Stockwinners Market Radar for January 21, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:54 EST First Bancshares raises quarterly dividend to 10c from 8c per share - The dividend is payable on February 21, 2020 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 7, 2020.

18:46 EST Logitech CEO: We're growing all three of our businesses at a healthy clip - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell said, "We delivered strong gross margins despite the tariff impacts. We're growing all three of our businesses at a healthy clip." Darrell noted that the Video Collaboration business is a "huge opportunity" and there is a "big opportunity in the home - it is the future for us."

18:35 EST Supernus: FDA accepts for review NDA for SPN-812 - Supernus announced that the U.S. FDA has found the New Drug Application for SPN-812 for the treatment of children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder acceptable for review. The FDA has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of November 8, 2020.

18:25 EST Costco CEO: We're a volume company, not a margin company - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Costco CEO Craig Jelinek said, "We always want to pay great wages. Our average wage is about $25 per hour. We think we're a great place to work and we want long-term employees." Jelinek noted that, "We're a volume company, not a margin company. We do a lot with very few units." He said the company will continue to expand, but "will not have a store on every corner." When discussing capital allocation, Jelinek said, "we have done special dividends in the past, but there are no plans for one now."

18:23 EST Petrobras says CARF issued 'unfavorable' decision on tax proceeding - Petrobras said that the Higher Chamber of the Administrative Tax Appeals Council issued today an unfavorable decision, by a casting vote, on an administrative tax proceeding which deals with the collection of PIS/COFINS - Import tax regarding remittances abroad for the payment of charters contracts in the calendar years of 2011 and 2012, in the approximate amount of R$9B. Petrobras is awaiting the summons of the decision and will take the judicial measures to defend its rights. The company understands that the decision does not change the possibility of loss expectation.

18:12 EST Medtronic: Trial shows 'superior' back pain relief with DTM SCS - Medtronic announced three-month results from a large, multicenter randomized controlled trial showing statistically significant and superior back pain relief with Differential Target Multiplexed Spinal Cord Stimulation compared to conventional SCS. Both arms used the Medtronic Intellis platform. Three-month results showed 80% of patients with chronic back pain treated with DTM reported at least 50% pain relief, compared with 51% of patients treated with conventional SCS, as measured by the Visual Analog Scale, a widely used and accepted measure for pain intensity. 50% pain relief, as measured by VAS, is a recognized industry standard to define minimum therapy success. The RCT demonstrated profound pain relief and significant reductions in back and leg pain with DTM. 63% patients with back pain treated with DTM reported profound pain relief of 80% or greater compared to 26% treated with conventional SCS. In aggregate, patients treated with DTM reported an average of 74% reduction in back pain compared to 46% with conventional SCS at three months. Similarly, improvements were observed with DTM for leg pain with a mean reduction of 72% compared to 59% with conventional SCS. The RCT results reported are from 94 implanted SCS patients who were randomized to either the treatment or control arm and followed over the course of three months. With these results the study met its primary endpoint of noninferiority compared with conventional SCS, and a pre-specified secondary statistical test for superiority showing the difference between DTM and conventional SCS as highly significant. The study will continue to follow patients through 12 months post implant. Medtronic acquired DTM therapy as part of its acquisition of Stimgenics announced in early January. DTM therapy, which was proven through the RCT only on the Medtronic Intellis platform, is a new and unique programming option available to treat patients with chronic pain that is based on years of preclinical research.

17:44 EST NRG Energy raises quarterly dividend to 30c from 3c per share - The dividend is payable on February 18, 2020 to stockholders of record as of February 3, 2020.

17:23 EST AES Corp's sPower suspends Seneca wind project - sPower announced today that it will not refile an application with the Ohio Power Siting Board at this time. The application would have covered the Seneca Wind project in the Scipio, Reed, Venice, Eden and Bloom Townships in Seneca County, Ohio. sPower's decision to not refile the OPSB application will put the project on hold for an undetermined period, until next steps are defined by the company. sPower is owned by a joint venture partnership between The AES Corporation and the Alberta Investment Management Corporation.

17:17 EST CIT Group to replace Tanger Factory in S&P 400 at open on 1/27

17:07 EST Lyft, LeBron James partner to expand bikeshare access across U.S. - Lyft announced that it is partnering with LeBron James and his athlete empowerment company UNINTERRUPTED to expand bikeshare access and equity across the country. "Together, we're empowering thousands of young people by providing free, one-year bikeshare memberships for Lyft-operated systems," Lyft said. "Memberships will be distributed in collaboration with the YMCA to eligible 16- to 20-year-olds throughout the year." The announcement is part of the company's new LyftUp initiative, its effort to expand transportation access "to those who need it most." "LyftUp bridges the most serious transportation gaps in cities across North America," Lyft said. "We partner with leading nonprofit organizations to provide free and discounted car, bike, and scooter rides to individuals and families, enabling disconnected communities to gain access to healthy food, get to job interviews, get to the polls, connect with critical resources in the aftermath of natural disasters, and more." Reference Link

16:59 EST WestJet makes statement on Boeing 737 MAX - Following Boeing's (BA) announcement regarding the 737-MAX aircraft, WestJet (WJAFF) announced it will be updating its schedule to remove the aircraft through to June 24, 2020. Any affected guests will be proactively contacted once work is complete. "We thank our guests for their patience and our WestJetters for their commitment to keeping our airline moving safely and on time as we continue to adjust our schedule," said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. "We remain confident in the regulatory process undertaken by the Federal Aviation Authority and Transport Canada to ensure the safe return of the aircraft." WestJet has completed more than 98% of its planned departures even while its 13 MAX aircraft remain on the ground.

16:32 EST Vexcel Imaging to acquire imagery sourcing group from Verisk's Geomni business - Vexcel Imaging signed a definitive agreement to acquire the imagery sourcing group from Verisk's Geomni business. The acquisition will combine Geomni's imagery surveying and content-related teams and assets into Vexcel. Verisk, a leading data analytics provider, will be a minority owner in Vexcel with full access to all aerial imagery libraries. The combination of Geomni's fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and aerial operations, mapping business, and oblique aerial image library together with Vexcel's sensor business and data program will create the world's leading geospatial data library. The transaction is expected to close the Q1 of this year, subject to the completion of customary closing conditions.

16:24 EST EOG Resources expects Q4 loss of $62.3M on derivative contracts - In a regulator 8-K filing, EOG Resources stated: "With the objective of enhancing the certainty of future revenues, from time to time EOG enters into U.S. New York Mercantile Exchange related financial price swap, option, swaption, collar and basis swap contracts. EOG accounts for financial commodity derivative contracts using the mark-to-market accounting method. For Q4 of 2019, EOG anticipates a net loss of $62.3M on the mark-to-market of its financial commodity derivative contracts. During Q4 of 2019, the net cash received for settlements of financial commodity derivative contracts was $91.5M."

16:21 EST Progenics issues letter to shareholders regarding Lantheus transaction, outlook - The board of Progenics issued the following letter to shareholders: "On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to provide you with this update on our activities since you elected five new independent directors to the Company's Board. With your clear mandate, we immediately took action to independently evaluate the business and prospects of Progenics, including the transaction with Lantheus Holdings, Inc. and to ensure that there is no interruption in the execution of the Company's mission of developing and marketing products that improve outcomes for patients with cancer. We elected David Mims Interim Chief Executive Officer on November 15, 2019. In recent weeks, the Progenics Board and management team have been conducting two separate reviews in parallel to evaluate the proposed Lantheus transaction as well as Progenics' business operations and standalone prospects in the event the Lantheus transaction is not consummated. Progenics and Lantheus entered into a definitive agreement on October 1, 2019, which is still in effect, under which Lantheus would acquire Progenics in an all-stock transaction. Since the Board's reconstitution in mid-November, we have worked diligently to independently evaluate the merits and value to the Progenics shareholders of the proposed merger with Lantheus. Specifically, the Progenics Board has: Engaged new, independent financial and legal advisors to assist with its evaluation of the proposed merger. Worked with Progenics management, the Company's existing lead financial advisor on the transaction, Jefferies LLC, and the two continuing directors to review the process that led to the Lantheus transaction, including the respective valuations of Progenics and Lantheus and the assumptions underlying those valuations, as well as other alternatives that were considered. Engaged in constructive discussions with Lantheus' management and its financial advisors to review and discuss Lantheus' business and products, and Lantheus' view of expected strategic and financial benefits of the combination. While the Board continues to review the transaction, Progenics management under the Board's oversight is engaged with Lantheus in integration planning. In parallel to the ongoing review of the Lantheus transaction, we are also conducting a thorough assessment, with the assistance of outside advisors, of Progenics' business, products, operations, prospects and financial performance and condition. This review includes an assessment of each element of Progenics' business, including its marketed products, each of its product candidates in development and other value creating assets with the goal of maximizing return on invested capital. As a result of this ongoing review, the Board has already initiated or supported management in the following actions to enhance the commercialization of its pipeline: Working with potential new treatment centers to aid them in becoming comfortable dosing AZEDRA and providing reimbursement support prior to patients being identified for treatment; and resulting in dosing patients with AZEDRA at new centers.Working to ensure adequate clinical supply of AZEDRA and 1095 at U.S. sites, including the Somerset, NJ, facility. Enhancing radiopharmaceutical manufacturing relationships to ensure the Company's 1095 program is progressing as planned. Ensuring that development plans for each product maximizes return on investment. Capitalizing on recently announced strong positive results of the Phase 3 CONDOR Trial of PyL(TM) in prostate cancer and furthering plans for filing and potential for FDA approval of PyL and for PyL's commercial readiness. Capitalizing on the removal of the Centre for Probe Development & Commercialization ("CPDC") import ban and expediting the initiation of US sites for participation in the 1095 phase 2 clinical trial. Reviewing the Company's financing options as a stand-alone, taking into consideration the timing and magnitude of each option.Initiating a search process for a permanent CEO, with the assistance of Korn Ferry, a nationally-recognized search firm, with initial interviews with candidates commencing. As we work to enhance the long-term interests of all Progenics shareholders, we are committed to transparency for all our stakeholders. These dual strategic reviews are actively ongoing. The entire Board is engaged in the oversight of Progenics and taking necessary steps to ensure the Company is well-positioned to generate value for all shareholders."

16:20 EST Eaton to sell Hydraulics business to Danfoss for $3.3B in cash - Eaton announced it has entered into an agreement to sell its Hydraulics business to Danfoss A/S, a Danish industrial company, for $3.3B in cash. This represents a 13.2 multiple of 2019 EBITDA. The business had sales of $2.2B in 2019 and employs approximately 11,000 people. Eaton is retaining the Filtration and Golf Grip businesses currently reported in the company's Hydraulics segment. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close by the end of the year. "Today's announcement is part of the ongoing transformation of Eaton into a higher growth company with better earnings consistency," said Craig Arnold, Eaton chairman and chief executive officer. "We believe this transaction will create substantial value for our shareholders and allow our hydraulics employees to be part of a company that has a strong commitment to the hydraulics industry."

