Stockwinners Market Radar for December 23, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:39 EST Acasti Pharma to report CaPre phase 3 trial results in January - Acasti Pharma announced that it expects to report its topline results for the TRILOGY 1 pivotal Phase 3 trial of CaPre in January 2020. The reporting of Trilogy 1 was postponed due to an unexpected delay in data processing and transfer from the central testing laboratory to the statistical consultants for independent and external validation. Acasti regrets the delay due to factors outside its control, and now anticipates to report topline results in January 2020. As requested by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, due to market volatility, the Company indicates that it has no material update to provide at this time beyond the above timing update and independent and external validation exercise that is underway. Implementation of the Trilogy 2 Study remains on track, and the Company continues to expect the last patient to complete their final visit in early January 2020, and expects to report topline results in Trilogy 2 towards the end of January 2020.

20:02 EST Medical Properties Trust announces GBp1.5B acquisition of 30 U.K hospitals - Medical Properties Trust announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire the real estate of 30 acute care hospital facilities located throughout the United Kingdom for an aggregate purchase price of approximately GBP 1.5B, or approximately $2.0B. The facilities are leased under long-term inflation protected net leases to affiliates of BMI Healthcare. In a related transaction, affiliates of Circle Health are to acquire BMI and assume operations of its 52 facilities in the United Kingdom. The lease arrangement is expected to provide a GAAP-basis yield of 8.9%. The acquisition was underwritten by MPT to provide initial lease payment coverages of approximately 2.0 times recent EBITDAR, with the expectation of expanding coverage as Circle implements its strategic and operational initiatives. The hospitals will be leased under a master lease structure guaranteed by Circle with an initial fixed term of 30 years, two 5-year extension options, and annual rent escalators linked to UK consumer price inflation. MPT expects to fund the acquisition with cash on hand, including proceeds from recent U.S. dollar equity and sterling-denominated bond offerings and borrowings under an unsecured sterling-denominated term loan facility. The transaction is expected to close in Q1 of 2020.

18:47 EST O'Reilly Automotive chairman sells 18K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, O'Reilly Automotive disclosed that its chairman David O'reilly sold 18K shares of common stock on December 20th. The total transaction size was $7.97M.

17:25 EST L3Harris Technologies awarded $100M Defense Department contract - L3Harris Technologies was awarded a $100M maximum, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm fixed price contract with a three-year base period and two one-year option periods for a maximum ordering period of five years, in support of U.S. Special Operations Command for the Satellite Deployable Node Service Life Extension Program.

17:16 EST Teligent announces FDA request for further data on complex drug - Teligent announced its development partner has received a Complete Response Letter, or CRL, from the FDA for its abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, for its first complex drug indicated for an orphan disease population. In the letter, the FDA requested further information and raw data to support the ANDA. "This latest response from the FDA is unexpected given the time and opportunity that the FDA had to request the information during the ANDA's active review. Our development partner has assured us that they have the available data and the ability to respond to the FDA's request expeditiously. We and our development partner will be in active communication with the FDA to ensure that this delay of a critical drug for patients is as short as possible," commented Teligent CEO Jason Grenfell-Gardner.

17:13 EST Lam Research Chief Legal Officer sells 3.8K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Lam Research disclosed that its chief legal officer Sarah O'Dowd sold 3.8K shares of common stock on December 19th. The total transaction size was $1.1M.

17:03 EST Brown & Brown EVP sells 30K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Brown & Brown disclosed that its EVP Jerome Penny sold 30K shares of common stock on December 19th. The total transaction size was $1.18M.

16:45 EST Urstadt Biddle CEO buys 37K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Urstadt Biddle disclosed that its CEO Willing Biddle bought 37K shares of common stock on December 23rd. The total transaction size was $666K.

16:42 EST Stifel Financial's Oates sells 10,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Stifel Financial director James M. Oates disclosed the sale of 10,000 common shares of the company at a price of $61.994 per share on December 20.

16:34 EST Alvin Fund reports 6.53% passive stake in Comstock Mining - Alvin Fund disclosed a 6.53% stake in Comstock Mining, which represents over 1.74M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:23 EST D.E. Shaw reports 5.0% passive stake in Pyxus - D.E. Shaw disclosed a 5.0% stake in Pyxus, which represents over 460K shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:16 EST WV American Water receives approval of 2020 system improvement charge - In an order entered this week, the Public Service Commission of West Virginia approved a joint agreement reached last month in West Virginia American Water's request for approval of its 2020 infrastructure replacement program, referred to as a Distribution System Improvement Charge. The program and its associated surcharge mechanism allow the company to receive more timely cost recovery of certain infrastructure investments deemed just, reasonable, and in the public interest, which in turn enables the company to accelerate its infrastructure replacement and reliability program. The approved DSIC, effective January 1, 2020, includes $32.4 million in system-wide upgrades that West Virginia American Water will make in 2020. The improvements include $18.6 million to replace or upgrade more than 30 miles of water mains; $4.5 million to replace service lines and fire hydrants; $8.1 million for post-acquisition investment on troubled water systems; and $1.2 million on water storage tanks. Accordingly, customers will pay a 2.54 percent surcharge on their monthly bills (approximately $1.38 for the average residential customer) to help fund these projects. Most customers will see a prorated amount on their first 2020 bill, depending on their meter reading and billing schedule.

16:09 EST NewLink Genetics announces license agreement with Ellipses Pharma for NLG207 - NewLink Genetics announced that the company has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Ellipses Pharma for the development of and rights to commercialize NLG207, a nanoparticle formulation of the topoisomerase 1 inhibitor camptothecin. This license agreement signed by NewLink Genetics and Ellipses is effective as of December 17, 2019. Under the terms of the agreement, Ellipses purchased NewLink's inventory of NLG207 related materials, and NewLink will have the potential to receive future royalty payments or a share of any future economics related to NLG207. As part of the license agreement, Ellipses also gained the rights to develop and commercialize CRLX-301, a nanoparticle formulation of docetaxel that has completed a Phase 1a study.

16:05 EST Keysight Technologies CFO sells 23,254 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Keysight Technologies CFO Neil Dougherty disclosed the sale of 23,254 common shares of the company at a price of $103.1906 per share on December 20.

15:49 EST 22nd Century trading resumes

15:37 EST 22nd Century trading halted, news pending

15:27 EST Myriad Genetics down over 9% after WSJ report - Shares of molecular diagnostic company Myriad Genetics (MYGN) are down 9.2% to $24.88 in Monday trading following a Wall Street Journal article on Friday that the company reclassified a BRCA gene variant from "pathogenic" to "unknown significance." The report added that new analysis found the variant may carry a lower risk of cancer than those categorized as pathogenic. Susan Manley, a board-certified genetic counselor and SVP of medical services at Myriad, said of the decision, "We make these reclassifications very carefully. The science is evolving."

