Stockwinners Market Radar for January 27, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:06 EST SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 899.41MT from 900.58MT - This is the first decline in holdings since January 10th.

18:57 EST Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Graco (GGG) up 4.6%... Brown&Brown (BRO) up 2.0%... Inter Parfums (IPAR) up 1.0%. ALSO HIGHER: Acceleron Pharma (XLRN) up 66.1% after announcing its sotatercept trial met endpoints... Surface Oncology (SURF) up 13.8% after getting FDA clearance for SRF617, SRF388 INDs... MediciNova (MNOV) up 11.3% after getting notice of intention to grant patent for MN-001 in Europe... Laureate Education (LAUR) up 4.5% after announcing plans to explore strategic alternatives. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: F5 Networks (FFIV) down 4.5%... Rambus (RMBS) down 3.2%... Juniper (JNPR) down 2.9%... PerkinElmer (PKI) down 2.7%... J&J Snack Foods (JJSF) down 2.0%. ALSO LOWER: Alector (ALEC) down 2.8% after equity offering... Denali Therapeutics (DNLI) down 2.7% after equity offering. Movers as of 18:45ET.

18:46 EST Ballard Power says now powers fuel cell EVs for 30M kilometers - Ballard Power Systems announced that the Company's proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology and products have now successfully powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles - or FCEVs - in commercial Heavy- and Medium-Duty Motive applications for an industry-leading cumulative total of more than 30M kilometers on roads around the globe. "We are grateful to our customers who continue to trust Ballard to deliver safe, durable, reliable and high-performing PEM fuel cell products and technology for commercial FCEVs," said Randy MacEwen, Ballard President and CEO. "Commercial vehicles powered by Ballard technology have on road experience that totals more than 30 million kilometers, which is roughly equivalent to circling the globe 750 times. Our products have powered FCEBs and commercial trucks in 14 countries around the world, and delivered 97.3% availability in 2019. Ballard's unmatched field experience - through eight generations of fuel cell power module and a wide range of duty cycles, climate and road conditions - has enabled an effective feedback loop for our product design and development efforts, resulting in the fuel cell industry's highest performance products designed for Heavy- and Medium-Duty Motive applications, including bus, commercial truck, train and marine."

18:02 EST MediciNova gets notice of intention to grant patent for MN-001 from EPO - MediciNov announced that it has received a Notice of Intention to Grant from the European Patent Office for a pending patent application which covers MN-001, or tipelukast, for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. Once issued, the patent maturing from this allowed patent application is expected to expire no earlier than May 2035. The allowed claims cover the use of MN-001 for treating a patient diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The allowed claims also cover the inhibition of pulmonary scarring, the reduction or inhibition of elevated lung hydroxyproline levels, the reduction of elevated lung density, and the reduction of elevated total cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid using MN-001. The allowed claims cover oral administration, including tablets and capsules, as well as liquid dosage forms.

17:35 EST Juniper CFO says 'comfortable' with current Street revenue estimate for FY20 - Says looking for FY20 revenue growth of about 1%. Sees FY20 gross margins "flat to slightly up". Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call Q/A.

17:08 EST Sinclair, Nexstar agree to settle lawsuit with Tribune Media - According to a regulatory filing, on January 27, 2020, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (SBGI) and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NXST) agreed to settle the outstanding lawsuit between the company and Tribune Media Company (TRCO), which Nexstar acquired in September 2019. The companies will dismiss with prejudice the lawsuit pending in the Delaware Court of Chancery, between the company and Tribune concerning the terminated Company/Tribune merger, which lawsuit is captioned Tribune Media Company v. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., Case No. 2018-0593-JTL, and will release each other from any current and future claims relating to the terminated merger. Neither party has admitted any liability or wrongdoing in connection with the terminated merger; both parties have settled the lawsuit to avoid the costs, distraction, and uncertainties of continued litigation. As part of the resolution, the company has agreed to sell to Nexstar WDKY-TV in the Lexington, KY Designated Market Area, subject to the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. The company has also sold certain non-license assets associated with KGBT-TV in the Harlingen, Texas DMA, although the company will continue to operate KGBT-TV as an independent television broadcast station. The company and Nexstar have also modified an existing agreement regarding carriage of certain of the company's digital networks by stations acquired by Nexstar in connection with the Tribune acquisition. Finally, the company will make a cash payment of approximately $60M to Nexstar, net of the asset sales purchase price. The company has adequately reserved for this settlement in 2019.

