Stockwinners Market Radar for January 16, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:58 EST TransAlta increases quarterly dividend 6.25% to 4.25c per share - TransAlta declared a quarterly dividend of 4.25c per common share payable on April 1 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 2.

18:56 EST TransAlta provides 2020 targets - TransAlta provided its targets for 2020 which include: achieving comparable EBITDA of $925M-$1B and free cash flow of $325M$-375M; a sustaining capital of $170M-$200M; significantly progressing the construction of the SemCAMS cogeneration project and Windrise wind facilities for commercial operation in 2021; completing the Sundance Unit 6 gas conversion in 2020; advancing the Sundance Unit 5 re-powering project for commercial operation in 2023; preparing Keephills Units 2 and 3 for gas conversions in 2021; repaying the $400M bond maturing in November 2020; continuing the share buyback program in an amount up to $80 million in 2020; achieving commercial operation for the Windcharger battery project in 2020; and progressing on its environmental, social and governance targets.

18:40 EST Microsoft CEO: Technology is the most malleable resource - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said, "The capitalistic system as we know it will be in jeopardy if the planet is in danger. Technology is the most malleable resource humans have ever found. AI is helping us discover new knowledge that was not possible before." He commented that Steve Ballmer encouraged the company to go aggressively towards the Cloud and they have done that. When asked about the issue of privacy, Nadella noted, "Privacy and public safety have to be in balance. Backdoors in technology are a bad idea. Privacy is a human right and it's core to our values in the U.S."

18:28 EST Microsoft CEO: Technology is the most malleable resource - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Microsoft CEO Nadella said, "The capitalistic system as we know it will be in jeopardy if the planet is in danger. Technology is the most malleable resource humans have ever found. AI is helping us discover new knowledge that was not possible before." He commented that Steve Ballmer encouraged the company to go aggressively towards the Cloud and they have done that. When asked about this issue of privacy, Nadella noted, "Privacy and public safety have to be in balance. Backdoors in technology are a bad idea. Privacy is a human right and it's core to our values in the U.S."

17:42 EST PUCT approves acquisition of El Paso Electric by Infrastructure Investments Fund - El Paso Electric Company, or EPE, and the Infrastructure Investments Fund, or IIF, announced that the Public Utility Commission of Texas, or PUCT, approved IIF's proposed acquisition of EPE as being in the public interest. A Final Order from the PUCT is expected to be issued within the next few weeks.

17:16 EST Willis Lease, SAS execute ConstantAccess agreement - Willis Lease Finance Corporation announced that it has entered into a ConstantAccess agreement with Scandinavian Airlines System whereby the company will guarantee availability of CFM56-5C engines to cover requirements due to both planned and unplanned removals of engines powering the airline's fleet of eight A340 aircraft.

17:12 EST JPMorgan director Mellody Hobson buys almost $2M in company shares - JPMorgan director Mellody Hobson disclosed in a filing that she had purchased 14,600 shares of company stock at an average price of $136.39 per share on January 15. The total transaction value of the purchase was $1,991,253.

17:08 EST Village Farms opts to receive $5.94M cash refund from Pure Sunfarms - Village Farms International announced that it has opted to receive a $5.94M cash refund from Pure Sunfarms Corp. relating to an additional equity contribution that Village Farms made to Pure Sunfarms on November 19, 2019. As previously disclosed by Emerald Health Therapeutics, it has been disputing Village Farms' ability to make the VF Additional Equity Contribution of $5.94M, as well as the cancellation of 5,940,000 common shares of Pure Sunfarms placed in escrow pending payment by Emerald of its related $5.94M equity contribution, following its failure to make its required equity contribution to Pure Sunfarms on November 1, 2019. In an effort to narrow the issues in dispute and accelerate the resolution of this shareholder dispute, Village Farms decided to unwind the VF Additional Equity Contribution, which has now been completed, with Pure Sunfarms providing Village Farms with the $5.94M cash refund. The $5.94M cash refund to Village Farms also eliminates the costs and delays involved in obtaining an independent appraisal of Pure Sunfarms that resulted from the VF Additional Equity Contribution. Village Farms continues to seek the cancellation of 5,940,000 common shares of Pure Sunfarms that were placed in escrow pending payment by Emerald of its related equity contribution, which was not made as required. It is Village Farms' position that the Emerald Share Cancellation is expressly provided for in the applicable legal agreements. If Village Farms is successful in the arbitration and Emerald's escrowed shares are cancelled, Village Farms would own 53.5% of Pure Sunfarms and Emerald would own 46.5% effective as of November 19, 2019. Village Farms expects a decision from the arbitration panel during the second half of 2020.

16:51 EST Rexford Industrial announces CFO Adeel Khan to step down - Rexford Industrial announced that Adeel Khan, CFO, has decided to step down from his current role as CFO. Khan will remain at Rexford and will continue to serve as CFO until a new CFO assumes the role and will then assist in transitioning his responsibilities. Both Khan and the company are considering the potential for Khan to assume a new role at the company after the hiring of a new CFO. The company has begun a formal search for a new CFO.

16:46 EST PTC appoints Kathleen Mitford as Chief Strategy Officer - PTC announced that Kathleen Mitford has been appointed to be the company's Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, Kathleen will oversee key functions including PTC's strategy, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, corporate marketing, and academic groups. Mitford takes the helm of PTC's strategy organization after her successful tenure as executive vice president, products.

16:42 EST Turquoise Hill sees FY21 copper production at 170KT-200KT - The company states: "Production in 2021 is expected to increase to a range of 170,000 to 200,000 tonnes of copper, and 450,000 to 500,000 ounces of gold, as we transition to the higher grade ore in the bottom of the pit and continue to increase the amount of underground development material processed."

16:40 EST Turquoise Hill reports Q4 copper production 32.9KT vs. 41.5KT last year - Reports Q4 gold production 24.3K oz. vs. 117K oz. last year. Reports Q4 silver production 190K oz. vs. 238K oz. last year.

16:34 EST GeoPark completes acquisition of Amerisur Resources - GeoPark Limited announced that it has closed the previously announced acquisition of Amerisur Resources Plc. GeoPark acquired the entire issued share capital of Amerisur for a total cash consideration of approximately $314M. The company is funding the transaction through the issuance of $350M 5.5% senior notes due 2027, to be used for the Amerisur acquisition and for general corporate purposes. Amerisur is a cashflow positive, growing business with low operating costs and a strong balance sheet with no debt, and a cash position of $36M as of September 30, 2019. The Amerisur acquisition incorporates 13 production, development and exploration blocks in Colombia, including 12 operated blocks in the Putumayo basin and the non-operated CPO-5 block in the Llanos basin, the Oleoducto Binacional Amerisur, and valuable partnerships with Oxy and ONGC.

16:33 EST Rio Tinto sees FY20 Pilbara iron ore shipments 330-343MT vs. 327.4MT in FY19 - Sees FY20 Alumina production 7.8-8.2MT vs. 7.7MT in FY19. Sees FY20 Mined Copper production 530-570KT vs. 577KT in FY19.

16:32 EST Meritor acquires TransPower, terms undisclosed - Meritor announced that it has acquired all the outstanding common shares of Transportation Power.Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "We are excited to welcome TransPower to the Meritor family as we continue providing our customers with sophisticated electric drivetrain solutions," said Jay Craig, Meritor's CEO and president. "This acquisition enables us to further position the company as a premier supplier of electrification technologies for commercial vehicles." With the addition of TransPower's product portfolio, Meritor advances its M2022 priorities through increased investment in next-generation technologies. It also further establishes the value of Meritor's Blue HorizonTM brand, which represents the company's emerging platform of advanced technologies centered on electrification. TransPower, a California-based company, supplies integrated drive systems, full electric truck solutions and energy-storage subsystems to major manufacturers of trucks, school buses, refuse vehicles and terminal tractors. The company has been focused exclusively on developing electrical drive solutions since its inception in 2010.