16:18 EST IntercontinentalExchange vice chairman Charles Vice to retire - Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. announced the retirement of Vice Chairman Charles Vice, capping a 20 year career at the company that saw ICE grow from a startup to a global leader in trading, markets and data. Vice will leave his current role at ICE at the end of the first quarter of this year, coinciding with the company's 20th Anniversary, and will remain an advisor to the firm through February 2022. "From ICE's earliest days, and even before, Chuck Vice's leadership, partnership and mentorship have helped shape our company through every stage of our evolution and growth," said Jeffrey Sprecher, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange. "He has put an indelible imprint on our industry through innovation, technology, and the countless friendships he has forged across two decades -- which will continue long into the future."

16:17 EST United Airlines reports Q4 PRASM up 0.8% - Reports Q4 CASM down 1.3%, CASM-ex up 2.7%.

16:13 EST FB Financial announces merger with Franklin Financial Network - FB Financial (FBK) and Franklin Financial Network (FSB) jointly announced their entry into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Franklin will be merged with and into FB Financial. As part of the transaction, key Franklin executives have agreed to remain with FB Financial following the closing and have entered into employment arrangements that will become effective upon the completion of the merger with FB Financial. Following the transaction, FB Financial will establish a primary operations center and its mortgage headquarters for the combined company at Franklin's existing corporate headquarters in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. Following the close of the transaction, three members of Franklin's board of directors will be appointed to the FB Financial board of directors. According to the terms of the merger agreement, Franklin shareholders will receive 0.9650 shares of FB Financial common stock and $2.00 in cash for each share of Franklin stock. Based on FB Financial's closing price of $38.80 per share as of January 17, 2019, the implied transaction value is approximately $611 million in the aggregate or $39.44 per share. The transaction is expected to be approximately 10% accretive to FB Financial's earnings per share on a fully-phased in basis and neutral to FB Financial's tangible book value per share at the close of the transaction. These strong return metrics include a substantial loan mark and achievable cost savings assumptions as well as plans to reduce the risk of Franklin's balance sheet by exiting approximately $430 million of shared national credits and non-strategic healthcare and corporate loans and paying down non-core funding with the net proceeds. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by both companies' boards of directors. The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020 and is subject to regulatory approvals, approval by FB Financial's and Franklin's shareholders and other customary closing conditions. James W. Ayers, FB Financial's Executive Chairman and 44% owner of FB Financial, has entered into a customary voting agreement to vote his shares in favor of the transaction. Additionally, each member of Franklin's board of directors has entered into similar voting agreements.

16:10 EST Trecora Resources enters into amendment to agreement with Al Masane - Trecora Resources announced that it has entered into an amendment to the previously announced share sale and purchase agreement with Saudi Arabian closed joint stock company, Al Masane Al Kobra Mining Company and certain of AMAK's other existing shareholders pursuant to which the Purchasers will acquire Trecora's entire 33.3% equity interest in AMAK. Pursuant to the amendment, the outside date for the closing of the transaction has been extended to March 31 allowing additional time to obtain approval from the newly established Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the Purchasers have agreed that, if the transaction does not close on or before March 31, 2020, and Trecora determines in its sole discretion to further extend the outside date, half of the 5% non-refundable deposit that Trecora has already received will be forfeited by the Purchasers and not apply to the sale price at closing.

16:08 EST Saint Joe Co., Flournoy Development announces JV over Panama City community - The St. Joe Company announced the formation of a joint venture to develop, construct and manage a new apartment community in Panama City Beach, Florida. Plans call for the apartment community to be located off US Highway 98 near the Breakfast Point community. Current plans for the apartment community include four four-story buildings with elevators and air-conditioned corridors featuring a total of 300 one, two and three-bedroom apartment homes that will be available for lease. Amenities that are planned for this gated apartment community include a resort-style pool area, wellness and health studio, playground, covered boat and RV parking, dog parks and pickleball courts among others. The proposed location for this project is in close proximity to the local schools, less than two miles from the Gulf of Mexico and Panama City Beach's world-famous white-sand beaches and within walking distance to several shopping and dining options.

16:07 EST Netflix down 2.5% after Q4 earnings, Q1 guidance - In after-hours trading, Netflix shares are down $8.36, or 2.47%, to $329.75.

16:07 EST Orrstown Financial increases quarterly dividend 13.3% - The board declared a cash dividend of 17c per common share, payable February 10 to shareholders of record as of February 3, a 13.3% increase over the dividend declared in the previous quarter.

16:06 EST Netflix sees 2019 as peak for annual free cash flow deficit - Netflix said: "In Q4, net cash used in operating activities was -$1.5B vs. -$1.2B in the prior year period. Free cash flow in Q4 totaled -$1.7B vs. -$1.3B in Q4'18. For the full year, FCF was -$3.3B which we believe is the peak in our annual FCF deficit. Our plan is to continually improve FCF each year and to move slowly toward FCF positive. For 2020, we currently forecast FCF of approximately -$2.5B. Along the way, we'll continue to use the debt market to finance our investment needs as we did in Q4'19."

16:04 EST Interactive Brokers reports Q4 total DARTs down 16% at 797K - Q4 customer equity grew 36% from the year-ago quarter to $174.1B and customer debits increased 15% to $31.0B. Q4 customer accounts increased 15% from the year-ago quarter to 690K.

16:03 EST Intel board chair Andy Bryant to step down - Intel Corporation announced that at the company's Jan. 15 board meeting Andy D. Bryant stepped down as chairman and the board elected lead independent director Dr. Omar Ishrak to succeed Bryant as an independent chairman, effective immediately. Intel also announced that Alyssa Henry was elected to Intel's board.

16:02 EST Netflix sees Q1 streaming paid net additions of 7.0M members - Netflix said: "For Q1'20, we forecast global paid net adds of 7.0m vs. 9.6m in Q1'19, which was an all-time high in quarterly paid net adds. Our Q1'20 forecast reflects the continued, slightly elevated churn levels we are seeing in the US plus an expectation for more balanced paid net adds across Q1 and Q2 this year, with seasonality more similar to 2018 than 2019. This is due in part to the timing of last year's price changes and a strong upcoming Q2 content slate, where we'll have some of our bigger titles like La Casa De Papel (aka Money Heist) season 4."

15:38 EST Evergy says Morgan Stanley engaged to help evaluate Elliott's proposals - Evergy issued a statement regarding the dialogue the company has had with Elliott Management Corporation, stating in part: "In October 2019, we were approached by Elliott, which proposed two alternative paths for the company to consider: 1. Evergy should immediately initiate a process to explore the sale of the Company or some other business combination; 2. Evergy should significantly increase its capex over the Company's current plan, cut investments in operations and maintenance to help offset this increase, and halt its existing share repurchase program. Since October, we have engaged in good faith with Elliott to fully understand and evaluate their proposals. As a part of this process, we have engaged Morgan Stanley as financial advisor and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP as legal counsel to assist management and the Board with an evaluation of Elliott's proposals and our strategic plan. We are open to evaluating opportunities that may create greater value and recognize that Elliott has different views regarding our strategic plan. At the same time, there are various considerations that we believe are important when evaluating the conclusions that Elliott has asserted in its letter. As expressed to Elliott, we are confident in our ability to deliver long-term growth and shareholder value creation through the execution of our strategic plan. This plan includes maximizing operational savings from our 2018 merger, the share repurchase program we committed to when this merger was completed, paying a competitive dividend and making capital investment that will drive value."

15:31 EST Cortland Bancorp increases quarterly dividend by 17% - Cortland Bancorp announced that its board approved a quarterly cash dividend of 14c per share. The dividend will be payable on March 2 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 10.

15:10 EST CDC confirms first travel-related case of 2019 coronavirus in U.S. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the United States in the state of Washington. The patient recently returned from Wuhan, China, where an outbreak of pneumonia caused by this novel coronavirus has been ongoing since December 2019. While originally thought to be spreading from animal-to-person, there are growing indications that limited person-to-person spread is happening. It's unclear how easily this virus is spreading between people. The patient from Washington with confirmed 2019-nCoV infection returned to the United States from Wuhan on January 15, 2020. The patient sought care at a medical facility in the state of Washington, where the patient was treated for the illness. Based on the patient's travel history and symptoms, healthcare professionals suspected this new coronavirus. A clinical specimen was collected and sent to CDC overnight, where laboratory testing yesterday confirmed the diagnosis via CDC's Real time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction test. CDC is working closely with the state of Washington and local partners. A CDC team has been deployed to support the ongoing investigation in the state of Washington, including potentially tracing close contacts to determine if anyone else has become ill.

15:00 EST Phillips 66 Partners raises quarterly distribution 5% to 87.5c per unit - Phillips 66 Partners LP announced that the board of directors of its general partner declared a fourth-quarter 2019 cash distribution of 87.5c per common unit, an increase of one cent per common unit from the third quarter of 2019. This is the twenty-fifth consecutive quarterly distribution increase since Phillips 66 Partners' initial public offering in 2013 and represents a 5% increase compared to the fourth-quarter 2018 distribution. The quarterly distribution is payable Feb. 13, 2020, to unitholders of record as of Jan. 31, 2020.

14:52 EST FDA approves Horizon Therapeutics' Tepezza for thyroid eye disease

14:42 EST Proxy advisory firms urge shareholders to vote for Enzo Biochem board changes - 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, announced that Egan-Jones Proxy Services has recommended shareholders vote for both HDF nominees on the Blue proxy card. All three leading proxy advisors - Egan-Jones, Glass, Lewis and Co. and Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. - have now supported HDF's case for change at Enzo. Kenan Lucas, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of HDF, commented on the news, stating: "We believe that unanimous recommendations for change from all three proxy advisory firms sends a clear message: the status quo is no longer acceptable at Enzo and fresh, independent voices are needed in the boardroom. Our nominees, Fabian Blank and Peter Clemens, have the right experience and skillsets to help Enzo become more than a story of broken promises, and to end the prolonged history of underperformance. We encourage any shareholder who cares about the future of their investment to vote today for both of HDF's nominees."

