GEN-1 up to 79 mg/m for a total of eight treatments in combination with NACT, followed by IDS. In addition to exploring a higher dose of GEN-1 in the OVATION 2 study, patients will continue to receive GEN-1 after their IDS in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy. In the prior Phase Ib OVATION I Study, Celsion reported promising clinical findings including objective responses in all patients at the two highest dose cohorts, along with an 87.5% rate of R0 resections in the two highest dose cohorts and a 100% rate of R0 resections in the highest dose cohort at time of debulking surgery. Additionally, translational research data demonstrates that GEN-1 is biologically active, producing beneficial cytokines and positively impacting T-cell population in the tumor.

08:14 EDT Clear Channel Outdoor, Broadsign announce new partnership - Broadsign and Clear Channel Outdoor announced a new partnership that enables brands to tap CCO's U.S. DOOH inventory via Broadsign's programmatic supply-side platform Reach. Several brands, from sports entities to leading healthcare companies, have already tapped the integration to extend the reach, impact and efficiency of online and mobile campaigns using DOOH bought programmatically across CCO's roadside digital media. With the integration, Broadsign Reach's U.S. inventory now tops 35,000 screens. Digital buyers using Broadsign partner demand-side platforms can now access CCO's U.S. network, which comprises 1,600 digital bulletins, posters, spectaculars and transit shelters spanning 26 markets across the country, including highly coveted regions in California, Florida, Massachusetts, the Midwest and New York City's Times Square. In addition, fifty of Clear Channel's premier international and regional airports can be purchased in a real-time biddable fashion, offering a mix of both display and video-capable ad formats.

08:13 EDT DLH Holdings wins five-year public health preparedness, response contract - DLH Holdings announced that it has been awarded a contract to provide public health management support to the Center for Preparedness and Response under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Booz Allen Hamilton blanket purchase agreement Partner. The award is an indefinite-delivery, indefinite quantity contract covering public health management and logistical support, strategic health communications, and scientific & medical consultation. DLH currently works across Federal health agencies providing disease prevention outreach, medical logistics planning, innovative public health policy secure data analytics, and epidemiology studies and statistical analyses.

08:12 EDT Compugen discloses results from COM902 anti-TIGIT program - Compugen disclosed preclinical results from its COM902 anti-TIGIT program supporting its potential clinical use in various combinations with PD-1 inhibitors and COM701, a first-in-class PVRIG inhibitor. Key findings in the poster include: Broad expression of TIGIT and PVRIG ligands, PVR and PVRL2 in solid tumors. Superior binding affinity of COM902 to T cells with similar and or greater in vitro function compared to several clinical anti-TIGIT antibodies. Increased T cell activation by COM902 on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), which was further enhanced by combination with COM701. Reduced mouse melanoma tumor growth in TIGIT and PVRIG knockout mice with further tumor growth reduction in TIGIT/PVRIG double knockouts. COM902 inhibited tumor growth and increased survival when combined with anti-PVRIG or anti-PD-L1 antibodies in a mouse model of colon cancer. The findings will be presented in a poster titled "COM902, a Novel Therapeutic Antibody Targeting TIGIT Augments T Cell Function and the Activity of PVRIG Pathway Blockade In Vitro and In Vivo" at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer in National Harbor, Maryland, on Saturday, November 9.

08:11 EDT H2O Innovation says Utility Partners renews three O&M contracts - H2O Innovation announced Utility Partners, its business line providing operation and maintenance services in North America, recently renewed three contracts. These contracts, valued at $30.1 M, bring the Corporation's O&M business backlog to $112.8 M. Utility Partners has renewed three municipal contracts in the states of Mississippi, Vermont and New Hampshire. The first contract is renewed for an initial period of six years, with three renewal options of two years each. UP has been in a successful partnership with this Mississippi client for over a decade. The second contract was renewed for a 5-year period, and the third, for three additional years.

08:09 EDT Cree enters strategic partnership with ZF - ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Cree announce a strategic partnership to create electric drivelines. With this strategic partnership, ZF and Cree are intensifying their existing cooperation. "We're delighted that we're building on our cooperation with Cree using their Wolfspeed silicon carbide technology and are absolutely convinced that combining our strengths will further improve efficiency and competitive edge for our components and systems," says Jorg Grotendorst, Head of the ZF E-Mobility Division.

08:08 EDT Seattle Genetics, BeiGene announce global license agreement for cancer treatment - Seattle Genetics (SGEN) and BeiGene (BGNE) announced that the companies have entered into a license agreement for an advanced preclinical product candidate for treating cancer. The agent utilizes a proprietary Seattle Genetics antibody-based technology and is expected to advance into clinical trials in the first half of 2020. Under the terms of the agreement, Seattle Genetics has retained rights to the product candidate in the Americas, Europe and Japan. BeiGene has been granted exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the product candidate in Asia and the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics will lead global development and BeiGene will fund and operationalize the portion of global clinical trials attributable to its territories. BeiGene will also be responsible for all clinical development and regulatory submissions specific to its territories. Seattle Genetics will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive progress-dependent milestones for a total deal value of up to $160M and tiered royalties on any product sales.