16:31 EST Coeur Mining reports Q4 gold production 94,716 ounces - Coeur Mining announced fourth quarter 2019 production of 94,716 ounces of gold, 3.2 million ounces of silver, 3.9 million pounds of zinc and 4.0 million pounds of lead. Full-year 2019 production totaled 359,418 ounces of gold, 11.7 million ounces of silver, 17.1 million pounds of zinc and 16.6 million pounds of lead. Metal sales for the fourth quarter included 95,532 ounces of gold, 3.2 million ounces of silver, 4.1 million pounds of zinc and 4.2 million pounds of lead. For the full year, metal sales totaled 367,650 ounces of gold, 11.9 million ounces of silver, 18.2 million pounds of zinc and 16.5 million pounds of lead. "Coeur's operations delivered solid gold production in 2019, highlighted by a strong second half of the year," said Mitchell J. Krebs, Coeur's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Palmarejo was our best performing operation last year, while Kensington's gold production increased 12% year-over-year. Wharf's gold production was 58% higher in the second half of 2019 compared to the first half, leading to a 10% year-over-year production increase."

16:27 EST Unum Group names Michael Simonds as COO, effective February 1 - Unum Group announced that Michael Simonds, president and CEO of Unum US, has been appointed to the newly created role of COO of the company, effective February 1. Simonds will continue to report to Richard McKenney, president and CEO. Simonds began his career at Unum in 1994 and has worked in leadership roles throughout the company in multiple divisions, including finance, marketing and sales.

16:21 EST Progress Software CFO Paul Jalbert to retire - Progress announced the upcoming retirement of its CFO, Paul Jalbert, and the appointment of Anthony Folger to succeed him. Jalbert, who joined Progress in August 2012 and has served as CFO since March 2017, will retire as CFO on January 31. Folger will join Progress as CFO on January 31, and Jalbert will remain with Progress until April to assist Folger in the transition. Folger was previously CFO and Treasurer of Carbonite.

16:20 EST Gap spikes over 10% after raising FY19 outlook, cancelling Old Navy spin - Shares of Gap are up 10.2% or $1.90 at $20.50 per share after the company cancelled its plans to separate Old Navy and guided FY19 above previously forecast range.

16:18 EST Gap brand CEO Neil Fiske to leave the company - The company's board of directors intends to appoint a new CEO to oversee the full portfolio of brands and corporate strategy. As previously communicated, in the interim, four of the company's senior leaders have been elevated and have taken on additional responsibilities reporting to Mr. Fisher. Mark Breitbard, president and CEO, Banana Republic, will now lead Gap Inc.'s collection of specialty brands, including Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Janie and Jack, Intermix and Hill City; Sonia Syngal, president and CEO, Old Navy, will continue to lead the Old Navy business; Teri List-Stoll, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will lead corporate operations related to finance, supply chain, technology and real estate; and Julie Gruber, executive vice president, global general counsel, corporate secretary and chief compliance officer, will lead corporate administrative functions including legal, corporate facilities and services, human resources and communications, loss prevention, sustainability, government affairs and foundation. Additionally, the company today announced that Neil Fiske, president and CEO of Gap brand, will leave the company.

16:17 EST Colliers International expands to Austin, Texas - Colliers International Group announced the acquisition of Colliers International Austin, which was previously an affiliate operation. As a company-owned operation, Colliers Austin will augment its business by adding service capabilities in one of America's most vibrant and attractive markets. Details of the transaction were not disclosed."Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and a hotbed for technology, startups and innovation. With some of the most respected educational institutions, a modest cost of living and a highly skilled workforce, Austin is at the top of the list of options for businesses to call home," said Steve Everbach, Colliers International President, Central Region U.S. Brokerage. "Adding this outstanding group of real estate professionals will enable Colliers to better serve our clients in Texas, as well as nationally and internationally." "By integrating into the Colliers global platform and leveraging its size, capital, established infrastructure and industry leadership, we look forward to accelerating our growth and taking our business to the next level," said David Bremer, Co-Market Leader for Colliers Austin. "This acquisition marks the natural next step for us, providing greater access to the broader Colliers platform to expand our capabilities in this growing market," said Volney Campbell, Founding Principal and Co-Market Leader for Colliers Austin.

16:16 EST Knoll to close manufacturing facility - Knoll announced that it will consolidate its manufacturing footprint in North America, resulting in the closure of the company's Grand Rapids, Michigan manufacturing facility. The closure is part of an initiative to optimize the company's North American manufacturing operations. Approximately 180 hourly and 30 salaried positions will be impacted. The company also said that it will continue manufacturing and distributing all products lines currently manufactured in Grand Rapids. The facilities consolidation is expected to result in annual cost savings to Knoll of approximately $10.0M-$11.0M. It will also entail an accumulation of restructuring charges over a multi-year period of approximately $18.2M.

16:12 EST Emerald Expositions Events names David Doft as new CFO effective immediately - Emerald Expositions Event announced that David Doft will become its CFO effective immediately following the conclusion of the company's reporting of financial results and filing of the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Philip Evans, the Company's current CFO, will continue in that role through such date in order to allow for a smooth and successful transition of responsibilities and reporting of full year 2019 results. Mr. Evans will stay on with the company as an employee through March 31, 2020.

16:10 EST Mercury General estimates Q4 catastrophe losses of $36M - Mercury General estimates that its total pre-tax catastrophe losses reported for the quarter will be approximately $36M, or approximately $28M net of tax, primarily resulting from the wildfires in California and other weather-related catastrophes that occurred during the quarter The company's 2019 total pre-tax catastrophe losses are estimated to be approximately $53M, approximately $42M net of tax. The company's total pre-tax catastrophe losses reported for Q4 and 2019 include favorable development of approximately $1M and $4M, respectively, on prior periods' catastrophe losses. There were no reinsurance benefits available under the company's Catastrophe Reinsurance Treaty for the catastrophe losses resulting from the catastrophes that occurred during 2019.

16:06 EST Kirkland's COO Michael Cairnes steps down, company plans to close 27 stores - Kirkland's has mutually parted ways with President and COO Michael Cairnes. CEO Woody Woodward will add the role of President and will oversee operations in addition to his ongoing responsibilities across merchandising and marketing. The company has promoted John Stacy, currently VP of Supply Chain, to Senior VP of Supply Chain, and Jeff Martin, currently VP of Transformation, to Senior VP of Omni-Channel Retail. The company has further reduced expenses at its corporate office and is planning to close 27 stores in early 2020, with the potential for further reductions in the store base later in the year.

16:04 EST Comcast says Peacock will include live breaking news coverage - Comcast said Peacock will be home to live breaking news coverage. NBC News NOW, the newly launched streaming network, will bring Peacock viewers "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt" as well as original video from "TODAY" and across the NBC News portfolio. The longest running show in television history will also be part of the newest streaming platform - with an original offering from "Meet the Press with Chuck Todd" on Peacock each weekday. In addition, NBC News will create signature, original documentaries for Peacock - delving deep into politics, biographies and history. Peacock will also be home to full episodes of "Dateline" - the true crime original. And America's most-watched news brand will go global, with coverage of the biggest stories shaping the planet as NBC News unveils a brand new international news network in collaboration with Sky. On the film front, Peacock will have access to the first pay window for DreamWorks Animation films "Trolls World Tour," "The Boss Baby 2," and "The Croods 2." Peacock will also be the exclusive streaming home to new episodes of "Curious George." New original series from DreamWorks Animation will also stream on Peacock, including "TrollsTopia," "Madagascar: A Little Wild," "The Mighty Ones," "Cleopatra in Space" and "Where's Waldo?" Additionally, popular family film titles from DreamWorks, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Kids will be available on Peacock including "Shrek," "Shark Tale," and "Despicable Me." On the sports side, Peacock will feature live coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as well as Premier League coverage starting in August 2020.

