Stockwinners Market Radar for December 10, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:35 EST AT&T sets 2020 cost cut target of 4%, enters into accelerated $4B buyback - John Stankey, COO of AT&T spoke today at the UBS Global TMT Conference during which he provided an update to shareholders. Stankey said that AT&T began retiring shares in Q4. The company expects these share retirements will help offset the impact to EPS in the fourth quarter from HBO Max investments. Stankey also announced that the company has entered into a $4B accelerated share repurchase agreement to retire about 100 million shares in Q1 of 2020. Stankey said that the company is focused on exceeding its recent typical annual 6% to 8% reduction in network operational costs. Stankey said the company has set a 2020 target of an additional 4% in cost reductions, or about $1.5B, driven primarily by lower labor-related costs and corporate overhead. In addition to retiring shares, AT&T plans to continue to invest in both capital and content while also continuing modest annual dividend growth. By the end of 2022, AT&T expects to have retired 100% of the debt it incurred to fund the acquisition of Time Warner, with plans to reach a net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio in the 2.0x to 2.25x range, which it believes should result in an upgrade to its debt ratings. AT&T will also continue to review its portfolio to achieve its asset monetization target of $5B to $10B in 2020. Potential sales include AT&T's regional sports networks, additional real estate transactions and additional tower sales. The company expects the previously announced monetization of its stake in Central European Media and the sale of its Puerto Rico wireless operations to close by the middle of 2020. AT&T also recently raised about $1.2B from a preferred equity offering.

20:14 EST Sage Therapeutics CEO buys 7.5K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Sage Therapeutics disclosed that its CEO Jeffrey Jonas bought 7.5K shares of common stock on December 9th. The total transaction size was $481.5K.

19:46 EST Surgical Eyedrop wins return of patent from Harrow Health - Novel Drug Solutions and Eye Care Northwest announce the return of their unrestricted patent rights to several awarded and pending USA and international patents previously controlled by Harrow Health. Novel/Eye Care Northwest had served Harrow Health with a Termination and Cease and Desist Notice on May 29th, triggering a contractual obligation for Harrow Health to return all of the intellectual property that had been previously conveyed to it. The return of the assets is a partial resolution of on-going litigation.

18:47 EST Ken County board of supervisors reaffirms approval of Grapevine at Tejon Ranch - By a 5-0 vote, the Kern County Board of Supervisors unanimously reapproved the development of Grapevine at Tejon Ranch, a new master planned community in southern Kern County. The community will be located adjacent to the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center near the base of the foothills in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The Supervisors reviewed and approved a Supplemental Re-circulated Environmental Impact Report prepared in response to a court ruling requiring additional study and mitigation of potential traffic impacts. "Three years after the initial vote, we are very pleased the Kern County Board of Supervisors has once again approved these entitlements for Grapevine at Tejon Ranch," said Gregory S. Bielli, President and CEO of Tejon Ranch Company. "This new community will support the thousands of jobs already in the area and will serve as a catalyst for further economic development and job creation in the region."

18:36 EST WD-40 names Garry Ridge as new board Chairman - WD-40 announced that its board of directors appointed Neal Schmale as independent lead director and Garry Ridge as chairman of the board, effective today. Garry Ridge is replacing Linda Lang as chairman following her retirement as a director as of today's 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

18:22 EST USW union expresses support for new USMCA - United Steelworkers International President Thomas M. Conway issued the following statement today regarding changes to improve the negotiated U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement: "Members of the USW, the largest industrial union in North America, have suffered firsthand the devastating effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The bad trade deal cost countless jobs, ravaged families and communities and pulled down wages as companies have outsourced jobs and production to Mexico. For 26 years, workers have lived with NAFTA as a yoke around their necks, and we have been committed to fixing it. Last fall, the administration, along with the Mexican and Canadian governments, signed an agreement they thought would sail past the labor community. But that agreement, called the USMCA, fell far short of what workers in all three countries needed. Since the negotiations to improve the proposed USMCA began last year, we have been deeply involved in identifying essential changes to help working people, coordinating with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Democrats and other key leaders to address significant problems. The core concern has always been that companies profit by exploiting their workers - here, in Mexico and across the globe. In Mexico, there are hundreds of thousands of so-called 'protection contracts' signed by corporations with sham unions that have no regard for the interests, rights or needs of workers. Workers at facilities in Mexico operated by some of the world's biggest and most profitable corporations are paid only a fraction of what workers get in the United States or Canada for essentially the same work. Workers who have attempted to form democratic unions have faced repression, violence and murder. The original USMCA required changes in Mexican labor law that we supported, as they were clearly better than current law. But the agreement had no clear path to ensure that workers' rights would be safeguarded. The updated draft agreement now has enforcement provisions that can help make a difference. There is still a great deal of work to do in terms of implementing, monitoring and enforcing the provisions, but the base for progress is there. There were also problematic provisions in the original USMCA that showered U.S. drug companies with huge opportunities for higher monopoly profits. Democrats, working with labor, were able to eliminate this language from the agreement. In addition, the labor movement, working with Democrats and other key allies, was also able to beat back portions of the original USMCA that would have jeopardized our ability to protect a sustainable environment. The revised deal is better than the original USMCA and certainly better than NAFTA. It should be adopted. The leaders of all three countries must diligently enforce the provisions, however, and we intend to hold them accountable to ensure that workers, the environment and consumers are protected. No one should overplay this agreement's impact, or underestimate the work that remains to be done. Mexico must devote the money, resources and political will required to implement its commitments. The U.S. and Canadian governments must be active and vigilant in ensuring that companies respect workers' rights in all of their facilities. We also have concerns about definitions of aluminum sourced in North America as they exist in the agreement. We have been on the frontlines protecting jobs in smelting and casting, but leaders of all three countries should be equally invested in this industry. Speaker Pelosi, the members of the Democratic Working Group and key leaders such as Sens. Sherrod Brown and Ron Wyden deserve our thanks for their efforts and refusal to back down in the face of massive special interest lobbying. Mexican Senator Napoleon Gomez Urrutia should also be recognized for his key role in facilitating dialogue between the labor movement and the Mexican government. Outsourcing won't end as companies continue to search the globe for places where they can profit off of the hard work of others, spoil the environment to improve their balance sheets and raise prices for basic needs. The fight for fair trade won't end with this agreement, but it's an agreement worth passing." Publicly traded companies in the space include AK Steel (AKS), ArcelorMittal (MT), Nucor (NUE), Steel Dynamics (STLD), TimkenSteel (TMST) and U.S. Steel (X).

17:50 EST Microsoft, NTT in strategic alliance for enterprise digital transformation - NTT Corporation and Microsoft announced a multi-year strategic alliance aimed at delivering secure and reliable solutions that help enterprise customers accelerate their digital transformations. The alliance will bring together NTT's best-in-class ICT infrastructure, managed services and cybersecurity expertise, with Microsoft's trusted cloud platform and AI technologies. Key initiatives of the alliance include the creation of a Global Digital Fabric, development of digital enterprise solutions built on Microsoft Azure, and co-innovation of next-generation technologies in the area of all-photonics network and digital twin computing. Reference Link

17:40 EST CBIZ chairman Gerard sells 64,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, CBIZ chairman Steven L. Gerard disclosed the sale of 64,000 common shares of the company at the price of $27.10 per share on December 6.