08:07 EDT Royalty Pharma to purchase future royalties on tazemetostat from Eisai - Royalty Pharma announced that it has agreed to pay $330M to purchase Eisai Co.'s (ESALY) royalties on future worldwide sales of tazemetostat, Epizyme's (EPZM) lead investigational agent, outside of Japan, and made an equity investment in Epizyme of $100M, with options to invest up to an additional $100M in Epizyme common stock. In addition, investment funds managed by Pharmakon Advisors agreed to provide $70M in senior-secured loans with the possibility to fund up to $370M over time. Tazemetostat is a first-in-class, oral EZH2 inhibitor in clinical development for certain oncology indications, including epithelioid sarcoma and follicular lymphoma. Under a collaboration agreement between Epizyme and Eisai, Epizyme is responsible for the development and worldwide commercialization of tazemetostat (outside of Japan) and Eisai is responsible for the development and commercialization of tazemetostat in Japan. As part of the agreement, Epizyme owes milestones and royalties on sales of tazemetostat outside of Japan to Eisai, and Eisai owes royalties on sales of tazemetostat in Japan to Epizyme. Under the terms of its agreement with Eisai, Royalty Pharma has acquired Eisai's future worldwide royalties on net sales by Epizyme of tazemetostat outside of Japan, for an upfront payment of $110M plus up to an additional $220M for the remainder of the royalty upon FDA approval of tazemetostat for certain indications. Under the terms of its agreement with Epizyme, Royalty Pharma will make an upfront payment of $100M for shares of Epizyme common stock based on a price of $15 per share. Epizyme has an 18-month option to sell an additional $50M of its common stock to Royalty Pharma at then prevailing prices, not to exceed $20 per share, and Royalty Pharma has a three-year option to purchase an additional 2.5M shares of Epizyme common stock at $20 per share. In addition, Royalty Pharma will make additional payments to Epizyme if annual net sales of tazemetostat outside of Japan exceed certain thresholds, and Epizyme has assigned to Royalty Pharma the future royalty streams on tazemetostat sales in Japan previously owed to Epizyme by Eisai. Epizyme has also agreed to appoint a representative from Royalty Pharma to its board of directors. Under the terms of the loan agreement with Epizyme, investment funds managed by Pharmakon Advisors will fund $25M at closing and up to an additional $45M in two tranches. In addition, the loan agreement contemplates the potential for an additional $300M, subject to mutual agreement of the parties. The loans will have a coupon of LIBOR + 7.75% and a 5-year maturity.

08:03 EDT Newmont Goldcorp sees FY19 attributable gold production of 6.3M ounces - CAS is expected to be $715 per ounce and AISC is expected to be $965 per ounce in FY19.

07:58 EDT Allergan raises FY19 GAAP cash flow from operations to $6B-$6.5B from $5B-$5.5B

07:55 EDT UPS, CVS make first residential drone deliveries of prescriptions - UPS (UPS) subsidiary UPS Flight Forward and CVS Health Corporation (CVS) subsidiary CVS Pharmacy announced the completion of the first revenue-generating drone delivery of a medical prescription from a CVS pharmacy directly to a consumer's home. This was followed by another delivery of a medical prescription to a second customer in a nearby retirement community. Both flights occurred on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019, using the M2 drone system by UPS partner and drone systems developer Matternet. The deliveries mark another milestone in a recently announced collaboration between UPS and CVS to develop a variety of drone delivery use cases, including business-to-consumer operating models. The companies plan ongoing drone delivery program development in the coming months in order to bring to market the speed and convenience advantages of UAVs. The recent prescription delivery flights occurred with FAA approval to conduct a residential drone delivery and according to FAA regulations. The flights launched from a CVS store in Cary, NC and flew to CVS customers' homes. The drones flew autonomously but were monitored by a remote operator who could intervene if necessary. The drone hovered about 20 feet over the properties and slowly lowered the packages by a cable and a winch to the ground. One of the packages was delivered to a CVS customer whose limited mobility makes it difficult to travel to a store to pick up a prescription.

07:53 EDT Gevo, Blocksize Capital developing blockchain technology - Gevo announced it has signed a Development Agreement with Blocksize Capital, a DLT company based in Germany. Originally developed as an underlying branch of the blockchain technology, DLT is an immutable tool that allows tracking of data with a product and the transactions associated with the product. Gevo and Blocksize discovered that it is possible to attach the key metrics for sustainability to gallons of fuel, and therefore enable a "sustainability" assurance that has not yet been seen. The data associated with certain key metrics for measuring sustainability are suitable for being digitized through blockchain and could lead to tokenization or those attributes.