16:03 EST People's United reports Q4 net interest margin 3.14%

16:01 EST PagerDuty names Joe Militello as Chief People Officer - PagerDut announced Joe Militello as PagerDuty's new Chief People Officer. Militello will bring "invaluable experience" to the PagerDuty executive leadership team, having most recently held the position of CPO at Pivotal. Militello will report directly to CEO, Jennifer Tejada.

15:27 EST Tracon partner 3D Medicines granted orphan designation for envafolimab - 3D Medicines was granted FDA orphan designation for envafolimab as a treatment of biliary tract cancer, according to a post to the FDA website. On Dec. 20, 2019, Tracon Pharmaceuticals announced that it had signed a collaborative partnership agreement with 3D Medicines for the development of envafolimab, also known as KN035, a PD-L1 single-domain antibody administered by subcutaneous injection, for development in soft tissue sarcoma in North America. Reference Link

15:01 EST CMS Energy raises quarterly dividend to 40.75c from 38.25c per share - The first quarter dividend for the common stock is payable Feb. 28 to shareholders of record Feb. 7.

14:22 EST PPG says 'optimistic' global economy will grow in 2020 - Says will work to tighten tax rate as year progresses. Says continues to manage capital expenditures based on the current economic climate. Says while there continues to be geopolitical concerns and uncertainty around trade tensions, the company is optimistic global economy will grow in 2020. Sees having better visibility on demand trends going forward. Says will continue to pursue organic growth strategies. Says "confident" in 2019 results. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

14:10 EST PPG says USMCA may be catalyst for better economic growth in 2020 - PPG said that in Q4 in Latin America, sales volumes were lower by a mid-single-digit percentage versus the prior year driven by soft economic demand. The weakness was widespread, impacting Mexico, South and Central America. Looking ahead, the recent U.S., Canada, and Mexico trade agreement may be a catalyst for better economic growth in 2020. For EMEA in Q4, despite lower demand, full year operating margins and absolute earnings improved compared to 2018, the company said.

13:57 EST Google says on track to release over 120 games on Stadia in 2020 - Google said in a blog post that it is on track to release more than 120 games on its Stadia platform in 2020, and is targeting more than ten games in the first half of this year alone that will be only available on Stadia when they launch. "We're working with our partners to share more on those games soon," the company said in a blog post. Google also said that players can expect more features coming to Stadia in the first quarter and beyond, including: Support for 4k gaming on the Web; Add further Assistant functionality when playing on the Web; Support additional Android Phones; and wireless gameplay on the Web through the Stadia controller. "There is a lot more in store for this year," the company said. "In the meantime, we hope gamers are gearing up for some great new games and experiences. Toward the end of this month, we will share more about the games coming to Stadia Pro in February." Reference Link

13:51 EST OrbiMed intends vote in favor or Foamix, Menlo Therapeutics merger - OrbiMed Advisors said it has evaluated the proxy statement and prospectus for the proposed merger of Foamix Pharmaceuticals (FOMX) and Menlo Therapeutics (MNLO). OrbiMed "believes that the proposed merger of Foamix and Menlo is a compelling transaction with the potential to significantly enhance value for Foamix shareholders." Accordingly, OrbiMed intends to vote in favor of the approval. It noted that its clients have "substantial" holdings of Foamix securities, including 2,577,982 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase an additional 550,000 of ordinary shares, or approximately 5% of the company's shares outstanding. OrbiMed clients and Foamix have also entered into a credit agreement for term loans totaling $25M.

13:24 EST WEC Energy raises quarterly dividend 7% to 63.25c per share - The board of directors of WEC Energy Group declared a quarterly cash dividend of 63.25c per share on the company's common stock, an increase of 7% over the current quarterly dividend of 59c a share. This raises the annual dividend rate to $2.53 a share. The higher dividend is payable March 1, 2020, to stockholders of record on Feb. 14, 2020. "With today's action by our board, 2020 will be the seventeenth consecutive year of dividend increases for our stockholders," said Gale Klappa, executive chairman. "We will continue to target a dividend payout of 65%-70% of earnings."

13:07 EST CenterState Bank announces approval of new 6.5M share repurchase program - The company's Board of Directors approved a new two year share repurchase program of up to 6,500,000 shares of the company's outstanding common stock, which represents approximately 5% of the company's outstanding shares as of December 31, 2019. This stock repurchase program replaces the stock repurchase plan authorized on April 25, 2019 and will be for a two-year period from January 16, 2020 to January 16, 2022. The program and does not obligate the company to acquire any specific number of shares and may be suspended or discontinued at any time. At December 31, 2019, the company had 125,173,597 shares of its common stock outstanding.

13:05 EST Glass Lewis recommends Enzo Biochem investors vote for Harbert nominees - Harbert Discovery Fund, LP and Harbert Discovery Co-Investment Fund I, LP, the beneficial owners of more than 11.8% of the outstanding shares of Enzo Biochem, nnounced that a leading proxy advisory firm, Glass, Lewis & Co., has recommended that shareholders vote on the BLUE proxy card in support of HDF's two independent nominees, Fabian Blank and Peter Clemens. In its report, Glass Lewis highlighted the need for change at Enzo and the pervasive weakness of the arguments the company has made throughout its campaign: "[W]e are ultimately inclined to conclude Harbert...submits the much stronger fundamental case." Regarding Enzo's lack of strategic and operational progress, Glass Lewis notes that: "We are thus concerned Enzo is more focused on framing the current contest as an existential threat to perpetually unattained value-in-potentia, seemingly in lieu of demonstrating clear cause for continued operational goodwill among investors who have suffered expansive losses during the tenure of the bulk of the existing board." Kenan Lucas, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of HDF, commented on the report: "We are extremely pleased that Glass Lewis has supported our case for change at Enzo. HDF believes the company's pattern of prioritizing the entrenched status quo over its fiduciary duty to shareholders is no longer acceptable. Our two independent nominees, Fabian Blank and Peter Clemens, will provide the relevant skillsets and expertise required to help realize Enzo's value potential. We look forward to continuing constructive engagement with the Board and management on the path to improvement at Enzo."

12:41 EST Microsoft launching $1B climate innovation fund - In addition to its plan to become carbon negative by 2030, Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a blog post that Microsoft is also launching "an initiative to use Microsoft technology to help our suppliers and customers around the world reduce their own carbon footprints and a new $1B climate innovation fund to accelerate the global development of carbon reduction, capture, and removal technologies. Beginning next year, we will also make carbon reduction an explicit aspect of our procurement processes for our supply chain. Our progress on all of these fronts will be published in a new annual Environmental Sustainability Report that will detail our carbon impact and reduction journey. And lastly, all this work will be supported by our voice and advocacy supporting public policy that will accelerate carbon reduction and removal opportunities." Smith said the Climate Innovation Fund will commit to invest $1B over the next four years into new technologies and expand access to capital around the world to people working to solve this problem. We understand that this is just a fraction of the investment needed, but our hope is that it spurs more governments and companies to invest in new ways as well. We will primarily deploy this capital in two areas: (1) to accelerate ongoing technology development by investing in project and debt finance; and (2) to invest in new innovations through equity and debt capital." Reference Link

12:37 EST Microsoft announces it will be carbon negative by 2030 - Microsoft Corp. announced a new plan to reduce and ultimately remove its carbon footprint. By 2030 Microsoft will be carbon negative, and by 2050 Microsoft will remove from the environment all the carbon the company has emitted either directly or by electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975.

