Stockwinners Market Radar for November 29, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

13:34 EST WeedMDacquires Starseed Holdings for approximately $78M - WeedMD (WDDMF) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Starseed Holdings. The arms-length all-share acquisition is valued at approximately $78M, and Starseed's strategic investor, the Labourers' Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada, will make a concurrent $25M equity investment directly into WeedMD.

12:05 EST Amgen treatment of aplastic anemia granted FDA orphan designation - Amgen's treatment of aplastic anemia was granted FDA orphan designation, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

12:00 EST Whiting Petroleum falls -8.8% - Whiting Petroleum is down -8.8%, or -45c to $4.69.

12:00 EST VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN falls -19.1% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is down -19.1%, or -$2.25 to $9.55.

12:00 EST Amneal Pharmaceuticals rises 13.1% - Amneal Pharmaceuticals is up 13.1%, or 43c to $3.71.

11:53 EST Mogu announces changes to audit committee of board of directors - Mogu announced the appointment of Shengwen Rong as the chairman of the audit committee of the board of directors of the company, effective November 29. Also effective November 29, Wendy Hayes resigned as a director of the company for personal reasons, and Qi Chen stepped down as a member of the audit committee of the board of directors of the company. "Ms. Hayes' resignation did not result from any disagreement with the company," Mogu stated. Chairman and CEO of Mogu Qi Chen commented, "I would like to thank Wendy for her significant contributions during her tenure as a director. I appreciate the efforts she made to the enhancement of our corporate governance, performance evaluation and strategy execution. I believe Roy's leadership and extensive experience will strengthen the audit committee of the board and help the company fulfill its mission of making fashion accessible to everyone as we enter the next exciting phase of our growth story."

10:14 EST Safe-T Data says 'something new is coming' in teaser tweet - Micro-cap Safe-T Group shares are up 36c, or 6%, to $6.29 in early trading after the company issued a tease on Twitter yesterday. Reference Link

10:00 EST U.S. Steel falls -6.7% - U.S. Steel is down -6.7%, or -93c to $13.00.

10:00 EST Saint Joe Co. rises 10.0% - Saint Joe Co. is up 10.0%, or $1.78 to $19.60.

10:00 EST VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN rises 15.6% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is up 15.6%, or $21.61 to $160.23.

09:47 EST RLI Corp. falls -6.2% - RLI Corp. is down -6.2%, or -$6.09 to $92.70.

09:47 EST Myovant Sciences rises 10.0% - Myovant Sciences is up 10.0%, or $1.73 to $18.97.

09:47 EST VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN rises 15.2% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is up 15.2%, or $21.03 to $159.65.

09:06 EST Epigenomics reports micro-simulation model results on Epi proColon - Epigenomics reported on micro-simulation model results indicating that Epi proColon, a colorectal cancer screening test approved for patients who are unwilling or unable to be screened by the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended methods, provides clinically meaningful reductions in the incidence and mortality of CRC comparable to those of USPSTF currently recommended methods. The micro-simulation model, developed and validated at Harvard Medical School, evaluated the impact of adherence rates, testing intervals and clinical performance of different screening strategies on CRC incidence and mortality. Results show that adherence rates and screening intervals can have a profound impact on the effectiveness of screening strategies as compared to one-time sensitivity and/or specificity. The study has been published in Cancer Medicine. The study was conducted using an individual-level model to simulate the natural history of CRC and enables comparison of clinical benefits, harms, and burden of alternative strategies for CRC screening. The model was validated by comparison of predicted CRC incidence and mortality, adenoma dwell times, overall dwell times and lifetime risk of developing CRC with results from two large randomized controlled trials and those of the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network models. The model used a hypothetical cohort of individuals aged 50 years or older and emulated the distribution of baseline characteristics for subjects in the landmark clinical studies. Identical cohorts were then created and assigned to different screening strategies in order to compare intervention-related differences in outcomes. The strategies and intervals were analyzed under two scenarios: adherence fixed at 100%; adherence based on published rates. Sensitivity analyses based on varying initial and resulting overall adherence rates were also conducted. Key findings from the study include: Assuming an adherence rate of 100%: FIT-DNA, FIT, HS-gFOBT, and SEPT9 averted 42-45 CRC cases and 25-26 CRC deaths; COL averted 46 cases and 26 deaths; CTC averted 39 cases and 23 deaths and FS averted 32 cases and 19 deaths per 1,000 individuals screened; Estimated LYG were similar across FIT-DNA, FIT, HS-gFOBT, SEPT9, CTC, and COL strategies. Based on reported adherence of eligible individuals to CRC screening, per 1000 individuals screened, colonoscopy produced the best outcomes unless a non-invasive method achieves a 65% - 70% or greater adherence rate. Screening individuals with COL every ten years or SEPT9 every year resulted in more favorable outcomes compared to all other strategies. The impact of analytic performance on screening outcomes is heavily influenced by adherence rates and screening interval.

