Stockwinners Market Radar for December 11, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:27 EST RH CEO sold 500,000 common shares of company from Dec 9 through Dec 11 - RH announced that Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Gary Friedman sold an aggregate of 500,000 shares of RH common stock from December 9, 2019 through December 11, 2019 consisting of an option to purchase 100,000 shares, and 400,000 shares of common stock that Friedman owned outright. Friedman reported that the current sale of shares was made in order to fund a final payment obligation due under a marital dissolution agreement; the acquisition and improvement of real estate for a personal residence; and the repayment of outstanding balances under personal line of credit borrowings. The current sale represented approximately 6.9% of Friedman's aggregate ownership stake in RH. Following this sale, Friedman retains beneficial ownership of 6,730,158 shares, representing beneficial ownership of approximately 28.1% of RH's common stock. Friedman has also informed the company that he does not expect to sell additional shares at this time.

19:00 EST SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise to 886.22MT from 885.93MT - This is the first increase since November 25th.

18:57 EST Trade Desk CEO: We don't own any media - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green said: We're an objective player because we don't own any media... We are a play on the open internet... We have to respect privacy, but also show relevant ads... Our partnerships in China have been really strong this year.

18:42 EST VMware's Poonen: Our networking business is on fire - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, VMware (VMW) COO, customer operations Sanjay Poonen said: We are the Tesla (TSLA) of networking... Everything we do is for the long term... We're going to become the indispensable nervous system for companies... Two key words customers are talking about are migration and modernization...Our partnership with Dell (DELL) is better than ever... Our business in China is growing.

18:22 EST Palo Alto Networks CEO: No systematic problem with our sales - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora said: What we've done in the past 18 months has exceeded my expectations... I could not be happier with the progress we've made with our products... Wall Street is too focused on short term outcomes... We have raised our guidance for our next-generation products... Firewalls are not dead... We are not a consumer internet business.

18:05 EST G1 Therapeutics presents data from Phase 1b/2a trial of lerociclib at SABCS - G1 Therapeutics reported additional data from the Phase 1b/2a clinical trial investigating its oral CDK4/6 inhibitor lerociclib in combination with fulvestrant for the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. Updated findings presented during a poster session at the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, or SABCS, showed lerociclib, dosed without a drug holiday, has a differentiated safety and tolerability profile than observed in clinical trials with currently marketed CDK4/6 inhibitors. Preliminary efficacy findings were consistent with other CDK4/6 inhibitors used in combination with fulvestrant. The Phase 1b/2a trial is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of lerociclib administered continuously in combination with fulvestrant as a treatment for ER+, HER2- breast cancer and identify the dose and schedule for future trials of lerociclib. Further investigation is ongoing, with longer-duration efficacy data required to determine the dose for future study in a Phase 3 clinical trial. The company expects to share an update in 2020.

17:51 EST Twitter announces support for iOS Live Photos that will show as GIFs - Earlier today Twitter (TWTR) said that users can upload Live Photos from Apple's (AAPL) iPhone or iPad and they will show as GIFs on the social media platform. Twitter tweeted earlier:"Give the gift of GIFs. You can now upload your iOS Live Photos as GIFs anywhere you upload photos on Twitter." Reference Link

17:34 EST UAW ratifies CBA with Fiat Chrysler - UAW Fiat Chrysler U.S. members ratified the 2019 Collective Bargaining Agreement by overall 71%, the UAW announced. The pattern agreement provides a pathway for temporary and full-time workers to top pay; creates parity on full-time worker health care; adds coverage for prescription drug costs for temporary workers; includes a signing bonus and wages that are consistent with pattern; and adds $4.5B in new investment in addition to the previously announced $4.5B investment that includes a new Detroit plant, the union said. The ratified contract also includes an economic package of a $9,000 per full-time member signing bonus, performance bonuses, two 3% annual raises and two 4% lump-sum payments and holds the line on out-of-pocket health care costs.

17:05 EST Camber Energy responds to unusual market activity - Camber Energy commented that it is aware of the recent unusually high trading volume and increase in share price of its common stock since December 9 on the NYSE American. Camber confirms that although it is customarily involved in ongoing discussions with multiple parties regarding potential transactions, it is not currently aware of any material undisclosed information which is binding on the company, that may be contributing to the recent increase in trading volume and increase in market price. The ompany has no further updates to provide at this date. The company stated that it has provided, and will continue to provide, complete disclosure and updates with respect to any material events affecting its business, as they occur.

16:59 EST Exxon Mobil's Milton sells 13,569 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Exxon Mobil vice president Bryan W. Milton disclosed the sale of 13,569 common shares of the company at a price of $69.4377 per share on December 10.

16:53 EST AXA Equitable sells two run-off and closed-block companies - AXA Equitable has entered into a definitive agreement to sell U.S. Financial Life Insurance Company and MONY Life Insurance Company of the Americas to Heritage Life Insurance. The transaction is expected to close in early 2020. USFL and MLICA were acquired concurrent with the company's acquisition of the MONY Group in 2004 and have been in run-off since 2007. The businesses have combined net statutory reserves of approximately $1.0B. Total consideration to AXA Equitable Holdings was not disclosed and is subject to changes in financial condition prior to closing.

16:42 EST Encana to establish corporate domicile in U.S. - Encana filed its definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities related to its intention to establish corporate domicile in the United States. The Special Meeting of Security holders is planned for January 14, 2020 at 8 a.m. MT. Encana shareholders and incentive award holders as of the close of business on December 9, 2019 will be entitled to notice of and vote at the meeting. The single reorganization resolution, as further outlined in the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus, must be approved by at least two-thirds of votes cast. The resolution will accomplish three initiatives: To establish the Company's corporate domicile in the U.S. The migration to the U.S. from Canada is expected to expose the Company to increasingly larger pools of investment in U.S. index funds and passively managed accounts. Today, the majority of Encana's assets, people and production are in the U.S. The migration to the U.S. from Canada will better align our business operations with the corporate domicile, as well as our U.S.-based peers. Additional details can be found in the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

16:35 EST Nordson says backlog for the quarter was approximately $385M, down 1% YoY - Backlog for the quarter ended October 31 was approximately $385 million, a decrease of 1 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Impact from the fiscal 2019 acquisition of Optical Control GmbH was not significant. Backlog amounts are calculated at October 31, 2019 exchange rates.

16:35 EST FormFactor trading resumes

16:32 EST Miragen Therapeutics announces Diana Escolar CMO, $20M stock purchase agreement - The company announced a plan to streamline its operations, which it expects will result in the reduction of approximately 18 employees over the next seven months. The reductions are primarily in positions relating to research and development and corresponding project, general and administrative support. Miragen estimates that it will incur approximately $700,000 in restructuring charges primarily for severance and other related costs for the employees impacted by the reduction in force over the next seven months. In addition, the company plans to enter into severance and retention bonus agreements with its remaining workforce. The company also announced that Paul Rubin, executive VP of R&D, is leaving the company effective December 31 to spend more time with his family. Rubin remains "excited" about the potential of the company's technology and will continue to provide guidance and advice to Miragen through a consulting arrangement. With the departure of Rubin, the company has named Diana Escolar, as CMO. Escolar joined the company in January 2018 and has served as Miragen's senior VP of clinical sciences. Escolar has helped to lead the clinical development strategies and implement the company's clinical programs over the last two years. the company signed a $20M common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital Fund. Immediately following the execution of the purchase agreement, Aspire Capital purchased 1,598,465 shares of common stock at a price of $0.6256 per share. Miragen has the right to sell up to the remaining $19M of its common stock to Aspire Capital over a 30-month period, at prices based on a formula linked to current market prices at or around the time of each sale. The company also issued 959,079 shares of common stock to Aspire Capital in consideration for entering into the purchase agreement. Aspire Capital has the obligation to purchase common stock from Miragen in amounts and based on timing determined by Miragen in its sole discretion, subject to certain limits. The Purchase Agreement does not contain any restrictions on the use of the proceeds, financial or other covenants or restrictions. The company expects to use proceeds from the sale of common stock under the purchase agreement to advance the development of MRG-229, as well as general corporate purposes including business development initiatives.