12:06 EST Pulmatrix regains compliance with Nasdaq minimum bid rule requirement - Pulmatrix announced that it received a letter from the listing qualifications department staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market, stating that the company has regained compliance with Nasdaq's minimum $1.00 per share bid price requirement. Accordingly, the company has regained compliance with Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), and the matter is now closed.

12:00 EST Alcoa falls -9.0% - Alcoa is down -9.0%, or -$1.82 to $18.36.

12:00 EST Qudian falls -15.7% - Qudian is down -15.7%, or -69c to $3.70.

12:00 EST Mallinckrodt rises 13.0% - Mallinckrodt is up 13.0%, or 58c to $5.08.

11:30 EST NRF reports 2019 holiday sales up 4.1% y/y - Holiday retail sales during 2019 grew 4.1% over the same period in 2018 to $730.2B, the National Retail Federation said. The numbers exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants. Online and other non-store sales were up 14.6% over the year before at $167.8B and are included in the total. NRF forecast in October that 2019 holiday sales during November and December would increase between 3.8% and 4.2% for a total of between $727.9B and $730.7B. The forecast called for online sales to increase between 11% and 14% to between $162.6B and $166.9B. The growth rate reported today is nearly double the weak 2.1% seen during the 2018 holiday season, which was slowed by a government shutdown, stock market volatility and interest rate hikes. Sales during December 2018 were down 0.2% from the year before. Retail sales in December 2019 alone increased 0.5% seasonally adjusted over November and were up 6.7% unadjusted year-over-year. December's results follow November's decline of 0.1% month-over-month and increase of 1.3% year-over-year. As of December, the three-month moving average was up 4.1% over the same period a year ago, compared with 3.1% in November. Publicly traded companies in the space include J.C. Penney (JCP), Kohl's (KSS), Macy's (M), Nordstrom (JWN), Sears (SHLD), Best Buy (BBY), Costco (COST), Target (TGT) and Walmart (WMT). Reference Link

11:14 EST Grupo Simec trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:38 EST Ocean Power higher as company highlights engagement with Eni SpA - Shares of Ocean Power Technologies (OPTT) are up 21c, or 25%, to $1.04 in morning trading after the company highlighted in a post to LinkedIn that its PB3 PowerBuoy Adriatic Sea installation recently marked a year of maintenance-free continuous operation. "One of the world's largest energy companies, Eni S.p.A. is demonstrating the PB3 PowerBuoy as a charging and communications platform to enable the long-term remote operation of its Clean Sea autonomous underwater vehicle," the company's LinkedIn post stated. Reference Link

10:05 EST H Partners in talks for Six Flags board seat amid 'recent deterioration' - H Partners Management, which owns a 6.51% stake in Six Flags Entertainment, said in a regulatory filing that as one of the company's "largest and longest-tenured shareholders," it has been monitoring developments and is "concerned by the recent deterioration" in the company's operational and stock price performance. To address these concerns, H Partners has engaged in discussions with Six Flags' board regarding suggestions aimed at improving the governance of the company, including the addition of a representative of the fund to the board of directors. Shares of Six Flags are up 60c to $36.18 in morning trading.

10:00 EST Pearson falls -8.5% - Pearson is down -8.5%, or -69c to $7.36.

10:00 EST XPO Logistics rises 12.8% - XPO Logistics is up 12.8%, or $10.63 to $93.45.

10:00 EST Signet Jewelers rises 35.7% - Signet Jewelers is up 35.7%, or $7.67 to $29.16.

09:54 EST Pearson falls -8.6% - Pearson is down -8.6%, or -69c to $7.35.

09:54 EST Mallinckrodt rises 7.3% - Mallinckrodt is up 7.3%, or 33c to $4.82.

09:47 EST Signet Jewelers rises 31.7% - Signet Jewelers is up 31.7%, or $6.81 to $28.30.

09:32 EST Vislink names Carleton Miller as CEO, effective January 15 - The Board of Directors of Vislink announced that it has named Carleton Miller as the company's CEO and a member of the Board of Directors, effective January 15. Miller was previously Co-Founder, CEO, President and Board Member of Blinq Technologies. Roger Branton will remain at Vislink as the company's CFO and a member of its Board of Directors.

09:28 EST Opera drops 16% to $7.55 after Hindenburg short report

09:26 EST Diana Shipping announces time charter contract for m/v Astarte - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Aquavita International S.A., for one of its Kamsarmax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Astarte. The gross charter rate is $11,750 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum fourteen months to about sixteen months. The charter is expected to commence on January 18, 2020. The "Astarte" is a 81,513 dwt Kamsarmax dry bulk vessel built in 2013. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately $4.94M of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

09:14 EST Wells Fargo having online banking connection issues, DownDetector says - Wells Fargo is having online banking connection issues, according to DownDetector. Reference Link

09:10 EST Comtech announces $2.3M contract renewal with telecom organization - Comtech announced that it has executed a three-year agreement worth $2.3M for deployed location-based services platforms with a U.S. telecom organization to support applications and services.

09:06 EST Marsh & McLennan acquires Ironwood Insurance Services, terms not disclosed - Marsh & McLennan Agency announced the acquisition of Ironwood Insurance Services. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Ironwood's 85 colleagues will continue to operate out of the firm's existing Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, offices. Will Underwood, founder and CEO of Ironwood, will continue to serve as CEO and will take on the additional role of Private Equity Center of Excellence Leader for MMA, nationally. Partners Matt Lovein and Matt Hene will become co-Presidents of Ironwood.

09:06 EST ToughBuilt announces initial launch of hand tool products - ToughBuilt Industries announced that in the first half of 2020 it will launch 14 categories of hand tools for the professional and DIY markets.

09:03 EST Hi-Tec Sports announces 2020 collaboration with Sealand Gear - Hi-Tec Sports, a subsidiary of Apex Global Brands, announced a new collaboration between HI-TEC and Sealand Gear, the South African-based upcycle and ecocycle brand. Designed and developed with HI-TEC footwear licensee International Brands Group, the explorative design collaboration will feature an enviromentally concious limited-edition release of HI-TEC's iconic Sierra Re:Flex trail shoe, which marks Sealand's debut within the footwear industry, as well as a collection of everyday travel bags and accessories. Emphasizing the city-to-trail functionality of both brands, the outdoor crossover collaboration draws inspiration from travel of all forms, whether it be the explorer, the daily commuter, the jet-setter or festival go-er. The newly designed model of the Sierra Re:Flex trail shoe featured in the collaboration will incorporate environmentally conscious materials and be packaged in resuable dual-purpose fuctional travel kits that will replace the conventional shoebox and eliminate excess waste. The collaboration will be available to view during Paris Fashion Week from January 16-22, 2020 at Awaykin Showroom and is scheduled to launch Summer 2020 at select retailers worldwide.

09:01 EST Arena Pharmaceuticals' APD418 granted FDA Fast Track designation - Arena Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. FDA granted Fast Track designation for APD418, a beta3-adrenergic receptor antagonist and cardiac myotrope, in development for the treatment of decompensated heart failure.