07:49 EDT WeedMD completes inaugural outdoor cannabis harvest - WeedMD is pleased to provide an operational update. The Company has successfully completed the harvest of its 27-acre crop of outdoor cannabis at its Strathroy facility. WeedMD will hold its Q3-19 earnings call to report its financial results on Friday, November 29, 2019 following the release of its quarterly financial filings. WeedMD is also pleased to announce that it has entered into commercial extraction operations at its Aylmer facility, with the commissioning of its recently installed extraction equipment. In addition, the Company has secured a Health Canada licence to produce and sell cannabis concentrates, edibles and topicals at this location, paving the way for the production and sale of cannabis 2.0 products.

07:45 EDT Recro Pharma board approves separation of acute care business segment - Recro Pharma announced that its board of directors has approved the planned spin-off of its Acute Care business segment, which will be known as Baudax Bio, Inc. and declared a special dividend distribution of all outstanding shares of Baudax Bio common stock. For every two and one half shares of Recro common stock held of record as of the close of business on November 15, 2019, Recro shareholders will receive one share of Baudax Bio common stock. Shareholders will receive cash in lieu of fractional shares. The special dividend distribution is expected to be paid on November 21, 2019. The distribution of Baudax Bio common stock will complete the separation of the Acute Care business segment from Recro. After the separation, Baudax Bio will become an independent, publicly-traded company focused on developing and commercializing innovative products for hospital and related acute care settings, and Recro will retain no ownership interest. Baudax Bio has applied for listing of its common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker symbol "BXRX." The stock dividend distribution is subject to, among other conditions, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission having declared effective Baudax Bio's Registration Statement on Form 10, as amended, which Baudax Bio has filed with the SEC.

07:43 EDT Blueprint has enough resources to fund operations into second half of 2021 - Based on its current plans, Blueprint Medicines (BPMC) expects that its existing cash, cash equivalents and investments, together with the $25.0M upfront cash payment received under its license agreement with Clementia and an $8.0M research milestone achieved in the Q4 under the Roche (RHHBY) collaboration, but excluding any additional potential option fees, milestone payments or other payments from Roche, CStone Pharmaceuticals or Clementia Pharmaceuticals, will be sufficient to enable it to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2021.

07:41 EDT uniQure announces allowance of patent providing protection of the Padua - uniQure announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent Number 10,465,180. This patent covers adeno-associated virus vectors comprising a nucleic acid encoding FIX-Padua, promoter sequences, transcription termination and control elements. This patent is uniQure's third U.S patent, along with the previously issued U.S. Patent Number 9,982,248 and U.S. Patent Number 9,249,405, in a patent family that uniQure acquired in 2017 from the inventor, Professor Paolo Simioni, a renowned hemophilia expert at the University of Padua, Italy.

07:37 EDT Applied Genetic announces Stargardt disease as preclinical ophthalmology program - Applied Genetic Technologies announced that it has identified Stargardt disease as the second ophthalmology program in its previously announced preclinical pipeline expansion, which also includes a program targeting the dry form of age-related macular degeneration. The company is also reporting proof-of-concept expression data for its Stargardt disease gene therapy candidate in non-human primates. Stargardt disease, the most common form of inherited macular degeneration, occurs in 1 in 8,000-10,000 individuals and most often results from mutations in the ABCA4 gene. Loss of functional ABCA4 protein leads to the accumulation of toxic substances in photoreceptors, resulting in photoreceptor death and progressive vision loss. A key challenge in developing an AAV-based gene therapy for the treatment of Stargardt disease is that the DNA sequence encoding the ABCA4 protein exceeds the payload capacity of AAV vectors. AGTC's Stargardt disease program effectively addresses this challenge by dividing the coding sequence into two separate AAV vectors. Once inside the cell, the two DNA fragments recombine to form the complete coding sequence, which produces full length, functional ABCA4 protein. William Hauswirth, PhD, a leading innovator in AAV gene therapy at the University of Florida and a long-term academic collaborator with AGTC, and his colleagues at the University of British Columbia, recently published data demonstrating that a hybrid ABCA4 dual AAV vector system was safe and provided therapeutic benefit in a mouse model of Stargardt disease.1 Researchers at AGTC optimized the vectors used in Dr. Hauswirth's study for administration to NHPs. In a 13-week study, subretinal injection of AAVs prepared at AGTC encoding the N-terminal fragment and C-terminal fragment of human ABCA4, which was tagged to distinguish it from the naturally occurring non-human primate ABCA4 protein, resulted in clear detection of full length recombinant human ABCA4 protein. The protein was detected in tissue punches harvested from inside the subretinal bleb, but not in the untreated surrounding tissue, confirming the specificity and effectiveness of the vector administration. These results in NHPs are an important technical advance for the use of dual AAV vector expression systems in retinal gene therapy. Based on the results of this study, AGTC is continuing therapeutic development of its optimized dual vector system for the treatment of Stargardt disease.