16:31 EST Ryder announces new 1.5M share repurchase program - Ryder System announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new share repurchase program to mitigate the dilutive impact of shares issued under the company's employee stock plans. The new program replaces Ryder's previous anti-dilutive program, which expired in December 2019. Under the new anti-dilutive program, Ryder management is authorized to repurchase up to 1.5M shares of common stock issued to employees under the company's employee stock plans from December 1, 2019 through December 11, 2021.

16:24 EST Miragen Therapeutics to cut Phase 2 SOLAR enrollment, focus pipeline on MRG-229 - Miragen Therapeutics announced a series of strategic changes across its business that are intended to reallocate its existing capital to deliver milestones in 2020. These changes include a revised development strategy aimed at delivering data in 2020 from a modified Phase 2 SOLAR clinical trial of cobomarsen in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, or CTCL, consulting with the FDA to define a development path for cobomarsen in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, or ATLL, and focusing future pipeline development efforts primarily on MRG-229, a novel second generation miR-29 mimic and potential treatment in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Together with its updated development strategy, the company is streamlining operations and reallocating its existing resources, which includes a workforce reduction that will impact approximately 18 employees. After changes to the SOLAR clinical trial and the reduction in workforce, the company believes its cash and cash equivalents will now be sufficient to fund its operations into Q4 of 2020. The company announced that it will stop the enrollment of new patients in its Phase 2 clinical trial of cobomarsen, SOLAR, effective as of the end of the year. Patients enrolled in the trial at that time will continue to be evaluated for safety and clinical response. The company initially planned to enroll up to 126 patients and now expects to enroll approximately 30 patients. Despite the reduction in patient enrollment, the company believes that evaluation of data from this set of patients can provide important evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of cobomarsen for the treatment of CTCL in a shorter period of time and require fewer resources. The company also believes that obtaining controlled clinical data from this cohort of patients may allow for a better assessment of the clinical potential of cobomarsen as compared to data from its Phase 1 trial. The company intends for this controlled clinical data to form the basis of determining what additional clinical investigation of cobomarsen in CTCL is warranted, if any, and what would be required to potentially obtain regulatory approval. Topline data from this amended trial is expected to be announced in Q3 of 2020. In addition to CTCL, Miragen is also evaluating cobomarsen in a Phase 1 basket trial of other cancers where the disease process appears to be correlated with an increase in miR-155 levels, ATLL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In this clinical trial, the company believes that cobomarsen has demonstrated promising interim results in several ATLL patients. Based on these interim results, the company is announcing that it is focusing its cobomarsen expansion indication efforts on ATLL and will request a meeting with the FDA to explore a potential expedited development pathway for cobomarsen in ATLL. The company expects to have a meeting with the FDA in Q2. The company is developing miR-29 mimics or replacements for miR-29, a microRNA that is found at abnormally low levels in a number of pathological fibrotic conditions. The company's lead microRNA-29 mimics are remlarsen and MRG-229. Remlarsen is the company's most advanced product candidate in fibrosis, which is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial assessing its safety, tolerability, and activity in the potential prevention or reduction of keloid formation in patients with a history of keloid scars, a form of pathological scarring. The company reported interim data from this clinical trial, which suggests that remlarsen was generally safe and well tolerated, treatment had no negative effect on healing reported and initial volume reductions in treated keloids compared to placebo in a subset of patients were observed. Based on this data, the company has decided to continue its analysis of patient data at the one-year primary endpoint of the clinical trial. With this data, the company may seek a collaboration partner for the future development of remlarsen. In addition, based on preclinical data with MRG-229, the company announced that its pipeline development efforts and allocation of future capital will be primarily focused on the development of MRG-229 for IPF. The company believes that the efficacy and safety profile of MRG-229 positions it as a potentially differentiated approach to the treatment of IPF. Miragen expects to report additional preclinical-safety and -efficacy data during the first half of 2020. This program is supported by a grant in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and Yale University.

16:22 EST Zoetis raises quarterly dividend 22% to 20c per share - The board of directors of Zoetis has declared a first quarter 2020 dividend payable to holders of the company's common stock of 20c per share, an increase of 22% from the quarterly dividend rate paid in 2019. The dividend is to be paid on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, to holders of record on Friday, January 17, 2020. "Zoetis continues to drive revenue growth and increase its financial strength through a diverse and innovative product portfolio that provides solutions across the continuum of animal care," said Glenn David, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "We are well-positioned to generate cash for future growth and value creation opportunities, and I am pleased to announce that we are increasing our dividend by 22% in 2020 as part of our commitment to returning excess capital to shareholders."

16:21 EST AIG extends tax asset protection plan - American International Group, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has adopted Amendment No. 3 to AIG's Tax Asset Protection Plan. The Plan, which is designed to protect AIG's substantial tax assets, was scheduled to expire on December 14, 2019. Amendment No. 3 to the Plan extends the expiration date of the Plan to December 11, 2022 and makes minor technical changes to the Plan to remove provisions related to the U.S. Treasury's ownership of AIG equity interests that are no longer applicable since the U.S. Treasury no longer holds any equity interests in AIG. AIG's ability to use its tax attributes may be significantly limited if there were an "ownership change" as defined under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code and related Internal Revenue Service pronouncements. In general, an ownership change will occur when the percentage of AIG's ownership of one or more "5-percent shareholders" has increased by more than 50 percent over the lowest percentage owned by such shareholders at any time during the prior three years. The Plan is designed to reduce the likelihood that AIG will experience an ownership change by discouraging any person from becoming a 5-percent shareholder. There is no guarantee, however, that the Plan will prevent AIG from experiencing an ownership change.

16:20 EST United Technologies names board members for future independent Carrier - United Technologies announced the appointments of an executive chairman and members of the board of directors for Carrier, a leading global provider of innovative HVAC, refrigeration, fire, security and building automation technologies. John Faraci, currently a member of the UTC Board of Directors, will serve as executive chairman of Carrier. David Gitlin, who was previously appointed president & CEO of Carrier, will join the board, as will current UTC director Jean-Pierre Garnier. The eight-member board will also include independent directors John Greisch, Charles Holley, Mike McNamara, Michael Todman and Virginia Wilson. The new board, which becomes effective upon the completion of Carrier's planned separation from UTC in 2020, is comprised of highly experienced executives from a diverse range of companies in sectors including technology, manufacturing, healthcare, asset management, and retail. They have led Fortune 100 companies, global finance functions, and international operations to deliver value to shareholders.

16:19 EST United Technologies names board members for future independent Otis - United Technologies announced the appointments of an executive chairman and members of the board of directors for Otis, the world's leading elevator and escalator company. Christopher Kearney, currently a member of the UTC Board of Directors, will serve as executive chairman of Otis. Judy Marks, who was previously appointed president & CEO of Otis, will join the board as will current UTC director Terry McGraw. The nine-member board will also include independent directors Jeffrey Black, Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, Shailesh Jejurikar, Margaret Preston, Shelley Stewart, Jr. and John Walker. The new board, which becomes effective upon the completion of Otis' planned separation from UTC in 2020, is comprised of deeply experienced executives from a diverse range of companies in sectors including high-tech manufacturing, asset management, consumer products, professional services and transportation. They have led companies as CEOs, presidents, COOs and CFOs.

16:18 EST Continental Resources names William Berry as CEO, Jack Stark as COO - Continental Resources (CLR) announced that effective January 1, 2020, Founder and CEO, Harold Hamm will step up to the role of Executive Chairman. William Berry has been appointed CEO and President Jack Stark will assume the additional role of COO. Bill Berry has spent over four decades in the oil and gas business, serving in a variety of roles, including as an executive with ConocoPhillips (COP).