15:15 EST Allergan confirms FDA approval for Ubrelvy - Allergan announced that the FDA has approved a New Drug Application, or NDA, for Ubrelvy for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. Ubrelvy is the first and only orally-administered calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist for the treatment of migraine attacks once they start. Migraine is a neurological disease characterized by intermittent migraine attacks with symptoms that are often incapacitating. Migraine afflicts 31M Americans and is the third most common disease and second leading cause of disability worldwide.

14:34 EST Allergan's Ubrelvy approved by FDA as new treatment for adults with migraine - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ubrelvy tablets for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. Ubrelvy is not indicated for the preventive treatment of migraine. "It is the first drug in the class of oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists approved for the acute treatment of migraine," the FDA stated. The most common side effects that patients in the clinical trials reported were nausea, tiredness and dry mouth. Ubrelvy is contraindicated for co-administration with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. The FDA granted the approval of Ubrelvy to Allergan USA.

14:18 EST Equinor, Rosneft make investment decision on Komsomolskoye development - Equinor (EQNR) and Rosneft (OJSCY) have taken an investment decision on the first stage of the North Komsomolskoye full field development."This is an important milestone in the joint project that we have been working on for seven years," says Elisabeth Birkeland Kvalheim, Country manager for Equinor in Russia. The North Komsomolskoye project was a part of the strategic cooperation agreement signed by Rosneft and Equinor in May 2012. Reference Link

13:37 EST Secureworks jumps after report Dell weighing acquisition of rest of shares - Shares of Secureworks (SCWX) are up 18% to $17.88 in afternoon trading after Bloomberg's Liana Baker and Kiel Porter reported that Dell Technologies (DELL) is considering the purchase of the remaining outstanding shares of the company it does not already own and consolidate the business.

13:26 EST SecureWorks trading halted, volatility trading pause

13:14 EST Acasti Pharma falls $1.34, or 47%, to $1.53 - Acasti Pharma shares have been halted for volatility with the stock having suddenly fallen by nearly 50% in afternoon trading. The reason for the sharp selloff is unclear as of the time of this writing.

13:02 EST Boeing appoints Niel Golightly as senior VP of Communications - The Boeing Company named Niel Golightly as the company's senior VP of Communications, effective January 1, 2020. He succeeds Anne Toulouse, who previously announced her plans to retire in early 2020. Golightly joins Boeing from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, where since 2018 he served as global Chief Communications Officer. Golightly will report to interim CEO Greg Smith initially, and then to president and CEO David Calhoun from January 13 onward.

12:01 EST Raytheon confirms $112.27M government contract modification - Raytheon Company was awarded a U.S. Navy contract for the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy - Navy, as announced by the Department of Defense on December 20. Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $112.27M modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract. This modification provides non-recurring engineering support throughout the engineering and manufacturing development phase as well as through payload integration and transition to production for the MALD-N.

12:00 EST AquaVenture rises 24.5% - AquaVenture is up 24.5%, or $5.34 to $27.10.

11:59 EST Disney's 'Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker' has big weekend, still underperforms - Disney's (DIS) "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker," the long-awaited conclusion of the latest Star Wars trilogy, came to theaters this past weekend and earned robust totals of $175.5M domestically and $198M internationally. Despite these large grosses, the movie underperformed compared to its predecessors, as "The Force Awakens" had a $247.9M opening weekend and "The Last Jedi" had a $220M opening weekend. Additionally, the movie didn't meet industry expectations, as Box Office Mojo had estimated an opening weekend of ~$215M. However, the film did exceed Disney's modest opening weekend expectations of $160M. The box office totals for "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker" may be seeing some negative effects from mixed reviews, with it having a 58% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 54/100 Metacritic score. Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock said, "'Rise of Skywalker' won't match 'The Last Jedi's' overall numbers, but that said, it's a problem any other studio would love to have. The fact that this wasn't their strongest outing and it still made an insane amount of money [shows] this is a cash cow." Variety noted that "even if 'Rise of Skywalker' falls short of its series brethren, it still strengthens Disney's historic year at the box office. Six movies in 2019 surpassed $1B globally, and the latest 'Star Wars' could make it seven. Those record figures pushed Disney past $10B worldwide, the first studio to ever hit that benchmark." In early afternoon trading, shares of Disney were lower by almost 1% to $145.44.

11:33 EST Intra Cellular Therapies trading resumes

11:27 EST Raytheon confirms $1.02B Standard Missile-3 IIA contract - Raytheon said it was awarded a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA contract as announced by the Department of Defense on Dec. 20,.Raytheon Missile Systems, is being awarded a $1.02B sole-source, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification under previously awarded contract HQ0276-15-C-0003.

10:56 EST Servotronics to hire an additional 75 employees in New York - Servotronics announces a major new staffing program to hire at least an additional 75 new employees at its Elma, New York headquarters and its facility in Franklinville, New York. The Company seeks qualified applicants for a wide range of positions on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shifts, including entry level, skilled labor, and professional candidates. The Company's head count currently includes 350 full-time and 5 part-time employees. This represents a nearly 25% increase compared to the end of 2018. The Company also has 35 contract employees who were retained to assist with a specified project beginning in 2019. The Company anticipates that the use of contract employees will wind-down in 2020 with the work transitioning to full-time employees. Additionally, the Company has incurred approximately $2M in capital expenditures in 2019 to expand and modernize its operations. Major projects undertaken this year include the implementation of a new ERP system and other information technology software and hardware, the acquisition of machinery and equipment and building improvements at both the Company's Elma and Franklinville facilities. Nearly all of the capital expenditures relate solely to the Company's Advanced Technology Group with the exception of the ERP system which applies Company-wide.

10:21 EST Northfield Bancorp to acquire VSB Bancorp - Northfield Bancorp (NFBK), parent company of Northfield Bank, and VSB Bancorp (VSBN), parent company of Victory State Bank, announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which VSB will merge with and into Northfield. The transaction reflects an in-market acquisition of an institution that shares similar core values and commitment to the Staten Island community, including a focus on serving commercial and retail borrowers and depositors, through its six locations on the island. Upon completion of the transaction, it is estimated that Northfield will have combined assets of $5.2B, loans of $3.5B, and deposits of $3.7B. Under the terms of the agreement, each share of VSB common stock will be exchanged for shares of Northfield common stock for total consideration of approximately $62.9M. The price for VSB shareholders is fixed at $33.30 per share, subject to a 5% collar. The final exchange ratio will be determined using $33.30 divided by Northfield's ten-day average stock price just prior to closing, as defined in the definitive agreement; provided, however, that if the Average Stock Price is greater than $17.99, then the exchange ratio will be 1.8514, and if the Average Stock Price is less than $16.27, then the exchange ratio will be 2.0463. Joseph LiBassi, Chairman of Victory, added "Our original stockholders' adjusted cost per share is $4.00. That is a return of over 730%, without considering the 49 quarterly cash dividends that we have paid." Based on the value of consideration paid, the transaction represents 162% of VSB's tangible book value, 16.3x trailing twelve months earnings, and a 9.0% premium on Victory's core deposits. The definitive agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of each entity. The completion of the transaction is subject to the approval of VSB's stockholders and normal and customary regulatory approvals for both companies. All VSB directors and executive officers have entered into voting agreements to vote their shares in favor of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020. Ralph M. Branca, Victory's President and CEO, will join Northfield in a leadership role for the Staten Island marketplace and Joseph J. LiBassi, has entered into a consulting agreement for a three year period to assist in the transition.