17:06 EST German American Bancorp approves 1M share repurchase plan, 12% dividend increase - German American Bancorp announced that its board has approved a new share repurchase plan authorizing the repurchase of up to 1M shares, or approximately 4% of the company's total common shares outstanding. Stock repurchases are expected to be made from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, subject to applicable securities law. The plan does not obligate the company to repurchase any specific dollar amount or number of shares. The company also announced a 12% increase in its regular quarterly cash dividend, as its board declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 19c per share, which will be payable on February 20 to shareholders of record as of February 10.

17:01 EST Crane raises quarterly dividend 10% to 43c from 39c per share - The dividend is payable on March 11 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 28. The indicated annual dividend rate will now be $1.72 per share.

16:46 EST Discover CEO Hochschild acquires 15,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Discover Financial CEO and president Roger C. Hochschild disclosed the acquisition of 15,000 common shares of the company at a price of $74.1214 per share.

16:43 EST PerkinElmer falls 2.7% after Q4 earnings, below-consensus FY20 guidance - Shares of PerkinElmer are down 2.7% or $2.67 at $96 per share after the company reported Q4 results and guided Q1 and FY20 below consensus.

16:35 EST Cisco names Dr. Lisa Su to board of directors - Cisco (CSCO) announced the appointment of Dr. Lisa Su, AMD (AMD) president and CEO, to its board of directors effective January 27. Dr. Su joined AMD in 2012 and has held the position of President and CEO since October 2014. She also serves on AMD's Board of Directors.

16:31 EST Spartan Motors appoints Jonathan Douyard as CFO - Spartan Motors announced the appointment of its incoming CFO, Jonathan C. Douyard, effective no later than March 31. Douyard most recently served as the vice president of finance and CFO of Fluke Corporation, an operating company within Fortive, a Danaher Industrial spin-off. In his role, he oversaw the finance and IT functions at Fluke. He has experience building and leading teams, executing corporate strategy and completing strategic acquisitions. Prior to joining Fluke, he held key financial leadership positions at Sikorsky Aircraft, a United Technologies Company; and General Electric. Douyard holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Bentley University. Rick Sohm, the Company's current CFO, previously announced he was stepping down for non-business reasons in September 2019. Sohm will remain in his position through Douyard's onboarding process to ensure business continuity throughout the transition, and ongoing success.

16:23 EST Endo begins shipment of generic version of Carafate oral suspension 1gm/10 mL - Endo International announced that one of its operating companies, Par Pharmaceutical, has begun shipping an authorized generic version of Allergan's (AGN) Carafate oral suspension 1gm/10 mL. According to IQVIA data, U.S market annual sales for the 12 months ended November 30, 2019, for sucralfate oral suspension was estimated to be approximately $285M.

16:19 EST Berkshire Hills Bancorp raises dividend 4% to 24c - The Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of 24c per common share to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 17, 2020 and payable on February 28, 2020. This is a 4% increase compared to the prior 23c dividend per common share. This dividend equates to a 3.1% annualized yield based on the $31.35 average closing price of Berkshire's common stock during the Q4 of FY19.

16:18 EST PerkinElmer reports Q4 operating margin 23.9% vs. 21.7% last year

16:16 EST Dover to acquire Soft-Pak Software Solutions, terms not disclosed - Dover announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire So. Cal. Soft-Pak, "a leading independent provider of integrated back office, route management and customer relationship management software solutions to the waste and recycling fleet industry." Following the close of the transaction, Soft-Pak will become part of the Environmental Solutions Group business unit, a leading supplier of waste handling solutions to the North American waste and recycling industry, in Dover's Engineered Products segment. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020. Dover expects the acquisition to be accretive to the growth and margin profile of ESG and Dover, and to achieve double-digit return on capital in three years, consistent with Dover's M&A criteria.