07:33 EDT Houlihan Lokey acquires Fidentiis Capital - Houlihan Lokey announced that it has acquired Fidentiis Capital as the firm continues to grow its European Corporate Finance business. With a focus on the midcap market in Spain, Fidentiis Capital provides independent corporate finance advisory services relating to mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and financing. This is the fifth acquisition that Houlihan Lokey has made in Europe in the past four years. The firm now has more than 260 bankers in Europe, up from 80 in 2014, including 180 in corporate finance. Fidentiis Capital, based in Madrid, was founded in 2015 by its managing partners, Carlos Parames and Juan Luis Munoz, and Fidentiis Equities. To date, Fidentiis Capital has completed more than 25 M&A transactions in the Spanish midcap segment, having recently advised ProA Capital on the acquisition of a majority stake in Pastas Gallo. Parames and Munoz join Houlihan Lokey as managing directors, reporting to Matteo Manfredi, head of corporate finance for Continental Europe.

07:31 EDT ResTORbio expects cash to fund operating expenses through 2020 - Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $117.3 million as of September 30, 2019, compared to $108.0 million as of December 31, 2018. The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of September 30, 2019 will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses through 2020.

07:28 EDT Trivago CEO Rolf Schromgens to leave CEO and Managing Director positions - Trivago announces that after nearly 15 years as Managing Director and CEO of the company he co-founded in 2005, effective December 31, 2019, Rolf Schromgens will be leaving the CEO and Managing Director positions and joining trivago's Supervisory Board. On that date, Axel Hefer will take over as CEO, and Matthias Tillmann, Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Finance, will become the new CFO, succeeding Hefer. Hefer joined trivago in 2016 as Managing Director and CFO leading the company through its initial public offering. Hefer also drove strategy for trivago's marketplace for advertisers, overseeing the international marketing team and more recently leading advertiser relations. Prior to joining trivago, Hefer was COO and CFO of Home24 AG, an online home furniture and decor company, and managing director of One Equity Partners, the Private Equity Division of J.P. Morgan Chase. Tillmann joined trivago in 2016 and has held a variety of leadership responsibilities in the finance department: he most recently co-led the team as SVP, Head of Corporate Finance and prior to that was Head of Strategy and Investor Relations. He also played an integral part in the company's IPO. Prior to joining trivago, he was a senior investment banker at Deutsche Bank.

07:20 EDT Anixa Biosciences announces patent issued for breast cancer vaccine - Anixa Biosciences announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent No. 10,463,724 titled "Breast Cancer Vaccine." The lead inventor on the patent is Dr. Vincent Tuohy of the Department of Inflammation and Immunity at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute and also the Mort and Iris November Distinguished Chair in Innovative Breast Cancer Research. The patent is assigned to the Cleveland Clinic and Anixa Biosciences is the exclusive world-wide licensee. This patent is one of several patents and patent applications in the portfolio licensed to Anixa Biosciences from the Cleveland Clinic, covering the innovative breast cancer vaccine technology.

07:11 EDT Chesapeake CEO sees Q4 oil production up about 10% - Doug Lawler, Chesapeake's President and CEO, commented, "We are pleased with our execution this quarter as we continue to successfully integrate and realize value from our Brazos Valley acquisition and maximize cash flow from our oil assets while reducing capital directed to our natural gas assets. We expect our oil production to grow approximately 10% in the fourth quarter, compared to the third quarter, and we remain on track to meet our 2019 total production and capital expenditure guidance. Our capital efficiency improvements, expected reduction in cash costs and anticipated capital plan position us to target free cash flow in 2020."

07:09 EDT Garmin, SCOR Global Life to collaborate on wellness through wearables - Garmin announced an initiative with SCOR Global Life to inspire consumers around the world to lead healthier lives. The collaboration supports an initial launch of SCOR's enhanced Biological Age Model, or BAM solution, with Taiwanese insurer Nanshan. The algorithm leverages Garmin wearables data to compute a person's biological age, providing a health indicator useful for both consumers and insurers. The two companies teamed up to develop an exclusive algorithm that implements SCOR Global Life's world-class actuarial science with wellness data obtained by Garmin wearables. Nanshan customers who participate in the program will be granted full access to Garmin metrics, including steps, resting heart rate, active calories and sleeping hours. When combined with the Good Life app, the ecosystem supports and encourages consumer lifestyle aspirations. White-labelled for quick deployment, Good Life is a platform for continuous underwriting and consumer engagement.