17:37 EST Union Pacific announces new marketing and sales organizational structure - Union Pacific announced a new Marketing and Sales organizational structure, consolidating its business groups from four to three: Bulk, Industrial and Premium. The changes are effective Jan. 1. Bulk, formerly Agricultural Products, will add coal and petroleum coke products to its portfolio, while liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, petroleum and sand products will shift to Union Pacific's Industrial business. Coal, LPG, petroleum, petroleum coke and sand are part of the railroad's current Energy business group. "This new structure will allow us to better serve our customers while helping Union Pacific remain agile to market conditions," said Kenny Rocker, executive vice president - Marketing and Sales. "I am excited about the great work the entire Union Pacific team is doing to deliver safe, efficient and reliable service to our customers."

17:22 EST Plantronics to replace Vitamin Shoppe in S&P 600 at open on 12/17 - Franchise Group (FRG) is acquiring Vitamin Shoppe (VSI) in a deal expected to be completed soon pending final conditions.

17:21 EST Choice Hotels to replace Plantronics in S&P 400 at open on 12/17

17:10 EST GameStop says collectibles business continued to show growth in Q3 - GameStop (GME) says seeing "strong" double digit sales growth in recent console upgrades, such as the Nintendo (NTDOY) Switch Lite. Says continues to continue "market-share leading" performance in certain new software titles. Says collectibles business continued to show growth in Q3. Says company's evolution is "on track."

17:04 EST GameStop says feeling pressure from new consoles coming in 2020 - Says consoles "trigger point" for industry. Says new consoles in 2020 putting pressure on current generation on consoles and games as consumers wait for new technology and publishers adjust their own plans. Says feeling that pressure from consoles more than others. Says this trend should continue until new consoles come out in late 2020. Says does not believe these results are indicative of what to expect from the business in the long-term. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

16:55 EST Correvio falls 55% to 63c per share after CRDAC denies NDA for Brinavess

16:50 EST Correvio Pharma trading resumes

16:46 EST Correvio to resume trading at 16:50ET

16:46 EST Liberty Sirius XM CEO Gregory Maffei sells over $6.1M in company shares - Liberty Sirius XM CEO Gregory Maffei disclosed in a filing that he had sold 128,085 shares of company stock at $47.72 per share between December 6 and December 9. The total transaction value of the sale was $6,111,627.

16:42 EST Iterum Therapeutics PLC trading resumes

16:37 EST Cummins authorizes $2B share repurchase program - The board of Cummins authorized the company to repurchase up to $2B in shares of common stock upon completion of its 2018 $2B share repurchase program.

16:33 EST Dave & Buster's advances over 3% following quarterly results, updated guidance - Shares of Dave & Buster's are moving up 3.10% or $1.24 per share in after-hours trading on Tuesday to $41.23 per share. Shares closed regular session trading down fractionally to $39.99 per share.

16:30 EST Conduent to transfer stock exchange listing from NYSE to Nasdaq - Conduent Incorporated announced that it will transfer its stock exchange listing from the New York Stock Exchange to The Nasdaq Global Select Market. The company expects its common stock will commence trading on Nasdaq on December 23, 2019 and will continue to be listed under the ticker symbol "CNDT." "Listing on Nasdaq positions Conduent alongside the world's most innovative technology leaders," said Brian Webb-Walsh, CFO, Conduent. "We seek to benefit from Nasdaq's cost-effective platforms and comprehensive offerings in trading intelligence and investor relations solutions. We have full confidence that this partnership will support our mission and purpose as we position Conduent for growth."

16:24 EST Hepion Pharmaceuticals CRV431 trial advances to next highest dose in MAD study - Hepion Pharmaceuticals announced the successful advancement to the next higher dose in its ongoing clinical trial of CRV431, a Phase 1 multiple ascending dose, or MAD, study. The open-label MAD study was initiated in Q3 to assess safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CRV431 in healthy volunteers. The study is designed to examine doses of 75 mg, 150 mg, 225 mg and 300 mg, with the potential to assess higher doses, where CRV431 is administered orally, once daily for 28 days. Data are reviewed by a clinical trial management team between each successive increase in dosing levels. The team's review of the 75 mg cohort data showed this dosing level to be safe and well tolerated, which authorized escalation to the next dosing level of 150 mg daily for 28 days. In addition to studying the safety, tolerability and exposure after dosing of CRV431, the maximum tolerated dose in humans will be determined.

16:19 EST RPT Realty announces strategic partnership with GIC - RPT Realty announced the formation of a new joint venture with GIC Private Limited, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund. The company contributed five properties valued at $244.0M to the joint venture, referred to as the RPT-GIC Venture, and received $118.3M in gross proceeds for the 48.5% stake in RGV that was acquired by GIC. Additionally, GIC has committed up to $200.0M of additional capital to RGV over the next three years to fund its share of potential future acquisitions of grocery anchored shopping centers in target markets in the U.S. RPT retained a 51.5% stake in RGV and will receive property management, construction management and leasing fees from RGV. The company will also be responsible for the day-to-day management of the properties as well as sourcing future acquisitions for the joint venture.

16:18 EST Iterum Therapeutics announces results from SURE 3 trial - Iterum Therapeutics announced topline results from its Sulopenem for Resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or SURE, 3 clinical trial in complicated intra-abdominal infections, or cIAI. The primary FDA endpoint was clinical response on Day 28 in the micro-MITT population. In this population, the difference in outcomes was 4.7% with a 95% confidence interval on that difference of -10.3% to 1.0%. Non-inferiority required that the lower limit of the difference in the outcome rates be greater than -10% for FDA. In a prespecified multiple imputation analysis designed to address any imbalances in patients with indeterminate outcomes at the test of cure in the microMITT population, the difference in outcomes was 4.7% with a 95% confidence interval on that difference of -9.9% to 0.5%. In the safety population of 668 patients, treatment related adverse events were observed in 6.0% and 5.1% of patients on sulopenem and ertapenem, respectively, with the most commonly reported drug-related adverse event being diarrhea at 4.5% and 2.4%. Discontinuations were uncommon on both regimens seen in 1.5% of patients on sulopenem and 2.1% of patients on ertapenem. Serious adverse events unrelated to study treatment were seen in 7.5% of patients on sulopenem and 3.6% of patients on ertapenem. The multi-center, double-blind SURE 3 randomized patients with cIAI to receive either IV sulopenem once daily for a minimum of five days followed by oral sulopenem/probenecid twice daily to complete seven to 10 total days of treatment, or IV ertapenem once daily for a minimum of five days followed by oral ciprofloxacin twice daily along with oral metronidazole four times daily or, for those patients with ciprofloxacin-resistant organism at baseline, amoxicillin-clavulanate twice daily. The primary endpoint was based on clinical response at Day 28 in patients with a positive intra-abdominal culture at baseline, consistent with recent FDA guidelines for development of drugs for intra-abdominal infections. Clinical outcome at Day 28 was noted as cure for those patients who were alive, had resolution in signs and symptoms of the index infection and for whom no new antibiotics or interventions for treatment failure were required.