08:49 EST SORL Auto Parts enters merger agreement for 'Going Private' transaction - SORL Auto Parts announced that it has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Ruili International, formed on behalf of a consortium consisting of Xiao Ping Zhang, the Company's chairman and CEO, Shu Ping Chi and Xiao Feng Zhang, directors of the Company, and Ruili Group, and Ruili International Merger Sub, a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions to closing: Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company will thereafter continue as the surviving corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent; and at the effective time of the Merger, each share of common stock of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be automatically canceled and converted into the right to receive $4.72 in cash, without interest, except for shares of common stock beneficially owned by members of the Consortium or their affiliates, which will be cancelled for no consideration, and shares of common stock owned by stockholders who have validly exercised and not effectively withdrawn or lost their rights to dissent from the Merger pursuant to Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which will be cancelled at the effective time of the Merger for the right to receive the fair value of such shares determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The Merger Consideration of $4.72 per share of common stock represents approximately a 26.2% premium over the closing price of the Company's common stock as quoted by NASDAQ Global Select Market on April 24, 2019, the last trading day prior to the date that the Company received a non-binding "going private" proposal from the Consortium. The Merger Consideration also represents an increase of approximately 10.8% over the $4.26 per share initially offered by members of the Consortium in their initial "going-private" proposal on April 25, 2019 and a premium of approximately 39.2% over the Company's closing price of $3.39 per share of common stock on November 27, 2019, the last trading day prior to this announcement. As of the date of the Merger Agreement, the members of the Consortium other than Ruili Group Co., Ltd., beneficially own in the aggregate approximately 58.83% of the total outstanding common stock of the Company and have agreed to vote the shares of common stock beneficially owned by them in favor of the Merger. The Board of Directors of SORL, acting on the recommendation of a special committee of independent and disinterested directors , unanimously approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger, and resolved to recommend that the Company's stockholders vote to authorize and approve the Merger Agreement and the and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger. The Special Committee, which is composed solely of independent directors of the Company who are unaffiliated with any member of the Consortium or management of the Company, exclusively negotiated the terms of the Merger Agreement with the Consortium with the assistance of its independent financial and legal advisors. The Merger, which is currently expected to close during the second quarter of 2020, is subject to various closing conditions, including the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the Company's stockholders. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, adoption of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger, by the Company's stockholders requires the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock and the holders of at least a majority of the Company outstanding shares of common stock other than the shares of common stock held by members of the Consortium.

08:36 EST Bachoco to invest in processed swine business In Mexico - Industrias Bachoco announced that an agreement has been reached on investing in the company Sonora Agropecuaria, a swine processing and distributor company with operations in the states of Sonora and Jalisco. SASA is one of the ten principle processors in Mexico. They have a production capacity of about 15,000 swine per week, having participation in the national and export markets. Rodolfo Ramos, Bachoco's CEO, stated: "This agreement will make synergies with our actual live swine business, while allowing us to accelerate our rhythm of growth and continue to move forward in the process of diversification on other animal proteins. We will look to complete this process at the beginning of 2020 and capture the opportunities we have identified."

08:32 EST Gulf Resources clarifies effect of reverse stock split on equity incentive plan - Gulf Resources clarified the possible effect of the proposed reverse stock split on the Company's proposed 2019 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan. The company said, :On our 2019 third quarter earnings conference call held on November 14, 2019, a shareholder asked a question about the possible impact of the proposed reverse stock split on the proposed 2019 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan that will be voted on at the annual shareholders meeting on December 18, 2019. The Company would like to clarify and make sure that all shareholders fully understand this subject. As disclosed in the definitive proxy statement filed with the US Securities Exchange Commission on November 1, 2019, the Company has proposed to effect a reverse stock split to increase the market price of its common stock so that the Company is able to regain compliance with the NASDAQ minimum bid price requirement. As disclosed in the same definitive proxy statement, the Company is seeking approval of the stockholders to adopt the Company's 2019 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan. If the 2019 Plan is approved, awards under the 2019 Plan will be limited in the aggregate to 10,341,989 shares of our common stock, inclusive of the awards that were previously issued and outstanding under the Company's 2007 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended. The Company believes that it has kept salaries and other expenses low and that it is in the best interest of the Company to provide incentives to its employees, directors, consultants, and advisors. The Company's 2019 Plan provides for proportionate adjustments to the number of shares subject to the plan in the event of a reverse stock split. Should the aforesaid reverse stock split be effected, the 2019 Plan provides for proportionate adjustments to the number of shares available for issuance and awardable, and as applicable, automatic proportionate adjustments to the shares awarded and the exercise price, grant price or purchase price relating to awards under such plan. Accordingly, if both proposals are approved by the stockholders and the reverse stock split is implemented by the board of directors, upon the effectiveness of the reverse stock split, the number of all outstanding equity awards, the number of shares available for issuance and awardable and the exercise price, grant price or purchase price relating to any award under the 2019 Plan will be proportionately adjusted using the split ratio determined by the board of directors. For example, if a 1-for-4 reverse stock split is effected, the 4,895,989 shares that remain available for issuance under the incentive plan as of November 1, 2019, would be adjusted to 1,223,997 shares. The Company is in the process of making efforts to regain compliance with the NASDAQ requirements, and return to its profitability."