16:16 EST CoreLogic initiates quarterly dividend of 22c per share - The dividend is payable on January 24, 2020 to shareholders of record on the close of business January 10, 2020.

16:15 EST Lululemon down over 4% at $223.75 after Q3 results and updated guidance

16:13 EST Victory Capital reports AUM of $149.5B as of November 30th vs $146.8B last month - Victory Capital reported assets under management of $149.5B on November 30, 2019.

16:12 EST One Liberty Properties sells Texas property for $16.6M - One Liberty Properties announced that it sold an 87,500 square foot assisted living facility in Round Rock, Texas, for a sales price of $16.6M, of which $13.2M was used to repay the mortgage debt associated with the property. The company anticipates that during the three months ending December 31, it will recognize an approximate $435,000 gain from this sale, without giving effect to a $625,000 mortgage swap termination fee. Net of the fee and excluding the effect of a 2018 write-off related to this property, the sale will result in a net loss of approximately $190,000. The company will also recognize, in the quarter ending December 31, $584,000 in rental income reflecting its application of the security deposit of the tenant-debtor. The company intends to continue to pursue legal action against the guarantor of the lease for the damages it sustained.

16:09 EST Nautilus names Aina Konold CFO - Nautilus (NLS) announced that Aina Konold has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective on December 10, 2019. Previously, Konold held several executive level finance positions during her 20-year career with Gap (GPS) including senior leadership roles across financial planning and analysis, real estate strategy, and investor relations. Most recently, she was the founding CFO for Gap Inc. in China where she grew store count from four to over 175 stores.

16:08 EST Jack in the Box board initiates succession planning process for CEO Comma - The board of directors of Jack in the Box announced that it has retained Spencer Stuart to assist the company in identifying an individual to succeed its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lenny Comma. Although Comma has not set a specific date to leave the company, he has informed the Board that he believes now is an appropriate time for the company to move forward with identifying a successor with whom Comma can work on a smooth and efficient transition of leadership. The Board's search will include both internal and external candidates. "I'm proud of what the company has been able to accomplish during my tenure as Chairman and CEO," said Comma. "Since 2014, we've sold Qdoba, finished our evolution to an asset-light brand by completing our refranchising efforts, gone through a rigorous strategic alternatives process, completed a very complex $1.3 billion securitization transaction, dramatically strengthened our operations leadership bench, and recently concluded our ninth straight year of system same-store sales growth." Comma continued, "I'm committed to working with the Board to identify a successor who will continue to grow this exceptional brand, and to working closely with that successor to assure a smooth and successful leadership transition for the company and its stakeholders, including our incredible guests, employees, franchisees, suppliers and, of course, shareholders."

16:08 EST Tilray Portugal receives second Good Manufacturing Practice certification - Tilray announced this morning that its wholly-owned subsidiary Tilray Portugal has received its Good Manufacturing Practice certification in accordance with European Union standards, for its manufacturing facility in Cantanhede, Portugal. The GMP certification was issued by Infarmed, the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines and Health Products. This is the second GMP certification for Tilray Portugal, which allows the facility to manufacture and export GMP-certified finished medical cannabis products, including dried flower and oils, from Portugal to international markets with legal medical cannabis regulations, the company said. "We are pleased with the continued momentum of our growth strategy across Europe with this additional GMP certification for Tilray's EU campus in Portugal," says Brendan Kennedy, Tilray CEO. "This will enable us to export a greater range of medical products to international patients, partners and markets. Our international strategy is an important component in driving profitability and long-term shareholder value."

16:06 EST Bank OZK plans significant investment in solar energy power plant - Bank OZK announced plans for a significant investment for the construction of a solar power plant which will provide enough renewable energy to power its new corporate headquarters and up to 40 other Arkansas locations, according to Tim Hicks, Chief Administrative Officer. The Bank's investment of over $6M represents the largest investment in renewable energy by an Arkansas-based financial services company to date. The solar power plant, expected to be located in Central Arkansas, will be the third-largest commercial solar facility dedicated to a private sector customer in the State of Arkansas, and will have generating capacity of 4.8-megawatts DC of electricity.

16:05 EST YRC Worldwide says October LTL tonnage per day decreased approximately 4.5% - YRC Worldwide reported certain operating metrics for the first two months of fourth quarter 2019. At YRC Freight, October 2019 less-than-truckload, LTL, tonnage per day decreased approximately 4.5% compared to October 2018 and November 2019 LTL tonnage per day decreased approximately 10.2% compared to November 2018. Quarter-to-date through November 2019, LTL revenue per hundredweight decreased approximately 0.9% and LTL revenue per shipment increased approximately 1.8% compared to a year ago. At the Regional segment, October 2019 LTL tonnage per day decreased approximately 5.7% compared to October 2018 and November 2019 LTL tonnage per day decreased approximately 11.2% compared to November 2018. Quarter-to-date through November 2019, LTL revenue per hundredweight decreased approximately 0.8% compared to a year ago. LTL revenue per shipment remained flat when compared to last year. "The industrial freight slowdown, which started its decline more than 14 months ago, has created a freight volume headwind," said Darren Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer at YRC Worldwide. "The year over year comparisons for November were impacted due to operating conditions at a primary competitor in November of last year and a later Thanksgiving impacting retail. The December tonnage per day levels are trending more in line with October results from a year over year comparison."

16:01 EST Amira Nature Foods announces reverse stock split - Amira Nature Foods announced that on December 4, 2019, its board of directors approved a 20:1 reverse stock split of its ordinary shares. The company's ordinary shares will begin trading on a split adjusted basis on December 20, 2019. As a result of the reverse stock split, each twenty pre-split shares of the company's ordinary stock will automatically combine into one ordinary share without any action on the part of the holders, and the number of outstanding ordinary shares will be reduced from 44,421,835 to approximately 2,221,091 ordinary shares. The company's ordinary shares will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ANFI" but will trade under a new CUSIP number. The reverse split is intended to increase the market price per share of the company's ordinary shares to allow the company to maintain its New York Stock Exchange listing.

16:00 EST FormFactor trading halted, news pending

15:43 EST Spruce Point says long Alteryx, calls short report rumor 'categorically false' - Spruce Point Capital tweeted: "We are LONG shares of Alteryx, Inc. $AYX It is our understanding that one factor driving today's selling in the stock is a belief that Spruce Point is planning on a releasing a short report. Categorically false. #fakenews ... We have NO plans to release a such a report and our historical diligence suggests $AYX is at the forefront of data analytics and has an extremely sticky market position with a long runway of growth opportunity #bullish" Reference Link

15:02 EST MoneyGram extends partnership agreement with CVS for three years - MoneyGram (MGI) announced that it is extending its "longstanding partnership" with CVS (CVS). "We are extremely honored to extend our relationship with CVS for another three years. CVS likes to say that it prides itself on informally standing for 'convenience, value and service,' which aligns perfectly with our corporate vision. We look forward to a continued partnership that provides our shared customers with great service at a good value," said Alex Holmes, MoneyGram president and CEO.

14:21 EST Google introduces E2 line of virtual machines with 'dynamic resource management' - In a blog posting from earlier, Google said: "General-purpose virtual machines are the workhorses of cloud applications.We are excited to announce our E2 family of VMs for Google Compute Engine featuring dynamic resource management to deliver reliable and sustained performance, flexible configurations, and the best total cost of ownership of any of our VMs. Now in beta, E2 VMs offer similar performance to comparable N1 configurations, providing: Lower TCO: 31% savings compared to N1, offering the lowest total cost of ownership of any VM in Google Cloud. Consistent performance: Your VMs get reliable and sustained performance at a consistent low price point. Unlike comparable options from other cloud providers, E2 VMs can sustain high CPU load without artificial throttling or complicated pricing. Flexibility: You can tailor your E2 instance with up to 16 vCPUs and 128 GB of memory. At the same time, you can provision only the resources that you need with 15 new predefined configurations or the ability to use custom machine types." Reference Link

12:45 EST Cisco announces 'Internet for the Future' strategy - Cisco (CSCO) unveiled further details behind its technology strategy for building a new internet "designed to push digital innovation beyond the performance, economic and power consumption limitations of current infrastructure." Cisco introduced Cisco Silicon One, which it calls "the industry's only networking silicon architecture of its kind." The company also released the new Cisco 8000 Series, which it calls "the world's most powerful carrier class routers built on the new silicon." Additionally, Cisco announced new purchasing options that it said "enable customers to consume the company's technology through disaggregated business models." Cisco added that it is working with "a group of pioneering customers on deployments and trials of the Cisco 8000 Series." STC, the "leading telecom services provider in the Middle East, Northern Africa region," marks the first customer deploying the new technology. Ongoing trials include Comcast (CMCSA) and NTT Communications among others.