16:17 EST SUMR Brands appoints Stuart Noyes interim CEO - SUMR Brands announced that Stuart Noyes has been appointed as interim CEO, effective December 16. Noyes is currently a managing partner and co-founder of Winter Harbor, a consulting firm specializing in turnaround and restructuring services.

16:16 EST Planet Fitness names Tom Fitzgerald as CFO, succeeding Dorvin Lively - Planet Fitness announced that Tom Fitzgerald has been appointed CFO. Officially joining the company in early January, Fitzgerald will be responsible for all aspects of financial strategy and management. He will report directly to Chris Rondeau, CEO of Planet Fitness. Fitzgerald will succeed Dorvin Lively who has served as Planet Fitness' CFO since July 2013, and was promoted to CFO and President in April 2017. In his continuing role as President of Planet Fitness, Lively will remain focused on store development assisting franchisees both domestically and internationally, as well as the Company's corporate store portfolio. Additionally, Lively will continue to provide leadership for the technology team. Prior to joining Planet Fitness, Fitzgerald was CFO and Senior Vice President at Potbelly Sandwich Works.

16:15 EST Trustmark names Gerard Host to succeed R. Michael Summerford as chairman - Trustmark Corporation announced that Gerard R. Host has been elected to succeed R. Michael Summerford as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Trustmark Corporation and Trustmark National Bank effective April 28, 2020, the date of the 2020 Annual Shareholders' Meeting. Mr. Host, with more than 35 years of experience at Trustmark, will remain Chief Executive Officer and will succeed Mr. Summerford who plans to retire from Trustmark's Boards of Directors at the 2020 Annual Shareholders' Meeting. Mr. Summerford has been affiliated with Trustmark since 2005 and has served as its Chairman since 2016. He previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of ChemFirst, Inc., a publicly traded manufacturer of electronic and specialty chemicals, until his retirement in 2002. "Under Mike's guidance and leadership as Chairman, Trustmark has experienced significant growth and is well positioned for continued success. We appreciate Mike's many contributions to Trustmark," said Gerard R. Host, President and Chief Executive Officer of Trustmark. In addition, Duane A. Dewey, Chief Operating Officer of Trustmark National Bank, has been named President of the Bank and elected to the Board of Directors of Trustmark Corporation and Trustmark National Bank effective January 1, 2020. Mr. Dewey joined Trustmark in 2003 and has held a number of executive management positions across the organization including President of Wealth Management and President of Corporate Banking. Mr. Dewey currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of Trustmark National Bank and is responsible for all revenue generating activities in the organization.

16:14 EST Ollie's Bargain Outlet names John Swygert as CEO - Ollie's Bargain Outlet announced that its board of directors has named John Swygert president and CEO and member of its board of directors, effective immediately. Swygert has been interim president and CEO since December 2 after the unexpected passing of the company's founder, Mark Butler. Swygert joined Ollie's in March 2004 as CFO. Prior to joining Ollie's, Swygert was executive VP and CFO at Factory 2-U Stores and has worked in discount retail as a finance professional for 27 years.

16:10 EST Workday says Chief Products Officer Dermetzis to assume new role - In a regulatory filing, Workday disclosed that on December 4, Petros Dermetzis and CEO Aneel Bhusri agreed that Mr. Dermetzis will transition from his role as Chief Products Officer effective December 22, and will assume the new role of Executive Vice President, Emerging Technology. Also, effective December 22, Sayan Chakraborty will be promoted to Executive Vice President of Technology and Peter Schlampp will be promoted to Executive Vice President of Product Development. "Mr. Chakraborty and Mr. Schlampp will assume many of Mr. Dermetzis' former duties, and together they will lead Workday's Products and Technology organization," the filing stated.

16:08 EST FCPT acquires multi-tenant property for $2.9M - Four Corners Property Trust announced the acquisition of a restaurant-anchored multi-tenant property for $2.9M. The property was constructed in 2017, is located in Illinois and is occupied by a large franchisee-operated Popeye's, a corporate-operated US Cellular and a franchisee-operated Great Clips. The Popeye's has a drive-thru and each tenant is subject to a separate lease with approximately eight years of term remaining. The transaction was priced at a 7.2% going-in cash cap rate, after property management expenses.

16:08 EST Bunge names Sheila Bair, Bernardo Hees to board of directors - Bunge (BG) announced that Sheila Bair and Bernardo Hees have been appointed to its Board of Directors, effective December 9. Bair was Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from 2006 to 2011. Hees served as CEO of The KraftHeinz Company (KHC) from 2015 to June 2019.

16:06 EST American Water CEO Story to retire April 1, 2020 - American Water reported that Susan Story has announced that she will retire April 1, 2020 as president and CEO of American Water. She will be succeeded by Walter Lynch, currently Chief Operating Officer of American Water. Lynch previously served as executive vice president of a multistate division; as president of New Jersey American Water and New York American Water; and as a group president of the company's market-based businesses. He joined American Water in 2001. "Being CEO of this great company has been a dream come true for me this past six years," Story said. "We know that what we do, delivering the critical health need of clean and safe water and water services, is truly a noble calling, and not just a job. Most importantly, I get the privilege and honor of working with incredibly talented and dedicated co-workers-my heroes-every day."

16:05 EST Diffusion Pharmaceuticals presents increased survival data from TSC study - Diffusion Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of data signaling increased survival in inoperable glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM, patients enrolled in the 19-patient lead-in portion of its open-label, dose-escalation Phase 3 study with Trans Sodium Crocetinate, or TSC, plus standard of car, or SOC. these findings were presented at the inaugural Glioblastoma Drug Development Summit. The presentation included earlier research demonstrating that TSC safely reduces tumor hypoxia by a novel mechanism of action, making the tumor up to three times more susceptible to radiation and chemotherapy. In Phase 2 testing of TSC in newly diagnosed inoperable GBM patients, a nearly 4-fold increase in 2-year survival was seen compared with historical controls. The current Phase 3 INTACT study was designed to examine this finding in a fully powered safety and efficacy registration study. The study was further designed to test a new TSC dosing regimen under which, in addition to the 18 injections of TSC administered during the radiation therapy phase, patients receive 18 additional injections of TSC during the post-radiation chemotherapy phase, at doses up to six-times higher than those received during radiation. The addition of this high-dose regimen was based on research over the last three years. In the randomized portion of the INTACT trial, subjects will be randomized at baseline to SOC for first-line treatment of GBM plus TSC, or to SOC alone. The SOC for GBM is temozolomide plus radiation therapy for six weeks, followed by 28 days of rest, then by six cycles of post-radiation temozolomide treatment. In the 19-patient open-label, dose-escalation, lead-in portion of the INTACT trial, safety was demonstrated in all patients receiving TSC at all dosing levels. Further, the company believes that, while the number of high dose patients is small, the addition of the 18 higher-dose treatments of TSC may be having a positive effect on survival. The company presented a Kaplan-Meier survival plot highlighting the difference in survival seen with the addition of high-dose TSC treatment compared with both SOC and the earlier Phase 2 study. The current data show an 86% "Fraction Surviving," with 38% for the completed Phase 2 TSC study and 13% for SOC. The ability of patients to perform daily activities as measured by Karnofsky performance scores also increased from baseline following completion of high-dose treatment with TSC, with scores showing a differential of 15% improvement over the Phase 2 results at 18 weeks, which is the time at which a decline rather than an improvement normally occurs. The company is seeking a partner to continue development of TSC in the inoperable GBM indication and has begun patient enrollment in its Phase 2 on-ambulance trial with TSC for the treatment of stroke.