14:34 EST Boeing currently estimating ungrounding of 737 MAX will begin during mid-2020

14:12 EST Boeing trading halted, news pending

13:47 EST Maxar Technologies pops after inking deal with Netherlands Ministry of Defense - Over this past weekend,Maxar Technologies announced the Defence Geographic Agency, DGeo, of The Netherlands Ministry of Defense signed a multi-million dollar, multi-year subscription to SecureWatch, the company's cloud-based geospatial intelligence, GEOINT, platform. DGeo will leverage SecureWatch to enrich its geospatial foundation data holdings and derivative product portfolio that aid critical decision-making within The Netherlands Ministry of Defence, MoD. Through SecureWatch, DGeo will have access to Maxar's 110-petabyte, high-resolution satellite imagery library, daily imagery collections, Vivid and Metro imagery mosaics, FirstLook service and synthetic aperture radar data from MDA's RADARSAT-2 satellite. When the WorldView Legion constellation imagery is available after the first satellites launch in early 2021, DGeo will also access it via SecureWatch. The abundance and variety of geospatial data available in SecureWatch will inform and support the MoD's information-driven activities such as mission planning, disaster response and border security, among other purposes. "Maxar is delighted to bring DGeo and the Dutch MoD ecosystem into SecureWatch's ever-growing community of subscribers," said Tony Frazier, Maxar's Executive Vice President of Global Field Operations. "As one of the largest SecureWatch awards to date, this contract is the culmination of a careful consultation process with DGeo, ensuring that Maxar's solution has the greatest impact on their work. SecureWatch, with its mission-centric design and depth of content, fits DGeo's requirements perfectly." Shares of Maxar Technologies are up 4.20% or 84c to $21.04 per share in afternoon trading on Tuesday.

12:07 EST Secureworks, Carahsoft expand partnership - Carahsoft Technology announced that it has reached an agreement with Secureworks to distribute Secureworks' managed network and endpoint security solutions to commercial organizations directly through Carahsoft and through the company's reseller partners. Carahsoft also serves as a master government aggregator for Secureworks, supporting all public sector business across Federal, state and local governments and education institutions. The new agreement marks a significant expansion in the companies' partnership, allowing Carahsoft and its reseller partners to distribute to both public and private sector organizations within the United States, including healthcare institutions.

12:00 EST Owens & Minor rises 16.2% - Owens & Minor is up 16.2%, or 89c to $6.40.

12:00 EST CSS Industries rises 99.4% - CSS Industries is up 99.4%, or $4.66 to $9.35.

11:15 EST Columbia Sportswear rises as VF Corp. review leads to speculation - Shares of Columbia Sportswear (COLM) are trading higher on Tuesday morning after VF Corporation (VFC) announced it is commencing a review of strategic alternatives for the occupational portion of its Work segment, in a bid to make that business "into a more consumer-minded and retail-centric enterprise." The occupational portion of the Work segment consists of primarily nine brands and businesses and the review does not include Dickies and Timberland PRO brands, VF noted in its announcement. Following the news, Gordon Haskett noted to investors that VF Corp. exited the denim business last year when it spun off Wrangler Jeans into Kontoor Brands (KTB) and said it assumes an acquirer would value the business now looking to be sold in line with Kontoor, so a sale "might fetch somewhere in the vicinity" of $1.5B. Such a deal "isn't going to move the needle dramatically" for VF Corp., but it will add to the company's financial flexibility, leaving the big question of "when it might add a consumer business to its mix." The analyst at Gordon Haskett said "the name we have in mind continues to be Columbia Sportwear (COLM)," echoing some comments made by deal-focused publication Dealreporter. According to Fly contacts, Dealreporter said in its own flash note to its subscribers that it believes brands such as Yeti (YETI) or Columbia Sportswear could be potential targets if VF "were to look for a more transformative deal." Just after 11:00 am, Columbia Sportswear shares are up $1.65, or 1.7%, to $97.24, while Yeti shares have jumped over 6% to $36.32. VF Corp. shares are fractionally higher at $94.29 following its strategic alternatives announcement.

11:04 EST Discovery Communications trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:49 EST Einhorn's Greenlight upped bet against Netflix, exited Voya in fourth quarter - In its letter to investors for the fourth quarter, David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital reported that the funds returned 13.8% in 2019 compared to 31.5% for the S&P 500 index. The letter noted that "we begin 2020 with a portfolio that continues to be concentrated in our best ideas. We currently have 96% of capital in our top 10 longs and 47% of capital in our top 10 shorts." The letter goes on to list top long positions that include AerCap (AER), Brighthouse Financial (BHF), Chemours (CC), General Motors (GM), and Green Brick Partners (GRBK) and short positions that include Assured Guaranty (AGO) and Netflix (NFLX). On Netflix, Greenlight wrote: "We have been negative on NFLX's earnings prospects for a long time, and we used the late2019 bounce in the shares to make it a more substantial investment." The firm added two "medium-sized" new equity longs in the fourth quarter, DXC Technology (DXC) and Software AG of Germany, the letter stated. Additionally, the firm exited its investment in Voya Financial (VOYA) after six and a half years and covered "an unsuccessful small short" in Lam Research (LRCX), the letter stated. Greenlight also stated in the letter: "We have omitted an undisclosed short. Also of note is that Tesla is not included. While we maintain a negative view of the company, our Tesla exposure, which has been mostly expressed through put options, was not large enough to qualify for this list at December 31, 2019."

10:31 EST Despegar.com announces 10-year commercial partnership agreement with Naranja - Despegar.com announced it has entered into a 10-year Commercial Partnership Agreement with Tarjeta Naranja S.A., a branded proprietary credit card issuer in Argentina, and subsidiary of Grupo Financiero Galicia S.A. Through this agreement, Despegar will provide a white label online marketplace to Naranja to jointly sell Despegar's travel products and services to Naranja's customers. Naranja will carry the credit risk and together with Despegar will share the financing cost on an equal basis. Overall, this initiative will allow Despegar to sell its travel products and services to Naranja's five million customers. Commenting on the agreement, Damian Scokin, CEO of Despegar noted: "We are very pleased with this partnership with Naranja, the leading credit card issuer in Argentina. This partnership provides access to a complementary customer base and also selectively expands our business through a cross-channel platform. We look forward to continue offering customers unique products, services and experiences across their travel journey."

10:00 EST VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN falls -7.8% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is down -7.8%, or -$4.36 to $51.70.

10:00 EST China Eastern Airlines falls -11.5% - China Eastern Airlines is down -11.5%, or -$3.16 to $24.32.

10:00 EST Owens & Minor rises 14.3% - Owens & Minor is up 14.3%, or 79c to $6.30.

09:52 EST MICT, Inc. files proxy statement for approval of GFH acquisition, capital raise - MICT, Inc. announced that it has filed a preliminary proxy statement with the U.S. SEC relating to, among other items, its planned acquisition of Global Fintech Holdings Ltd, and a $25M private placement of convertible debentures, converting automatically at $1.41 per share at the closing of the acquisition. Following SEC clearance of the preliminary proxy statement, our stockholders will be asked to vote on the matters described therein. On November 8, 2019, MICT had announced the $25M private placement and its agreement to acquire GFH, which will own the ParagonEX Limited group of companies and with Beijing Brookfield Interactive Science & Technology Co. Ltd. Following receipt of shareholder approval, MICT will improve its balance sheet through the $25M funding, together with previously announced $9M the company had previously raised. David Lucatz, CEO of MICT, said, "We are pleased with the progress of these transactions which are intended to position MICT as a dominant player in the fintech space, and we believe significantly enhance shareholder value through the substantial $25M fundraising with a conversion price of $1.41 per share. The filing of the preliminary proxy statement is the first step towards gaining shareholder approval and subsequently closing on these transactions."

09:47 EST Halliburton sees paying down debt with 'eye' to dividends

09:47 EST TAL Education falls -9.3% - TAL Education is down -9.3%, or -$5.02 to $49.00.

09:47 EST Mechel rises 5.8% - Mechel is up 5.8%, or 18c to $3.30.

09:47 EST Owens & Minor rises 10.5% - Owens & Minor is up 10.5%, or 58c to $6.09.

09:41 EST Office Depot, Shipt announce same-day delivery partnership - Shipt announced that it is expanding its same-day delivery services into a new retail vertical with Office Depot. Same-day delivery from Office Depot and OfficeMax stores is available to Shipt members in more than 200 markets, serving more than 60 million households. Beginning today, Shipt members can select Office Depot OfficeMax in the user-friendly app and on Shipt.com to add any products to their order.

09:35 EST Foothills Exploration says has no plans to do a reverse-split - Foothills Exploration provides an update to its shareholders. The company said, : First, we acknowledge that we are late in filing our most recent 10-Q report. We are working to be on file with the Commission as soon as possible. Against a backdrop of recent pricing pressure on Foothills' common stock, we would like to provide an update of our 2020 outlook and reiterate our investor communication practices...Developing the Company's Wind River Basin properties, consisting of 16,387 acres is a key priority for the Company in 2020. The Board of Directors believes that the Beaver Creek East Project has the potential to be a transformational asset for its stakeholders. The Board is excited about this prospective exploration project, where a third-party engineering firm issued an assessment that indicates Prospective Resources of approximately 21 million barrels of undiscovered oil, with a PV-10 value of $372M...The Company's technical team believes that there are additional non-conventional and other resource opportunities on the 16,387-acre leasehold, which could potentially increase the Prospective Resources outlook substantially. Foothills' technical team has put together a comprehensive geological and geophysical program to evaluate the full universe of data available in order to execute a favorable exploration drilling program. Foothills' acreage is located in this large undrilled area and is along the eastern flank of a deeper sub basin in the Wind River Basin proper, where a deep structural deposit called the Beaver Creek field has produced approximately 72.3 million barrels of oil and 917,129, 777 MCF of gas. The Big Sand Draw field, updip to the south, has produced some 61.4 million barrels of oil and 232,882,376 MCF of gas from multi-pay horizons generally in the Frontier, Muddy, Lakota, Morrison, Phosphoria, Tensleep and Madison formations. Based on our internal correlative analysis of adjacent fields, the size and scope of this project, if successful, could lead to a development program including primary, secondary and tertiary recovery, which possibly could recover over a billion dollars' worth of hydrocarbons at today's commodity prices. The Company needs to raise approximately $12M to begin the initial stages of Beaver Creek East development program and is currently exploring various forms of non-dilutive project financing including joint-ventures and farmout agreements. The Company owes an aggregate of approximately $2.9M to ten different variable-rate convertible noteholders, a number of which have started to convert sums due into common stock, pursuant to their respective note agreements. Approximately 27% of the total amount outstanding is collateralized by the Greater Green River Project with a single lender. Failure to meet the obligations of this lender could result in the sale or divestiture of this asset. Management is actively working to raise the necessary financing to meet it debt and regulatory obligations on the asset. With that said, Company management has been in ongoing discussions regarding payment of its notes with all of its debtholders. Management is currently working with the parties to either extend or repay the obligations to their satisfaction. Nevertheless, in the absence of an agreement with these parties, management remains committed to considering all available pathways to refinance or repay the notes so it can execute its business plan. Currently Foothills has 100,693,521 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. At the present time, the Company has no plans to do a reverse-split. In order to execute its business plan and create value, the Company will need to raise additional capital and reduce debt. The Company is looking at various non-dilutive options to finance its business initiatives and unlock shareholder value. The Company has had and will continue to have discussions with potential drilling and joint venture partners; however, it should be noted that there can be no assurance that the exploration of financing alternatives will result in a transaction."