08:58 EST Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: XPO Logistics (XPO), up 19% after announcing plans to explore its strategic alternatives, including the possible sale or spin-off of one or more of XPO's business units... Signet Jewelers (SIG), up 26% after raising its Q4 and FY20 outlook... Luckin Coffee (LK), up 3% after KeyBanc analyst Eric Gonzalez raised his price target for the stock to $56 from $32 based on "strong" core business momentum and the addition of new revenue streams into his valuation methodology. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Morgan Stanley (MS), up 5%... WNS Holdings (WNS), up 3%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: BNY Mellon (BK), down 5%... PPG (PPG), down 4%... Alcoa (AA), down 2%. ALSO LOWER: Tesla (TSLA), down 4% after Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas downgraded shares to Underweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $360, up from $250... Qudian (QD), down 19% after withdrawing FY19 guidance and announcing $500M share repurchase plan... Michaels (MIK), down 5% after Goldman Sachs analyst Kate McShane downgraded the stock to Sell from Neutral with a price target of $6.50, down from $7.00.

08:57 EST Hill International selected by Fraport Greece for project management support - Hill International announced that it has been selected by Fraport Greece to provide project management support and on-call technical support services under a three-year framework contract related to the upgrade, maintenance, management, and operation of 14 airports in Greece. For the duration of the framework contract, Hill will support FG's in-house divisions for the management of the infrastructure works related to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency Certification compliance program for all airports, the commercial development program, the management of works associated with the environmental compliance program, and the provision of related contractual advice, among other things.

08:49 EST CenturyLink wins U.S. Dept. of the Interior task order worth up to $1.6B - CenturyLink announced that it won a task order, worth up to $1.6B, to provide secure network services and IT modernization solutions to the U.S. Department of the Interior via the General Services Administration's Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions program. The task order covers two areas and has a combined maximum value of $1.6 billion, with 11 one-year options that run through 2032.

08:45 EST Garrett Motion files complaint against Honeywell in asbestos indemnity suit - Garrett Motion (GTX) filed the complaint in its lawsuit, initiated on Dec. 2, 2019, against Honeywell (HON), related entities and certain affiliated individuals in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The complaint details how Honeywell and its executives, and not Garrett's current management, devised Garrett's spinoff to offload Honeywell's more than $1 billion legacy Bendix asbestos liability, while saddling Garrett with unconscionable and illegal covenants that unnecessarily limit its ability to control its long term future. For more than a year since its spinoff, Garrett has attempted to resolve these critical governance and financial issues amicably with Honeywell. After repeated, but unsuccessful discussions with Honeywell, Garrett believes it has no alternative but to turn to the Court for relief. Garrett intends to vigorously pursue its claims. During its negotiations, Honeywell has continued to force Garrett to pay Honeywell's asbestos labilities, including amounts paid to settle punitive damages exposure and Honeywell's wrongful conduct, both of which are not permitted under New York law, under the threat of improperly triggering a cascade of defaults under Garrett's financial indebtedness. Despite asserting that Honeywell's agreement is unlawful and unenforceable, Garrett has continued to comply with its terms, including making timely quarterly indemnity payments under protest. Garrett's exposure remains capped at $175M annually throughout the agreement. Garrett's lawsuit, initiated through a Summons with Notice filed on Dec. 2, 2019, seeks compensatory damages, rescission of the Indemnification Agreement, as well as other relief from the Court.

08:37 EST Taseko Mines reports 22% higher reserve estimate at Yellowhead Copper Project - Taseko Mines announced that recently updated technical work on the Yellowhead Copper Project in Central British Columbia has resulted in a 22% increase in recoverable copper reserves and significantly improved project economics. CEO Russell Hallbauer commented, "Today, we are announcing a project with a pre-tax NPV of C$1.3B, a C$500M increase over the 2014 Feasibility Study. The optimizations and modifications we have made are not only beneficial to the economics of the project but will also improve it from an environmental assessment process standpoint. The leverage this mine has to metal prices is huge, and with only a 10% increase in these assumptions, the pre-tax NPV climbs to C$2B. Based on the new project development plan, our acquisition cost equates to roughly one third of a penny per pound of copper in reserves, or 0.01x NAV. (...) With an average copper equivalent grade of 0.35% combined with a very low onsite operating cost of C$10 per tonne milled the mine site operating margin is a robust C$16 per tonne, or roughly C$500M per year for the first five years, at US$3.10 per pound copper. The 440,000 ounces of gold and 19 million ounces of silver, alone, will generate over C$1B of by-product revenues over the mine's life. Yellowhead has the potential to be one of the largest open pit copper mines in North America and would significantly increase Taseko's annual cash flow. (...) While our primary and near-term focus will remain on the advancement of our Florence Copper Project through to production, we will continue to progress Yellowhead expeditiously as the timing will fit in ideally after Florence Copper achieves commercial production. (...) Our plan is to add 85 million pounds of annual copper production from Florence Copper by 2022 and then another 200 million pounds from Yellowhead by 2025. A 280% production growth profile over six years to nearly 390 million pounds annually cannot be matched by any company in our sector and could be well timed with a growing copper supply deficit."

08:37 EST PolyMet Mining to appeal recent court decision on permits - Poly Met Mining says it will file a petition for review to the Minnesota Supreme Court seeking to overturn a state Court of Appeals decision handed down Monday remanding the company's Permit to Mine and dam safety permits to the Department of Natural Resources for a contested case hearing. "The issues raised by the court of appeals' decision are, of course, important to our project, but equally, they have far reaching impact to the State of Minnesota and to any future project that seeks permits from the state," said Jon Cherry, president and CEO. "The potential negative consequences of the decision to any industry or business in the state, and the many Iron Range communities and workers who stand to benefit economically from responsible copper-nickel mining, warrant the Minnesota Supreme Court's attention." Cherry cited, as a primary basis for seeking review, the court's decision to require an open-ended contested case hearing process, in spite of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' comprehensive, 15-year-long environmental review and permitting process for the NorthMet copper-nickel-precious metals project. The process involved extraordinary amounts of public review, public comment and public meetings. "No other company in the history of the state has been subjected to anywhere near the time and cost that was associated with this permitting process," Cherry said. "We did everything the state and the law required, and more. And the process confirmed that our project will be protective of human health and the environment. The court's decision greatly diminishes the role of expert state agencies and their commissioners in permitting in favor of administrative law judges. It sets a precedent that subjects the project and any future industrial project in the state to an endless loop of review, contested case hearings and appeals," he said. The company will file its petition for review to the Minnesota Supreme Court within the next 30 days.

08:36 EST Capstone Turbine signs 9-year FPP service contract new C1000S ICHP - Capstone Turbine announced that E-Finity Distributed Generation, Capstone's exclusive distributor for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States and the Caribbean, signed a 9-year Factory Protection Plan, or FPP, long-term service contract covering a C1000S Integrated Combined Heat and Power, or ICHP, trigeneration solution installed at a 100+ year old university in Washington D.C.

08:32 EST Allstate announces December catastrophe losses, Q4 charges - Allstate announced estimated catastrophe losses for the month of December of $25M, pre-tax, bringing estimated catastrophe losses for Q4 to $295M, pre-tax. In December, the company announced a transformative growth plan, which included a decision to phase out the use of the Esurance brand trade name. This decision resulted in a $51M, pre-tax charge for impairment of the Esurance trade name intangible asset from the 2011 acquisition. This amount will reduce net income but will be excluded from adjusted net income. The company previously disclosed that it will recognize a charge of $37M for original issuance costs as a result of the redemption of fixed rate noncumulative perpetual preferred stock on October 15, 2019, which will be included in preferred stock dividends, and reflected in both net income and adjusted net income.