15:52 EST HSBC Swiss Private Bank settles legacy probe with DOJ - HSBC Private Bank has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve an investigation into its legacy business with U.S. clients. Under the three-year deferred prosecution agreement that relates to activities from at least 2000 to 2010, HSBC Swiss Private Bank will pay $192.35M to the U.S. authorities. The amount has been fully provisioned. HSBC Swiss Private Bank proactively contacted the Justice Department a number of years before the U.S.-Swiss Bank Program was announced in 2013 and self-reported its past activities. It has cooperated extensively with U.S. authorities, in compliance with Swiss law, to bring this investigation to a close.

15:23 EST SevenSaoi expresses support for PDL BioPharma announcement - SevenSaoi Capital, been a significant shareholder of PDL BioPharma since 2017, said the following: "Over the past two-and-a-half years, we have discussed, met, and shared detailed analysis privately and publicly with PDL's management team and Board of Directors on numerous occasions to address the Company's persistent underperformance and undervaluation of its shares. As part of this engagement, we sent a letter to the Board on September 16, 2019, just prior to its September board meeting, recommending capital return and an evaluation of strategic alternatives, very soon after which the Company retained a financial advisor to conduct a strategic review. Today, following the completion of that strategic review, we are writing to express our support to the Board and management team for taking positive steps to drive PDL's value and improve share price performance, including the December 9, 2019 announcement of a formal monetization and capital return process, which we agree represents the best path forward for PDL and its shareholders. We appreciate the Company's acknowledgment that yesterday's announcement was the product of constructive engagement with its shareholders. We also commend Engine Capital for its extensive efforts to further demonstrate the need for this action, as well as the Company's financial advisors, MTS Health Partners and BofA Securities, for their role in the strategic review. We encourage the Company moving forward to keep shareholders informed of its progress as it embarks on this seminal effort to maximize value."

14:51 EST Aflac VP Steven Beaver sells over $300K in company shares - Aflac VP Steven Beaver disclosed in a filing that he had sold 5,660 shares of company stock at an average price of $53.03 per share on December 9. The total transaction value of the sale was $300,157.

14:30 EST eBay Canada's Stairs says CUSMA pact a 'win for Canadian small businesses' - "The new CUSMA agreement is a win for Canadian small businesses who export online," Andrea Stairs, GM of eBay Canada & Latin America said in a statement responding to Canada's De Minimis threshold in the CUSMA agreement. "However, while it will help thousands of eBay small businesses by streamlining cross-border transactions, there remains work to be done on the implementation of the Canadian de minimis thresholds included in CUSMA. The Canadian government will need to ensure that its new two-tier threshold applies fairly to all Canadians so that consumers can enjoy enhanced predictability and small businesses can become more competitive without increased red tape."

13:54 EST Exxon: Ruling affirms position company has held throughout 'baseless' probe - ExxonMobil issued the following statement in response to the verdict from the Supreme Court of the State of New York: "Today's ruling affirms the position ExxonMobil has held throughout the New York Attorney General's baseless investigation. We provided our investors with accurate information on the risks of climate change. The court agreed that the Attorney General failed to make a case, even with the extremely low threshold of the Martin Act in its favor. Lawsuits that waste millions of dollars of taxpayer money do nothing to advance meaningful actions that reduce the risks of climate change. ExxonMobil will continue to invest in researching breakthrough technologies to reduce emissions while meeting society's growing demand for energy." In his ruling, New York Justice Barry Ostrager wrote, "What the evidence at trial revealed is that ExxonMobil executives and employees were uniformly committed to rigorously discharging their duties in the most comprehensive and meticulous manner possible....The testimony of these witnesses demonstrated that ExxonMobil has a culture of disciplined analysis, planning, accounting, and reporting."

13:49 EST Evolent Health jumps $1.55, or 20%, to $9.42 - Contacts tell The Fly that the spike up in shares of Evolent Health is being attributed to reports that a Kentucky state contract review committee voted not to approve the outgoing governor's Medicaid contract decision that excluded Evolent partner Passport, though The Fly has not yet been able to confirm.

13:33 EST CenturyLink pays Washington $6.1M to settle hidden fees lawsuit - Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the first action of his office's "Honest Fees Initiative." CenturyLink will pay $6.1M to the State of Washington according to a court order to resolve the Attorney General's lawsuit regarding a range of "unfair and deceptive conduct," Ferguson said in a statement. CenturyLink added additional charges to customer bills without accurately disclosing those fees, impacting 650,000 Washingtonians, according to Ferguson. CenturyLink also failed to provide discounts that their sales agents had promised to about 16,000 Washingtonians, he added. Reference Link

12:29 EST Wells Fargo offers $0 trades for stocks and exchange traded funds - Wells Fargo Advisors earlier today announced $0 trades on its WellsTrade self-directed trading platform for stocks and exchange traded funds. "WellsTrade offers investors an online solution to make independent investment decisions. We know do-it-yourself trading is one of several ways investors manage their money," said Jim Hays, president of Wells Fargo Advisors. "We believe Wells Fargo Advisors is well positioned to serve clients who value the convenience of online investing, or a full-service relationship with a financial advisor, or who a desire a holistic relationship that offers both." Joe Nadreau, head of Independent Brokerage and Platform Services at Wells Fargo Advisors, added, "We recognize many factors encouraging change in the industry. Investor demographics are shifting along with their digital expectations. After thoughtful review, we realized changing our commission structure was right for our clients and business."

12:08 EST Google Chrome to warn users if username, password compromised in data breach - Google said in a blog post that, going forward, Chrome will now warn users if their username and password have been compromised in a data breach on some site or app. It will suggest that you change them everywhere they were used. Google first introduced this technology early this year as the Password Checkup extension. In October it became a part of the Password Checkup in your Google Account, where you can conduct a scan of your saved passwords anytime. And now it has evolved to offer warnings as you browse the web in Chrome. You can control it in Chrome Settings under Sync and Google Services, the company said. Reference Link

12:00 EST Weidai falls -11.5% - Weidai is down -11.5%, or -44c to $3.40.

12:00 EST Summit Midstream rises 10.9% - Summit Midstream is up 10.9%, or 33c to $3.35.

12:00 EST EnLink Midstream rises 13.7% - EnLink Midstream is up 13.7%, or 67c to $5.58.

11:05 EST McDonald's names Ian Borden as president, International - McDonald's announced earlier that Ian Borden, most recently President, International Developmental Licensed Markets, has been appointed to President, International, effective immediately. Borden will continue reporting to Chris Kempczinski, McDonald's President and CEO. This announcement follows the appointment of Joe Erlinger to President, McDonald's USA. In his new role, Borden will assume oversight for all international markets, including International Operated Markets which include all wholly-owned markets outside of the U.S., in addition to the more than 80 markets in the IDL segment that he oversees in his current role. "Ian has a proven record of focusing on the customer to deliver profitable business growth while strengthening collaboration with our global franchisee community," said Chris Kempczinski, McDonald's President and CEO.