09:31 EST Neovasc confirms pre-funded warrants from $10M financing have been exercised - The Company confirms that all the pre-funded warrants from the January 6, 2020 $10M financing have been exercised and that the issued and outstanding share capital of the company is now 11,133,369. The exercise of these pre-funded warrants did not increase the Company's fully diluted share count. The Company also confirms that the market value of listed securities of the Company has exceeded $35M for two consecutive trading days and, if the Company maintains an MVLS of at least $35M for a further eight consecutive trading days, it would satisfy the MVLS requirement of ten consecutive trading days on Thursday January 30, 2020. The Nasdaq has discretion to require satisfaction of the $35M MVLS requirement for a period in excess of ten consecutive trading days and we will notify the market on or around January 30, 2020 if Nasdaq uses that discretion or if they notify the Company that it has regained compliance with the MVLS requirement.

09:29 EST Novavax soars 64% as unknown virus spreads through China - Shares of antibiotics developer Novavax (NVAX) are soaring amid reports that a new respiratory virus has infected more than 200 people in China. Zhong Nanshan, who leads China's National Health Commission, told China's official state-run news organization Xinhua that two cases of human-to-human transmission had been confirmed in China, one in Wuhan and one in Guangdong. Shares of Novavax are up 64%, or $3.65, to $9.39 in premarket trading. Meanwhile, Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO) is up 14% to $3.75 and BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) is up 11% to $3.09.

09:26 EST Halliburton sees Q1 completion & production segment sequential revenue up 2%-4% - Sees drilling & evaluation segment sequential revenue down 4%-6% in Q1.

09:24 EST CDW names Sona Chawla chief growth, innovation officer - The company announced the addition of Sona Chawla to CDW in the newly formed role of chief growth and innovation officer, reporting to Leahy. Most recently, Chawla was president at Kohl's (KSS), and prior to that, chief operating officer.

09:23 EST CDW names Christina Corley as chief commercial, operating officer - CDW announced that Christina Corley has been named chief commercial and operating officer. Corley has held leadership roles of increasing responsibility since joining CDW in 2011, most recently serving as chief operating officer. She will continue reporting to CEO Christine Leahy, leading all of CDW's customer-facing organizations globally, including sales, integrated technology solutions, CDW's services business and international business units.

09:20 EST Zoom Telephonics announces retirement of CEO Frank Manning - Zoom Telephonics announced Frank Manning's retirement as CEO and acting CFO of Zoom Telephonics effective February 1, 2020. Joe Wytanis, Zoom's President, will become CEO and Jacquelyn Barry Hamilton will become acting CFO on that date. Frank Manning will become an advisor to Zoom and will remain as a Director. Jeremy Hitchcock, a current major shareholder of Zoom and a Director, will become Chairman of Zoom's Board of Directors.

09:20 EST Halliburton says 'committed' to North American market

09:17 EST Ritter Pharmaceuticals enters 'reverse merger' agreement with Qualigen - Ritter Pharmaceuticals reported that it has entered into a definitive "reverse merger" agreement with Qualigen, a privately-held company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases, as well as expansion of its flagship FastPack diagnostic platform, whereby a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company will merge with and into Qualigen in an all-stock transaction with Qualigen. Upon completion of the merger, the Company will change its name to Qualigen, Inc., or a similar name selected by Qualigen. The merged company will focus on the development of Qualigen's nanotechnology therapies for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases, while also continuing to operate its profitable diagnostic business. Under a separate Contingent Value Right agreement, a CVR holder representative will continue to seek opportunities to monetize Ritter Pharmaceuticals' RP-G28 asset with financial support from Qualigen for a defined period, with the net proceeds of any monetization to be distributed to Ritter Pharmaceuticals' pre-merger stockholders. In conjunction with the merger transaction, Qualigen has arranged the securing of additional capital from an institutional investor to support funding of its operations and expansion of its clinical development programs. On a pro forma basis and based on the number of shares of Ritter Pharmaceuticals common stock to be issued in the merger, the pre-merger Ritter Pharmaceuticals stockholders will own approximately 7.5% of the post-merger combined company and the pre-merger Qualigen stockholders will own approximately 92.5% of the post-merger combined company on a fully-diluted basis, assuming Qualigen raises the minimum amount of additional capital from the institutional investor in the Pre-Closing Financing and the combined company meets Nasdaq listing requirements. The transaction has been approved by the board of directors of both companies. The merger is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020, subject to the approval of the stockholders of each company, as well as other closing conditions, including among other things, the Registration Statement for the merger shares to be issued being declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Company's common stock to be issued in the merger being approved for listing on Nasdaq, the consummation of the Pre-Closing Financing, and Ritter Pharmaceuticals stockholders' equity being no less than $0.00 as of immediately prior to the merger. The Merger Agreement may be terminated by the parties under certain circumstances including, among others, by Qualigen if the Company is unable to maintain its listing on Nasdaq up until the Effective Time of the merger. In addition, Ritter Pharmaceuticals stockholders of record as of immediately prior to the Effective Time of the merger will receive non-transferable CVRs entitling the holders to receive the net proceeds, if any, from any sale, license, transfer, spin-off or other monetizing event of all or any part of the Company's current business or all or any part of the Company's intellectual property or technology which is entered into during the period beginning on the date the merger agreement was signed and ending on the third anniversary of the closing date of the merger. Following the merger, Michael S. Poirier, President, CEO and Chairman of Qualigen will be appointed to serve as the post-merger combined company's chairman, president and CEO. The board of directors for the post-merger combined company will be comprised of seven directors, including one member from Ritter Pharmaceuticals' legacy board of directors. Members of the Ritter Pharmaceuticals executive team are expected to support Qualigen's transition into therapeutic clinical development and the public markets under separate consulting agreements.

09:15 EST Halliburton: Early indications are U.S. land customers to cut CapEx 10% vs. 2019

09:14 EST Verso urges stockholders to approve Pixelle transaction - Verso urged stockholders, in order to ensure that net cash proceeds of up to $282M and not less than $225M will be returned to stockholders from its pending sale of its Androscoggin and Stevens Point mills to Pixelle Specialty Solutions: to use the Company's WHITE Proxy Card; to vote "FOR" the Pixelle Transaction; and to vote "FOR" ALL seven of Verso's nominees. On January 17 Institutional Shareholder Services, a leading independent proxy advisory service, issued a report in which it recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the Pixelle Transaction, stating that the recommendation of the Pixelle Transaction demonstrates "the Board's interest in and ability to improve shareholder value"1 and that "The [sale] process appears reasonably thorough and the transaction should benefit the company financially. The Company expects that, subject to stockholder approval being received at the annual meeting scheduled for January 31, the Pixelle Transaction will be consummated in early February 2020.

09:14 EST Griffin to acquire two Orlando, Florida builidings, terms not disclosed - Griffin Industrial Realty announced that it recently entered into two separate purchase and sale agreements with different sellers to acquire industrial/warehouse buildings of approximately 108,000 square feet and approximately 68,000 square feet, respectively, in Orlando, Florida. The larger of the two buildings is fully leased, whereas the smaller building is mostly vacant. Griffin recently entered the Orlando market when it acquired a fully leased approximately 100,000 square foot industrial/warehouse building in October 2019. Griffin intends to finance the purchase of these two buildings using its line of credit for acquisitions and cash on hand. Closings on these two purchases are each subject to the satisfactory completion of due diligence by Griffin.

09:11 EST CleanSpark announces $238,000 in new equipment orders year-to-date - CleanSpark announced that it has received $238,000 in new orders for its intelligent automatic transfer switch since the first of the year. The Company's Intelligent ATS switchgear is used to automatically transfer power supply from its primary source to a backup source when it senses a failure or outage in the primary source, thus assuring uninterrupted power. It also allows the end user the opportunity to participate in regional energy markets when it makes financial sense to sell surplus power back to the grid. CleanSpark's new orders were composed of a total of four units ordered by two customers with one being a new customer and the other a current customer. The follow-on order placed by our current customer is on the back of a previously announced $2.5M order in May 2019 and $359,000 order announced on December 20, 2019. The Company has already shipped $302,000 of previous equipment orders during the first 20 days of 2020. Based on continued positive demand trends, the Company anticipates receiving additional follow-on orders before the end of January.

09:10 EST Ritter Pharmaceuticals trading halted, news pending

09:10 EST Halliburton says to sell pipeline services, well-controlled product lines

09:09 EST Rafael Pharmaceuticals announces initiation of Phase 1b/2 trial of CPI-613 - Rafael Pharmaceuticals announced its collaboration with Michigan Medicine to proceed with a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of CPI-613 in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin for patients with biliary tract cancer. The study will be a multicenter randomized trial of gemcitabine and cisplatin with or without devimistat as a first-line therapy for patients with locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic biliary tract cancer who have had no prior treatment. The goal of the Phase 1b part of the trial will be to identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), or the highest dose of devimistat that does not cause side effects, when given in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin. This will determine the recommended dose for the randomized Phase 2 part of the trial. The goal of Phase 2 will be to then determine the efficacy of devimistat in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin as compared with the combination chemotherapy alone. An estimated 68 to 78 patients will be enrolled in the study.

09:08 EST Gevo welcomes support of Washington State low carbon fuel standard - Gevo welcomed the news of Alaska Airlines' and Washington state Governor Inslee's support of Washington's low carbon fuel legislation. "The Pacific Northwest, and the Seattle area in particular, is a leader to make our world more sustainable. The value to decarbonize and reduce greenhouse gas emissions is real," stated Patrick Gruber, Chief Executive Officer of Gevo "The legislation that Governor Inslee proposes, which is supported by Alaska Airlines, would be expected to make the Pacific Northwest more attractive for, and a production location of, the new generation of fuels. We see that there are potential attractive production sites in the region given the abundance of renewable resources available. In 2016 Gevo was the first to make and supply wood based jet fuel that was used by Alaska Airlines. In 2019 we were awarded the opportunity to supply the City of Seattle with advanced low carbon fuels for their fleet automobiles. We see tremendous potential in the state of Washington. Every drop of sustainable low-carbon fuel we get into the market is a win and helps to change the conversation about what is possible for the future."