10:04 EST Associated Capital Group evaluating Morgan Group exchange offer - Associated Capital Group announced that its Board has authorized the Company to explore an offer to exchange shares of its common stock for shares of Morgan Group Holding Company. The analysis should be concluded no later than the end of the first quarter of 2020. There are no assurances that an exchange offer will result. On October 31, 2019, Associated Capital merged its institutional research business, G.research, LLC with Morgan. Under the terms of the transaction, Morgan issued 50,000,000 shares of Morgan's common stock to Associated Capital Group. As a result of the transaction, the Company holds approximately 83% of Morgan's outstanding common shares. In addition, Vincent Amabile, Jr., President of Morgan purchased 5 million shares of Morgan at closing.

10:00 EST Vectrus falls -7.8% - Vectrus is down -7.8%, or -$3.96 to $46.93.

10:00 EST Laix falls -16.8% - Laix is down -16.8%, or -$1.29 to $6.39.

10:00 EST AquaVenture rises 24.7% - AquaVenture is up 24.7%, or $5.38 to $27.14.

09:47 EST United States Natural Gas Fund falls -3.8% - United States Natural Gas Fund is down -3.8%, or -68c to $17.16.

09:47 EST VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN falls -11.3% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is down -11.3%, or -$9.96 to $78.04.

09:47 EST VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN rises 11.4% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is up 11.4%, or $18.15 to $176.80.

09:39 EST Roku announces launch of new Atvio Roku TV Lineup in Walmart stores in Mexico - Walmart (WMT) and Roku (ROKU) announced the launch of the new Atvio Roku TV lineup of smart TVs, exclusively available in Walmart stores in Mexico. Atvio Roku TVs will offer consumers "a smart TV experience that is easy to use so they can enjoy streaming entertainment at an affordable price," the companies stated. Atvio Roku TV models will be available in the upcoming weeks and will include a 32 inch HD screen, and a 50 and 55 inch UHD screen, starting at $3,499 pesos. "We are happy to partner with Walmart to launch Atvio Roku TVs in Mexico. We have worked together with Walmart for years to give millions of people access to affordable streaming devices, and now consumers in Mexico will be able to enjoy the first Walmart-branded Roku TV models. We are bringing affordable streaming entertainment for families in Mexico," said Arthur van Rest, vice president of International at Roku.

09:25 EST Boeing continues rising after CEO change announcement, up 3% ahead of open

09:20 EST Boeing up 1.9% in pre-market following announcement of CEO change - In pre-market trading after resuming trading following the announcement that Dennis Muilenburg has resigned from his positions as CEO and Board director at Boeing and that current Chairman, David Calhoun, will be CEO and President, Boeing shares are up $6.22, or 1.9%, to $334.22.

09:19 EST Titan Medical announces new common share purchase agreement with Aspire Capital - Titan Medical announces that it has entered into a Common Share Purchase Agreement with Aspire Capital Fund where Aspire Capital has committed to purchase up to $35 million of common shares of Titan at Titan's request from time to time, until June 23, 2022. This new Agreement replaces the prior Common Share Purchase Agreement announced on August 29, which has been terminated upon entering into this Agreement.

09:15 EST Boeing trading resumes

09:12 EST Griffin announces closing on mortgage loan - Griffin Industrial Realty announced that Riverbend Orlando Holdings I, LLC and Riverbend Orlando Holdings II, each wholly owned subsidiaries of Griffin, entered into a $6.5M nonrecourse mortgage loan on the approximately 100,000 square foot fully-leased industrial/warehouse building in Orlando, Florida that Griffin acquired in October 2019. The Mortgage Loan, evidenced by a Promissory Note issued by the Borrowers to Webster Bank, National Association, has a ten year term with principal payments based on a twenty-five year amortization schedule and a variable interest rate based on the one-month LIBOR rate plus 1.75%. At closing of the Mortgage Loan, the Borrowers entered into an interest rate swap agreement with Webster Bank that effectively fixes the interest rate on the Mortgage Loan at 3.6% for the entire loan term. Approximately $5.9M of the proceeds from the Mortgage Loan were used to repay Webster Bank for the borrowing under Griffin's line of credit for acquisitions that was used to finance a portion of the Property's purchase price.

09:10 EST Outlook Therapeutics announces warrant amendment, restructuring of senior notes - Outlook Therapeutics announced that it has taken action to improve the Company's balance sheet through two separate transactions. Effective December 23, 2019, with consent of the required holders of the Outlook Therapeutics warrants issued in April 2019 in an underwritten public offering, the Company amended the Warrants to reduce the exercise price to $0.232 per warrant and allow for the immediate exercise of the Warrants. In addition, the expiration date of the Warrants has been changed to 5:00 pm EST on December 24, 2019. All Warrants not exercised by the new termination date will be automatically settled on a cashless exercise basis immediately prior thereto. The transaction was done to eliminate the Warrants as they included anti-dilution protection, which negatively impacted the ability of Outlook Therapeutics to raise additional funds. H.C. Wainwright & Co. acted as the exclusive financial advisor for this transaction. Separately, effective December 20, 2019, the Company issued approximately $7.6 million principal amount of new senior secured notes in exchange for approximately $7.3 million principal amount and accrued interest on its outstanding senior secured notes that were due on December 22, 2019 and originally issued in December 2016. The New Notes bear interest at a rate of 12% per annum, have a maturity date of December 31, 2020, with the ability to extend at the Company's option to June 30, 2021 for an additional fee equal to 3% of the outstanding balance, and are convertible into shares of the Company's common stock beginning April 1, 2020.

09:08 EST Shineco enters strategic cooperation agreement with Wuchang Municipal Government - Shineco announced the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Beijing Tenjove NewHemp Biotech, has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Wuchang Municipal Government of Heilongjiang Province on December 18, 2019. As previously disclosed in a release on December 16, 2019, Mr. Yuying Zhang, Chairman and CEO of Shineco, has reached a consensus on cooperation with Vice Mayor Zhang Jianchun of the Government regarding Shineco's industrial hemp development plan in Heilongjiang Province. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Government agrees to actively promote the execution of the Plan, coordinate relevant departments to communicate on bilateral cooperation, and provide related services and convenience. The Government also agrees to create a good policy environment for Shineco's development in Wuchang City through providing tailored high-quality services, all-around support in terms of publicity and promotion, and national and local preferential policies. As part of the Agreement, the Company agrees to target Wuchang City as a key development area and formulate a cooperative development plan based on relevant local industrial advantages, industrial development needs and the Company's own strategic development plan.