12:41 EST Gundlach says Hillary Clinton would be strongest Democratic candidate - DoubleLine CEO Jeffrey Gundlach is speaking on CNBC.

12:40 EST Gundlach says Trump winning reelection more positive than negative for market - DoubleLine CEO Jeffrey Gundlach is speaking on CNBC.

12:39 EST E-Trade says rumor that company has been approached 'patently false' - Says the rumor that the company has been approached and shunned that approach at least once is "patently false." The company says generating shareholder value is the top priority for the board and management team. "Bigger is not always better," the company adds. Comments taken from the Goldman Sachs U.S. Financial Services Conference.

12:38 EST Gundlach says Bloomberg 'has no chance' to win nomination - DoubleLine CEO Jeffrey Gundlach is speaking on CNBC.

12:33 EST Nestle to sell U.S. ice cream business to Froneri JV in $4B transaction - Nestle announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its U.S. ice cream business to Froneri, an ice cream-focused joint venture Nestle created in 2016 with PAI Partners, for a transaction value of $4B. "In 2016, Nestle and PAI Partners merged Nestle's European ice cream business in 20 countries and PAI-owned R&R to create Froneri, one of the world's largest ice cream companies. With a portfolio of iconic brands, unparalleled ice cream knowledge and focus as well as an agile and entrepreneurial management style, Froneri has been able to achieve rapid sales and profit growth, steadily gaining market share and reaching a turnover of around CHF 2.9 billion in 2018. Froneri, which already had operations in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific will now have a strong presence in the U.S., the largest ice cream market in the world. The recent acquisitions of TipTop in New Zealand and Nestle's ice cream business in Israel have also increased Froneri's growing global footprint," the company stated. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, following the completion of customary regulatory approvals. Nestle will continue to manage its remaining ice cream businesses in Canada, Latin America and Asia as part of its current market structure.

12:12 EST Gundlach says phase one trade deal looks like phase 'point one' - DoubleLine CEO Jeffrey Gundlach is speaking on CNBC.

12:10 EST Gundlach says odds are against recession through end of 2020 - DoubleLine CEO Jeffrey Gundlach is speaking on CNBC.

12:03 EST Cytokinetics treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis granted orphan status - Cytokinetics' reldesemtiv was granted orphan status by the FDA as a treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

12:00 EST Stage Stores falls -10.6% - Stage Stores is down -10.6%, or -71c to $6.00.

12:00 EST United Natural Foods falls -25.7% - United Natural Foods is down -25.7%, or -$2.54 to $7.33.

12:00 EST Kodak rises 12.7% - Kodak is up 12.7%, or 35c to $3.10.

11:56 EST U.S. Bancorp now sees Q4 NIM down about 9bps vs. previous 7bp guidance - Says expects to achieve positive operating leverage on a FY basis. Sees Q4 NII down y/y in the low single digits. Says loan growth "probably going to be a little bit softer" in the corporate side, says overall growth "pretty similar to what we've experienced" in the last few quarters. Comments taken from the Goldman Sachs U.S. Financial Services Conference.

11:33 EST CHS obtains exclusive rights to Corteva Agriscience sunflower breeding program - CHS announced that it has obtained exclusive breeding and distribution rights to the Corteva Agriscience confectionary sunflower and conoil sunflower programs in North America. This will expand the number of sunflower hybrids available to CHS contract growers and farmer-owners and provide more high-value market opportunities. Corteva sunflower variety nomenclature will remain constant, but will be rebranded under the CHS Royal Hybrid brand. For the 2020 growing season, Corteva Agriscience conoil hybrid sunflower seeds will be marketed directly through CHS Sunflower and select CHS retail locations. Beginning in 2021, CHS will add the full portfolio of Corteva Agriscience confectionary sunflower seed to the Royal Hybrid line up.

11:31 EST Toyota announces executive leadership changes in North America - Toyota Motor North America announced executive leadership changes. Effective April 1, 2020, Jim Lentz, chief executive officer TMNA, will retire after 38 years with the company. Tetsuo "Ted" Ogawa, chief operating officer TMNA, will succeed Lentz as CEO, reporting to Didier Leroy, TMNA Vice Chairman and president of business planning and operations, Toyota Motor Corporation.

11:05 EST Huntington Ingalls appoints Bharat Amin as EVP, CIO - Huntington Ingalls Industries announced that Bharat Amin has been named EVP and chief information officer. In this newly created position, Amin will be responsible for establishing the company's information technology and digital strategic direction with a focus on cyber security capabilities through engagement with HII's executive and division leadership teams. In collaboration with the business units, Amin will lead corporate IT governance and provide functional oversight. He will assume his new role on Jan. 1 and will report to Mike Petters, HII's president and CEO. Amin joins the HII executive team after serving as vice president and CIO for Newport News Shipbuilding division since 2014.

10:58 EST LogMeln up 6% after report of private equity takeover talks - Shares of LogMeIn are up $4.56, or 6.2%, to $78.60 after Bloomberg's Nabila Ahmed, Kiel Porter and Scott Deveau reported that private equity firm Francisco Partners Management has partnered with hedge fund Elliott Management to make a bid to take LogMeIn private for more than $4B. The report, which cites people familiar with the matter, said the investment firms are in advanced talks to buy LogMein and a deal could be announced in the coming weeks.

10:40 EST FDA issues warning letter to Alkermes over print ad for Vivitrol - In a warning letter dated December 2 that was addressed to Alkermes Chairman and CEO Richard Pops, the FDA stated in part: "The Office of Prescription Drug Promotion of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reviewed a print advertisement for Vivitrol submitted by Alkermes,under cover of Form FDA 2253. The print ad is false or misleading because it omits important risk information associated with the use of Vivitrol. Thus, the print ad misbrands Vivitrol within the meaning of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and makes its distribution violative... OPDP requests that Alkermes immediately cease misbranding Vivitrol and/or cease introducing the misbranded drug into interstate commerce. Please submit a written response to this letter on or before December 16." Reference Link

10:06 EST MacroGenics trading resumes

10:04 EST MacroGenics: Margetuximab didn't reach statistical significance in analysis - MacroGenics presented updated results from the Phase 3 SOPHIA study comparing margetuximab plus chemotherapy versus trastuzumab plus chemotherapy in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have previously been treated with anti-HER2-targeted therapies. Margetuximab is an investigational, immune-enhancing monoclonal antibody derived from the Company's proprietary Fc-engineering technology platform. The data were presented today during an oral session at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium by Dr. Hope Rugo, M.D., Director, Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education, University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Overall survival results favored margetuximab plus chemotherapy compared with trastuzumab and chemotherapy in the intention-to-treat population; however, these data did not reach statistical significance at this second interim analysis as of a September 2019 cut-off after 270 events. The final pre-specified OS analysis is planned after 385 events have accrued, which is projected to occur in the second half of 2020. A pre-specified exploratory objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of CD16A allelic variation on margetuximab activity. Among the genetically defined subpopulation of patients carrying a CD16A 158F allele, who represent approximately 85% of the human population, the median OS at the second interim analysis was prolonged by 4.3 months in the margetuximab arm compared to the trastuzumab arm.