07:06 EDT Emerson plans to announce a 4c dividend increase for 2020 - "Emerson delivered a solid year, despite a lower growth environment than we anticipated. We grew above our markets, delivered strong earnings and cash flow, and returned $2.5 billion to our shareholders. We plan to announce a 4-cent dividend increase for 2020, which is higher than recent increases, and we plan greater increases as our dividend to free cash flow ratio improves below 50 percent in future years," said Emerson Chairman and CEO David Farr. "

07:05 EDT Emerson names Mark Blinn to board of directors - Emerson announced that its board of directors has elected Mark Blinn, the former President and CEO of Flowserve Corporation, as an independent director. Blinn has more than 20 years of experience operating multi-industrial businesses in senior executive roles, as well as significant legal expertise and Board experience, including as a Lead Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair. "Mark has a breadth of knowledge in energy and automation end markets and expertise that spans across industries, and we are pleased to welcome him to our Board. Mark's insights and global perspective will be highly valuable as we conduct our comprehensive review and position Emerson to continue driving long-term shareholder value" said Emerson Chairman and CEO David Farr.

07:04 EDT NuStar Energy sees FY19 adjusted EBITDA $665M-$715M - "Our 2019 range for Adjusted EBITDA remains unchanged at $665M-$715M, which includes results from St. Eustatius operations, but excludes non-cash impairment charges related to the sale of those operations," said the company. "For a clearer view of our ongoing business and for improved comparability, we are also providing projections for 2019 EBITDA from continuing operations of $625M-$675M, which exclude any past contributions from St. Eustatius. These projections show an expected increase of 9 percent at the midpoint when compared to 2018 EBITDA from continuing operations of $597M. Looking further out to FY20 guidance, we expect NuStar's 2020 EBITDA to be $715M-$765M or an increase of about 14% at the midpoint over 2019. These results clearly demonstrate the benefit of our strategic decision to de-risk and simplify our business by selling our Caribbean assets and redeploying that capital in our core North American business. On an apples-to-apples basis, we expect to be able to improve EBITDA by almost 25 percent over a two-year period, while simultaneously lowering our leverage and strengthening our financial metrics to generate stable, consistent growth for our unitholders," Shoaf concluded.

06:58 EDT Louisiana-Pacific sees FY19 CapEx less than $160M

06:57 EDT Centrus Energy signs three-year contract with DOE for HALEU production - Centrus Energy announced the company has signed a three-year contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, to deploy a cascade of centrifuges to demonstrate production of high-assay, low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, fuel for advanced reactors. The program has been under way since Centrus and DOE signed a preliminary letter agreement on May 31, which allowed work to begin while the full contract was still being finalized. Work under the contract will include licensing, constructing, assembling and operating AC100M centrifuge machines and related infrastructure in a cascade formation to produce HALEU at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio, for the demonstration program. HALEU is a component for advanced nuclear reactor fuel that is not commercially available and may be required for a number of advanced reactor designs currently under development in both the commercial and government sectors. Existing reactors typically operate on low-enriched uranium, or LEU, with the uranium-235 isotope concentration just below 5%. HALEU has a uranium-235 isotope concentration of up to 20%, giving it several potential technical and economic advantages.

06:51 EDT Allogene Therapeutics, Notch Therapeutics announce collaboration - Allogene Therapeutics and Notch Therapeutics announced an exclusive worldwide collaboration and license agreement to research and develop induced pluripotent stem cell AlloCAR therapy products for initial application in non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma. Under the partnership, Allogene and Notch will create allogeneic cell therapy candidates from T cells or natural killer cells using Notch's Engineered Thymic Niche platform. Under the terms of the agreement, Notch will be responsible for preclinical research of next-generation iPSC AlloCAR T cells. Allogene will clinically develop the product candidates and holds exclusive worldwide rights to commercialize resulting products. Allogene will provide to Notch an upfront payment of $10M. Notch will be eligible to receive up to $7.25M upon achieving certain agreed research milestones, up to $4M per exclusive target upon achieving certain pre-clinical development milestones, and up to $283M per exclusive target and cell type upon achieving certain clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones as well as tiered royalties on net sales in the mid to high single digits. In addition to this collaboration and license agreement, Allogene has acquired a 25% equity position in Notch and will assume a seat on Notch's Board of Directors.

06:48 EDT Independence Contract Drilling receives noncompliance letter from NYSE - Independence Contract Drilling announced that it received written notification from the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, that as of Friday, November 1, the company is no longer in compliance with NYSE continued listing criteria, which require listed companies to maintain an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. In accordance with NYSE rules, the company has a period of six months from receipt of the notice to regain compliance with the NYSE's minimum share price requirement, or until the company's next annual meeting of stockholders, if stockholder approval is required to cure the share price non-compliance. Under NYSE rules, the company's common stock will continue to be listed and trade on the NYSE during this period, subject to the company's compliance with other NYSE continued listing requirements. Under NYSE rules, ICD can regain compliance at any time during the six-month cure period if on the last trading day of any calendar month during the cure period ICD's common stock has a closing share price of at least $1.00 and an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over the 30 trading-day period ending on the last trading day of that month or on the last day of the cure period. The NYSE notification has no impact on ICD operations or its Securities and Exchange Commission reporting requirements, and it does not cause an event of default under any of the Company's material debt or other agreements.