10:45 EST Conn's says CECL adoption to lead to 40%-60% increase in provisions - Conn's says the CECL standard will be effective on February 1, 2020. The company says its initial estimates indicate that the allowance for bad debts will increase by approximately 40%-60% upon adoption, mainly driven by a change in the duration of the reserve from one year to lifetime for its non-TDR portfolio as well as a change in accounting for recoveries on charged off accounts. Comments taken from investor presentation slides.

10:41 EST GFL Environmental to acquire County Waste of Virginia; terms not disclosed - GFL Environmental announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire County Waste of Virginia, LLC and its subsidiaries. The transaction, which is expected to close in January 2020, is subject to receipt of customary regulatory approvals, including approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. County Waste offers solid waste management services, including collection, transportation, transfer, recycling and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste for municipal, residential and commercial and industrial customers in Virginia and Eastern Pennsylvania. County Waste's collection and hauling operations utilize a fleet of over 410 trucks that service over 410,000 residential customers and 19,000 commercial customers.

10:06 EST Qutoutiao drops 8% to $2.61 after Wolfpack calls 74% of sales 'fake'

10:00 EST Cantel Medical falls -8.3% - Cantel Medical is down -8.3%, or -$6.39 to $70.98.

10:00 EST Designer Brands falls -11.1% - Designer Brands is down -11.1%, or -$1.88 to $15.12.

10:00 EST EnLink Midstream rises 8.3% - EnLink Midstream is up 8.3%, or 41c to $5.32.

09:58 EST Fate Therapeutics announces new in vivo preclinical data for FT819 - Fate Therapeutics announced new in vivo preclinical data for FT819, its first off-the-shelf, iPSC-derived chimeric antigen receptor T-cell product candidate, at the 61st American Society of Hematology Meeting. At ASH, scientists from the Company and MSK presented new in vivo preclinical data demonstrating that FT819 exhibits durable tumor control and extended survival. In a stringent xenograft model of disseminated lymphoblastic leukemia, FT819 demonstrated enhanced tumor clearance and control of leukemia as compared to primary CAR19 T cells. At Day 35 following administration, a bone marrow assessment showed that FT819 persisted and continued to demonstrate tumor clearance, whereas primary CAR T cells, while persisting, were not able to control tumor growth, the company said. Scott Wolchko, President and CEO of Fate Therapeutics, added: "With early evidence of clinical activity for our off-the-shelf, iPSC-derived NK cell programs, we are excited to lead in bringing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies to patients and plan to submit an IND for FT819 in the first half of 2020."

09:47 EST Weidai falls -5.5% - Weidai is down -5.5%, or -21c to $3.63.

09:47 EST EnLink Midstream rises 5.7% - EnLink Midstream is up 5.7%, or 28c to $5.19.

09:47 EST Virgin Galactic rises 10.8% - Virgin Galactic is up 10.8%, or 91c to $9.33.

09:15 EST Designer Brands says ability to mitigate 100% of tariffs is not likely - Says gross margin decrease was due to weather and mitigation of tariffs. Says 80%-90% of tariff mitigation is more likely. Says Q3 was disappointing. Says headwinds were reason for lower FY19 guidance. Says expects 10c of pressure from liquidated inventory in Q4. Says leveraging Camuto growth for better cost. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:06 EST Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Genworth (GNW), up 9% after announcing that Brookfield Business Partners (BBU) has received approval under the Insurance Companies Act to purchase Genworth's majority interest in Genworth MI Canada. With all regulatory approvals required for the completion of this transaction now obtained, the parties expect to complete the Genworth Canada transaction on December 12... NortonLifeLock (NLOK), up 3% after the Wall Street Journal reported the company has drawn deal interest from several companies including McAfee, which is owned by Intel (INTC). UP AFTER EARNINGS: AutoZone (AZO), up 5%... Stitch Fix (SFIX), up 10%... MongoDB (MDB), up 8%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Designer Brands (DBI), down 17%... Conn's (CONN), down 26%... Chewy (CHWY), down 1%. ALSO LOWER: Netflix (NFLX), down 2% after Needham analyst Laura Martin downgraded shares to Underperform from Hold without a price target. She projects Netflix will lose 4M U.S. subscribers in 2020 at its premium priced tier of $9-$16 per month, Martin tells investors... Constellation Pharmaceuticals (CNST), down 5% after offering of 4.75M shares of common stock.

08:59 EST Schlumberger appoints Stephane Biguet as CFO, effective January 22 - Schlumberger announced that Simon Ayat, Executive Vice President and CFO, will step down from this position effective January 22, 2020. Ayat will remain with Schlumberger as Senior Strategic Advisor to the company's CEO for a period of two years. Ayat will be replaced by Mr. Stephane Biguet as the company's Executive Vice President and CFO. In a 24-year career with Schlumberger, Biguet has held senior positions in finance and operations at the field and headquarters levels. Prior to his current assignment he held the position of Vice President, Finance of Schlumberger Limited.

08:38 EST Aecom backs FY20 adj. EBITDA guidance of $720M-$760M

08:37 EST GAIN Capital reports November operating metrics - In the retail segment in November, OTC Trading Volume was down 26.9% sequentially and down 39.4% y/y. OTC Average Daily Volume was down 20% sequentially and down 36.2% y/y. 12 Month Trailing Active OTC Accounts were up 0.8% sequentially and were down 1.7% y/y. 3 Month Trailing Active OTC Accounts were down 2.6% sequentially and up 7.3% y/y.

08:34 EST NorthWestern to acquire 25% share of Colstrip Unit 4 from Puget Sound Energy - NorthWestern Energy will file an application for pre-approval with the Montana Public Service Commission to acquire Puget Sound Energy's 25% interest, 185 megawatts of generation, in Colstrip Unit 4 for one dollar. In addition, NorthWestern Energy is committing to reduce the carbon intensity of our energy generation in Montana by 90% by 2045. In a separate transaction, NorthWestern Energy will acquire a piece of Puget Sound Energy's interest in the 500 kilovolt Colstrip Transmission System with 95 megawatt capacity for net book value at the time of the sale. The cost is estimated between $2.50-$3.75M. After the roughly 5-year purchase power agreement with Puget Sound Energy ends, NorthWestern Energy will have the option to acquire another interest in the 500 kilovolt Colstrip Transmission System with 90 megawatt capacity for net book value at that time. The acquisition of the additional interests in the Colstrip Transmission System from Puget Sound Energy is contingent on approval of the sale of 25% of Colstrip Unit 4 to NorthWestern Energy.

08:32 EST Dermira receives FDA Fast Track designation for lebrikizumab - Dermira announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation for lebrikizumab, its novel, investigational treatment being evaluated for patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Lebrikizumab is currently being evaluated in two Phase 3 studies, ADvocate 1 and ADvocate 2, to confirm its safety and efficacy in adolescent and adult patients, ages 12 years and older, with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.