09:58 EST Seattle Genetics says tucatinib shows statistical benefit in breast cancer study - Seattle Genetics announced "positive" pivotal data from the HER2CLIMB trial evaluating tucatinib in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The HER2CLIMB trial compared tucatinib in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine to trastuzumab and capecitabine alone in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. The primary endpoint of progression-free survival showed that the addition of tucatinib was superior to trastuzumab and capecitabine alone, with a 46% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death. Estimated PFS at one year was 33% in the tucatinib arm, compared to 12% in the trastuzumab and capecitabine arm. Median PFS was 7.8 months in the tucatinib arm, compared to 5.6 months in the control arm. For patients with brain metastases at baseline, a key secondary endpoint, the tucatinib arm also demonstrated superior PFS compared to trastuzumab and capecitabine alone, the company said. Findings demonstrated that the tucatinib regimen resulted in a 52% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death, compared to the control arm. The confirmed objective response rate in the patient population with measurable disease at baseline was 40.6% in the tucatinib arm, compared with 22.8% for trastuzumab and capecitabine alone. Tucatinib in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine was generally well tolerated, said Seattle. Discontinuation of tucatinib and placebo due to adverse events was 5.7% in the tucatinib arm and 3% in the control arm. Roger Dansey, Chief Medical Officer at Seattle Genetics, said, "Tucatinib demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefit in overall survival, progression-free survival and objective response rate compared to the control arm. We plan to submit a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency by the first quarter of 2020, with the goal of bringing a much-needed new medicine to patients."

09:48 EST FDA posts briefing documents for panel meeting to review Horizon Pharma BLA - The FDA has posted to its website the background information prepared by the Food and Drug Administration for the panel members of the Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee who are meeting on December 13 to discuss the biologics license application, or BLA, for teprotumumab solution for intravenous use, submitted by Horizon Pharma, proposed for the treatment of active Thyroid Eye Disease, or TED. In the documents, the FDA staff write: "Efficacy, as demonstrated by a reduction in proptosis, has been demonstrated in two adequate and well controlled studies...The overall incidence of Muscle spasms was higher in the teprotumumab group compared to the placebo group...The mechanism of action for the muscle spasms remains unknown. Physician labeling could include Warning/Precaution of the possibility of teprotumumab being associated with muscle spasms." Reference Link

09:47 EST United Natural Foods falls -13.0% - United Natural Foods is down -13.0%, or -$1.28 to $8.59.

09:47 EST Sibanye-Stillwater rises 5.3% - Sibanye-Stillwater is up 5.3%, or 45c to $8.95.

09:47 EST Choice Hotels rises 5.4% - Choice Hotels is up 5.4%, or $5.24 to $102.52.

09:32 EST Akers Biosciences regains compliance with Nasdaq listing standards - Akers Biosciences announced that on December 10, 2019, it received notice from the Hearings Advisor of the Nasdaq Office of General Counsel that the Company successfully regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirements set forth under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and that the Company is in compliance with all other applicable listing standards. Therefore, the Company's scheduled hearing before the Nasdaq Hearing Panel has been cancelled and the Company's common stock will continue to be listed and trade on The Nasdaq Stock Market.

09:25 EST Marimed to open dispensary in Middleborough, Massachusetts - MariMed received final authority from Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission to commence RMD operations at its Panacea Wellness Dispensary in Middleborough. ARL Healthcare Inc., a wholly-owned MariMed subsidiary, plans to open two additional dispensary licenses in Massachusetts. The Panacea Wellness Dispensary in Middleborough, MA will open for medical use on December 19, 2019, at 10 AM. New Panacea patients can register directly at the state-of-the-art facility at 29 Harding St. beginning that day. The initial opening of Panacea Wellness will serve patients who hold a valid Medical Cannabis card in the state. There are over 60,000 patients enrolled in the Massachusetts medical cannabis program. The Company is expecting adult-use approval from the CCC within the next three months, pending a final inspection by the agency.

09:19 EST MTBC announces release of telemedicine solution - MTBC announced the release of its proprietary new telemedicine solution, called talkPHR, which is designed to enable virtual patient encounters through MTBC's talkEHR.

09:16 EST Focus Financial says Nexus Investment Management to join as partner firm - Focus Financial Partners announced that Nexus Investment Management has entered into a definitive agreement to join the Focus partnership. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. Since 1988, Nexus has provided investment and wealth management services to high net worth individuals and families, foundations and endowments located across Canada. It has developed an integrated approach to portfolio management and wealth planning, establishing it as one of the most highly regarded firms in the Canadian independent market. This transaction continues Focus' expansion in international markets. Blair Franklin Capital Partners, a Toronto-based M&A advisory firm, served as financial advisor to Nexus for this transaction.

09:12 EST Boeing falls after FAA head says 737 recertificaiton will extend into 2020 - Shares of Boeing are lower after Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson told CNBC this morning that regulators won't likely clear Boeing's 737 Max airplanes for flight until 2020. "Like I said there are a number of processes, milestones, that have to be completed. If you just do the math, it's going to extend into 2020," Dickson said in an interview. Boeing in November said it hoped the FAA would approve its redesign of the 737 Max by the end of this year and write new training standards for the plane in January. The stock is down $5.01 to $342.89 in premarket trading.

09:11 EST Primoris repurchases approx. 2.31M shares of common stock for $50M - Primoris Services Corporation announced that the Company has purchased 2,316,960 shares of common stock for an aggregate consideration of $50 million from Brian Pratt, a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The transaction completes the share repurchase program announced by the Company on November 4, 2019, and was funded with cash on hand. This represents approximately half of Mr. Pratt's holdings in Primoris. The repurchase agreement with Mr. Pratt contains a "standstill" covenant prohibiting Mr. Pratt from selling any additional shares of the Company's common stock through May 26, 2020. Mr. Pratt recently announced his intention to step down from the Board of the Company at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting in February 2020.

09:09 EST HP expands financing options with multi-vendor financing model - HP announced it has expanded its financing and leasing options for channel partners and customers. Through an extended partnership agreement with HPE Financial Services and a new strategic program with global finance company DLL Group, HP Integrated Financial Solutions will help accelerate and enhance the financing experience for customers and enable channel partners to grow their services-based businesses. By moving to a multi-vendor financing model with both HPEFS and DLL, HP Integrated Financial Solutions will help channel partners secure recurring revenue from their client base and offer more competitive payment options resulting in stronger customer engagement and the ability to bundle products and maximize opportunities. HP plans to extend the multi-vendor model in 2020 with the addition of new local and regional finance partners to ensure country coverage across emerging markets.

09:08 EST Principal Financial announces long-term targets - Sees 9%-12% annual growth in non-GAAP operating earnings and non-GAAP operating earnings per diluted share. Sees 15%-17% long-term targeted return on equity, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income other than foreign currency translation and targeted free cash flow of 70%-80% of net income each year, in excess of capital used to fund organic growth.

09:05 EST Philips, Health First announce outcomes of 15-year tele-critical partnership - Royal Philips and Florida-based Health First announced the outcomes of their 15-year tele-critical partnership. Powered by Philips' acute telehealth platform eCareManager, Health First's VitalWatch eICU has demonstrated significant reductions in mortality and lengths of stay for the health system's sickest patient population. Leveraging eCareManager to synthesize patient data for actionable insights to support proactive care, Health First has created a centralized hub for patient care across venues beyond the ICU. Health First became Florida's first tele-ICU when the organization went live with VitalWatch in September 2004 and remains the only tele-ICU hub in Central Florida today. VitalWatch allows Health First's critical care physicians and nurses to monitor real-time vital signs, laboratory results, and patients' complete electronic medical records from a central location across 102 ICU beds at the four Health First hospitals. The VitalWatch staff can also direct a patient's care on the spot via live audio and video connections to the patient's room if needed. To date, the VitalWatch eICU program has resulted in: 23 percent reduction in overall mortality across the four hospitals as a whole; 49 percent reduction in ICU length of stay; and 35 percent reduction in lengths of stay throughout the four hospitals. VitalWatch monitors more than 10,000 patients each year. Annually, this vigilance has resulted in 48,000 interventions by eICU intensivists and registered nurses. Additionally, these teams have conducted more than 370,000 telemedicine assessments and managed 62,000 calls from bedside teams seeking to collaborate on patient care.