09:06 EST Calavo Growers to acquire Simply Fresh Fruit, terms not disclosed - Calavo Growersannounced that its Renaissance Food Group subsidiary has signed a definitive agreement to acquire SFFI Company, Inc. doing business as Simply Fresh Fruit. Founded in 1999 and based in Vernon, Calif., privately held SFFI is a processor and supplier of a broad line of fresh-cut fruit, principally serving the foodservice and hospitality markets that generated more than $30M in annual sales in its most recent fiscal year. Its focus in those industries is anticipated to be highly complementary to the retail-grocery expertise of Calavo's RFG business segment. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in Calavo's first half and to be accretive to the company's fiscal 2020 adjusted earnings per share. Further transaction terms were not disclosed.

09:06 EST Halliburton says 2019 was pivot from growth to discipline in North America - Comments taken from the Q4 earnings conference call.

09:05 EST Fortinet says Burger King Brazil adopts Fortinet Secure SD-WAN - Fortinet announced that Burger King Brazil, head franchisee of the Burger King and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurants, has implemented Fortinet Secure SD-WAN to gain high-performance networking capabilities that simplify operations, enhance business agility, and improve security across corporate and restaurant locations.

09:04 EST Scientific Games announces appointments for leadership team - Scientific Games adds top industry talent to its Gaming leadership team. The Company is building on its foundation, assembling a strong leadership team for long-term success as it continues to lead in large established gaming markets and grow in emerging markets. Matt Wilson will join the Company as Executive Vice President and Group Chief Executive, Gaming on March 1 and Siobhan Lane will assume the new role of CCO, Gaming on February 1. Connie James joined Scientific Games as the CFO, Gaming on January 6. Derik Mooberry, who has served as the Gaming Group Chief Executive, will be transitioning to a strategic advisory role to support the new leadership team. Matt Wilson is an accomplished industry leader known for delivering double digit growth, capitalizing on new business opportunities and developing strong customer relationships. Siobhan Lane has over twelve years' experience in the Gaming industry and a proven track record of driving business results through strong strategic and executional alignment with a focus on building high performing teams and developing an engaging culture. Connie James is a global finance executive with a history of delivering successful business, cultural and financial transformations. She previously served as the CFO of the global, land-based Gaming division at Aristocrat Technologies and most recently served as the Corporate Vice President Finance - Business Operations and Supply Chain at Cargill.

09:02 EST Magellan Midstream raises dividend 1% to $1.0275 - The board of directors of Magellan Midstream Partners has increased the partnership's quarterly cash distribution to $1.0275 per unit for the period Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2019, representing the 71st distribution increase since its initial public offering in 2001. The Q4 distribution is 3% higher than the Q4 of FY18 distribution of 99.75c per unit and represents an approximate 1% increase over the Q3 distribution of $1.02. For the year, Magellan declared distributions of $4.065 per unit for 2019, or 5% higher than distributions of $3.87 per unit for 2018.

09:02 EST STMicroelectronics joins Zigbee Alliance board of directors - The Zigbee Alliance announced that STMicroelectronics has joined its Board of Directors. Along with other Zigbee Alliance promoter member companies, ST is set to play a vital role in the adoption and evolution of Zigbee, aiming to simplify development for manufacturers and increase device compatibility for consumers.

08:47 EST OncoSec CEO sends letter to shareholders in support of CGP/Sirtex transaction - Daniel O'Connor, president, director & CEO of OncoSec sent a letter to shareholders. The letter said, "I recognize that you have received a barrage of emails, letters, calls and other communications from both OncoSec Medical Incorporated ("OncoSec" or the "Company") and Alpha Holdings, Inc. ("Alpha") in recent weeks. I apologize for that. I will try to make this letter as brief and to the point as possible. Alpha's recent "proposal" would give Alpha control of OncoSec before Alpha makes ANY capital investment in the Company. Alpha apparently wants COMPLETE control over OncoSec - a majority ownership of OncoSec stock and a majority of Alpha-appointed directors on the Company's board of Directors (the "Board") - after closing its tender offer, WITHOUT A SINGLE DOLLAR FLOWING TO THE COMPANY FOR UP TO 6 MONTHS after execution of the transaction documents. It could take up to 12 months following execution of the transaction documents related to Alpha's proposal for funding to be completed. Further, Alpha's "proposal" carries the risk that OncoSec may not even be able to enter into definitive deal documentation with Alpha through no fault of OncoSec given the strict conditions in Alpha's "proposal." In that event, OncoSec would be left in a position where it could also no longer obtain financing from CGP and Sirtex. Compare this to the proposed strategic investment by, and partnership with, CGP and Sirtex1 (the "CGP/Sirtex Transaction"), which upon closing will NOT result in CGP and Sirtex obtaining control of the Board and will provide an IMMEDIATE $30 million cash infusion. Alpha's "proposal" is the sort of tactic we EXPECT to see more of from them in the next few weeks, as it seems that they are doing anything and everything they can to derail the CGP/Sirtex Transaction. Do not let their games distract you from the facts... That's why we urge you to vote on the WHITE proxy card today to support the CGP/Sirtex Transaction."

08:46 EST CV Sciences announces sponsorship of Farmers Insurance Open - CV Sciences is the first-ever CBD sponsor of the Farmers Insurance Open. The Farmers Insurance Open is a PGA Golf tournament taking place Thursday, Jan. 23, through Sunday, Jan. 26, at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California. CV Sciences is the official CBD Partner of the Farmers Insurance Open as well as the Presenting Sponsor at the tournament. CV Sciences will be hosting a booth at The Grove, adjacent to the 18th Hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines. Tournament attendees will be able to sample PlusCBD Oil products, learn more about the potential benefits of hemp-derived CBD, and have the chance to win PlusCBD Oil products and exclusive CV Sciences gear.

08:43 EST Albany International CEO Olivier Jarrault resigns, A. William Higgins to succeed - Albany International (AIN) announced that its board has appointed A. William Higgins as president and CEO, effective immediately, to succeed Olivier Jarrault, who has resigned by mutual agreement with the board. Erkie Kailbourne, who currently serves as a director of Albany, will return to his role as chairman of the board, succeeding Higgins. Jarrault will assist with the transition. Higgins brings industry experience to his new role. He has held a wide range of leadership positions at public companies, including as CEO and Chairman of Circor (CIR) between 2008 and 2012.

08:41 EST MSCI, Burgiss enter into strategic relationship - MSCI has entered into a strategic relationship with The Burgiss Group, LLC, intended to accelerate and expand the use of data, analytics and other investment decision support tools for investors in private assets around the world. As part of the alliance, MSCI will invest $190 million in Burgiss for a significant minority interest. MSCI's investment in Burgiss will not impact MSCI's adjusted EBITDA and is not expected to have a material impact to adjusted EPS in 2020. It will be accounted for under the equity method, with MSCI's share of Burgiss' earnings being recognized in Other Income/Expense, Net.

08:39 EST Taoping partners with BOE Technology for third party new screens - Taoping announced its cooperation with BOE Technology Group to pre-install Taoping Cloud Window App on BOE iGallery Screens. The cooperation integrates BOE iGallery screens into the Taoping ecosystem, helps Taoping to expand its market opportunities in targeted advertising. In its cooperation with Taoping, BOE Technology pre-installs Taoping Cloud Window App for its BOE iGallery Screens. Once activated after the pre-installation, the iGallery screens will operate on Taoping smart cloud platform to publish targeted advertisements just like dedicated Taoping smart display screens, offering screen owners more purchase choices as these iGallery screens look like a piece of art and do not have video camera, and helping Taoping penetrate to more scenes of high people traffic and helping us expand into overseas market.

08:36 EST Guardant Health appoints Kumud Kalia as CIO - Guardant Health has appointed Kumud Kalia as the company's new Chief Information Officer. Among his responsibilities, he will lead the company's enterprise applications, information technology, and security teams. He was most recently Chief Information and Technology Officer at Cylance.

08:33 EST Toro Company to acquire Venture Products for $167.5M in cash - Toro Company announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire privately-held Venture Products, the manufacturer of Ventrac-branded products. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and is currently anticipated to close before the end of The Toro Company's Q2. Based in Orrville, Ohio, Ventrac is a manufacturer of articulating turf, landscape, and snow and ice management equipment for the grounds, landscape contractor, golf, municipal and rural acreage markets. Ventrac products are designed to enable the operator to use the equipment in a variety of settings with ease. For calendar year 2019, Ventrac generated net sales of approximately $100M. The Toro Company will purchase Venture Products for $167.5M in cash, subject to certain adjustments. The Toro Company expects to finance the transaction by borrowing under its existing revolving credit facility.

08:33 EST Points International sees Q4 gross profit $17.3M-$17.7M - Sees adjusted EBITDA ranging between $6.8M and $7.2M, each quarterly records. These expected results compare to $14.1M of gross profit and $5M in adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2018.

08:31 EST Sino-Global signs joint venture agreement with expert importer Shanming Liang - Sino-Global Shipping America announced the signing of Joint Venture Agreement with Shanming Liang. Liang.is an expert importer of agriculture products for the customers located in Southern China, and Sino-Global expects to work with Liang to resume the project of "Bulk Cargo Containerized" since the China and US trade deal was finally signed January 15. Pursuance to the Agreement, a new joint venture company is registered and will take full responsibility for purchasing agriculture products in North America. Sino-Global will provide the whole supply chain logistic services for products of Soybean, Corn, Alfalfa etc. that ship from North America to China.

08:23 EST Envision Solar announces further orders through State of California contract - Envision Solar International announced that the County of Tahoma and the City of Long Beach have issued purchase orders for the Company's products through California State Contract #1-18-61-16. The City of Long Beach is a repeat customer while Tahoma County is purchasing Envision's EV ARC for the first time. The EV ARC product purchased by Tahoma County will be used to charge county fleet vehicles. Tahoma is one of 58 counties covered by the California contract. The City of Long Beach ordered an ARC Mobility transportation solution for the growing fleet of EV ARC products in service in the city. ARC Mobility is a specialized, hydraulic transportation solution which enables customers like Long Beach, New York City and Google, who own fleets of EV ARC products, to move them around as their dynamic EV charging needs evolve. The transportable nature of the EV ARC also allows owners to test various locations as they discover the most effective distribution of EV charging infrastructure.