16:16 EST Hess Midstream Partners raises quarterly distribution 15% to 42.58c per share - Hess Midstream LP announced that the Board of Directors of its general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution of 42.58c per Class A share for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. The distribution represents a 15% increase compared to the distribution on the Hess Midstream Partners LP common units for the fourth quarter of 2018 and a 3.6% increase compared to the distribution on the Hess Midstream Partners LP common units for the third quarter of 2019. The distribution will be payable on February 14, 2020 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 6, 2020.

16:12 EST Laureate Education trading halted, news pending

16:10 EST Acceleron jumps 53% to $81.00 after sotatercept trial meets endpoints

16:07 EST Surface Oncology implements strategic restructuring - The strategic restructuring will reduce the company's workforce by approximately 35%. With these steps to focus resources, Surface Oncology's current cash and cash equivalents are now projected to fund the company into 2022. Anticipated milestones under the NZV930 collaboration with Novartis and additional capital potentially available under the K2 HealthVentures debt financing, in aggregate, would extend Surface Oncology's cash runway into the second half of 2022.

16:05 EST Duke Energy Florida announces two new solar power plants - Duke Energy Florida announced the locations of its two newest solar power plants which will provide cleaner, smarter energy solutions to benefit Florida customers. Both solar power plants will be developed, owned, operated and maintained by Duke Energy Florida and are expected to break ground in March 2020. Completion is currently scheduled for late 2020. "Our two newest solar power plants in Hamilton and Columbia counties are expected to eliminate approximately 600 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions in Florida each year upon commercial operation. That's the equivalent of taking about 56,000 passenger cars off the road each year," said Catherine Stempien, Duke Energy Florida state president. "We are committed to environmental stewardship and more fuel diversity for our Florida customers' benefit."

16:02 EST Despegar.com to acquire Best Day Travel Group for $136M - Despegar.com announced it has agreed to acquire Best Day Travel Group for a total consideration of approximately $136 million, subject to the occurrence of certain closing and business conditions. A portion of the purchase price is payable on a deferred basis and includes a variable component of up to circa +/- 10% of the total consideration, based on future performance. According to Best Day, during 2019 the company recorded estimated unaudited pro forma revenues and EBITDA of approximately $140 million and $8 million, respectively, with online sales accounting for approximately 70% of total sales.

16:01 EST Optex Systems announces $3.6M contract - Optex Systems Holdings announced a multi-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity award from Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime for periscopes for up to $3.6M over a five-year period.

13:28 EST FLIR confirms its thermal cameras being used to screen people - In a statement to The Fly, FLIR Systems (FLIR) Director of Communications Tim McDowd said, "In general, thermal cameras are used to detect variations of surface temperatures. In the U.S., FLIR has certain camera models, designated as "ME," which are certified by the FDA for use as a non-contact screening tool to detect differences in skin surface temperatures. These FDA-certified cameras (510(k) submission K033967) were designated with an intended use specifically in public areas, i.e., airports, to allow operators to visualize and document temperature patterns and changes. FLIR is aware of customers in several other countries using FLIR thermal cameras for similar purposes, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, and Malaysia. FLIR cameras are not intended, nor designed, to diagnose or detect medical conditions including, but not limited to, viruses or other illnesses. FLIR cameras should only be used to detect variations of surface temperatures."