08:02 EST Just Energy closes sale of UK operations to Shell Energy Retail - Just Energy Group (JE) announced that it has closed its previously announced sale of Hudson Energy Supply UK to Shell Energy Retail Limited (RDS.A). Pursuant to the share purchase agreement, the aggregate amount of the closing consideration received was approximately GBP1.5M, approximately C$2.8M, following the closing adjustments. While the capacity market payments were reinstated in the UK in late October, any contingent consideration due to Just Energy will be paid following the determination of Hudson UK's ultimate capacity market payment for the period up to June 30, 2019, which is expected to be determined within six months of closing.

07:05 EST CollPlant provides update on developments in Q3 - "Significant developments during the third quarter of 2019 included our progress in the development of a 3D bioprinted implant for the regeneration of breast tissue, and our $5.5 million financing round which included new investors who have deep expertise in 3D printing," said Yehiel Tal, CollPlant's (CLGN) CEO. "We are expanding our product pipeline for the medical aesthetics market since we believe our proprietary plant-based rhCollagen enables superior treatments in this healthcare segment. Our dermal fillers combine rhCollagen with hyaluronic acid to treat wrinkles and regenerate youthful skin. We believe our 3D bioprinted implants for breast regeneration are a revolutionary alternative that enables the body to regenerate its own breast tissue. Both of these technologies have led to strong interest from leading companies in the medical aesthetics field." "Our largest investor, Ami Sagi increased his stake in CollPlant through the $5.5 million financing we closed in September 2019. In this round, we were pleased to welcome new U.S. investors, 3D printing executives, who recognize CollPlant's ability to translate its breakthrough rhCollagen technology to a differentiated product pipeline that is seeking to address the multi-billion potential of the regenerative medicine market" stated Tal. "We continue to work with United Therapeutics (UTHR) which is using our rhCollagen-based BioInk for 3D bioprint lung scaffolds. This collaboration is intended to eventually yield a manufacturing process that will enable an unlimited supply of transplantable lungs for patients with serious medical conditions," Tal added.

07:01 EST 111, Inc. partners with Tianjin Tongrentang Group - 111, Inc. is partnering with Tianjin Tongrentang Group to deliver traditional Chinese medicine using big data and artificial intelligence, the drivers behind China's largest online pharmaceutical retailer 111. Tianjin Tongrentang will use 111's Internet healthcare platform for direct sourcing. The 111 platform provides online-offline channel integration, product promotion, big data customer analysis, brand awareness and patient education. The partnership will make it easier for patients and households to access the full range of Tianjin Tongrentang's traditional Chinese medicine products and services. The cooperation will leverage 111's integrated online-offline healthcare platform and cover a wide range of Tianjin Tongrentang products, expanding the company's addressable market for premium products as well as products developed exclusively for the 111 online platform.

06:34 EST NexGen Energy announces resignation of CFO Bruce Sprague - NexGen Energy announces that Bruce Sprague has tendered his resignation as CFO effective November 29. The company has commenced a formal search for a new CFO. In the interim, Travis McPherson, Vice President - Corporate Development and Investor Relations, and Rheal Assie, Financial Controller will assume the CFO duties.

06:24 EST AstraZeneca says Imfinzi granted FDA Priority Review, sBLA accepted - AstraZeneca announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted a supplemental Biologics License Application, or sBLA, and granted Priority Review for Imfinzi for the treatment of patients with previously untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, or SCLC. A Prescription Drug User Fee Act date is set for the first quarter of 2020. Imfinzi is approved in the curative-intent setting of unresectable, Stage III non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, after chemoradiation therapy in 54 countries, including the US, Japan and the EU, based on the Phase III PACIFIC trial.