08:19 EST Akerna completes acquisition of majority interest in solo sciences - Akerna has completed its acquisition of a majority interest in privately-held solo sciences. solo*TAG is an alternate tagging technology to expensive RFID technology required by states in which Metrc is used for the state tracking system. solo*TAG is less expensive and more secure than RFID technology, leveraging solo science's patented cryptographically secure technology. Leaf Data Systems, Akerna's government track and trace software, won the first state cannabis tracking system Request for Proposal to which Akerna responded with solo*TAG included. solo sciences tech platform is also complementary to Akerna's MJ Platform ERP system and is driving consumer safety through its anti-counterfeiting technology and alert functionality. Manufacturers that use a solo*CODE proprietary graphic trust mark on their product packaging enable consumers to scan products with the solo* phone app and learn if a product is real or fake and get real-time notifications. solo sciences technology surpasses legacy authentication tools by closing the loop between the user and the manufacturer. Holograms and RFID tags have the potential to give a false sense of security, but each solo*TAG and solo*CODE has a unique fingerprint for every package, augmented by the solo* app, which confirms if a product is real or fake. Beyond authentication, for solo*CODE, the app offers users a plethora of benefits, including learning about the product and earning rewards.

08:14 EST SWK Holdings approved for listing on Nasdaq - SWK Holdings announced that its shares of common stock have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Trading on the exchange is expected to commence on January 23 under the ticker symbol "SWKH."

08:13 EST BlackBerry announces integration with SafeBreach to help organizations - BlackBerry announced an integration with SafeBreach to help organizations improve their overall security posture with continuous enterprise endpoint security validation. The joint solution is now available to automate the identification of security gaps and prioritize security configuration changes based on potential business impact. BlackBerry Cylance and SafeBreach offer advanced cybersecurity solutions that customers can test in their own environment.

08:11 EST Seattle Genetics achieves milestone following EC approval of Roche's Polivy - Seattle Genetics (SGEN) announced that it will receive a milestone payment from Roche (RHHBY) triggered by European Commission conditional marketing authorisation for Polivy. Polivy is an antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC, that utilizes Seattle Genetics' technology. It was developed and is commercialized by Roche/Genentech. Polivy was approved in combination with bendamustine plus MabThera for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory, or R/R, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or DLBCL, who are not candidates for a haematopoietic stem cell transplant. Polivy was granted Priority Medicines, or PRIME, designation by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of people with R/R DLBCL in 2017.

08:10 EST Future Farm appoints Tom Barrette as COO, president - Future Farm Technologies announced that Tom Barrette, an accomplished attorney and business executive who was recently elected to serve as a Director of Future Farm, will now also be the President and COO of the Company. Over the past year, Mr. Barrette has devoted a large part of his time advising Future Farm on all aspects of its business, especially with respect to the Company's new focus on pharma quality manufacturing of health and wellness products, including those made from hemp.

08:08 EST Pattern Energy board recommends shareholders vote in favor of CPPIB merger - Pattern Energy Group announced that it had established a record date of January 31, and a special meeting date of March 10, for a meeting of its stockholders to, among other things, vote to approve proposals related to the merger agreement between Pattern Energy and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board that was previously announced on November 4, 2019. Pattern Energy stockholders as of the close of business on the record date of January 31, will be entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting. Upon consummation of the Merger, each share of Class A common stock of the company will be converted to the right to receive $26.75 in cash. The Board of Directors of the company recommends that stockholders vote in favor of the merger.

08:07 EST Aldeyra enrolls first patient in Phase 3 INVIGORATE Trial - Aldeyra Therapeutics announced enrollment of the first patient into the Phase 3 INVIGORATE Trial of topical ocular reproxalap in patients with allergic conjunctivitis. The INVIGORATE Trial, which will enroll approximately 120 patients, is a randomized, double-masked, crossover vehicle-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of reproxalap ophthalmic solution compared with vehicle using an allergen chamber. Consistent with prior allergic conjunctivitis trials, the primary endpoint will be subject-reported ocular itching score.

08:06 EST Omnicell selected by Allegheny General Hospital for Central Pharmacy IV Service - Omnicell announced that Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania., part of Allegheny Health Network, has selected Omnicell's Central Pharmacy IV Compounding Service, an approach for insourcing some sterile compounding operations. Nearly one out of ten IVs are not prepared within guidelines using manual processes and contamination is one of the most frequent errors. Omnicell's Central Pharmacy IV Compounding Service addresses this issue with the combination of advanced robotic technology, data and trained pharmacy technician staff to provide a path for hospitals to insource their sterile compounding.

08:05 EST Krystal Biotech appoints Jennifer Chien as CCO - Krystal Biotech announced the appointment of Jennifer Chien to the newly created position of chief commercial officer, effective January 20, 2020. Ms. Chien has more than 20 years of commercial leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, most recently having served as vice president, head of genetic diseases at Sanofi Genzyme.

08:03 EST Genprex receives fast track designation for Oncoprex from FDA - Genprex announced that the FDA has granted fast track designation for Genprex's Oncoprex immunogene therapy in combination with EGFR inhibitor osimertinib for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, patients with EFGR mutations that progressed after treatment with osimertinib alone. Oncoprex is comprised of the Tumor Suppressor Candidate 2 gene, or TUSC2, complexed with a lipid nanoparticle. TUSC2 is the active agent in Oncoprex. Genprex has treated more than 50 lung cancer patients with Oncoprex in Phase I and II clinical trials. The company believes the data from these trials are encouraging as to both safety and efficacy.

07:59 EST McDermott files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy - McDermott announced that it has the support of more than two-thirds of all its funded debt creditors for a restructuring transaction that will equitize nearly all the company's funded debt, eliminating over $4.6B of debt. The restructuring transaction will be implemented through a prepackaged Chapter 11 process that will be financed by a debtor-in-possession financing facility of $2.81B. Subject to court approval, McDermott expects the DIP financing, combined with cash generated by McDermott, to enable the company to stabilize its cash flows, continue operating in the normal course and fulfill its commitments to key stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, joint-venture partners, business partners and employees. The company also has secured committed exit financing of over $2.4B in letter of credit facility capacity and will emerge from Chapter 11 with approximately $500M in funded debt. The restructuring transaction will strengthen the company's balance sheet, normalize its trade debt and position the company for long-term growth. All of McDermott's businesses are expected to continue to operate as normal for the duration of the restructuring. McDermott expects to continue to pay employee wages and health and welfare benefits, and to pay all suppliers in full. All customer projects are expected to continue uninterrupted on a global basis. This morning, the company commenced solicitation of votes from its lenders and bondholders in support of a prepackaged Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization. The company intends to commence the prepackaged Chapter 11 filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas later today. The company's support from all of its creditor constituencies is memorialized in a Restructuring Support Agreement. The company plans to move swiftly toward Court approval of the Plan, with confirmation expected within approximately two months from filing. As part of the restructuring transaction, subsidiaries of McDermott have entered into a share and asset purchase agreement with a joint partnership between The Chatterjee Group and Rhone Group pursuant to which the Joint Partnership will serve as the "stalking-horse bidder" in a court-supervised sale process for Lummus Technology. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Joint Partnership has agreed, and is committed, to acquire Lummus Technology for a base purchase price of $2.725B. McDermott will have the option to retain or purchase, as applicable, a 10% common equity ownership interest in the entity purchasing Lummus Technology. McDermott expects to hold an auction in approximately 45 days to solicit higher or better bids for the Lummus Technology business. Either the Joint Partnership or the winning bidder at the auction will purchase Lummus Technology as part of the Chapter 11 process, subject to regulatory and court approval. Proceeds from the sale of Lummus Technology are expected to repay the DIP financing in full, as well as fund emergence costs and provide cash to the balance sheet for long-term liquidity. As a result of the upcoming Chapter 11 filing, McDermott expects to be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange within the next 10 days. McDermott common stock will continue to trade in the over-the-counter marketplace throughout the pendency of the Chapter 11 process. The shares are proposed to be cancelled as part of McDermott's restructuring.

07:51 EST HP Enterprise to provide AI, HPC infrastructure for Zenuity - HP Enterprise (HPE) has been selected by Zenuity, a developer of software for self-driving and assisted driving cars, to provide the artificial intelligence, or AI, and high-performance computing, or HPC, infrastructure it needs in order to develop next generation autonomous driving systems. Zenuity is a joint venture between Volvo Cars (VLVLY) and Veoneer (VNE), two Swedish companies. Its platforms have been designed to deliver performance in autonomous driving while at all times meeting real-world safety benchmarks. HPE will provide Zenuity with core data processing services that will allow Zenuity to gather, store, organize and analyze the data it generates globally from its network of test vehicles and software development centers. The end-to-end IT infrastructure will be delivered as-a-service through HPE GreenLake. Deployment is due to begin rollout in summer 2020. Initial rollout will take place in Sweden, with plans for global deployment in the near future.

07:46 EST McDermott trading halted, news pending

07:43 EST Ebix signs sponsorship for India's Tour of New Zealand 2020 - Ebix announced that it has signed a sponsorship for India's Tour of New Zealand 2020. Ebix, as part of the deal for the NZC Home Series, will have the status of the 'Powered By' sponsor for India's entire six-week tour of New Zealand. The Virat Kohli-led India will play Kane Williamson led New Zealand in five T20 Internationals, three One Day Internationals and two Test matches between January 24 and March 4 on their tour of New Zealand.

07:41 EST Pacira, Envision Physician Services collaborate for anesthesia training - Pacira BioSciences announced a collaboration with Envision Physician Services to train anesthesiology clinicians on ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia techniques utilizing long-acting local anesthetics like EXPAREL via a series of interactive workshops held across the country. The program supports ongoing efforts by both organizations to advance the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care. Clinicians participating in the comprehensive training sessions will enhance their skills in performing ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus blocks, as well as fascial plane blocks, including transversus abdominis plane, rectus sheath, quadratus lumborum, and pectoralis blocks. Ultrasound-guided infiltration techniques for surgery will also be taught. The curriculum will include the safe use of EXPAREL in regional anesthetic techniques, including administration, admixing, volume expansion, and incorporation into perioperative pain management protocols.

07:37 EST Neuronetics appoints Andrew Macan as general counsel, CCO, corporate secretary - Neuronetics (STIM) announced it has expanded its executive leadership team by adding Andrew Macan as its new SVP, general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary effective January 21, 2020. Prior to joining Neuronetics, Macan was SVP, general counsel and corporate secretary of U.S. Silica Holdings (SLCA).

07:33 EST Stealth Biotherapeutics initiates human Phase 1 trial evaluating SBT-272 - Stealth BioTherapeutics announced the initiation of a first-in-human Phase 1 trial evaluating its second generation pipeline compound, SBT-272, in healthy subjects. The Phase 1 trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-ascending dose study enrolling up to 40 healthy subjects across multiple cohorts. SBT-272 is being administered orally in the study. As a primary objective, the study will evaluate safety and tolerability of SBT-272. Secondary objectives include an analysis of the pharmacokinetic profile and appropriate dose range.