09:06 EST Oyster Point Pharma announces addition to Russell 2000, 3000, Microcap Indexes - Oyster Point Pharma announced that the Company will be added to the Russell 2000, Russell 3000 and Russell Microcap Indexes, effective after the close of the U.S. markets on Monday, December 23, 2019.

08:55 EST Boeing trading halted, news pending

08:48 EST Neogen CEO says 'we continue to fight challenges in our animal safety markets' - "For the quarter, we had strong performance in a number of our businesses, but we continue to fight challenges in our animal safety markets," said John Adent, Neogen's president and CEO. "Our overall genomics business continued to grow nicely, with revenues up 17%, driven by strong performance at our U.S. operations; these results were augmented by significant revenue increases at our newest global genomics locations in Australia and Canada." "Our second quarter featured solid growth from our core food safety diagnostic product lines, including our food allergen, general sanitation, and foodborne pathogen testing products," Adent continued. "Despite continuing currency headwinds, our international revenues, which now include sales into 129 countries, increased 6% in the quarter."

08:45 EST Unit Corp. receives continued listing standard notice from NYSE - Unit Corporation announced that on December 19, the company was notified by the New York Stock Exchange that the average closing price of the company's shares of common stock had fallen below $1.00 per share over a period of 30 consecutive trading days, which is the minimum average share price for continued listing on the NYSE. Under the NYSE's rules, the company has six months following receipt of the notification to regain compliance with the minimum share price requirement. Under NYSE rules, the company can regain compliance at any time during the six-month cure period if on the last trading day of any calendar month during the cure period, its common stock has a closing share price of at least $1.00 and an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over the 30 trading-day period ending on the last trading day of that month. The NYSE notification does not affect the company's business operations or its SEC reporting requirements and does not conflict with or cause an event of default under any of the company's material debt or other agreements. The company will be notifying the NYSE of its intent to cure the deficiency and return to compliance with the NYSE continued listing requirements.

08:41 EST Select Bank to purchase three Entegra Bank branches in North Carolina - First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, Entegra Bank and Select Bank & Trust Company announced that Select Bank has entered into an agreement to buy three Entegra Bank branches in Western North Carolina. These branches are being divested as required under agreements with the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, and the Federal Reserve in connection with Entegra Bank's proposed merger into First Citizens Bank. Select Bank, headquartered in Dunn, N.C., has agreed to buy Entegra Bank's Highland, Sylva and Holly Springs branches. Select Bank was founded in 2000 and offers a broad range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at 18 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. As part of the agreement, Select Bank will assume approximately $180M in deposits and will purchase approximately $110M in loans. In August 2019, Entegra Financial shareholders approved the previously announced proposal by First Citizens BancShares, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, First Citizens Bank, to acquire Entegra and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Entegra Bank. Entegra Bank currently operates 18 branches in Western North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina and North Georgia. On Dec. 2, 2019, First Citizens, First Citizens Bank, Entegra and Entegra Bank entered into a letter of agreement with the Department of Justice to agree to sell the three Western North Carolina branches as part of the two companies' proposed merger. Completion of the proposed acquisition remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of other closing conditions, and is expected to occur on or about Dec. 31, 2019. Customers of Entegra Bank should bank as they normally do at their existing branches. Once the merger of First Citizens Bank and Entegra Bank takes place, Entegra Bank branch offices will initially operate as Entegra Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. Customer accounts at 15 Entegra Bank branch locations will be converted to First Citizens Bank's systems and operations later in 2020. Also, on the date of merger, First Citizens Bank will temporarily acquire the three divested branches in the merger with Entegra Bank, but the accounts ultimately will not be converted to First Citizens Bank's systems. Select Bank will acquire and convert customer accounts at the three divested Entegra Bank locations.

08:37 EST iBio announces collaboration with EdgePoint AI for biologics manufacturing - iBio (IBIO) announced that it has entered into a collaboration with EdgePoint AI, a division of Mateon Therapeutics (MATN), to deploy EdgePoint's proprietary artificial intelligence/blockchain-driven vision system for pharmaceutical manufacturing, known as TrustPoint Fabric. Initial implementation will occur at iBio's state-of-the-art production facility for the optimization of raw material documentation and verification activities. Using blockchain technology, TrustPoint Fabric enables automated data generation and capture to remain immutable and fully auditable. Thus, when fully implemented, iBio aims to deliver the highest-level of compliance to the pharmaceutical industry's standards for data integrity. Concurrently, the enhanced automation capabilities are expected to lower operating costs while improving quality for clients of iBio's biologics contract development and manufacturing services.

08:35 EST Pacific Ethanol amends term loans, enters LOI to sell certain assets - Pacific Ethanol entered into long-term amendments to its senior secured notes and to its term loans with CoBank and Compeer Financial for its Pekin and Illinois Corn Processing plants. Pacific Ethanol has entered into an amendment extending the final maturity of the company's senior secured notes by two years to December 15, 2021. The amendment provides for scheduled principal payments of $5M per quarter commencing on September 30, 2020. In connection with the amendment, Pacific Ethanol issued approximately 5.5M shares of common stock and three-year warrants to purchase up to 5.5 million shares of common stock at $1.00 to the senior secured noteholders. The warrants have a mandatory cash exercise once the company's stock price trades at $1.50 for a stated period, and all proceeds of the warrants will be used to repay the senior secured notes. Pacific Ethanol Pekin, LLC, entered into an amendment to its credit agreement to fully waive prior covenant violations and to defer $10.5N of scheduled principal payments until the term loan maturity date of August 20, 2021. In addition, Pekin is not required to make scheduled principal payments until September 30, 2020, at which time $3.5M will be due, with the same amount due quarterly thereafter until maturity. Illinois Corn Processing, LLC, entered into an amendment to its credit agreement to defer the scheduled principal payment of $1.5M, originally due on December 20, 2019, to the maturity date of September 20, 2021. Scheduled principal payments of $1.5M per quarter will resume March 20, 2020. Pacific Ethanol continues to progress its strategic initiatives. This process may result in the sale of assets, mergers, partnerships, financings or other transactions to strengthen the company's balance sheet and maximize shareholder value. The company has signed letters of intent on asset sales and will provide material updates as appropriate.

08:34 EST Equifax to offer six free credit reports for U.S. consumers - Equifax announced the offering of six free Equifax credit reports for U.S. consumers. These free Equifax credit reports will be available during any twelve-month period for seven years without any charge.

08:33 EST BioMarin: EMA validates MAA for valoctocogene roxaparvovec - BioMarin announced that the European Medicines Agency validated the company's Marketing Authorization Application for its investigational gene therapy, valoctocogene roxaparvovec, for adults with severe hemophilia A. The MAA review will commence in January 2020 under accelerated assessment.