09:04 EST Bank of America CEO says Q4 trading up 7%-8% y/y, led by FICC - Comments taken from the Goldman Sachs U.S. Financial Services Conference.

09:03 EST Y-mAbs Therapeutics announces naxitamab frontline data - Y-mAbs Therapeutics announced that positive frontline data for naxitamab will be presented at the Company's R&D event, which takes place in New York City today at 12 p.m. Eastern. Key opinion leaders, including Dr. Shakeel Modak, M.D., MRCP and Dr. Kim Kramer, M.D., both from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Dr. Jaume Mora, M.D., Ph.D. from SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital, will discuss the current treatment landscape and unmet medical needs for high-risk neuroblastoma and other solid tumors. Dr. Mora, who has experience treating frontline neuroblastoma patients with both naxitamab and a competing anti-GD2 antibody, will present clinical data from both antibodies. Data from an investigator sponsored frontline study of 34 patients with high-risk stage 4 neuroblastoma in first complete remission showed a 72% event free survival at 24 months for naxitamab patients, which compared favorably to the 63% reported at 24 months for a population of 89 patients treated with a competing anti-GD2 antibody. In addition, it was noted that only 20% of the patients treated with naxitamab received bone marrow transplant, as was the case for all patients treated with the competing anti-GD2 antibody. In terms of overall survival, the naxitamab patients achieved an 86% OS at 24 months, compared to 84% OS for the competing anti-GD2 antibody. The naxitamab treatment was well-tolerated, and the infusion related pain generally associated with anti-GD2 antibodies required significantly less opioids for naxitamab than for the competing anti-GD2 antibody. The use of morphica generally declined significantly after the first treatment cycle, and naxitamab required less than 15% of the morphine dose required by the competing anti-GD2 antibody. A second frontline study with naxitamab is currently ongoing at MSK in New York City, and Y-mAbs expects data from this study to be published in the first half of 2020. Y-mAbs is also planning a multicenter frontline study, which we expect to initiate in 2020.

09:01 EST DuPont to acquire Desalitech, terms not disclosed - DuPont announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Desalitech, a closed circuit reverse osmosis company. The transaction is expected to close in January 2020, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

08:46 EST Olin shutting down two facilities in Freeport, Texas - Olin plans to permanently shut down a chlor alkali plant with a capacity of 230,000 tons and its Vinylidene Chloride production facility, both in Freeport, Texas. These closures are expected to be completed before the end of 2020. When completed, these actions are forecast to reduce Olin's annual operating costs by approximately $35M. Olin's Q4 results will contain approximately $65M of pretax non-cash restructuring charges, representing asset impairment charges, associated with these plans.

08:43 EST Capstone Turbine announces nine-year FPP contract with Distributed Generation - Capstone Turbine announced that E-Finity Distributed Generation, Capstone's exclusive distributor for the Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern United States and the Caribbean, signed a long-term factory protection plan, or FPP, service contract covering Capstone's single largest combined heat and power, or CHP, installation with five megawatts of Capstone Microturbines. The five new Signature Series C1000's are commonly ducted together to inject the turbines' exhaust thermal energy directly into a drying process for a large ceramic tile manufacturer in the United States. This nine-year FPP will provide service coverage, including engine overhauls, as well as all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance at a fixed cost for the entire nine-year term. The Capstone microturbines, commissioned in late October, are used for 24x7 electrical and thermal generation and are configured with Capstone dual-mode technology that will "island" the power plant and provide back-up electrical and thermal power to plant operations in the event of a local grid power outage.

08:38 EST Fortive appoints Mark Morelli as CEO, David Naemura as CFO of NewCo - Fortive (FTV) announced the appointments of Mark Morelli as President & CEO and David Naemura as CFO of NewCo, a global industrial company that Fortive previously announced it will form as part of its planned separation into two independent, publicly traded companies. Both Morelli and Naemura will assume their respective roles with NewCo in the first quarter of 2020. Fortive also announced its intention to appoint Karen Francis as the Chair of the Board of Directors of NewCo immediately prior to NewCo becoming a public company. Fortive continues to expect to complete the separation in the second half of 2020. Morelli was most recently CEO of Columbus McKinnon (CMCO). Naemura was most recently CFO of Gates Industrial (GTES).

08:36 EST Gilead, Kiniksa announce collaboration on Phase 2 mavrilimumab study - Kite, a Gilead company (GILD), and Kiniksa (KNSA) announced that the companies have entered into a clinical collaboration to conduct a Phase 2, multicenter study of mavrilimumab, an investigational fully human monoclonal antibody that targets granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor receptor alpha, or GM-CSFRa, in combination with Yescarta in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. The objective of the study is to determine the effect of mavrilimumab on the safety of Yescarta. Kite will be the sponsor of this study and will be responsible for its conduct. Treatment related induction of GM-CSF has been identified through clinical, translational and preclinical studies as a potential key signal associated with side effects of chimeric antigen receptor T, or CAR T, cell therapy. Preclinical evidence shows the potential for interruption of GM-CSF signaling to disrupt CAR T cell mediated inflammation without disrupting anti-tumor efficacy.

08:34 EST Avenue Therapeutics announces NDA submission for IV tramadol - Avenue Therapeutics announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for IV tramadol for the management of moderate to moderately severe pain in adults in a medically supervised health care setting. The NDA for IV tramadol is based on positive results from two pivotal Phase 3 clinical efficacy and safety trials in patients following bunionectomy and abdominoplasty surgeries, as well as an open-label safety study with a total of more than 500 patients who received the IV tramadol 50 mg dosing regimen. In addition, the NDA includes an epidemiology study on abuse of tramadol in the U.S. and in certain European countries where IV tramadol is available. The study finds that reports of abuse with tramadol are infrequent, both in absolute number and relative to other prescription opioids, and that abuse of tramadol via injection is uncommon relative to oral tramadol in countries where it is available.

08:33 EST Kiniksa, Kite announce collaboration for study of mavrilimumab w/ Yescarta - Kite, a Gilead Company (GILD), and Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (KNSA) announced that the companies have entered into a clinical collaboration to conduct a Phase 2, multicenter study of mavrilimumab, an investigational fully human monoclonal antibody that targets granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor receptor alpha, in combination with Yescarta in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. The objective of the study is to determine the effect of mavrilimumab on the safety of Yescarta. Kite will be the sponsor of this study and will be responsible for its conduct. Treatment related induction of GM-CSF has been identified through clinical, translational and preclinical studies as a potential key signal associated with side effects of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy. Preclinical evidence shows the potential for interruption of GM-CSF signaling to disrupt CAR T cell mediated inflammation without disrupting anti-tumor efficacy. Yescarta was the first CAR T cell therapy to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, and high grade B-cell lymphoma and DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma. Yescarta is not indicated for the treatment of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma. Mavrilimumab, alone or in combination with other therapies such as Yescarta, is investigational and has not been approved by the FDA or any regulatory authority for any uses. Efficacy and safety have not been established.

08:19 EST Pacific Mercantile Bank provides financing to Mako Steel - Pacific Mercantile Bank announced that it has provided a credit facility to Mako Steel. The credit facility supplements the recent investment in Mako Steel made by New State Capital Partners, as well as provides for ongoing working capital needs. In addition to the financing, Mako Steel utilizes a full suite of Pacific Mercantile Bank's depository products and treasury management services. Founded in 1993, Mako Steel designs, supplies, and installs steel buildings for the self-storage industry.