06:18 EST BMW, Great Wall Motor to construct China plant for electric vehicles - The BMW Group and Great Wall Motor are driving e-mobility forward by building a joint plant in China, where the BMW Group will produce future fully-electric models of its MINI brand. High-level representatives of the local Chinese government, Great Wall Motor and the BMW Group today announced the launch of the new joint venture, Spotlight Automotive Limited. The plant will have a standard capacity of up to 160,000 vehicles per year, which will require around 3,000 employees after the ramp-up phase. Both partners will together invest around EUR650M. The construction phase is planned for 2020 to 2022. As well as production, the innovative joint venture model also includes joint development of battery-electric vehicles in the world's largest market for electromobility. The joint venture envisages production of future electric MINI vehicles, as well as several models and brands for Great Wall Motor. Following the launch of the brand-new first-generation fully-electric MINI*, which will be built at Oxford and come to market in the first quarter of 2020, this is another important step towards the MINI brand's electrified future. MINI Plant Oxford, which recently built the 10 millionth car since the brand's launch in 1959, will remain the heart and home of MINI manufacturing, while the Spotlight Automotive joint venture will provide additional capacity and flexibility.

06:00 EST Panasonic to sell semiconductor unit to Nuvoton Technology - Panasonic announced that it will transfer the semiconductor business mainly operated by Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions Co., which is a 100% consolidated subsidiary company of Panasonic Equity Management Japan, a 100% consolidated subsidiary company of the Company, to Nuvoton Technology Corporation, a Taiwan-based semiconductor company under the umbrella of Winbond Electronics Corporation group, and enter into the Stock and Asset Transfer Agreement with this company. A decision was authorized by the Board resolution. The semiconductor business of the Companyhas shifted from the AV area to the automotive and industrial area over the last few years. The Company has positioned the "Sensing" technologies such as image sensors, and the "LiB Application" technologies such as IC for battery management and MOSFET for LiB battery circuits protection as the focus areas, and the Company has aimed to grow its business by consolidating resources in these areas.In the meantime, in April 2014, the Company transferred the semiconductor wafer production process of the Hokuriku Plants to the joint venture company formed with Tower Semiconductor Ltd., an Israel based foundry company. Furthermore, in June 2014, the Company transferred its semiconductor assembly plants in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia to UTAC Manufacturing Services Ltd. having its headquarter in Hong Kong. The Company has been strengthening its competitiveness by becoming an asset light company, consolidating and eliminating its offices and production bases in both Japan and overseas for the mitigation of business risks. However, the competitive environment surrounding the semiconductor business has become extremely severe due to aggressive expansion of competitors, huge investments in the focused area, and industry reorganization through M&A. In such an environment, the Company has come to believe that the even stronger business operation and the continuous investment is critical in order to achieve a sustained growth and expansion of the semiconductor business. Accordingly, it has concluded that the best option would be to transfer the business to Nuvoton, which highly appreciates the Company's accumulated technical and product capabilities and therefore has a potential to lead stable growth by leveraging those capabilities. Business restructuring before the Transfer: Just prior to the Transfer, the Company will restructure the semiconductor business as follows. All shares of Panasonic Industrial Devices Systems and Technology and Panasonic Industrial Devices Engineering Co., which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of PEMJ, will be handed over to PSCS by way of company split. The semiconductor business-related intellectual property rights and certain business contracts held by the Company and/or the Company's subsidiaries and the semiconductor business-related assets and debt of the Company will be handed over to PSCS by way of either company split or asset transfer. All PSCS's shares held by PEMJ will be handed over to a to-be-established, wholly--more -owned subsidiary of PEMJ by way of share transfer. The semiconductor related components business of PSCS will be handed over to a to-be-established, wholly-owned subsidiary of PEMJ by way of company split. Details of the Transfer: Upon completion of the business restructuring above, the Transfer will be carried out as per the details below with target effective date of June 1, 2020. PEMJ will transfer all PSCS Holding Company's shares to Nuvoton. The business of Panasonic Industrial Devices Semiconductor Asia under Panasonic Asia PacificPte will be handed over to Singapore-based entity owned by Nuvoton. Certain facilities and inventories attributable to the semiconductor business of Panasonic Semiconductor will be transferred to China-based entity owned by Nuvoton.

05:46 EST Canadian National implements recovery plan following end of 8-day long strike - CN announced that it is implementing a recovery plan following the end of the 8-day long strike. "CN remains focused on growth and is already in recovery mode as our employees return to their normal shifts," said JJ Ruest, president and chief executive officer of CN. "Overriding emphasis will be placed on safety as we implement a disciplined and progressive ramp up to avoid congestion that can overwhelm parts of the supply chain that are the most vulnerable." The 8-day strike caused CN's network to run at approximately 10% capacity. Every strike day can cause several days of backlog, requiring time for the network to be fully current once it has returned to pre-strike operation levels. In the coming days, CN will continue to initiate its recovery plan and will stay in close direct contact with customers of the railroad to collect feedback on progress.