08:32 EST OSI Systems receives $12M order to provide services for Rapiscan Systems - OSI Systems announced that its Security division received an order for approximately $12M to provide operation and maintenance services for Rapiscan Systems and AS&E security screening equipment.

08:26 EST FleetCor 'strongly disagrees' with FTC lawsuit - In a statement issued Friday night following the lawsuit announced by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission related to the company's U.S. direct card business within its North American Fuel Card business, FleetCor said in part: "FleetCor strongly disagrees with the FTC's complaint, which the FTC Commissioners were not unanimous in approving, and believes the FTC's claims are without merit. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves against the FTC in court. Importantly, this lawsuit is limited to the directly-issued portion of our U.S. fuel card business, and we believe these matters are not and will not be material to the financial performance of the company. The company has attempted to engage constructively with the FTC to resolve this matter. However, these discussions reached an impasse primarily related to what FleetCor believes are unreasonable demands for redress made by the FTC. As a result, the parties have so far been unable to reach a settlement regarding the matter. We believe the FTC's complaint is based upon fundamental misconceptions of the company, its customers and its products...The FTC investigation and allegations are directly related to FleetCor's U.S. direct fuel card business within its North American Fuel Card business. This business generates approximately $600 million in annual revenue, with approximately 50% derived from card-accepting merchants and the remainder from business accounts. Of the revenue derived from business customers, approximately 50% is comprised of risk-related fees, such as late fees and finance charges, which are avoidable based on clearly defined customer behavior. An additional 20% of customer revenue is comprised of transaction fees charged to trucking companies, which is a well-known standard practice in the industry since the 1980s. The remaining 30% is comprised of fees related to program administration and optional services. We believe that further enhanced disclosures will have no material impact on our ability to bill and collect these fees going forward. FleetCor takes governance and oversight matters seriously and is confident that it has acted in accordance with all applicable laws. We have a strong culture of compliance and are committed to operating our business in an ethical and transparent manner."

08:16 EST Bombardier's Global 5500, Global 6500 jets awarded FAA certification - Bombardier announced that its two latest additions to the Global family, the Global 5500 and Global 6500 business jets, have received Federal Aviation Administration certification, achieving another important milestone following its successful entry-into-service in September and its impressive worldwide debut at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas. The aircraft went through a rigorous flight testing program and obtained Transport Canada and EASA certifications within a few weeks of each other. The Pearl 15 engine was custom-designed with innovative technology - including enhanced aerodynamics, blade cooling and advanced engine health monitoring systems - to power the Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft.

08:12 EST Nemaska Lithium files for creditor protection under CCAA - Nemaska Lithium announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the Corporation and its subsidiaries to bring an application in the Superior Court of Quebec to seek protection from creditors under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act to give the Corporation sufficient time to complete its re-financing efforts to allow for the completion of the construction of its Whabouchi project, which are required further to the cost re-assessment previously announced. After careful consideration of all available alternatives following thorough consultation with its legal and financial advisors, the Board of Directors of the Corporation, following recommendation from its special committee, determined that it was in the best interests of the Corporation and all of its stakeholders to file for an application for creditor protection under the CCAA. The initial Court order sought is expected to provide a stay of creditor claims and the exercise of contractual rights with a view to provide the necessary protection to continue the Corporation's ongoing strategic review process under the oversight of the Board of Directors and with the advice of the Corporation's professional advisors. In this regard, the Corporation anticipates that it may seek the approval of the Court to initiate a formal investor solicitation process to secure additional financing, sell assets, enter into a joint-venture, or a combination thereof, at a subsequent hearing before the Court. This process is intended to generate interest in either the business or the assets of the Corporation, or in a recapitalization of the Corporation, with the goal of maximizing return in respect of the Corporation's assets and creating the foundation of a plan of compromise or arrangement for all stakeholders of the Corporation. The Corporation will provide a further update on these matters once more information is available.

08:10 EST GreenMD Beauty, Charlie Lapson Jewelry to launch on ShopHQ in January - iMedia Brands announced two new brands launching in January 2020 on its flagship, nationally-distributed television network, ShopHQ. GreenMD Revolution Beauty with Dr. Jeffrey Lin - Dr. Lin is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Medical School. In January, Dr. Lin will launch his first show celebrating an exclusive CBD beauty line with ShopHQ. Charlie Lapson Jewelry - On January 20th, Charlie is launching a collection of gem and diamond stimulate jewelry products.

08:08 EST Manitex announces $500K in orders - Manitex announced that it has received orders for thirteen knuckle boom cranes from international dealerships valued at roughly $500,000. The order represents an important milestone, of follow-on business through its strategic partner Tadano, and their global dealership network. These units will be shipped to several countries in Asia and branded as PM-Tadano products. Initial production and deliveries are slated for first quarter 2020.

08:07 EST YRZZ announces strategic cooperation with Hexindai - Entertainment Manufacturing International Culture Media Group announced its strategic cooperation with Hexindai. Color World Entertainment Limited, an affiliate of YRZZ, and Hexindai entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understandin of intent to start collaborating on business integration and expansion going forward.

08:06 EST Security National Financial finalizes acquisition of Kilpatrick Life Insurance - Security National Financial Corporation announced the closing of its purchase of Kilpatrick Life Insurance Company. Kilpatrick Life is a Louisiana domiciled life insurer having a strong insurance base in the Southeastern United States. After receiving approval from the Louisiana Department of Insurance on December 12th, the Company closed the transaction on December 13th. Kilpatrick Life had approximately $193M in assets and $10M in collected premiums as of September 30, 2019, on a statutory accounting basis.

08:06 EST Hess Corp. discovers oil offshore Guyana at Mako-1 well - Hess Corporation announced another oil discovery on the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana at the Mako-1 well southeast of the Liza Field. The discovery adds to the current gross recoverable resource estimate of more than 6 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Mako-1 encountered approximately 164 feet of a high-quality oil bearing sandstone reservoir. Mako-1, drilled in 5,315 feet of water, is located approximately six miles southeast of the Liza Field.

08:05 EST Rubius Therapeutics appoints Christina Coughlin as CMO - Rubius Therapeutics announced the appointment of Christina Coughlin, M.D., Ph.D., as the company's CMO, effective January 6, 2020. Chris Carpenter, M.D., Ph.D., Rubius' previous CMO, is transitioning to a scientific advisory role. A trained oncologist and immunologist, Dr. Coughlin joins Rubius from Tmunity Therapeutics, where she served as CMO and was responsible for the development of Tmunity's CAR-T and TCR-T cellular therapy pipeline across preclinical, regulatory and clinical development activities.