08:11 EST Constellium's Singen facility to offer ASI certified aluminum rolled solutions - Constellium SE announced that its casting and rolling operations in Singen, Germany, were granted the Chain of Custody certification by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative. Singen previously received ASI's Performance Standard certificate, which ensures that the plant operates according to a strict set of governance, environmental, and social standards. Certification against both ASI standards means that Singen has the capability, combined with the sourcing of ASI metal, to supply to its customers independently certified, responsibly sourced and sustainably manufactured aluminium rolled solutions. Constellium continues to work to achieve ASI certification of other facilities. The company also collaborates with its key metal suppliers to support them in the certification journey, to be well positioned to offer more ASI certified products to its customers, and to promote the overall sustainability of the aluminum market.

08:08 EST American Eagle down 7.6% after reporting Q3 results, giving Q4 guidance

08:08 EST AstraZeneca says 60.9% tumor response rate seen in trastuzumab deruxtecan trial - AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo presented detailed data from the global pivotal Phase II single-arm DESTINY-Breast01 trial of trastuzumab deruxtecan, a HER2-targeting antibody drug conjugate and potential new medicine, in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who received two or more prior HER2-targeted regimens. The primary endpoint of objective response rate, confirmed by independent central review, was 60.9% with trastuzumab deruxtecan monotherapy. Patients had a median of six prior therapies for metastatic disease. Patients achieved a disease control rate of 97.3% with a median duration of response of 14.8 months and median progression-free survival of 16.4 months. The median overall survival has not yet been reached, with an estimated survival rate of 86% at one year. The results were consistent across subgroups of patients. Jose Baselga, Executive Vice President, Oncology R&D, said: "The clinically meaningful and durable responses seen among these patients illustrate the potential of trastuzumab deruxtecan to establish a new standard of care. These results are impressive, as women with this advanced stage of breast cancer have already endured multiple prior therapies for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer."

08:06 EST Vera Bradley expects to return to positive comparable sales growth this year - "In fiscal 2019, the first stage of Vision 20/20 was to restore brand and Company health. We have continued to build upon that progress in fiscal 2020. During the first nine months of this year, we once again improved the quality of sales in our full-line stores and on verabradley.com by increasing comparable full price selling in these two channels by approximately 7%. This is on top of a nearly 20 percent increase in the first nine months of last year. As we complete Year Two of our three-year journey, we remain steadfastly focused on growing our customer base, sales, and profitability," CEO Wallstrom concluded. "As a reminder, our key areas of focus for Fiscal 2020 are: Growth: Our plan is to return to positive comparable sales growth this year, and through the first nine months, Vera Bradley comparable sales were up 3.8%, in line with our expectations. Even in the face of a challenging North American handbag market, our improvement is being driven by exciting, innovative product, supported by data-driven marketing and a relentless focus on customer engagement and the consumer experience. Vera Bradley customer count is up double digits year-over-year. The acquisition of Pura Vida is adding to our growth as well. Operational Excellence: Mid-year, we began a two-year process of re-platforming our ERP and other key information systems to become more streamlined, nimble, and efficient in our technology and business processes. We have also successfully focused on mitigating the impact of increased tariffs. Ownership: We are reinforcing our unique culture as an ownership-based model, where every Associate can drive significant value creation through both individual and team efforts."

08:05 EST Oncternal announces opening of Phase 1b expansion cohort of TK216 clinical trial - Oncternal Therapeutics announced that it has opened for enrollment a Phase 1b expansion cohort of its ongoing clinical trial evaluating TK216, a first-in-class, targeted, investigational small-molecule inhibitor of the E26 transformation-specific, or ETS, family of oncoproteins, in patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma. "The decision to open an expansion cohort was based on favorable interim results from the dose-finding cohort of the trial, including a deep and sustained clinical response reported for one of the patients treated at the current, highest exposure dose regimen, who is without evidence of Ewing sarcoma after more than eight months on study and has tolerated treatments with TK216, alone and in combination with vincristine, well. TK216 has been generally well tolerated in this trial. Dose limiting toxicities consisted of transient and manageable myelosuppression, primarily neutropenia." The expansion cohort will further evaluate the recommended Phase 2 dose regimen of TK216 in combination with vincristine and is anticipated to enroll approximately 18 patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma.

08:04 EST Dropbox says Yamini Rangan to step down as chief customer officer - In a regulatory filing, Dropbox announced that on December 10, Yamini Rangan decided to step down as Chief Customer Officer. Rangan will remain at Dropbox to help with the transition until January 3, 2020. Rangan will receive a transition payment of $500,000. Quentin Clark, whose decision to step down was previously announced in a regulatory filing with his last day at the company January 3, 2020, will also receive a transition payment of $500,000. Both Rangan and Clark will execute a general release of claims in favor of Dropbox and its affiliates containing customary non-disparagement covenants.

08:03 EST Kroger and Walgreens form group purchasing organization - Kroger (KR) and Walgreens (WBA) have formed a new group purchasing organization aimed at delivering purchasing efficiencies, lower costs and combined resources. The new joint venture will be called Retail Procurement Alliance. Kroger and Walgreens initially announced an exploratory pilot in October 2018 to develop a one-stop shopping experience, which launched in December 2018 as the Kroger Express concept in 13 Walgreens stores in Northern Kentucky.

07:48 EST Novelion Therapeutics provides update on effective date of liquidation - Novelion Therapeutics announced that a hearing date has not yet been scheduled for consideration of the Company's application materials, filed on November 18, 2019 with the Supreme Court of British Columbia, relating to Court orders sought by the Company in connection with the Company's voluntary liquidation and dissolution. As previously announced, the Company expects that such hearing date, once assigned, will also serve as the effective date of commencement of the Liquidation. The Company intends to publicly announce the date of the hearing as promptly as practicable after such date is received.

07:40 EST United Natural Foods down 10% to $8.85 after mixed Q1 results, FY20 guidance

07:37 EST E-Trade reports November DARTs up 32% y/y - E-Trade released its monthly activity report for November. Daily Average Revenue Trades, or DARTs, for November were 354,434, a 22% increase from October and a 32% increase from the year-ago period. Derivatives represented 33% of DARTs during the month.

07:34 EST Arrowhead files IND for Phase 1b study of ARO-HIF2 for treatment of ccRCC - Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals announced that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug, or IND, application to the FDA for a Phase 1b adaptive dose-finding clinical study of ARO-HIF2, the company's investigational RNA interference, or RNAi, therapeutic being developed as a treatment for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, or ccRCC. Javier San Martin, M.D., chief medical officer at Arrowhead, said: "ARO-HIF2 is Arrowhead's first TRiM enabled investigational RNAi therapeutic to target a cell type outside of the liver. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma, or ccRCC, is one of the most common forms of kidney cancer. Most patients with ccRCC have a mutation in the Von Hippel-Lindau gene, rendering them unable to degrade HIF-2alpha, which leads to accumulation during tumor hypoxia and promotes tumor growth. We believe this makes HIF-2alpha an attractive target for an RNAi-based intervention." Pending regulatory review, the company intends to initiate AROHIF21001, a Phase 1b adaptive design dose-finding clinical study in patients with advanced ccRCC to evaluate the safety of ARO-HIF2 and to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose. Additional secondary objectives include the assessment of pharmacokinetics and efficacy, based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. An exploratory objective for AROHIF21001 will be gene target knockdown using tumor biopsy.

07:32 EST Bellicum Pharmaceuticals licenses CaspaCIDe Safety Switch to MD Anderson - Bellicum Pharmaceuticals announced that The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center exercised its option to license Bellicum's CaspaCIDe safety switch technology. Under terms of the original license agreement, MD Anderson's decision to exercise the option entitled Bellicum to receive an upfront payment of $5M, to be recognized in the fourth quarter 2019 financial results, and undisclosed future milestone payments and royalties on sales. The license agreement with Bellicum specifically covers use of the CaspaCIDe safety switch in MD Anderson's CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cell construct.