08:32 EST Meritor appoints Chris Villavarayan as COO - Meritor appointed Chris Villavarayan as executive VP and COO, effective immediately. Villavarayan has served as Senior VP and President of Meritor's Global Truck segment since January 2018. Before being appointed senior vice president and president of Meritor's Global Truck segment, Villavarayan served as president of Truck Americas, responsible for Meritor's Commercial Truck, Defense and Specialty businesses in North and South America.

08:28 EST Calix says South Central Communication set to deploy Revenue EDGE solution - Calix announced that South Central Communications is set to deploy the complete Revenue EDGE solution as it launches its Advanced WiFi Service to elevate the subscriber experience in 2020. The regional communications service provider is leveraging EDGE Insights to recognize subscriber needs and to match service levels accordingly. From there, it will deploy EDGE Systems and EDGE Suites for all subscribers, starting with ProtectIQ, to offer the latest services. Finally, South Central is leveraging EDGE Enablement, working with the Calix marketing team to develop new marketing collateral and Calix Customer Success Services to accelerate their time to value.

08:25 EST Strongbow to raise $2M through private placement - Strongbow Exploration announces that it plans to raise $2,000,000 through a non-brokered private placement of 40,000,000 Units of the Company, priced at 5c per Unit. Each Unit comprises one common share and one half of one common share purchase warrant. Each full warrant will allow the holder to purchase one common share of Strongbow at a price of 7c for a period of 36 months from the closing date of the financing. The proceeds from the private placement will be used for a drill programme at the Company's South Crofty tin project, and for general working capital purposes. The objective of the drill programme is to demonstrate: the potential to expand the mineral resource; and that the infill drilling required to complete a Feasibility Study on the project can be completed without dewatering the mine. Osisko Gold Royalties will purchase 20,000,000 units of the private placement, subject to the financing being fully subscribed. Assuming the placement is fully subscribed, Osisko will hold 43,833,333 of the Company's common shares, representing 34.6% of the Company's issued capital. Accordingly, Osisko's participation in the private placement is a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Strongbow intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(b) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 on the basis that Strongbow is not listed on a specified market and neither the fair market value of the securities to be distributed in the Offering nor the consideration to be received for those securities, insofar as the transaction involved related parties, exceeds $2.5M. Strongbow may pay a commission or finder's fees in connection with this financing. Completion of the private placement is subject to certain conditions, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued as part of this private placement will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance of the securities.

08:20 EST UMH Properties promotes Daniel Landy to vice president - UMH Properties announced that it has promoted Daniel Landy from Assistant to the President to Vice President, effective January 15, 2020.

08:14 EST Cerence partners with Microsoft on interoperability for in-car experience - Cerence (CRNC) announced it is working with Microsoft (MSFT) to integrate Cerence Drive products with the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform. This new integration is part of Cerence's ongoing commitment to delivering a superior user experience in the car through interoperability across voice-powered platforms and operating systems. Automakers developing their connected vehicle solutions on MCVP can now benefit from Cerence's industry-leading conversational AI, in turn delivering a seamless, connected, voice-powered experience to their drivers.

08:13 EST InvisibleShield signs exclusive distribution partnership with Tessco - InvisibleShield, a ZAGG Brands (ZAGG) company, announced an exclusive partnership with TESSCO Technologies (TESS) to distribute InvisibleShield On Demand to more than 20,000 brick-and mortar retail stores throughout the U.S.

08:09 EST Trillium Therapeutics regains compliance with Nasdaq minimum bid price rule - Trillium Therapeutics announced that the Company has regained compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market minimum bid price requirement, and the matter is now closed. According to the letter received from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department, the closing bid price of the Company's common stock has been at $1.00 per share or greater for a minimum of 10 consecutive days, and the Company has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

08:09 EST Kratos wins place on U.S. Army GTACS II $5.1B multiple award IDIQ contract - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced that it will participate in a multiple award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for U.S. Army advanced communication systems. The new Global Tactical Advanced Communication Systems II contract vehicle will allow multiple companies to compete for up to $5.1B over a ten year period to support the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical and Project Manager Tactical Network. The GTACS II contract will provide an acquisition vehicle for Kratos' broad array of communications technology, including satellite solutions for signal processing to advanced cybersecurity products, command and control, virtual communications, SATCOM and tactical protected communications. Kratos has assembled an elite sub-contractor team, including both large and small companies to address GTACS II mission requirements. Members of the sub-contracting team were chosen based on specific strengths that complement Kratos capabilities to provide innovative, flexible, open-architecture tactical communications solutions. GTACS II will support the funding and is expected to run through January 5, 2030 with a five-year base period and a five-year option period. This contract vehicle may be used by other agencies and organizations in support of their missions.

08:06 EST Hanover Insurance sees Q4 non-catastrophe losses exceeding expectations by $20M - Hanover Insurance expects its Q4 non-catastrophe property losses to exceed expectations by approximately $20M before taxes. The loss experience was driven primarily by non-catastrophe weather activity in homeowners, as well as large property losses in commercial multiple peril and certain specialty lines, reported in its other commercial lines business. These losses are expected to be partially offset by lower than expected catastrophe losses. Current accident year liability loss trends and overall prior-year reserve activity are anticipated to be in line with expectations. Taking these factors into account, the company estimates its Q4 combined ratio to be in the range of 96.1% to 96.5%.

08:05 EST NV5 Global awarded $20M contract for design of underground power lines - NV5 Global announced that it has been awarded a contract for the engineering design of underground power lines in California. The project is part of an effort to mitigate fire risks and reduce the need to interrupt electrical service during windy conditions, which is a common safety measure in fire-prone areas. The multi-phase program will place hundreds of miles of underground power lines, providing reliable electrical service to thousands of customers. This initial project has already begun and is expected to be completed in 2021. The entire project is a multi-year, multi-phase program, and NV5 expects to generate approximately $20M over the duration of the program.

08:05 EST Owens & Minor intends to sell Movianto business - Owens & Minor announces its intention to sell its European logistics business, Movianto, to EHDH Holding Group, or EHDH, a privately held French company. The intended transaction is subject to discussions, where mandated, with employee representative bodies and certain conditions, including customary regulatory and other approvals. Subject to these, the intended transaction would be expected to close in the first half of 2020. Sale proceeds are intended to be used toward debt reduction.