08:04 EST Exxon Mobil discovers oil offshore Guyana at Mako-1 well - ExxonMobil said it made an oil discovery offshore Guyana at the Mako-1 well southeast of the Liza field, marking the 15th discovery on the Stabroek Block. The discovery adds to the previously announced estimated recoverable resource of more than 6 billion oil-equivalent barrels on the Stabroek Block. Mako-1 encountered approximately 164 feet of a high-quality oil bearing sandstone reservoir. Mako-1, drilled in 5,315 feet of water, is located approximately six miles southeast of the Liza field, which began producing oil in December. Pending government approvals and project sanctioning of a third development, production from the Payara field north of the Liza discoveries could start as early as 2023, reaching an estimated 220,000 barrels of oil per day. Drilling activities in Guyana continue with four drillships to further explore and appraise new resources as well as develop the resources within approved projects.

08:03 EST NCR Corp. acquires Zynstra for GBP 100M - NCR Corporation announced the acquisition of U.K.-based Zynstra, a provider of edge virtualization technology. NCR purchased Zynstra for approximately GBP 100M. The acquisition is expected to be slightly dilutive to earnings per share in 2020.

08:02 EST Nielsen announces resignation of CFO/COO David Anderson - Nielsen announced that CFO and COO David Anderson has resigned, effective December 31. A search for a successor is well underway with the assistance of an external search firm. The company also reaffirmed its fiscal year 2019 guidance as discussed on its third quarter earnings conference call held on November 7.

07:47 EST McDermott, Chiyoda announce first liquid from Cameron LNG Train 2 - McDermott and its joint venture partner, Chiyoda International Corporation, a U.S.-based wholly-owned subsidiary of Chiyoda Corporation, Japan, today announced that Train 2 of the Cameron LNG project in Hackberry, LA, has begun producing liquefied natural gas, or LNG. While production is in the initial phases, this significant project accomplishment is a precursor to substantial completion of Train 2. McDermott and Chiyoda have provided the engineering, procurement and construction for the Cameron LNG project since the project's initial award in 2014. The project includes three liquefaction trains with a projected export of 12 million tonnes per annum of LNG, or approximately 1.7 billion cubic feet per day.

07:35 EST Kirkland Lake Gold recommends shareholders vote for Detour Gold resolution - Kirkland Lake Gold announced that it has filed its management information circular and related meeting materials in connection with a special meeting of shareholders to be held on January 28, 2020. The purpose of the Meeting is to seek approval in connection with Kirkland Lake Gold's previously announced proposed acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Detour Gold Corporation by way of a plan of arrangement under Section 192 of the Canada Business Corporations Act. Kirkland Lake Gold and Detour Gold entered into an arrangement agreement pursuant to which Kirkland Lake Gold will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Detour Gold on the basis of 0.4343 of a Kirkland Lake Gold common share for each Detour Gold common share held. Upon completion of the Arrangement, existing Kirkland Lake Gold and Detour Gold shareholders will own approximately 73% and 27% of the outstanding shares of the pro forma company, respectively. After consultation with the Kirkland Lake Gold management team and its financial and legal advisors, and following careful consideration, the Board of Directors of the Company unanimously recommends that Kirkland Lake Gold shareholders vote FOR the proposed resolution.

07:33 EST AquaVenture to be acquired by Culligan for $27.10 per share in cash - Culligan and AquaVenture Holdings announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Culligan will acquire AquaVenture for $27.10 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.1B, including AquaVenture's net debt. AquaVenture has grown to become one of the leading WAAS solution providers in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America. The company offers point-of-use filtered water systems and related services to more than 55,000 institutional and commercial customers across the U.S. and Canada, and desalination and wastewater treatment solutions to governmental, municipal, industrial and hospitality customers throughout the Americas. The transaction will result in AquaVenture joining Culligan's leading consumer water service and solutions platform as a privately held company. Under Culligan's ownership, AquaVenture will continue its focus on providing world-class service and innovative water treatment solutions for its customers. Under the terms of the agreement, AquaVenture shareholders will receive $27.10 in cash for each ordinary share of AquaVenture they own. The all-cash purchase price represents a premium of approximately 25% to AquaVenture's closing share price on December 20, and a premium of approximately 33% to AquaVenture's 90-day volume weighted average share price. Culligan has fully committed debt financing to support the transaction, along with equity financing provided by investment funds affiliated with Advent International. There are no financing contingencies contemplated under the terms of the merger agreement. The transaction has been unanimously approved by AquaVenture's board and is expected to close in early April 2020, subject to AquaVenture shareholder approval, regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Upon the completion of the transaction, AquaVenture will become a privately held company, and shares of its common stock will no longer be listed on any public market.

07:32 EST OpGen says Curetis gains FDA clearance for expanded Unyvero LRT BAL product - OpGen reported an update on the business of Curetis, the other party to the planned business combination with OpGen. On December 20, 2019 Curetis announced that the Company has received 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its Unyvero LRT Lower Respiratory Tract Application Cartridge for use with bronchoalveolar lavage samples to diagnose lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia. The LRT BAL panel detects a broad spectrum of clinically relevant causative agents, including atypical pathogens, as well as antibiotic resistance markers. It provides clinicians with a valuable diagnostic tool that informs early and supports appropriate antibiotic treatment decisions in this indication. The Unyvero LRT BAL application is a molecular diagnostic pneumonia panel that includes Pneumocystis jirovecii. As culture-based diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia is not possible, identification of this pathogen is often based on morphological detection techniques, which are labor-intensive, time-consuming and lack sensitivity. Rapid diagnosis of PJP, which causes severe and life-threatening symptoms, is crucial in patients with a weak or suppressed immune system. Initiating the appropriate therapy even one day earlier can significantly reduce mortality in this patient group. By providing a fast and reliable solution for the rapid detection of pathogens and antibiotic resistance markers, Unyvero LRT BAL is an essential, indispensable tool for targeted antimicrobial therapy. OpGen and Curetis entered into a definitive agreement to combine businesses on September 4, 2019. The closing of the transaction under such definitive agreement has not yet occurred and is subject to a number of significant closing conditions, including receipt of approval from the stockholders of OpGen, Inc. and the shareholders of Curetis, N.V. Until the closing occurs, each of OpGen and Curetis are operating as stand-alone businesses.

07:31 EST Genworth, Oceanwide extend merger agreement - Genworth Financial and China Oceanwide Holdings Group announced they have agreed to a 13th waiver and agreement of each party's right to terminate the previously announced merger agreement. The 13th waiver and agreement extends the previous deadline of December 31, 2019 to no later than March 31, 2020.