08:32 EST VistaGen Therapeutics' PH94B nasal spray granted Fast Track designation by FDA - VistaGen Therapeutics announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation for development of the Company's PH94B neuroactive nasal spray for on-demand treatment of social anxiety disorder, or SAD. The FDA's Fast Track process is designed to facilitate the development and review of new treatments for serious conditions with unmet medical need, such as SAD, with the purpose of getting innovative new treatment options to patients sooner. After successful Phase 2 development, VistaGen is preparing PH94B for Phase 3 development. PH94B has potential to be the first fast-acting, non-sedating, as-needed treatment for as many as 20 million individuals in the U.S. suffering from SAD.

08:29 EST Conn's down 26% to $15.01 after Q4 sales guidance disappoints

08:18 EST Endo's Par Pharmaceutical receives approval for Afinitor tablets - Endo International announced that one of its operating companies, Par Pharmaceutical, has received approval for and launched generic Afinitor 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 7 mg tablets. Product is available for immediate shipping. According to IQVIA data, sales for Afinitor 2.5 mg, 5mg and 7mg tablets were approximately $412M over the last four quarters.

08:11 EST Stemline presents Elzonris data at ASH meeting - Stemline presented data from Elzonris Phase 1/2 clinical trials in myelofibrosis and multiple myeloma, at the ASH annual meeting. Elzonris demonstrated efficacy with a predictable and manageable safety profile, including in patients with poor prognostic factors, such as thrombocytopenia, CMML-type features/monocytosis, and clonal evolution. Overall, 45% of patients had symptom burden reduction, including three with symptom response per IWG-MRT 2013 MF response criteria. Also, 53% of patients with baseline splenomegaly greater than or equal to 5cm experienced a spleen size reduction and 20% had a reduction greater than 35%. All patients with CMML-type features/monocytosis experienced a spleen size reduction and 40% of these patients had a reduction geater than 35%. Sixty-four percent of patients with thrombocytopenia experienced a spleen size reduction and 18% had a reduction greater than 35%. Also, 60% of patients with thrombocytopenia experienced a spleen size reduction and 20% had a reduction greater than 35%. Most common treatment related adverse events include alanine aminotransferase increase, headache, hypoalbuminemia, anemia and thrombocytopenia.

08:06 EST LiveXLive Media appoints Garrett English as Chief Creative Officer - LiveXLive Media announced that industry veteran Garrett English has joined the company as Chief Creative Officer, effective immediately. English will oversee all content creation, serving as the executive producer of LiveXLive's existing slate of global live events and original series. He will also lead creative and content development, oversee programming, including several linear channels launching in 2020, and lead LiveXLive's platforms talent and artist relations divisions. English joins LiveXLive from Viacom, where he served as Executive Vice President of Live Event Programming, Specials & News at MTV, VH1, MTV2 & LOGO. English Executive Produced the Networks' MTV Video Music Awards and MTV Movie & TV Awards as well as numerous international live events and specials over his tenure and brings unparalleled experience in live event programming and music storytelling. In addition to overseeing the full slate of content and development at LiveXLive, English will develop LiveZone Weekly, which is scheduled for launch in Q1 2020.

08:05 EST Arcadia Biosciences announces launch of 'GoodHemp' product line - Arcadia Biosciences announced the launch of a new product line: GoodHemp. As the company's new commercial brand for delivering genetically superior hemp seeds, transplants, flower and extracts, GoodHemp will debut its first commercial product, a disease resistant and ultra-low THC hemp seed, during the American Seed Trade Association CSS & Seed Expo on December 11. Accepting advance orders now, the first variety in GoodHemp's catalog - Complia Bot+ - is a widely adapted cannabis strain that delivers high CBD content (more than 10 percent) with ultra-low tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound in cannabis. It is part of the Complia hemp seed line Arcadia is bringing to market through GoodHemp, with four additional proprietary varieties in early adopter farmer trials with sales expected in the 2020 season.

08:04 EST A.G. Edwards, Lineage Cell Therapeutics issued U.S. patent - AgeX Therapeutics (AGE) and Lineage Cell Therapeutics (LCTX), announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 10,501,723, entitled "Methods of Reprogramming Animal Somatic Cells" covering what is commonly designated "induced Pluripotent Stem cells. The issued claims include methods to manufacture pluripotent cells capable of becoming any cell in the body. The patent has an early priority date, having been filed before the first scientific publication of Shinya Yamanaka, for which he won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2012.

08:02 EST CNS Pharmaceuticals receives positive FDA Pre-ING guidance for Berubicin - CNS Pharmaceuticals received positive feedback from the U.S. FDA for its Pre-IND meeting proposal to use a lyophilized drug product, Berubicin, in Phase II clinical trials. In its positive response to the company's previously submitted Pre-IND request, the FDA indicated that the proposal to use a lyophilized drug product in the Phase II clinical trial appears reasonable. The FDA recommended that the existing supply of Berubicin be reprocessed by batch recrystallization. Furthermore, the FDA noted that the requested dosage regimen, which will be based on the Reata Phase I trial, was reasonable. The company plans to reprocess its existing supply of Berubicin ahead of its upcoming potential Phase II study.

07:54 EST Correction: Cendant not announceing availability of 20CBD product SKUs - Dollar General (DG), not Cendant (CD), announced the availability of approximately 20 CBD product SKUs in approximately 1,100 stores in Tennessee and Kentucky. This corrects story from 06:56.

07:44 EST Bristol-Myers presents OS, safety data from pivotal CC-486 study QUAZAR AML-001 - Bristol-Myers announced clinical results from the QUAZAR AML-001 study, evaluating investigational agent CC-486 as maintenance therapy in a broad population of patients with front-line, newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, who have achieved remission with intensive induction chemotherapy. Data were presented during a late-breaker oral presentation at the 2019 ASH Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. In the QUAZAR AML-001 study, treatment with CC-486 in the maintenance setting provided patients a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival, or OS, and relapse-free survival, or RFS, as compared to those patients treated with placebo. Patients in the phase 3, international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study QUAZAR AML-001 were at least 55 years old, had de novo or secondary AML with intermediate or poor-risk cytogenetics and had achieved their first complete remission, or CR, or complete remission with incomplete count recovery, or CRi, after intensive induction chemotherapy. Patients had received intensive induction chemotherapy, with or without consolidation chemotherapy per investigator's choice and were deemed not candidates for hematopoietic stem-cell transplant prior to study entry. Following intensive induction chemotherapy, 81% of patients had achieved a CR and 19% of patients had achieved a CRi. Eighty percent of patients had received at least one cycle of consolidation therapy prior to enrollment in the study. Four hundred seventy-two patients were then randomized 1:1 to receive initially either investigational CC-486 300mg or placebo once daily for 14 days of each 28-day cycle. Patients remained on treatment until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. At a median follow-up of 41.2 months, the primary endpoint of OS was significantly improved for patients receiving CC-486 compared to placebo. Median OS from time of randomization was 24.7 months in the CC-486 arm compared to 14.8 months for placebo. Median RFS, the key secondary endpoint, was 10.2 months for those receiving CC-486 compared to 4.8 months for those receiving placebo. Improvements in OS and RFS for those treated with CC-486 compared to placebo were demonstrated, regardless of cytogenetic risk category, prior consolidation or CR/CRi status at enrollment. Health-related quality of life, or HRQoL, was preserved from baseline for patients receiving CC-486 compared to placebo during treatment. The median duration of treatment was 12 cycles for CC-486 and 6 cycles with placebo. The most commonly occurring adverse events, or AEs, of all grades with CC-486 and placebo, respectively, were nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The most common grade 3-4 AEs for CC-486 and placebo, respectively, were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia. Serious AEs were reported in 34% of CC-486 patients and 25% of placebo patients, and were mainly infections, which occurred in 17% and 8% of CC-486 and placebo patients, respectively. There were 13% of CC-486 patients and 4% of placebo patients who discontinued treatment due to AEs.