12:03 EST USA Technologies investor sends open letter to board - 22NW, acting independently as the beneficial owner of 603,830 shares of USAT (USAT) stock , has been following the ongoing proxy battle between the company's legacy board and Hudson Executive Capital with great interest. They now feel compelled to weigh in publicly after the board recently rejected Hudson's proposed settlement despite overwhelmingly conclusive voting results in favor of Hudson's slate of directors. "Specifically, on January 15, 2020, Hudson announced that shareholders representing 60.58% of the voting power of USA Technologies had voted in favor of the eight candidates it had nominated to the board of directors, a tally that included our shares. In a letter dated January 17, 2020, Hudson further disclosed that current directors received just 0.30% of the votes. At this point, it is crystal clear that shareholders prefer the highly qualified candidates nominated by Hudson. We are concerned that this reality appears lost on you. Our investment in the company was predicated on Hudson winning since we considered the stock uninvestable under your leadership. The current board was responsible for governance during a period when USAT materially misstated its financials, was delisted by NASDAQ, and spent over $15M on the investigation and restatement of its quarterly filings and financial statements. In 2018 and 2019, USAT reported GAAP net losses attributable to common shares of $11.9M and $32.7M, respectively, despite having a scalable business with high recurring revenues. Between September 10, 2018, the day before USAT first announced that it would not be able to file its 10-K in a timely manner, and October 14, 2019, when Hudson publicly announced that they were going to nominate candidates for the board of directors, USAT stock lost more than 50% of its value. Based on this track record alone, we believe you are unqualified for your current positions, and your shareholder base just expressed agreement with our views. Any delay in tendering your resignation as members of the board will slow the process of hiring a new management team and getting USAT back on track. In addition, the board's refusal to hold the annual shareholder meeting at an earlier date will unnecessarily delay the relisting of the stock on NASDAQ and put the company at significant risk of missing the deadline for inclusion in the Russell 2000 Index when the annual rebalance calculation occurs in May. If added, exchange traded funds with assets under management in excess of $50B would be required to purchase millions of shares of USAT, which would likely increase the share price and help to restore some of the shareholder value that has been destroyed under your tenure. It is of the utmost importance that the legacy board respect the wishes of the majority of USAT shareholders and move aside as quickly as possible to avoid wasting any more time or shareholder money. Lastly, we were surprised and dismayed to learn from Hudson's January 17, 2020 public letter that you may be considering a sale of the company despite the currently depressed valuation of USAT stock. We estimate the fair value of USAT under the superior leadership team proposed by Hudson could be at least $20 a share, if not higher, over the next few years."

12:00 EST Laix falls -9.6% - Laix is down -9.6%, or -52c to $4.89.

12:00 EST Britannia Bulk rises 9.7% - Britannia Bulk is up 9.7%, or 47c to $5.30.

12:00 EST Ovintiv rises 375.9% - Ovintiv is up 375.9%, or $14.24 to $18.04.

11:20 EST Pieris Pharmaceuticals drops 10% after ASKA opts not to exercise PRS-080 option - In a regulatory filing after the close on Friday, Pieris Pharmaceuticals disclosed that on January 20, ASKA Pharmaceutical Co. notified Pieris that it does not intend to exercise its option to obtain an exclusive license to develop and commercialize the company's PRS-080 drug candidate targeting hepcidin in Japan and certain other Asian markets territories under the February 27, 2017 exclusive option agreement by and among ASKA, the company and the company's wholly-owned German subsidiary, Pieris Pharmaceuticals GmbH. "ASKA's decision was based on a strategic portfolio review as well as certain commercial considerations. The term of the option agreement ended as of the date of ASKA's notification of its decision not to exercise its option rights. In view of the company's strategic focus in immuno-oncology and respiratory diseases, including the continued development of PRS-343, PRS-344, and PRS-060, the company does not intend to continue the development of PRS-080," Pieris stated in the filing. In Monday morning trading, Pieris Pharmaceuticals shares are down 33c, or 10%, to $2.90.

10:59 EST Franklin Electric boosts quarterly dividend 7% - Franklin Electric Co. announced that its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 15.5c per share payable February 20 to shareholders of record on February 6. This represents a 7% increase from the prior quarterly dividend of 14.5c per share.