08:03 EST Standard General says Tegna press release contains 'false assertions' - A letter from to the shareholders of Tegna from Standard General's Soohyung Kim stated, "I am writing you to correct several false assertions in TEGNA's press release dated January 15, 2020. While Standard General will not be responding publicly to every baseless allegation TEGNA may make, several of TEGNA's statements require refutation. TEGNA asserts that Standard General has a track record of actions favoring its interests over those of other shareholders. This is nonsense. Like other active investment firms, Standard General often takes substantial equity positions, and our principals have served on the boards of a number of public companies in which we have invested. As a matter of firm policy, our principals take no fees or other compensation for their board service. Standard General profits from stock price appreciation, in the same way as any other shareholder. We believe in complete alignment with shareholders' outcomes. Our objective is to help drive value creation through stock price improvement. If we succeed, all shareholders benefit. In the case of TEGNA, we have demonstrated our commitment by making an investment that is approximately 20 times that of the current board and management combined. TEGNA has also sought to mislead our fellow shareholders by raising spurious claims regarding conflicts of interest with Standard General's other investments. First, Standard General's investment in a woman- and minority-owned broadcasting start-up with approximately $10 million of annual cash flow hardly represents a conflict with TEGNA's business. Second, in our discussions with TEGNA, we committed not to make any new investment in TV stations without first offering the opportunity to TEGNA. In short, there is no conflict. In addition to engaging in personal attacks on me and Standard General, TEGNA's response purports to tout the accomplishments of TEGNA's current board and management. In fact, TEGNA's track record is one of long-term performance failure. In the case of nine of TEGNA's eleven directors, TEGNA's performance has lagged its peer group from the date that director joined the board up to the time Standard General disclosed its investment in TEGNA. In stark contrast, the market has reacted positively since Standard General's investment in TEGNA -- and continues to react positively today. Nor should our fellow TEGNA shareholders derive comfort from TEGNA's acquisition spree (which TEGNA mischaracterizes in its press release as a "disciplined approach to M&A"). TEGNA's recently posted investor deck declines to use industry standard metrics to describe the acquisition prices paid by TEGNA -- instead adjusting acquisition multiples for estimates of fully realized synergies and tax benefits (benefits that it has not quantified and that may never be realized) -- and obfuscating the fact that TEGNA has been paying top dollar for these assets. As a substantial shareholder, we hope these investments will pay off. But TEGNA's board and management should not hide behind non-standard metrics to justify their M&A spree. TEGNA's press release also claims that the current board and management are "[open] to all paths to create value for all of TEGNA's shareholders." However, representatives of Standard General sat, with other investors, in an investor meeting with TEGNA management last August, in which TEGNA's CFO denied that TEGNA had received a business combination proposal from Apollo Management. The next day, TEGNA hastily retracted this falsehood, admitting that it had received two separate proposals from Apollo in 2019, but declining to provide any further details. As a result, we must question whether shareholders can rely on TEGNA's assurances that the current board and management are open-minded. We believe Standard General's involvement is critical to ensure that TEGNA is on the right path to maximize shareholder value. While we are disappointed in TEGNA's shrill response, it has no impact on our plan to vigorously pursue representation on TEGNA's board and to drive value creation for all TEGNA shareholders."

08:02 EST China SXT Pharmaceuticals' DNA Exam Laboratory receives regulatory approval - China SXT Pharmaceuticals' DNA Exam Laboratory, built in October, has been approved by Jiangsu province Drug Administration. The Laboratory has been granted to perform research and development and quality control of TCM raw materials and TCMP products applying DNA testing technology. The DNA testing technology can be extensively used for developing new TCMP products, analyzing and examining in accordance with highly specific standard of TCMP raw materials, and their products, especially, the Advanced TCMPs.

07:57 EST BioSig Technologies to commence patient cases at Mayo Clinic - BioSig Technologies announced that the Company installed its PURE EP System at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Mayo Clinic is the second institution to conduct patient cases under BioSig's clinical trial titled "Novel Cardiac Signal Processing System for Electrophysiology Procedures". Patient enrollments are due to begin mid-January 2020. Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Foundation in Austin, Texas, was the first institution to conduct patient cases under the clinical trial in the fourth quarter of 2019.

07:34 EST TG Therapeutics initiates rolling NDA submission for umbralisib - TG Therapeutics announced that the Company has initiated a rolling submission of a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requesting accelerated approval of umbralisib, the Company's oral, once-daily, dual inhibitor of PI3K-delta and CK1-epsilon, as a treatment for patients with previously treated marginal zone lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. The Company has received guidance from the FDA that submission of a single NDA for both the MZL and FL indications is acceptable. Umbralisib has previously been granted both orphan drug designation and breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA for MZL. The Company expects to complete the NDA rolling submission in the first half of 2020.

07:25 EST Neon Therapeutics trading halted, news pending

07:21 EST Morgan Stanley reports Q4 AUM $552B vs. $463B last year

07:19 EST Morgan Stanley reports Q4 Institutional Securities revenue of $5.1B - Institutional Securities reported net revenues for the current quarter of $5.1B compared with $3.8B a year ago. Pre-tax income was $1.1B compared with $780M a year ago.

07:13 EST Aleafia Health to launch Kin Slips cannabis-infused sublingual strips - Aleafia Health has reached a definitive licensing agreement with Kinstate to bring its cannabis-infused sublingual strips brand and underlying sublingual strip technology to the Canadian medical and adult-use cannabis market. The Agreement provides the Company with the exclusive Canadian rights to manufacture, market and sell certain Kin Slips products, along with rights to use the associated proprietary formulations, manufacturing methodology and intellectual property provided by Kinstate and options for the Company to offer the format into certain other international markets. Kin Slips, along with many new cannabis formats, will be produced in-house at the Company's Paris, Ontario processing facility. The portfolio of sublingual strips is currently available in over 100 retail outlets in California, with multiple formulations. The Company expects to provide the new format to consumers in Canada during Q2 2020.

07:10 EST Helius Medical, UHN sign agreement for clinical program of PoNS device - Helius Medical Technologies announced that it has entered into an agreement with the University Health Network to perform a clinical experience program to enable it and three independent neurorehabilitation clinics in Canada to evaluate the Company's Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator device, in conjunction with physical therapy, on patients with chronic balance deficit due to mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury in Canada.

07:08 EST Barrick reports FY19 gold production 5.5M ounces, copper production 432M pounds - The company has met its full-year guidance targets with preliminary gold production of 5.5M ounces, at the upper end of the 5.1 to 5.6M ounce range and preliminary copper production of 432M pounds, exceeding the top-end of guidance of 375 to 430M pounds.

07:07 EST Barrick reports Q4 gold production 1.439M ounces, copper production 117M pounds - The preliminary fourth quarter results show fourth quarter sales of 1.413M ounces of gold and 91 million pounds of copper, as well as fourth quarter production of 1.439M ounces of gold and 117M pounds of copper. The average market price for gold in the fourth quarter was $1,481 per ounce, while the average market price for copper in the fourth quarter was $2.67 per pound. Preliminary fourth quarter gold sales and production were higher than third quarter levels as a result of a strong fourth quarter performance from Nevada Gold Mines, in particular at Turquoise Ridge, as well as Pueblo Viejo and Veladero. At North Mara, normal operations resumed in the fourth quarter following the lifting of restrictions at the tailings storage facility in September. Fourth quarter gold cost of sales per ounce is expected to be in line with the third quarter. A quarter-over-quarter decrease in gold total cash costs per ounce and all-in sustaining costs per ounce of approximately 1-3% and 6-8%, respectively is expected. Preliminary fourth quarter copper production was slightly higher than the third quarter of the year following strong performance across all operations. Preliminary fourth quarter copper sales were higher than the third quarter, but lower than fourth quarter production levels as Lumwana continued to be impacted by a major refurbishment at one of the third-party smelters that processes a portion of the concentrate produced by the mine. The refurbishment is expected to be completed in January 2020. Fourth quarter copper cost of sales per pound are expected to be 4-6% higher than the prior quarter, C1 cash costs per pound are expected to be 6-8% higher and copper all-in sustaining costs per pound are expected to 2-4% higher quarter-over-quarter.

07:05 EST PPG CEO cites 'weakening global manufacturing activity' in Q4 - "For the second consecutive quarter, we delivered adjusted earnings per share growth of more than 10%, reflecting continuing improvement in our segment operating margins, which increased 160 basis points year-over-year," said MichaelMcGarry, PPG chairman and CEO. "We delivered this strong performance in spite of weakening global manufacturing activity that impacted many of our industrial end-use markets. As the quarter progressed, industrial demand began to stabilize in China, but remained challenged in Europe and the U.S. For the full year, we delivered adjusted earnings per diluted share growth of about 8%, excluding foreign currency translation, firmly within the 2019 earnings guidance we provided last January. I am pleased that we achieved our earnings target despite macroeconomic conditions that weakened throughout the year. This record performance, including strong adjusted earnings and cash flow growth, reflects our focus on delivering value-added products and services to our customers and our focus on operational excellence and working capital improvement."