06:44 EDT Regeneron provides update on Phase 3 Libtayo development program - Regeneron (REGN) provided an update on the ongoing Phase 3 development program evaluating Libtayo, a PD-1 inhibitor, as monotherapy and combination therapy in first-line patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC. Regeneron is currently recruiting patients in two Phase 3 trials in first-line NSCLC. The first trial, an open-label randomized trial that compares Libtayo monotherapy to standard-of-care platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with high PD-L1 expression. The trial has enrolled 90% of the 700 planned patients and is expected to be fully enrolled by year's end. The independent data monitoring committee recently conducted an interim analysis for overall survival, or OS, based on approximately 34% of anticipated events and recommended the trial should continue as planned. The next event-driven interim analysis for OS is anticipated in 2020. In the first 361 randomized patients, the confirmed objective response rate, or ORR, as determined by investigators, is currently 42% for Libtayo patients and 22% for patients treated with chemotherapy. The second trial, which consists of two parts, evaluates Libtayo in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy. Part 1 is fully enrolled and evaluates patients with PD-L1 expression of less than 50% in three treatment groups: chemotherapy, chemotherapy with Libtayo and chemotherapy in combination with Libtayo and ipilimumab. Part 2, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial, has enrolled approximately 20% of patients, and is expected to complete enrollment in the second half of 2020. The trial evaluates patients with all PD-L1 expression levels in two treatment groups: chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy in combination with Libtayo. Libtayo is being jointly developed by Regeneron and Sanofi (SNY) under a global collaboration agreement. Libtayo is a PD-1 inhibitor that was invented by Regeneron using the company's proprietary VelocImmune technology, which uses a genetically-humanized mouse to produce optimized fully-human antibodies.

06:38 EDT Acorn International gets proposal from Chairman to buy company at $19.50/ADS - Acorn International has received on November 4, 2019 US time a preliminary non-binding proposal letter, dated November 4, 2019, from Robert Roche, Executive Chairman of the company, to acquire all of the outstanding shares of the company not already owned by the Buyer Vehicle at $19.50 per American Depositary Share or $0.975 per ordinary share in cash, subject to certain conditions. According to the proposal, it is anticipated that the Buyer Vehicle or its shareholders will control approximately 75% of the outstanding shares of ordinary shares of the company. The board has scheduled a special meeting to consider next steps with respect to the proposal. No decisions have been made with respect to the company's response to the proposed transaction.

06:38 EDT Regeneron announces $1B share repurchase program - In November 2019, Regeneron's board authorized a share repurchase program to repurchase up to $1B of the company's Common Stock.

06:36 EDT Occidental Petroleum sees FY19 total company production 1,359-1,365 Mboepd - Sees total company ex-Qatar production 1,324-1,330 Mboed. Sees FY19 Permian resources production 436-438 Mboed, with international production of 280-282 Mboed.

06:34 EDT Aerie Pharma reports topline results from Phase 2 trial of netarsudil - Aerie Pharmaceuticals reported positive topline results for the Company's Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating netarsudil ophthalmic solution in Japanese patients. Netarsudil is a Rho kinase, or ROCK, inhibitor specifically designed to increase outflow of aqueous humor through the trabecular meshwork, the eye's primary drainage pathway. Netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.02% is known by the name Rhopressa in the U.S. and is approved for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. It is also under regulatory review in the European Union, where it is called Rhokiinsa.

06:27 EDT General Moly supports ROD for Mt. Hope molybdenum project - General Moly stated that on October 31, a complaint was filed against the U.S. Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, in the U.S. District Court in Nevada, seeking relief under the National Environmental Protection Act and other federal laws challenging the September 27 re-issuance of the record of decision, or ROD, for the Mt. Hope molybdenum project. The ROD approved the final supplemental environmental impact statement, or SEIS, for the Mt. Hope Project, following the December 2016 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The company and its Mt. Hope joint venture company, Eureka Moly are reviewing the complaint filed by Great Basin Resource Watch and the Western Shoshone Defense Project, and may seek permission from the court to intervene on behalf of the Mt. Hope Project. The process for completing the SEIS involved an environmental analysis and review that lasted almost three years, and included extensive public notice and comment. The company supports the robust, and legally and technically defensible work completed by the BLM and believes that the new ROD complies with all federal statutes and rules.