10:32 EST Barrick Gold says Kibali mine delivers 814,027 ounces of gold in 2019 - Barrick Gold Corporation's Kibali mine beat its 2019 production guidance of 750,000 ounces of gold by a substantial margin, delivering 814,027 ounces in another record year. "The completion of the Kalimva Ikamva prefeasibility study has delivered another viable opencast project which will help balance Kibali's opencast/underground ore ratio and enhance the flexibility of the mine plan. Down-plunge extension drilling at Gorumbwa has highlighted future underground potential and ongoing conversion drilling at KCD is delivering reserve replenishment. All in all, Kibali is well on track not only to meet its 10-year production targets but to extend them beyond this horizon," CEO Mark Bristow said.

10:22 EST Fox Sports announces exclusive U.S. English-language rights pact with Concacaf - Fox Sports and Concacaf have agreed to an exclusive multi-year U.S. English-language rights deal, highlighted by the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cups as well as the Men's and Women's Olympic Qualifiers and Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, the company announced. "Fox Sports is excited to further its commitment to the sport of soccer through this new agreement with Concacaf. The U.S. Women's National Team captivated a country with its World Cup victory last summer, and we're honored to showcase this inspirational team once again as they begin their Olympic journey this week. Furthermore, we look forward to offering more men's soccer, including the next two editions of the Gold Cup and the U.S. Men's National Team Olympic Qualifiers," said Mark Silverman, Fox Sports President, National Networks. Reference Link

10:00 EST NIO Inc. falls -13.7% - NIO Inc. is down -13.7%, or -64c to $4.02.

10:00 EST VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN rises 8.0% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is up 8.0%, or $3.74 to $50.38.

10:00 EST Ovintiv rises 378.9% - Ovintiv is up 378.9%, or $14.36 to $18.15.

09:47 EST Direxion Daily Russia Bull 3X Shares falls -8.4% - Direxion Daily Russia Bull 3X Shares is down -8.4%, or -$6.44 to $69.97.

09:47 EST NIO Inc. falls -14.6% - NIO Inc. is down -14.6%, or -68c to $3.98.

09:47 EST Britannia Bulk rises 8.7% - Britannia Bulk is up 8.7%, or 42c to $5.25.

09:32 EST Comcast completes acquisition of Blueface, terms not disclosed - Comcast announced it has completed the acquisition of Blueface, a Dublin, Ireland-based global technology provider and leader in unified communications solutions. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The acquisition adds Blueface's proprietary and fully customizable cloud voice unified communications platform to Comcast Business's portfolio of business-grade solutions; helping to provide businesses the ability to communicate and collaborate seamlessly and globally.

09:31 EST Neonode announces plans to expand line of touch sensors - Neonode announced that it is expanding its line of touch sensors. Neonode has established its line of sensor modules as the go-to component for adding touch input, on any surface and in-air, to new and existing products, it said in a statement. This new type of touch sensor is intended to be mounted on the side of the touch surface - "enabling new levels of design freedom and allowing for integration in a wider range of applications." The new touch sensors are available in nine lengths, to support interaction areas from 3" to 16" diagonally.

09:24 EST Meridian says 1-Step RT-qPCR mix used in diagnostics development for coronavirus - Meridian Bioscience announced a novel coronavirus, identified by Chinese authorities on January 7 and currently named 2019-nCoV, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans. The outbreak started on the Chinese city of Wuhan, 56 people have already died and more than 2,000 confirmed infected. This new virus has already spread to other parts of mainland China and several other countries and health authorities around the world are taking action to prevent a global epidemic. The World Health Organization has provided interim guidance to laboratories and stakeholders involved in laboratory testing of patients who meet the definition of suspected case of pneumonia associated with 2019-nCoV. Sequence information from the 2019-nCoV has recently been made available and diagnostic companies and laboratories in China have turned to Meridian's Lyo-Ready 1-Step RT-qPCR Mix to develop fast and accurate screening assays. Meridian's manufacturing team is working diligently to meet the supply of critical reagents for the detection of Coronavirus and fast response to the outbreak.