07:16 EST IAMGold increases interest in Nelligan project by 24% for C$2.35M - Vanstar Mining Resources announced that IAMGOLD Corporation, their strategic partner in the development of the Nelligan project, exercised in advance its option to increase its undivided interest in the Nelligan project by 24% to now hold a 75% interest in the property. Vanstar retains a 25% interest and 1% NSR in the original claims. Under the terms of the amended agreement of February 2018, IAMGOLD has fulfilled all the required conditions by delivering a first NI43-101 estimate of mineral resources and by doing the remaining cash payment of C$2.35M. IAMGOLD can earn an additional 5% interest by delivering a feasibility study. The Nelligan project is located in the Chapais-Chibougameau region and consists of 158 claims within an area of 8,216 hectares. It is accessible all year long by different forest roads. The project hosts mineral resources consisting of inferred resources limited by a pit, totaling 96,990,000 MT at an average grade of 1.02 grams of gold per ton for 3,193,000 ounces of gold.

07:12 EST BioXcel Therapeutics to expand BXCL701 study into multiple advanced solid tumors - BioXcel Therapeutics announced that the Company will advance the clinical evaluation of BXCL701 into multiple advanced solid tumors. BXCL701 is an orally active, systemic innate immunity activator with dual mechanisms of action. The open-label Phase 2 basket trial will take place at a leading cancer center in the U.S. The study is designed to evaluate the response rate of orally administered BXCL701, combined with Pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid cancers. If successful, the study would provide an option for patients who have failed or are refractory to checkpoint therapy. Outcome measures will include progression-free-survival, overall survival, and duration of response, as well as the safety of the combined treatment.

07:10 EST Viela Bio initiates Phase 2b trial of VIB4920 in Sjogren's syndrome - Viela Bio announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2b trial of VIB4920 for the treatment of Sjogren's syndrome-a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease involving inflammation and destruction of the salivary and lacrimal glands which leads to severe dryness and chronic pain. The Phase 2b trial is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of VIB4920 in participants with Sjogren's syndrome. For additional information about this clinical trial, please visit clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04129164.

07:08 EST BioCryst submits NDA for oral, once daily berotralstat for HAE attacks - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announced it has submitted a new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of oral, once daily berotralstat for the prevention of hereditary angioedema attacks.

07:06 EST United Natural Foods reports Q1 gross margin 12.81% of net sales - Gross margin for the first quarter was 12.81% of net sales compared to 14.38% of net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2019, which included a $1.8M, or 0.06% of net sales, inventory fair value adjustment related to the Supervalu acquisition. The decline in the gross margin rate was primarily driven by the addition of Supervalu at a lower gross profit rate.

07:04 EST United Natural Foods CEO says 'we remain confident that UNFI is well-positioned' - "We entered the new fiscal year operating with an unmatched geographic footprint, the largest variety of products and services in the industry and the critical scale needed to succeed over the long term. We delivered first quarter results in-line with our expectations and are pleased to reaffirm our fiscal 2020 outlook for net sales, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS," said Steven Spinner, Chairman and CEO. "We remain confident that UNFI is well-positioned today and for the future to deliver an industry-leading and sustainable supply chain platform for all customer channels. As we look to the remainder of fiscal 2020, we are committed to converting our sales momentum into improved earnings and cash flow."

07:03 EST STAAR Surgical announces FDA IDE clinical study approval - STAAR Surgical is announcing that the FDA in a letter dated December 6, 2019, stated that it has determined that STAAR has provided sufficient data to support initiation of a human clinical study in the United States of the EVO/EVO+ VISIAN Implantable Collamer Lens for Myopia, and EVO/EVO+ VISIAN Toric Implantable Collamer Lens for Myopia with Astigmatism. "Initiating the clinical trial is an important step towards the future availability of the EVO Visian ICL family of products in the U.S. STAAR's plan for the study includes 300 subjects with a primary endpoint at six months follow-up."

06:46 EST Lazard reports preliminary AUM approximately $236.7B as of November 30 - The month's AUM included market appreciation of $3.8B; net outflows of $1.5B and foreign exchange depreciation of $1.4B.

06:21 EST U.K. CMA says Amazon's Deliveroo investment raises competition concerns - Earlier this year, Amazon announced a substantial investment in Deliveroo, which would give it a minority shareholding along with certain other rights, allowing it to participate in the management of the company. While Amazon would not take full control of Deliveroo's business, the CMA has assessed how the deal could enable it to influence Deliveroo's business strategy. "The CMA has also considered the possible effects this influence could have on competition in markets where the 2 companies compete at present - or could compete in the future. The CMA's initial investigation has found that the investment, in its current form, could harm competition in 2 ways. Firstly, it is concerned that the deal could damage competition in online restaurant food delivery by discouraging Amazon from re-entering the market in the UK. Currently, there are only a small number of companies that act as the middle-man between restaurants and customers, and Amazon offered this service in competition with Deliveroo until 2018, when it exited the market. Secondly, the CMA is concerned that the deal could also damage competition in the emerging market for online convenience grocery delivery, where the 2 companies have already established market-leading positions." The companies now have 5 working days to offer legally-binding proposals to the CMA to address the competition concerns identified. The CMA would then have 5 working days to consider whether to accept the offer instead of referring the case to an in-depth investigation. Reference Link

06:08 EST Dine Brands' IHOP to launch new fast casual concept 'Flip'd' in spring 2020 - IHOP Restaurants announced plans to launch Flip'd by IHOP, a new fast-casual concept in the U.S. The new brand aims to fill a gap in the restaurant space by focusing on freshly-made breakfast foods and beverages with speed and convenience in mind, directly addressing a growing consumer demand in densely populated city centers. Popular lunch and dinner items, including the brand's Ultimate Steakburgers and Buttermilk Crispy Chicken will also be available. IHOP plans to open its first Flip'd concept in Atlanta next April with additional sites in New York City, Washington D.C., Denver, and San Francisco currently under exploration for 2020.

06:03 EST NexTier Oilfield announces up to $100M capital return program - NexTier Oilfield announced that its board approved a capital return program under which NexTier may expend a total of up to $100M, which may be implemented between now and December 31, 2020, through stock repurchases, dividends or other capital return strategies. As part of the capital return program, the board approved a stock repurchase program of up to $50M of the company's common stock, subject to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, stock market conditions, capital needs of the business and other factors.

05:46 EST Genentech says FDA accepts sBLA for Xolair for treatment of nasal polyps - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced that the FDA has accepted the company's supplemental Biologics License Application, or sBLA, for Xolair for the treatment of nasal polyps in adult patients 18 years of age and older with inadequate response to intranasal corticosteroids. If approved, Xolair would become the first antibody to help reduce the size of nasal polyps and help improve symptoms through targeting and blocking immunoglobulin E, or IgE. The FDA is expected to make a decision on approval for this indication by Q3 2020.

05:26 EST Gol Linhas announces change in shareholding ownership - GOL Linhas (GOL) hereby informs its shareholders and the market in general that it has received a correspondence from its shareholder Delta Air Lines (DAL), dated December 10, informing that they have disposed, through negotiations in trading sessions of the B3 S.A. - Brasil Bolsa Balcao in the past few days, 32,926,025 preferred shares issued by the company, which represented more than 5% of the referred type of shares, and remained with 0 preferred shares issued by the company. Delta informed that: (i) it is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, the United States of America, and headquartered at 1030 Delta Boulevard, Atlanta Georgia 30354, U.S.A.; (ii) the aforementioned shareholding was held strictly for investment purposes, and Delta had no intention of altering the control of the administrative structure of GOL; (iii) other than the shares sold, Delta does not hold any other securities or derivatives in connection with or referred to shares of GOL; and (iv) Delta has not entered into any contracts or agreements regulating the exercise of voting rights or the purchase or sale of securities of GOL. After today's sale of shares by Delta, GOL Airlines is now one of the most liquid stocks on the B3 Brazilian Stock Exchange, with a free float of approximately 47% of total shares outstanding and an expected average daily trading volume of R$200 million per day. This new level of market float is expected to place GOL as the most liquid airline stock in Latin America and amongst most liquid of all publicly traded stocks in Brazil.