07:31 EST W.P. Carey announces $112M investment in U.K. Class-A logistics facility - W. P. Carey announced the acquisition of a 726,000 square foot Class-A, cross-docked logistics facility in the U.K. for $112M in an off-market transaction. The mission-critical facility is net leased to the U.K. operating subsidiary of Dixons Carphone, a publicly listed multinational electronics and telecommunications retailer and services company.

07:28 EST Orgenesis announces $9.2M private placement - Orgenesis announced that it has entered into a definitive securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investors, including The Phoenix Insurance Company Ltd. and Sphera Global Healthcare Master Fund, for the sale of 2,200,000 shares of the Company's common stock in a private placement at a purchase price of $4.20 per share and warrants to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.50 per share. The warrants are not exercisable until after six months and expire three years from the date of issuance. The Company expects to receive gross proceeds of approximately $9,240,000 before deducting related offering expenses. The Company intends to use the proceeds of this financing to expand its point-of-care cell-therapy platform, which is designed to collect, process and supply therapeutic cells within the patient care setting for various treatments, as well as for general corporate purposes. The offering is expected to close on or about January 23, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

07:24 EST Nuance announces Dragon Medical One availability in France, Belgium, Netherlands - Nuance Communications announced its Dragon Medical One cloud-based platform is now available in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The company said, "Integrated within the electronic health record, Dragon Medical One enables French- and Dutch-speaking physicians to capture a patient's complete story at the point of care - reducing administrative workloads, while improving documentation quality and care. Already in use in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia, Dragon Medical is trusted by more than 500,000 clinicians worldwide to ease the burden of clinical documentation. Its intelligent voice technology helps physicians produce clinical documentation up to 45 percent faster and capture up to 20 percent more relevant data using personalized tools on a wide range of devices. Clinicians simply open the application, choose the section they want to document, and start speaking to update the EHR."

07:20 EST Lockheed Martin selects KVH fiber optic gyro for infrared search, track system - KVH Industries (KVHI) announced that Lockheed Martin (LMT) has selected KVH to develop and deliver the next-generation multi-axis fiber optic gyro sensor for the IRST21 sensor system, which Boeing and the U.S. Navy are integrating into the F/A-18 E/F combat aircraft. KVH was chosen after a competitive process.

07:18 EST RedHill Biopharma discontinues promotion of Donnatal, EnteraGam - RedHill Biopharma announced its decision to discontinue its co-promotion and commercialization agreements for Donnatal and EnteraGam to enable a greater focus on its lead commercial products, Talicia and Aemcolo and create capacity for additional products. RedHill provided a notice of termination to Entera Health regarding the license agreement for EnteraGam and the co-promotion agreement with Advanz Pharma Corp. for Donnatal will not be renewed. RedHill has been promoting Donnatal and EnteraGam since mid-2017. RedHill initiated promotion of Aemcolo in the U.S. in December 2019. Talicia was approved by the U.S. FDA in November 2019 and is planned to be launched in the first quarter of 2020.

07:14 EST Eton Pharmaceuticals, Xellia announce Biorphen co-promotion agreement - Eton Pharmaceuticals announced it has entered into a co-promotion agreement with Xellia Pharmaceuticals for the promotion of Biorphen, the first and only FDA approved ready-to-use formulation of phenylephrine injection indicated for the treatment of clinically important hypotension resulting primarily from vasodilation in the setting of anesthesia. Xellia's hospital sales force will immediately begin promoting Biorphen in certain market segments in collaboration with Eton's existing commercial team. The agreement significantly increases the number of sales representatives actively promoting Biorphen and provides Eton with immediate access to accounts that have already adopted Xellia's Vanco Ready, a ready-to-use formulation of Vancomycin injection. In addition, Xellia will be expanding its sales force to support the co-promotion. Eton will continue to promote Biorphen to all market segments. Xellia will receive a commission on Biorphen sales realized from certain customer accounts.

07:11 EST First Majestic to install HIG mill technology at San Dimas, La Encantada mines - As a result of significant improvements in metallurgical recoveries at Santa Elena following the installation of the 3,000 tpd HIG mill circuit in 2019, the Company has elected to install HIG mill technology at its San Dimas and La Encantada mines in 2020 and 2021, respectively. At San Dimas, the Company plans to install a new 3,000 tpd HIG mill circuit in 2020 to further improve recoveries and reduce operating costs. The delivery of the HIG mill is expected in the first quarter of 2020 followed by installation and commissioning in the second half of 2020. Furthermore, milling at San Dimas will be converted into a single AG grinding mill thereby eliminating the use of the three standard ball mills currently in operation. This AG conversion is expected to reduce energy consumption, eliminate steel grinding media, improve metallurgical recoveries and streamline maintenance and mill practices. At Santa Elena, the Company plans to implement a dual-circuit flowsheet to separate the ultra-fine and coarse particles prior to leaching to further improve metallurgical recoveries and reduce operating costs. Separating the different sized particles allows for more effective use of available retention time, decreased reagent consumption and improved filtration circuit performance. Additionally, a new AG/SAG mill circuit is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2020. At La Encantada, the Company plans to invest in several plant modernizations in 2020 intended to improve processing efficiencies including, but not limited to: upgrading the tailings filter presses and belt conveyors; replacing the main gear and rakes for two thickeners; as well as completing the detailed engineering design in the second half of 2020 for a new 3,000 tpd HIG mill circuit, which is expected to be installed and commissioned in 2021.

07:08 EST First Majestic projects 2020 AISC $13.37-$15.46 - The Company is projecting its 2020 AISC, as defined by the World Gold Council, to be within a range of $13.37 to $15.46 on a per consolidated payable silver ounce basis. Excluding non-cash items, the Company anticipates its 2020 AISC to be within a range of $12.54 to $14.53 per payable silver ounce.

07:05 EST Organovo founder sends letter to shareholders opposing Tarveda merger - Organovo founder Keith Murphy sent the following letter to company shareholders: "Organovo, pointing to hurdles and timeline changes in the development of its human liver tissue for transplant, announced in August 2019 that it would seek strategic alternatives. For those unfamiliar with that process, it basically means that Organovo's Board has decided the company has hit a wall and needs to either sell itself or come up with a creative option to move forward. On December 16, 2019, Organovo announced that its strategic alternatives review had identified Tarveda Therapeutics as its chosen merger partner. Unfortunately, Tarveda was exactly what Organovo shareholders had to fear most. Organovo would basically turn their cash and the trading stock over to Tarveda, meaning the company would stop developing bioprinting technology completely. Tarveda is a company completely unrelated to Organovo's bioprinting business. Worse, Tarveda is down on its luck and with limited other financing options. The key things Organovo shareholders need to know about Tarveda are that: Tarveda is a mismatch with Organovo's shareholder base that would leave investors running for the exits; and Tarveda is a company with a technology so unexciting to its own previous investors that it has not been able to raise additional VC funding or execute an IPO in a bull biotech market and is now seeking other financing options. Because of the problems with Tarveda, both as a company and as a choice for a merger given Organovo's shareholder base, Organovo stockholders must prepare to vote against the Tarveda merger and force Organovo's Board to go back to the beginning of the process and deliver what the shareholders demand: a deal that makes use of Organovo's unique bioprinting technology, not a deal that bails out the VC investors of a failing cancer drug company... Ultimately, Organovo shareholders simply have to ask where their interests lie. Are they interested in funding work outside their own interests that the original VCs had given up on, bailing out a failing company, and allowing those VCs access to hundreds of millions of dollars in liquidity? Or do they prefer to demand to the Organovo Board that their investment dollars be used for their original intention - unlocking the potential of 3D bioprinting? If they do insist on that, a merger with a different company can ultimately be successful. The Board can support the kind of strategic merger with a bioprinting focus that will retain the interest and the investment of current shareholders. If a growing and promising entity with something to prove is chosen, rather than a company in a downward death spiral, a whole set of new investors can be attracted to the stock to the benefit of all. It's a simple and stark choice. Investors have the opportunity now to contact the company and let them hear how loud their voices can be. Otherwise, Organovo is expected to soon file the paperwork indicating the timing of the vote, which will likely take place in February or March. Investors would then have the opportunity through a vote against the merger with Tarveda to register their unhappiness with Organovo's performance and the proposal."

07:02 EST TransEnterix announces Klinikum Esslingen selected Senhance System - TransEnterix announced that the Klinikum Esslingen, a hospital in southern Germany close to Stuttgart, has entered into an agreement to lease and utilize a Senhance System. The Senhance System has been installed at the hospital facility and cases are expected to begin shortly. This placement is one of the two placements referenced in the Company's January 6 press release. Klinikum Esslingen is a major German hospital that serves as the academic teaching hospital of the University of Tubingen. The facility has more than 660 beds and performs more than 9,000 surgical interventions each year. The Senhance Surgical System is the first and only digital laparoscopic platform designed to maintain laparoscopic MIS standards.

06:58 EST Merck and AstraZeneca announces FDA accepted sNDA for Lynparza - AstraZeneca (AZN) and Merck (MRK) announced that a supplemental New Drug Application, or sNDA, for LYNPARZA has been accepted and granted priority review by the FDA for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, or mCRPC, and deleterious or suspected deleterious germline or somatic homologous recombination repair, or HRR, gene mutations, who have progressed following prior treatment with a new hormonal agent. A Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, date is set for the second quarter of 2020. The sNDA acceptance for review by the FDA is based on positive results from the Phase 3 PROfound trial, which were presented during a Presidential Symposium at the 2019 European Society of Medical Oncology congress.

06:57 EST Aphria receives EU GMP certification from MMA - Aphria announced that it has received its European Union Good Manufacturing Practices, or EU GMP, certification in respect of medicinal products for human use and investigational medicinal products for human use, from the Malta Medicines Authority, or MMA, at the company's subsidiary, Avanti Rx Analytics. Aphria selected the MMA to perform the EU GMP audit as the criteria and certification thresholds established by the MMA are among the most stringent and demanding in the EU. The certification will allow the company to ship bulk and finished dried flower, as well as bulk and finished cannabis oil for medicinal use in permitted jurisdictions throughout the European Union. Aphria's German operations have been preparing for the importation of EU-GMP certified cannabis from Canada, allowing for shipments to the company's German subsidiary CC Pharma in order to leverage CC Pharma's in-country distribution network. The company anticipates that its first shipments of medical cannabis to CC Pharma will occur in Q4.

06:54 EST UBS targeting 12%-15% return on CET1 capital for 2020-2022 - For 2020-2022, UBS says it is targeting: Positive operating leverage and 75-78% cost/income ratio; 10-15% PBT growth in Global Wealth Management; Up to 1/3 of Group RWA and LRD in IB; ~13% CET1 capital ratio and ~3.7% CET1 leverage ratio. UBS intends to increase its dividend per share by 1c per year and return incremental capital through share repurchases.