06:20 EDT Renren appoints KPMG Huazhen as new auditor - Renren announced the appointment of KPMG Huazhen as its independent registered public accounting firm, effective immediately. The appointment of KPMG was made after an evaluation process and has been approved by Renren's audit committee. KPMG will replace Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu as Renren's independent registered public accounting firm. The consolidated financial statements of Renren and its subsidiaries as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2017 and 2018 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. Renren's decision to change its auditor was not the result of any disagreement between Renren and Deloitte on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure.

06:17 EDT Renren appoints KPMG Huazhen as independent registered public accounting firm - Renren (RENN) which operates used auto business in China through its subsidiary Kaixin Auto Holdings (KXIN) as well as several U.S.-based SaaS businesses, announced the appointment of KPMG Huazhen as its independent registered public accounting firm, effective November 5. The appointment of KPMG was made after a careful and thorough evaluation process and has been approved by Renren's audit committee. Renren's subsidiary Kaixin Auto Holdings has also appointed KPMG as its independent registered public accounting firm, also effective November 5.

06:15 EDT CAE concludes strategic partnership with DAC, acquires 50% of Simcom for $85M - CAE confirmed that it has concluded the previously announced strategic partnership with Directional Aviation Capital, or DAC, as well as the acquisition of 50% of the shares of Simcom Holdings. As part of this transaction, which was first announced on August 29, CAE acquired for approximately $85M a fifty-percent stake in Simcom Holdings. In addition, DAC's affiliated business aircraft operators, which include Flexjet, Flight Options, Flairjet, Sirio, Nextant Aerospace and Corporate Wings have entered into a 15-year exclusive training services agreement with Simcom and CAE. In all, these companies operate 175 business aircraft and have more than 80 aircraft on order. As announced on October 22, Simcom has purchased five CAE 7000XR Series full-flight simulators, or FFSs, and five CAE 400XR Series flight training devices, or FTDs, from CAE. These FFSs include a Gulfstream G650, two Bombardier Challenger CL350s, one Embraer Phenom 300 and one Embraer Legacy 500. Simcom plans to install its new CAE training equipment in the new training centre which is under development in Lake Nona, Florida.

06:13 EDT Axonics CEO says patent lawsuit by Medtronic 'all too predictable' - Axonics (AXNX) announced that it received notice on Monday, November 4, that Medtronic (MDT), Medtronic Puerto Rico Operations Co., Medtronic Logistics LLC and its U.S. operating company Medtronic USA, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Axonics in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The lawsuit asserts that the Axonics r-SNM System infringes Medtronic's U.S. Patent Nos. 8,036,756, 8,626,314, 9,463,324, and 9,821,112. The lawsuit requests the typical remedies for patent infringement, including damages and an injunction. "Axonics has invested substantial time and resources in understanding the competitive landscape over the years since its inception in October 2013 and has been careful to respect the intellectual property rights of others in the design of its products, including the rights of Medtronic. Axonics is prepared to act quickly and defend itself aggressively and has already begun working with legal counsel. Beyond this, the need to protect the confidentiality of attorney communications limits what the company can say about the specific allegations at this time." "Axonics believes that this lawsuit is the kind of response that is all too predictable from Medtronic signaling that it is lacking the wherewithal to compete fairly. It is ironic that the largest medical device company in the world, with over a 20-year long monopoly in the SNM market, failed to introduce any meaningful innovation for the sake of patients or their physician customers. Instead, they have chosen to employ legal tactics to engage in clear anticompetitive behavior and yet another attempt to change the dialogue with physicians and U.S. institutional investors," said Axonics CEO Raymond Cohen. Cohen continued, "We believe in competition. Our team is neither naive, nor inexperienced and we refuse to be intimidated. We have developed our own considerable IP estate relating to our technology platform. It should be obvious, to even the most casual observer, that this is an attempt to use legal tactics to slow down competition, and deny patients and physicians the innovative new technology that they desire. The bottom line is that a large number of Medtronic's customers want to work with Axonics and offer their patients our long-lived, fuss free, full-body MRI-capable SNM system, and we will continue to work vigorously to accomplish our objective of becoming the market leader in SNM."