07:41 EST Sage Therapeutics announces planned progression of SAGE-718 - Sage Therapeutics announced that it plans to advance SAGE-718, a novel, first-in-class, oxysterol-based positive allosteric modulator, or PAM, of N-methyl-D-aspartate, or NMDA, receptors, to a Phase 2 placebo-controlled clinical trial in patients with Huntington's disease, or HD. The planned progression of SAGE-718 is based on results from Phase 1 studies evaluating the safety and tolerability of SAGE-718, including an open-label cohort of patients with HD. In the 14-day open-label study of patients with HD, the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic profile of daily SAGE-718 oral solution were evaluated in six patients with early HD. In the study, SAGE-718 was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events or adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation. In addition, patients demonstrated improved performance, compared to baseline, on assessments of executive functioning, with measures relevant to the core cognitive decline seen in people with HD. These results are comparable to improvements in measures of executive function observed in an earlier Phase 1 cohort of individuals without HD. Additional data from the Phase 1 open-label cohort study on the safety and tolerability of SAGE-718 in patients with early HD will be presented at a future congress in 2020.

07:37 EST Harrow Health subsidiary announces outsourcing facility ships to California - ImprimisRx, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harrow Health, announced that its FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facility received a non-resident operating license and has now begun shipping into California. This license allows California-based ophthalmologists, optometrists, surgery centers and hospitals to efficiently order and stock ImprimisRx's more than 40 ophthalmic products for on-demand administration to their patients.

07:33 EST Amgen says Phase 3 CANDOR study met primary endpoint - Amgen announced additional results from the primary analysis of the Phase 3 CANDOR study evaluating KYPROLIS in combination with dexamethasone and DARZALEX compared to KYPROLIS and dexamethasone alone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The data will be presented in a late-breaking abstract session at the 61st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition. At a median follow up of 17 months, the study met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival, resulting in a 37% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death in patients receiving KdD. Median PFS was not reached for the KdD arm versus 15.8 months for the Kd arm. "This primary analysis of the CANDOR study adds to the body of evidence supporting the combination of KYPROLIS and DARZALEX, two powerful targeted agents for multiple myeloma," said David Reese, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "KYPROLIS has demonstrated deep and sustained responses in treating patients with multiple myeloma that have relapsed. The CANDOR study now offers additional insight into the effectiveness of this combination as a potential new treatment option for relapsed myeloma patients." In addition to meeting the primary endpoint, the KdD combination demonstrated efficacy in key secondary endpoints, including overall response rate, minimal residual disease negative-complete response at 12 months and overall survival. The ORR was 84.3% versus 74.7%, and the rate of complete response or better was 28.5% versus 10.4% for the KdD and Kd arms, respectively. The analysis found the MRD-negative complete response rate at 12 months was 12.5% for KdD versus 1.3% for Kd, a nearly 10-times higher response rate versus Kd-treated patients. The median OS was not reached in either group.

07:32 EST Allegheny Technologies extends long-term purchase agreements with GE Aviation - Allegheny Technologies (ATI) announced that it has reached agreement on multiple new long-term contracts with GE Aviation (GE) to supply iso-thermal and hot-die forgings used in the manufacture of commercial jet engines. These agreements begin in January 2021 and are multi-year agreements. ATI anticipates revenues totaling approximately $2.5B over the span of these agreements, averaging over $300M per year.

07:11 EST Genetic Technologies announces full commissioning of Australian laboratory - Genetic Technologies announced the full commissioning of its Australian laboratory for the provisioning of its generation 3 breast cancer test with sales to commence in Q1, 2020. Genetype for Breast Cancer is the first Genomic test to predict risk of disease by combining the information contained in your DNA with family history and mammography data to create a new tool in the battle with breast cancer. Tests can identify low risk individuals as well as high risk individuals. Genetype for Breast Cancer is relevant for the management of 95% of all Breast Cancers which are referred to as sporadic.The first phase of sales and the integration of Genomics into the health system will allow early adopters to be offered the test in a medically supervised and integrated environment. Low and normal risk individuals will continue to be managed as per current government sanctioned screening schedule. High risk individuals will be referred to screening centers where they will be offered a personalized service subject to their risk. The company is currently looking to secure six clinics in Victoria and the same number in NSW where test kits can be purchased and the tests performed. The company has commenced discussions with such groups and intend to announce the sites where our tests will be available at launch in Q1 2020. Our first 12 clinical sites will demonstrate utility, with special emphasis on risk stratification, reimbursement, distribution and most importantly user experience.

07:07 EST Syndax to begin Phase 2 expansion cohort of SNDX-6352 trial - Syndax Pharmaceuticals announced that it plans to commence a Phase 2 expansion cohort based on encouraging clinical activity and a well-tolerated safety profile observed to date in the ongoing Phase 1 dose escalation trial of SNDX-6352 in patients with chronic graft versus host disease. SNDX-6352 is the Company's anti-CSF-1R monoclonal antibody. The ongoing Phase 1, open-label, modified 3+3 dose escalation trial is designed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of SNDX-6352 in up to 30 patients with cGVHD who have received at least two prior lines of therapy. Responses have been observed in all evaluable patients as of the data cutoff date, with no dose limiting toxicities reported. Among the three patients dosed in Cohort 3, one patient recently cleared the DLT period and has not yet been evaluated for efficacy, two patients experienced a partial response, and all three patients remain on therapy. The patient in Cohort 2 experienced a partial response and is currently in their ninth month of treatment with SNDX-6352 following prior treatment with ibrutinib and both Jakafi and KD025, two agents currently being investigated for the treatment of cGVHD. To date, SNDX-6352 has been safe and well-tolerated, with no DLTs observed.

07:05 EST Devon Energy, Dow Inc. to jointly develop portion of STACK acreage in Oklahoma - Devon Energy (DVN) announced it has entered into an agreement with Dow Inc. (DOW) to jointly develop a portion of the company's STACK acreage in central Oklahoma. Under this agreement, Devon will monetize half of its working interest in 133 undrilled locations in exchange for approximately a $100M drilling carry over the next four years. The average working interest is estimated at 60% across a mix of standard and extended-reach lateral drilling locations. In addition to the benefits of a drilling carry, Devon's returns associated with this agreement are expected to be enhanced by lower well costs from focused infill development drilling and midstream incentive rates that lower per-unit operating costs for each new well brought online. Devon anticipates no change to its production targets or capital spending outlook in 2020 as a result of this agreement. Activity in 2020 will start with the development of two drilling units in northern Canadian County, where drilling operations are expected to commence mid-year. With this agreement, Devon will retain 100% of its production and cash flow from existing operations in the STACK play. Devon will serve as operator and is responsible for capital allocation and project timing with this agreement.