06:52 EST Ra Medical Systems receives FDA approval to to begin device exemption evaluation - Ra Medical Systems announces approval from the FDA that the Company has provided sufficient data to support initiating an investigational device exemption, or IDE, to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the DABRA excimer laser system for use as an atherectomy device for the treatment of peripheral vascular stenoses. In May 2017, DABRA received FDA 510 clearance for use in ablating a channel in occlusive peripheral vascular disease, or PAD. The multicenter, open-label trial will enroll up to 100 patients with symptoms of PAD.

06:48 EST Halliburton CEO sees international growth in 2020 - Jeff Miller, Chairman, President and CEO said, "International revenue increased 10% sequentially in the fourth quarter of 2019. It also grew 10% on a full year basis, outpacing the international rig count. For the full year, revenue increased in all international regions and in both our divisions. In 2020, we expect our international growth to continue. Increased activity, disciplined capital allocation, pricing improvements, and our ability to compete for a larger share of high-margin services should lead to improvement in our international margins in 2020. Our North America revenue decreased 21% sequentially in the fourth quarter and 18% for the full year as a result of reduced customer activity and pricing, and our decision to focus on returns over growth. We took swift actions in the fourth quarter making structural changes to adjust to the current market environment. While we expect customer spending in North America to be down again this year, we will continue executing our playbook, implementing our service delivery improvement strategy, and focusing on maximizing our returns. 2020 opens a new decade and a new century for Halliburton. We will continue to focus on delivering margin expansion, industry-leading returns and strong free cash flow."

06:39 EST Old National Bancorp appoints four new executive leaders - As part of The ONB Way, Old National welcomed four new executive leaders. Chady AlAhmar, Wealth Division CEO. Most recently a Senior Executive of Wealth Management at U.S. Bank, Chady is passionate about achieving business growth through driving strategy optimization, team collaboration, sales practices, business development and analytics. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, he held strategy, finance and management consulting positions with GMAC and ACG in New York and ran his own management consulting firm for several years. He will be located in Minneapolis. Paul Kilroy, Chief Information Officer. Paul brings a wide and impressive array of IT expertise and leadership experience to his role as ONB CIO, including Cloud, data and application rationalization strategies, and robotics and automation. Most recently, he served as SVP, Segment CIO of Enterprise Shared Services, Data and Architecture for Huntington National Bank, where he created a groundbreaking Robotics Center of Excellence. Scott Fecteau, Chief Client Services Officer, Operations. Scott is an Operations, Financial and Risk Management executive with nearly 30 years of industry experience. He most recently served as Managing Director/Global Delivery Lead BPO for Accenture Credit Services in Charlotte, North Carolina. Malinda Anthony, Treasury Management President. Malinda joined ONB from Wells Fargo in Indianapolis, where she most recently served as North Division Sales Manager, overseeing TM sales supporting commercial banking in 10 states. In her role as ONB TM President, she is responsible for the entire Treasury Management business line, including sales, operations and support, product and process innovation, and Merchant Services.

06:37 EST Old National Bancorp raises dividend 7.7% to 14 - Old National Bancorp's Board of Directors declared an increase in its quarterly common stock cash dividend to 14c per share on the Company's outstanding shares of common stock. This new dividend level represents a 7.7% increase over the previous cash dividend level of 13c per common share. The dividend is payable March 16, to shareholders of record on March 2. For purposes of broker trading, the ex-date of the cash dividend is February 28.

06:35 EST Walker & Dunlop, GeoPhy launch Apprise appraisal company - Walker & Dunlop and GeoPhy announced the launch of an appraisal company called Apprise. Current methods for preparing appraisals of multifamily assets have been in place for decades. As a result of these processes, appraisal reports can take up to three weeks to deliver, may include data inconsistencies and result in a subjective valuation, which varies from appraiser to appraiser. By combining Walker & Dunlop's industry knowledge, GeoPhy's data science and analytics technology, and the experience of a team of appraisal professionals, Apprise will eliminate manual processes in the multifamily valuation industry. The new company will employ machine learning to provide a FIRREA-compliant multifamily appraisal delivered in as little as five days. Focused exclusively on the U.S. market, Apprise currently covers more than 30 states and is targeting nationwide coverage by the summer of 2020.

06:32 EST Aerie Pharmaceuticals: FDA approves Ireland facility to produce Rocklatan - Aerie Pharmaceuticals announced that its sterile fill production facility in Athlone, Ireland has received approval from U.S. FDA to produce Rocklatan 0.02%/0.005% for the U.S. market. The regulatory clearance of the plant follows a successful preapproval inspection of the facility and FDA review of the New Drug Application Prior Approval Supplement, which added the Athlone production facility as a drug product manufacturer for Rocklatan.

06:26 EST BAE Systems to buy Collins Aerospace's GPS unit, Raytheon's ATR business - BAE Systems (BAESY) announced Monday that it has reached definitive agreements for the proposed acquisitions of Collins Aerospace's military Global Positioning System business and Raytheon's Airborne Tactical Radios business. These two businesses are being sold in connection with obtaining the required antitrust clearances for the previously announced pending merger between Raytheon (RTN) and United Technologies Corporation (UTX). The proposed acquisitions are structured as asset transactions with associated tax benefits, and they remain subject to customary closing adjustments. The asset purchase agreement for the Collins military GPS business calls for cash of $1.925B, with an expected tax benefit of approximately $365M. For Raytheon's ATR business, the purchase agreement calls for cash of $275M, with an expected tax benefit of approximately $50M. These proposed acquisitions are subject to the successful closure of the Raytheon-UTC transaction, as well as the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, including receipt of the required U.S. regulatory approvals. Upon closure, both business lines would be integrated into the company's Electronic Systems sector. Reference Link

06:12 EST General Moly says CPM projects $12.58 per lb average moly real price for 2020 - During the first 10 months of 2019, CPM's Molybdenum Quarterly reported that moly production fell by 6.2M lb, a 1.5% decrease, to 419.7M lb from the 2018 period. Increased production at Rio Tinto's Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine and Grupo Mexico mines during the first 10 months of 2019 did not offset decreased moly output from Chile and China. CPM anticipates that the moly market was in balance or in a small deficit for 2019. Looking ahead, CPM forecasts a moly price recovery from further supply shortfall from tight mine supply and incremental improving demand. Chilean mine supply in particular is projected to continue to fall after double-digit reductions in both 2018 and 2019, driven by reduced government funding going forward for state-owned Codelco. Demand is anticipated to improve with a stabilizing global economy, normalizing 300 series stainless steel demand and a moly demand boost from continued global Liquefied Natural Gas developments, including those related to the July 2019 announced liberalization of oil and gas laws in China to spur foreign direct investment in gas infrastructure. CPM projects an average moly real price of $12.58 per lb and nominal price of $12.87 per lb for 2020. CPM further projects average moly per lb real price of $14.25 and nominal price of $15.63 for the five-year period 2021-2025; and average real price of $13.88 and nominal price of $17.02 for 2026-2030.

06:06 EST DCP Midstream and Windrock to jointly develop AI solutions - DCP Midstream (DCP) and Windrock, a subsidiary of Apergy (APY), announced that they have agreed to jointly develop a first of its kind set of digital solutions that combines Artificial Intelligence, or AI, and industry expertise to increase asset reliability, enhance safety, and improve efficiency. Windrock's AI predictive models, by leveraging its Spotlight smart-hardware edge technology, have proven the ability to anticipate changes in machine health weeks in advance. The goal of the joint development is to augment this technology with DCP's process data and operational knowledge, and provide midstream operators with tools to optimize the balance between process efficiency, reliability cost, and machine health.

06:01 EST Ares Management to acquire majority interest in SSG Capital Holdings - Ares Management announced that its subsidiary, Ares Holdings L.P., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling interest in SSG Capital Holdings Limited and its operating subsidiaries, a leading Asian alternative asset management firm. The transaction is expected to be minimally accretive in year one and a more meaningful driver of growth to after-tax realized income per Class A share in the second year and beyond. The transaction consideration will be primarily comprised of Ares Class A common shares subject to a multi-year lock-up along with a cash component. In certain circumstances, Ares may acquire full ownership of SSG pursuant to a contractual arrangement that may be initiated by Ares or the equity holders of SSG. The transaction is expected to close in the second or third quarter of 2020 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

05:53 EST Mercantile Bank raises regular cash dividend to 28c per share from 27c per share - Mercantile Bank announced that on January 16, its board declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 28c per common share, payable on March 18, to holders of record as of March 6. The 28c cash dividend represents an increase of approximately 4% from the 27c regular cash dividend paid during Q4 of 2019.

05:33 EST Roku announces arrival in Brazil through partnership with AOC - Roku announced its arrival in Brazil, bringing affordable streaming to consumers in the country. In Brazil, Roku is partnering with AOC to bring the AOC Roku TV to consumers in the country. The new AOC Roku TV will offer consumers a smart TV experience that is easy to use, with great streaming entertainment at an affordable value. In Brazil, Roku will offer a streaming line-up with thousands of movies & TV episodes across 5,000 streaming channels available in the Roku Channel Store. Consumers can access the streaming channels directly from the home screen on their Roku TV. "I'm delighted to bring Roku to Brazil, one of the largest streaming markets in the world," said Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO of Roku. "With the arrival of Roku, consumers in Brazil will now be able to enjoy their favorite TV programs and movies on the easy to use Roku platform. We want to bring streaming to everyone in Brazil." AOC Roku TV models will be available online on January 22 in Casas Bahia, Ponto Frio and Extra, and in stores as of early February. The 32-inch AOC Roku TV will be priced at $1.199,00 Reais and the 43-inch AOC Roku TV will be priced at $1.599,00 Reais.

05:26 EST UBS targeting RoCET1 of 12%-15% om 2020-2022 - UBS provided the following outlook: "Stimulus measures and easing of monetary policy by central banks contributed to a strong performance in financial markets in the fourth quarter and are likely to prevail. A favorable credit environment and a partial resolution of trade disputes should mitigate slowing global economic growth. While the macroeconomic and geopolitical situation remains uncertain, for the first quarter we expect more typical seasonality, supporting earnings. Clients are more active, which should lead to an improvement in transaction-related revenues. Higher asset prices should have a positive effect on recurring fee income in our asset gathering businesses. Low and persistently negative interest rates and expectations of continuing easy monetary policy will continue to provide some headwinds to net interest income. As we execute on our strategy, we are balancing investments to take advantage of opportunities for growth across our businesses and regions, while managing for efficiency. We remain committed to delivering on our financial targets, creating further value through even closer collaboration across all divisions to drive sustainable long-term value for our clients and shareholders."