07:29 EST IAMGold, AngloGold Ashanti to sell stake in Mali mine for $105M - IAMGOLD Corporation (IAG) announced that the Company, together with joint venture partner, AngloGold Ashanti (AU), has entered into an agreement to sell our collective interests in Societe d'Exploitation des Mines d'Or de Sadiola S.A. to Allied Gold Corp. AGA and IAMGOLD each hold a 41% interest in SEMOS with the remaining 18% interest held by the Government of Mali. Under the terms of the Agreement, IAMGOLD and AGA will sell their collective interests in SEMOS to Allied Gold for a cash consideration of $105M, payable as follows: $50M upon the fulfilment or waiver of all conditions precedent and closing of the Transaction; Up to a further $5M, payable 8 days after Closing, to the extent that the cash balance of SEMOS at Closing is greater than an agreed amount; $25M upon the production of the first 250,000 ounces from the Sadiola Sulphides Project; and $25M upon the production of a further 250,000 ounces from the SSP. The Transaction is subject to the fulfilment, or waiver, of a number of conditions precedent, including the receipt of certain approvals and releases from the Government of Mali, as well as, in the case of AGA, the approval of the South African Reserve Bank. It is anticipated that all conditions precedent will be fulfilled or waived by the end of April 2020. In addition, upon the fulfilment or waiver of all conditions precedent to the Transaction but immediately prior to Closing, SEMOS will pay a dividend of $15M pro rata to its shareholders. IMG and AGA will each receive a cash dividend of $6.15M and the Government of Mali will receive a cash dividend of $2.7M.

07:22 EST AstraZeneca triple-combination COPD therapy approved in China - AstraZeneca announced that budesonide/glycopyrronium/formoterol fumarate has been approved in China for the maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. "This is the first approval by the National Medical Products Administration for a triple-combination therapy in a pressurized metered-dose inhaler, which uses the innovative Aerosphere delivery technology," the company stated.

07:18 EST Fortress Transportation announces sale of 49.9% interest in Long Ridge Terminal - Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors announced that it has sold a 49.9% interest in Long Ridge Terminal to the Labor Impact Fund, L.P., a fund managed by GCM Grosvenor for $150M in cash, plus an earn-out. Long Ridge, an industrial port and rail terminal located in Hannibal, Ohio, is the site of a new 485 MW combined cycle gas-fired power plant currently under construction and scheduled to be completed and operational by November 2021. Citi served as sole financial advisor to the Company on the transaction.

07:15 EST Microbot Medical to unveil fully disposable robotic system LIBERTY - Microbot Medical announced the revealing of LIBERTY, a fully disposable robotic system for use in neurovascular, cardiovascular and peripheral vascular procedures. The LIBERTY robotic system features a unique compact design with the capability to be operated remotely, reduce radiation exposure and physical strain to the physician, as well as the potential to eliminate the use of multiple consumables through its "One & Done" capabilities. Microbot is set to publicly display and demonstrate LIBERTY to investors, journalists and healthcare industry leaders on Monday, January 13, 2020, in San Francisco.

07:11 EST Codexis announces license agreement with Roche for EvoT4 DNA enzyme - Codexis (CDXS) announces a license agreement to provide Roche (RHHBY) with Codexis' EvoT4 DNA ligase high-performance molecular diagnostic enzyme. This enzyme was developed using Codexis' proprietary CodeEvolver protein engineering platform and is expected to be incorporated into Roche's next generation sequencing library preparation kits and other sequencing products. The royalty bearing license grants Roche worldwide rights to include the EvoT4 DNA ligase in its nucleic acid sequencing products and workflows. Library preparation is a critical first step in the NGS workflow and involves modifying nucleic acid samples using a coordinated series of enzymatic reactions to produce libraries of DNA fragments for high-throughput sequencing. The EvoT4 DNA ligase was developed to improve the efficiency and speed of adapter ligation for challenging and low-input DNA samples, thereby improving NGS sensitivity and accuracy - both important attributes for sequencing applications.

07:08 EST FibroGen submits NDA for roxadustat for treatment of anemia of CKD - FibroGen announced the submission of a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for roxadustat for the treatment of anemia of chronic kidney disease, in both non-dialysis-dependent and dialysis-dependent CKD patients. Roxadustat is the first orally administered small molecule hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor submitted for FDA regulatory approval for the treatment of anemia of CKD. Regulatory approval of roxadustat is supported by positive results from a global Phase 3 program encompassing 15 trials that enrolled more than 10,000 patients, worldwide.

07:06 EST Aurora Cannabis confirms 'Cannabis 2.0' roll out - Aurora Cannabis provided an update on the readiness of its operations with the introduction of new product formats, recent industry recognitions and updates to existing operations. The company has commenced shipments of initial orders received to 10 of Canada's provincial regulators of Cannabis 2.0 products following December 17, however most Canadian consumers will likely not see these products on retail store shelves until early January 2020 due to varied retail operations across the country. Patients can now immediately access a variety of the new product formats. Initially the company is providing a variety of CBD and THC vape and edible products, such as gummies, chocolates, baked goods and mints. These new cannabis products are being produced at Aurora Sky in Edmonton, Alberta, Aurora River in Bradford, Ontario and Aurora Vie in Pointe-Claire, Quebec. These centres have been outfitted to provide centralized production, packaging, logistics and distribution capabilities. The company has prioritized its resources to prepare for a successful initial launch and has built inventories to support an ongoing replenishment strategy to help ensure consumers across Canada have access to a diverse portfolio of high-quality derivative products.

07:04 EST iRhythm files quarterly report on Form 10-Q for Q3 - iRhythm Technologies announced the filing of its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2019 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company had previously announced the filing would be delayed due to its identification of errors affecting prior periods in the course of preparing the Form 10-Q that would require further analysis. iRhythm has evaluated the errors and determined that the related impact was not material to its financial statements for any prior annual or interim period. Correcting the cumulative impact of the errors however, is significant to its results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019. Accordingly, the company has revised previously reported financial information.

07:03 EST Diamond Eagle Acquisition enters business combination agreement with DraftKings

07:02 EST Progenics says Phase 3 CONDOR trial of PyL meets primary endpoint - Progenics Pharmaceuticals announced positive top line results from the Phase 3 CONDOR trial evaluating the diagnostic performance and clinical impact of PyL in men with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. PyL is the Company's PSMA-targeted small molecule positron emission tomography imaging agent designed to visualize prostate cancer. The Phase 3 CONDOR trial is a prospective, multi-center, open label pivotal trial in which 208 patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer and uninformative baseline imaging based on conventional modalities were dosed and imaged with PyL at 14 sites in the United States and Canada. The CONDOR trial achieved its primary endpoint, with a correct localization rate of 84.8% to 87.0% among the three blinded independent readers. CLR is based on positive predictive value, defined as the percentage of patients with a one-to-one correspondence between localization of at least one lesion identified on 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT and a composite truth standard comprised of histopathology, conventional imaging and/or changes in PSA levels following radiation therapy. Safety results showed PyL was well tolerated, consistent with the Phase 2 OSPREY trial results. There was one serious adverse event of hypersensitivity reported in one patient as related to the study drug. The most frequent adverse event reported was headache, which was reported in four patients. Additional results from the CONDOR trial are expected to be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.