07:03 EST Tetra Technologies to implement cost reduction actions - Tetra Technologies announced that it is implementing a series of cost reduction actions in response to the slowdown in North America onshore drilling and completions activity. In addition to reducing field staff and field operating costs to align with lower activity, management is restructuring its support functions to reduce selling, general and administrative expenses at the corporate level and at its North America onshore operations by an estimated $8M-$10M, on an annualized basis. TETRA also announced that it has entered into a long-term raw material supply agreement with favorable pricing for its North America chemicals operations that is expected to reduce its cost to produce calcium chloride at certain of its chemical production plants. As a result of this reduction in the cost of raw materials, as well as general market conditions in the oil and gas industry, TETRA is expected to reduce its dependence on calcium chloride produced at its El Dorado, Arkansas facility, which uses a different production process, using mechanical evaporation, and to record a non-cash impairment charge of between $80M-$100M in the fourth quarter to write-down the value of its El Dorado assets. This favorable long-term supply agreement, in conjunction with TETRA's broad network of North America chemical plants and distribution facilities, is expected to help TETRA continue to maintain adjusted EBITDA margins of 20%, or higher, for the Completion Fluids and Products segment.

07:01 EST Plymouth Industrial REIT acquires ten industrial buildings in Indianapolis - Plymouth Industrial REIT announced that it has acquired ten industrial buildings totaling 2.1 million square feet in Indianapolis, Indiana for $62 million. Shadeland Commerce Center is comprised of nine buildings totaling approximately 1.7 million square feet and is 95% leased to 26 tenants.

07:00 EST Enbridge raises quarterly dividend to 81c per share - Enbridge announced that its board has declared a quarterly dividend of 81c per common share, payable on March 1, 2020 to shareholders of record on February 14, 2020. The declared dividend represents a 9.8% increase from the prior quarterly rate.

06:58 EST AutoZone opened 18 new stores in the U.S in Q1 - During the quarter ended November 23, AutoZone opened 18 new stores in the U.S., two in Mexico and two in Brazil. As of November 23, the company had 5,790 stores in the U.S., 606 stores in Mexico, and 37 stores in Brazil for a total store count of 6,433.

06:56 EST Cendant announces availability of 20CBD product SKUs in select states - Dollar General announced the availability of approximately 20 CBD product SKUs in approximately 1,100 stores in Tennessee and Kentucky. The Company also plans to expand the products' availability to seven more states by spring 2020. The added states are: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Vermont.

06:52 EST Brookfield Renewable terminates existing normal course issuer bid - Brookfield Renewable Partners announced that it has terminated its existing normal course issuer bid for its limited partnership units effective following the close of markets on December 11 and that the Toronto Stock Exchange has accepted a notice filed by Brookfield Renewable of its intention to commence a new normal course issuer bid for its Units. Brookfield Renewable believes that in the event that its Units trade in a price range that does not fully reflect their intrinsic value, the acquisition of Units may represent an attractive use of available funds. Brookfield Renewable is authorized to repurchase up to 8,900,000 Units, representing approximately 5% of its issued and outstanding Units. At the close of business on December 6 there were 178,945,449 Units issued and outstanding.

06:16 EST Gran Tierra provided an operational update - The Ayombero-Chuira structure is estimated to contain estimated prospective resources6 Gran Tierra provided an operational update. Acordionero production is back on track and is expected to increase throughout 2020; during the Q4, Acordionero production averaged 14,136 bbls of oil per day, or bopd, in October and 15,513 bopd in November; since November 21, the field has averaged approximately 16,200 bopd; as expected, Acordionero is showing positive waterflood response across the field in both the Lisama A and C reservoirs; the replacement of several electric submersible pumps, or ESP, has also increased production. AC-54: this development well is the southernmost well drilled in the Acordionero field to date and encountered 348 feet measured depth of net pay and was completed in the Lisama A and C reservoirs and placed on production November 20; during November 20 - December 8, 2019, the AC-54 produced at average stabilized rates of 488 bopd of 17 degree API oil, a gas-oil ratio, or GOR, of 290 standard cubic feet per stock tank bbl, or scf/stb, and a watercut of 0% on ESP; this well is located outside the previously established southern boundary of the original-oil-place mapping for the field. Gran Tierra is encouraged that Acordionero's production has returned to a growth track and the Company expects incremental reserve additions associated with the waterflood response and the AC-54 well results, successful Costayaco Infill Development Well Results among other updates.

06:11 EST Gran Tierra sees FY20 Cash Flow of $270M-$290M - Gran Tierra Energy announced its 2020 capital budget and production guidance. Gran Tierra commented: "Since October 2019, we have increased the Company's total production by approximately 10% or 3,000 boepd, to a current average level of over 35,000 boepd. We are delivering this resumption of production growth through the successful implementation of the Acordionero field-wide waterflood and the ongoing positive results achieved with our infill development well program at Costayaco. We plan to ramp up production at Acordionero to over 20,000 bopd during 2020, resulting in strong and stable free cash flow". The company is increasing Production in Acordionero and Expansion of Field; FY20 Capital of $200M-$220M, production of 35,500-37,500 BOEPD, Cash Flow of $270M-$290M, 2020 Free Cash Flow of $110M-$130M Before Discretionary Exploration, $60M-$80M After Exploration; High-Impact 2020 Exploration Program; Borrowing Base Confirmed at $300M, Credit Facility Extended to 2022.

06:04 EST HD Supply reports preliminary November net sales approximately $436M - Preliminary Net sales in November were approximately $436M, which represents year-over-year average daily sales growth of approximately 2.5%. Preliminary November year-over-year average daily sales by business segment was a 2.5% increase in Facilities Maintenance and a 2.4% increase in Construction & Industrial. There were 18 selling days in both November 2019 and November 2018.

05:53 EST Willis Towers Watson to acquire PE Corporate Services, terms not disclosed - Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ:WLTW), a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company has today announced its agreement to acquire PE Corporate Services (PECS), a well-established management consultancy and remuneration advisor based in South Africa. "PECS and Willis Towers Watson South Africa have been strategic partners since 2014, and this announcement reflects Willis Towers Watson's strategic ambitions for growth in Africa." The PECS team will move into the existing Willis Towers Watson South Africa offices. The transaction is expected to close before the end of Q1 2020. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

05:16 EST Tech Data announces expiration of 'Go-Shop' period - Tech Data (TECD) announced the expiration of the "go-shop" period provided for under the terms of the previously announced definitive agreement in which Tiger Midco, an affiliate of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management (APO), will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Tech Data common stock. The go-shop period expired at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 9. Consistent with Tech Data board's commitment to maximizing shareholder value, under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the company and its advisors were permitted to actively solicit and negotiate alternative acquisition proposals from third parties during a limited "go-shop" period beginning on Nov. 12, the date of the Merger Agreement. During the "go-shop" period, representatives of BofA Securities, financial advisor to the company, undertook a broad solicitation effort to contact parties that the company and BofA Securities believed might be interested in a possible alternative transaction. Upon expiration of the go-shop period, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Tech Data became subject to customary "no-shop" provisions that limit its and its representatives' ability to solicit alternative acquisition proposals from third parties or to provide confidential information to third parties, subject to customary "fiduciary out" provisions. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition and is expected to close in the first half of calendar year 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, foreign regulatory approvals and approval by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Tech Data shares.