06:08 EDT Welbilt CEO says 'generally pleased with our operating performance' - "Despite experiencing softer than expected end market conditions in the Americas and EMEA in the third quarter, we are generally pleased with our operating performance," said Bill Johnson, Welbilt's President and CEO. "We saw delays in some projects by large chain customers in the Americas while the general market in EMEA softened through the quarter. APAC grew again this quarter with strong general market sales. Operationally, our Adjusted Operating EBITDA margin decreased 100 basis points year-over-year from a combination of isolated manufacturing cost inefficiencies in our plants currently implementing the Transformation Program and the negative comparison due to last year's $3.7 million favorable adjustment for compensation expense related to the departure of the former CEO. We are continuing to make great strides in our Transformation Program. Our Wave 1 plants, while in the midst of disruptive implementations that have short-term cost impacts, are ahead of schedule and confident in their glide paths to their savings targets. We are also ahead of schedule on the planned procurement activities as we have accelerated the launching of requests for quotations related to our parts spend. We have moved to Wave 2 now as our third manufacturing plant has started its transformation activities. In addition, we announced the consolidation of the Crem Shanghai plant into another of our existing facilities in China which is expected to deliver savings in 2021. Finally, we have moved up KitchenCare into Wave 2 (it was originally scheduled to be in Wave 3) and it has begun its transformation activities. We remain very confident in our ability to deliver in excess of $75 million of run-rate savings by the second half of 2021. We adjusted our Organic Sales guidance to reflect the delays in large customer sales in the Americas and for softer market conditions in EMEA. We also adjusted our 2019 Adjusted Operating EBITDA margin expectations slightly to reflect the impact of lower sales. We are implementing cost reduction actions across the business to limit the impact from the softer end markets while we continue to push ahead aggressively with the Transformation Program to permanently improve our cost structure. Finally, we revised our Adjusted Diluted Net Earnings Per Share guidance for our updated operating expectations and for a higher expected effective tax rate," concluded Johnson.

06:02 EDT Amarin says international regulatory activities 'on track' - Amarin continues to target making its submission, before the end of 2019, seeking regulatory approval of Vascepa in Europe. Regulatory review of Vascepa in Canada continues to progress through Amarin's commercial partner in Canada with approval anticipated near the end of 2019.

06:01 EDT Amarin says PDUFA date for Vascepa sNDA is December 28 - December 28, 2019 is the Prescription Drug User Fee Act target date for action on Amarin's supplemental New Drug Application seeking approval of Vascepa as the first drug approved for cardiovascular risk reduction in the patient population studied in REDUCE-IT. An FDA advisory committee meeting pertaining to the sNDA for Vascepa is scheduled to be held on November 14, 2019 at the FDA's offices in White Oak, Maryland. Amarin says it "looks forward to the advisory committee meeting on November 14, 2019 as an opportunity to further illuminate the results of the REDUCE-IT study and to provide further education on why Vascepa is a unique drug that should be approved for cardiovascular risk reduction which would position the drug to potentially help millions of patients. Amarin is appreciative of the approximately 100 letters which have been sent to the FDA from health care professionals, patients and others in support of prompt approval of Vascepa for cardiovascular risk reduction."

05:21 EDT Xerox restructures FUJIFILM relationship, will receive $2.3B from related deals - Xerox Holdings announced that it has entered into agreements with FUJIFILM Holdings and certain of its subsidiaries that will simplify and set a new course for the companies' strategic sourcing relationship going forward. The terms of the agreements include the following: Sale of Xerox's 25% stake in Fuji Xerox to a subsidiary of FUJIFILM; Modified sourcing terms for future product programs that will ensure Xerox's product supply continuity; Sale to an affiliate of FX of Xerox's 51% stake in Xerox International Partners, or XIP, an OEM joint venture between Xerox and FX, which, together with the grant of a new IP license, will allow FX to OEM certain products (such as printer engines) to named parties that are existing customers of XIP on a worldwide basis in exchange for a fixed royalty; and Dismissal of the $1 billion lawsuit FUJIFILM filed against Xerox after last year's terminated merger. "These agreements reset our relationship with FUJIFILM and provide both companies with tremendous opportunities to grow, together and independently," said John Visentin, vice chairman and CEO of Xerox. "These agreements also unlock significant unrealized value for our shareholders, provide greater clarity for our customers and help us speed our transformation to a digital-first company." Total after-tax proceeds to Xerox from the transactions will include accrued but unpaid dividends through the date of the closings and are expected to be approximately $2.3 billion. Xerox expects to use the proceeds opportunistically to pursue accretive M&A in core and adjacent industries, return capital to shareholders and pay down its $550 million December 2019 debt maturity. The agreements were unanimously approved by the board of directors of Xerox and do not require a shareholder vote. Closings of the sale transactions are subject to receipt of regulatory approval in Japan and other customary closing conditions and are expected to occur in November 2019, but there can be no assurance regarding timing of completion of the regulatory review process, which could delay timing of the closings. Xerox expects to provide updated 2019 guidance by mid-December 2019 that incorporates the impact of the transactions.

05:13 EDT SAP authorized to repurchase shares, issue special dividend worth EUR 1.5B - SAP said that in light of its "strong financial performance and balance sheet," its Supervisory Board approved the Executive Board's plan for enhanced capital return in 2020. Under this new program, the company is authorized to repurchase shares and/or issue a special dividend with a combined volume of EUR 1.5B by December 31, 2020. SAP said, "This enhanced capital return will be in addition to SAP's regular dividend policy of distributing at least 40% of its IFRS profit after tax. The Supervisory Board and Executive Board are confident that SAP's strategy of investment in innovation and profitable growth, together with disciplined capital return, will maximize shareholder value for the long term." Reference Link