06:56 EST Geo Group signs two new contracts with ICE for five company-owned facilities - The GEO Group announced the signing of two new contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for five company-owned facilities in California totaling 4,490 beds. The contracts will have terms of 15 years, inclusive of two five-year options, effective December 20, 2019. The contracts cover two existing, company-owned facilities currently operated by GEO on behalf of ICE: the 1,940-bed Adelanto ICE Processing Center and the 400-bed Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center. The contracts also incorporate three other company-owned facilities: the 700-bed Central Valley MCCF, the 750-bed Desert View MCCF, and the 700-bed Golden State MCCF, as facility annexes. On a combined basis, the contracts are expected to generate over $200M in annualized revenues for GEO and will support more than 1,200 full-time jobs.

06:55 EST Sempra LNG: Cameron LNG liquefaction-export facility begins production - Sempra LNG, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, announced that Cameron LNG has begun producing liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from the second liquefaction train of the export facility in Hackberry, LA. Train 2 and Train 3 are expected to commence commercial operations under Cameron LNG's tolling agreements in the first and third quarter of 2020, respectively. The facility's first liquefaction train started commercial operations in August.

06:53 EST Lannett receives FDA approvals for 2 dosage strengths of BAC Capsules - Lannett announced that it has received approvals from the FDA of its Abbreviated New Drug Applications, or ANDAs, for Butalbital, Acetaminophen and Caffeine, or BAC, Capsules, USP, 50mg/300mg/40mg and BAC Capsules, USP, 50 mg/325 mg/40 mg. The two dosage strengths of BAC Capsules, have a combined estimated IQVIA market value of approximately $68.6 million for the 12 months ending October 2019, although actual generic market values are expected to be lower.

06:49 EST Chaparral Energy names Charles Duginski as CEO, succeeding K. Earl Reynolds - Chaparral Energy announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Charles Duginski as President and CEO, effective December 20. Duginski succeeds K. Earl Reynolds in those roles as Reynolds has resigned to pursue other interests. Duginski is also joining the Board of Directors as are Michael Kuharski and Mark McFarland. Matthew Cabell is stepping down from the Board.

06:45 EST Brookfield Infrastructure to acquire Cincinnati Bell in $2.6B transaction

06:28 EST NMC Health to begin independent review of financials - The company said, "NMC Health states that, following the attack on the Company last week, we issued a detailed rebuttal and are disappointed with the very material and, we believe, unwarranted share price reaction. Our independent Audit Committee and our new independent Disclosure Committee respectively monitor and review disclosure and financial reporting to ensure that it is accurate and complete. In addition to this ongoing governance structure and the statements we have made to date to provide additional reassurance to shareholders, the Company will be commencing an independent third-party review, undertaken by a leading accounting firm, to review the assertions made by certain third parties. This independent review will be overseen by a committee made up of a majority of Independent Non-Executive Directors of the Company, which is being formed. We are confident that this review, when complete, will be entirely confirmatory of the disclosures provided by the Company to date. We will also be progressing relevant legal and regulatory options following the actions taken by third parties to mislead the market and manipulate the share price. The Company believes that the current share price is not a fair reflection of the value of the Company which has a consistent track record of strong growth and cash generation. We will keep investors updated as we progress these initiatives in the coming weeks."

06:05 EST Organigram says first of 'Cannabis 2.0' products have been released - Organigram is pleased to announce the first of its 'Cannabis 2.0' products have been released, including Trailblazer Spark, Flicker and Glow 510-thread Torch vape cartridges. Shipments of the custom-designed cartridges were sent to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, starting December 17, from the company's Moncton production campus. The release is the first of the company's planned and staggered rollout of vaporizable products, including Edison + Feather ready-to-go distillate pens and Edison + PAX ERA distillate cartridges. Launches of both products are set to occur in markets across Canada through January. Certain provinces have announced delays or other restrictions on the launch of vaporizable products in their markets including Newfoundland & Labrador, Quebec and Alberta and the company is adjusting its distribution schedules accordingly. The company's next-generation product portfolio includes high-quality infused chocolate and a dissolvable powdered beverage product, designed using nanotechnology for faster onset of cannabinoids. Planned releases of Organigram's edible products are anticipated through calendar Q1 and Q2 of 2020.

06:02 EST Denbury Resources to sell 50% of working interest in four Texas oil fields - Denbury Resources announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with a subsidiary of Navitas Petroleum to sell half of its nearly 100% working interest position in four southeast Texas oil fields (consisting of Webster, Thompson, Manvel and East Hastings), for $50M cash and a carried interest in ten wells to be drilled by Navitas. The sale is expected to close by early March 2020 and is subject to customary closing conditions. The Company anticipates using the sale proceeds to fund operations, enhance liquidity and/or reduce debt. Production associated with the working interests to be sold averaged approximately 1,050 barrels of oil equivalent per day for the first nine months of 2019, and proved reserves for the working interests to be sold were approximately 3.7M barrels of oil as of December 31, 2018. Estimated net cash to Denbury from the sale is $42M after adjusting for interim cash flow from the properties between the January 1, 2019 effective date and the estimated early March 2020 closing date. Denbury retains the right to 100% of the proceeds from surface acreage sales at Webster Field.

05:21 EST Knowles acquires microphone design assets from AG for $58M - Knowles announced it has acquired the MEMS microphone ASIC design business from ams AG. The transaction includes intellectual property, rights to source ASIC wafers from multiple foundry partners, and the transfer of the ASIC design team, which will continue to be based in Switzerland. The purchase price of $58M was paid from cash on hand. Knowles expects the acquisition to be accretive to non-GAAP diluted earnings per share beginning in the first quarter of 2020, and intends to provide additional details regarding this acquisition during its Q4 earnings call.

05:17 EST Sarepta announces partnership, licensing agreement for SRP-9001 with Roche - Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) announced that Sarepta and Roche (RHHBY) have entered into a licensing agreement providing Roche exclusive commercial rights to SRP-9001, Sarepta's investigational gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, outside the United States. Under the agreement, Sarepta will receive $1.15 billion in an upfront payment and an equity investment; up to $1.7 billion in regulatory and sales milestones; and royalties on net sales, anticipated to be in the mid-teens. In addition, Roche and Sarepta will equally share global development expenses. Sarepta retains all rights to SRP-9001 in the United States. The collaboration combines Sarepta's leading gene therapy candidate for DMD with Roche's global reach, commercial presence and regulatory expertise to accelerate access to SRP-9001 for patients outside the United States. DMD is an X-linked rare degenerative neuromuscular disorder causing severe progressive muscle loss and premature death. SRP-9001, currently in clinical development for DMD, is designed to deliver the micro-dystrophin-encoding gene directly to the muscle tissue for the targeted production of the micro-dystrophin protein. As part of the agreement, Sarepta will continue to be responsible for the global development plan and manufacturing build out for SRP-9001. Through its leading hybrid manufacturing platform, Sarepta will remain responsible for manufacturing of clinical and commercial supplies. Sarepta has also granted Roche an option to acquire ex-U.S. rights to certain future DMD-specific programs, in exchange for separate milestone and royalty considerations, and cost sharing. The closing of the transaction is subject to the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and other customary conditions. The parties anticipate that the agreement will close in the first quarter of 2020.