07:05 EST Southwest removing Boeing MAX from flight schedule through June 6 - In an update posted to its corporate website, Southwest (LUV) stated: "Southwest Airlines continues to monitor information from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration on the impending 737 MAX software enhancements and training requirements. We remain confident that, once certified by the FAA, the enhancements will support the safe operation of the MAX. We previously removed the MAX through April 13, 2020 to offer reliability to our operation and stability for our Customers. Based on continued uncertainty around the timing of MAX return to service, the Company is proactively removing the MAX from its flight schedule through June 6, 2020. By proactively removing the MAX from scheduled service, we can reduce last-minute flight cancellations and unexpected disruptions to our Customers' travel plans. The limited number of Customers who have already booked their travel and will be affected by our amended schedule will be notified of their re-accommodated travel according to our flexible accommodation procedures. The revision will proactively remove roughly 330 weekday flights from our schedule out of our total peak-day schedule of more than 4,000 daily flights. We offer our apologies to our Customers impacted by this change, and we thank them for their continued patience." Reference Link

07:03 EST Global Blue, Far Point Acquisition announce business combination agreement - Global Blue, a strategic technology and payments partner empowering global merchants to capture the growth of international shoppers, announced it will become a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange through a merger with Far Point Acquisition Corporation (FPAC), a special purpose acquisition company co-sponsored by the institutional asset manager Third Point LLC and former NYSE President Thomas W. Farley. Veteran public company executive and current Global Blue CEO Jacques Stern will continue to lead the company's existing management team, and Farley will become Chairman of Global Blue. Current investors, including Silver Lake, will remain significant shareholders in the combined company. New investors, anchored by Ant Financial Services Group, a member of the Alibaba (BABA) digital economy and operator of Alipay, and Third Point, have committed to invest a total of $350M in the combined company at a EUR2.3B, or approximately $2.6B, enterprise valuation in the form of a private placement. The new public company will be incorporated in Switzerland and will trade as Global Blue under ticker symbol NYSE: "GB" upon closing. The transaction will be funded by the $650M of cash held in trust by Far Point and additional investments from Ant Financial Services Group, Third Point LLC and several established strategic equity investors who together have committed to invest $350M at closing through a private placement. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2020 and is subject to approval by Far Point stockholders and other customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

07:01 EST Mosaic Acquisition, Vivint Smart Home provide update on transaction - Mosaic Acquisition announced that, in connection with their pending transaction, Vivint has waived the closing condition relating to the number of redemptions of public shares of Mosaic Class A common stock. Under the terms of the merger agreement, it is a condition to Vivint's obligation to consummate the merger that the number of redemptions of Mosaic common stock under the redemption offer made by Mosaic in connection with the merger does not exceed 10.35M shares of Mosaic common stock. Based on the number of requests for redemptions of Mosaic common stock made by its stockholders, Mosaic anticipates that the number of redemptions will exceed 10.35M shares of Mosaic common stock. Nevertheless, Vivint has agreed, in accordance with the merger agreement, to waive the Maximum Redemption Condition and the merger is expected to be completed in January, subject to the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

06:59 EST Durect halted ahead of FDA panel meeting today on pain treatment

06:55 EST Durect trading halted, news pending

06:46 EST EnLink Midstream lowers Q4 distribution to 18.75c per unit - EnLink Midstream said last night that its resetting its quarterly common unit distribution to 18.75 per unit for Q4, "facilitating excess free cash flow generation and enhanced financial flexibility." The company expects to "fully self fund current program of 2020 capital expenditures, supporting modest 2020 adjusted EBITDA growth."

06:39 EST Bombardier sees Q4 free cash flow about $1B - Consolidated free cash flow for the fourth quarter is estimated at approximately $1B, approximately $650M lower than anticipated. This is largely due to the timing of cash inflows from milestone payments on large Transportation projects, and the later-than-anticipated closing of certain orders and call-offs. While the free cash flow shortfall is largely expected to be recovered in 2020, the recovery will be offset by the cash flow impact of the incremental costs recognized in the fourth quarter adjustments at Transportation. While fourth quarter financial performance at Transportation was lower than expected, the company continues to make significant progress completing legacy projects and to take the right actions to position the business for long-term success.

06:37 EST Bombardier says 'actively pursuing options to strengthen balance sheet' - Consistent with Bombardier's five-year turnaround plan, and following a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives, the company is actively pursuing options to strengthen its balance sheet and enhance shareholder value. Liquidity remains strong, with year-end cash on hand of approximately $2.6B. The CRJ program sale to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Aerostructures sale to Spirit AeroSystems Holding, both of which are still tracking to close by mid-year, will provide an additional $1.1B of cash subject to customary closing adjustments. The company has received most of the regulatory approvals required for closing of the CRJ sale. "Since launching our turnaround plan, we have addressed our underperforming aerospace assets, completed our heavy investment cycle, and put the company on a solid path toward organic growth and margin expansion while prudently managing our liquidity and heavy debt load," said Alain Bellemare, President and CEO, Bombardier. "The final step in our turnaround is to de-lever and solve our capital structure. We are actively pursuing alternatives that would allow us to accelerate our debt paydown. The objective is to position the business for long-term success with greater operating and financial flexibility."

06:26 EST Snap CEO sells 2.78M shares at rougly $18 per share - An SEC filing has revealed that Snap CEO Evan Spiegel sold $50M worth of company stock. Filed on Monday, the filing shows Spiegel sold 2,780,670 shares at a price of roughly $18 each. Reference Link

06:08 EST Organigram to provide Medical Cannabis by Shoppers with derivative products - Organigram has secured a supply agreement with Medical Cannabis by Shoppers, the online medical cannabis platform by Shoppers Drug Mart. Under the terms of the agreement, Organigram will provide Shoppers with a wide range of products including dried flower, oils and other future derivative products as they become available. The agreement is for a three-year term subject to renewal for an additional two years.

06:06 EST Uxin signs agreements with Boche to divest salvage car business - Uxin entered into definitive agreements with Beijing Hengtai Boche to divest its salvage car related business operated under the brand "Fairlubo". Pursuant to the definitive agreements, the company will divest its salvage car auction business to Boche in exchange for an aggregate amount of RMB330M in cash. The company agrees not to engage in the salvage car auction business for a period of five years. The transactions contemplated under the definitive agreements are subject to certain closing conditions, and are currently expected to close in the first half of 2020.

06:03 EST Regis undergoes restructuring actions to save $18.7M annually - Regis completed certain restructuring actions to improve its financial performance and further align costs with the company's transition to a fully franchised business model. Regis has eliminated administrative costs and personnel substantially required to support the company's historical portfolio of owned and operated salons. The restructuring actions, which reduces the company's administration staff by approximately 290 positions, including 15 contractors, across the US and Canada, is expected to result in approximately $18.7M of annualized general and administrative expense savings.

05:51 EST GDS Holdings acquires site in Shanghai for RMB 1.37B - GDS Holdings announced that it has entered into a definitive legal agreement through its indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary in China to acquire from a third party a site in Pujiang Area, Minhang District of Shanghai, for a total consideration of RMB 1.37B. The Site consists of approximately 212,000 square meters of total land area, with roughly half of it developed and half greenfield. It will be used for a major new data center campus, which the company intends to develop in multiple phases over several years.

05:40 EST Check Point receives 2 new common criteria certifications - Check Point announced "the successful completion of two Common Criteria Certifications" for its R80.30 Security Management and Gateway appliances. The EAL4+ and Protection Profile compliance certifications follow an international standard for validating products that meet specific security requirements for Governments around the world. This milestone marks an important step toward expanding the company's ability to serve the 31 Nations who are members of the Common Criteria Recognition Agreement.