09:21 EST Sharc Energy selects Opteon XP10 refrigerants for next-gen PIRANHA - Sharc International announced that the Company has selected low global warming potential refrigerants Opteon XP10 for next generation PIRANHA units. SHARC selected The Chemours Company FC and its Opteon XP10 because it offers a non-ozone depleting, low GWP hydrofluoro-olefin based refrigerant developed with a 56% reduction to replace R-134a in positive displacement, direct expansion, medium-temperature commercial and industrial fixed speed systems, chillers, and heat pumps such as the PIRANHA while providing improved energy efficiency, similar capacity, and excellent design compatibility.

09:18 EST Identiv, Kensington partner for smart card reader technology integration - Identiv announced it has partnered with Kensington to embed secure authentication technology into its BlackBelt Rugged Case for the Microsoft Surface Pro and Microsoft Surface Go. The Kensington BlackBelt Rugged Case adds security, protection, and convenience to Microsoft Surface Pro and Microsoft Surface Go devices, their data, and the users' network. The case incorporates an integrated FIPS 201-compliant smart card reader module developed by Identiv to help simplify logins and prevent unauthorized access to data on devices or private networks. Additional features of the combined solution include military-grade drop protection, a protective camera cover, openings for the kickstand and all I/O ports, cable lock compatibility, a self-adjusting hand strap, and Trade Agreements Act compliance.

09:16 EST Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Tenneco (TEN), up 2% after reconfirming that it has been reviewing strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value and updating FY19 revenue guidance to be slightly higher than its initial outlook... Achillion (ACHN), up 15% after the Federal Trade Commission granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act with respect to the pending acquisition of the company by Alexion (ALXN)... Net 1 UEPS (UEPS), up 21% after announcing that it has agreed to sell 100% of KSNET, a Republic of Korea payment processor, to Stonebridge Capital and Payletter for approximately $237M. LOWER: Apple (AAPL), down 2% amid worries about China and following cautious notes from Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan ahead of Tuesday's fiscal Q1 earnings report... Alibaba (BABA), down 6% amid broader weakness in Chinese-linked stocks amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country... EyePoint (EYPT), down 2% after announcing, with Ocumension Therapeutics, an exclusive license agreement for the development and commercialization of Dexycu 9% for the treatment of post-operative inflammation following ocular surgery in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan... Sorrento Therapeutics (SRNE), down 8% after announcing that, after reviewing the latest acquisition proposal in consultation with its advisors, the company's board determined that the offer significantly undervalues Sorrento and is not in the best interest of the company's stockholders... Wynn Resorts (WYNN), down 8% after BofA analyst Shaun Kelley downgraded shares to Neutral from Buy with a $150 price target. Other publicly traded companies in the Macau gaming space, including Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM) and Melco Resorts (MLCO), are also lower after Bloomberg reported that the number of mainland Chinese visitors to Macau fell 80% on Sunday, the third day of the Lunar New Year holiday, compared with the equivalent day during last year's Lunar New Year break... Yum China (YUMC), down 7% after Reuters reports the company has temporarily closed some of its KFC and Pizza Hut stores in Wuhan in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

09:13 EST Applied DNA Sciences granted MMC fibers patent from USPTO - Applied DNA Sciences announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, has granted it United States patent no. 10,519,605. The newly-issued patent covers methods of tagging man-made cellulosic, or MMC, fibers or materials with a nucleic acid tag during production and later authenticating the nucleic acid-tagged MMC fibers and/or materials via PCR-based detection techniques to confirm provenance and/or authenticity. Most MMCs are primarily derived from wood.

09:11 EST HomeStreet announces additional $25M common stock repurchase authorization - The company's board approved an additional $25M common stock repurchase that will commence upon the completion of the existing repurchase authorization which is expected during Q1, subject to regulatory non-objection.

09:07 EST Valaris appoints Adam Weitzman to Board of Directors - Valaris announced that, as part of the Board's comprehensive refreshment program, it has agreed to appoint Adam Weitzman to its Board of Directors. Weitzman will also serve on the Finance Committee, to assist in the Board's oversight of the Company's capital structure and financial strategies, as well as the Compensation Committee. With this appointment, the Valaris Board of Directors will be comprised of 12 directors, 11 of whom will stand for re-election at the Company's 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Weitzman, a Partner at Luminus Management, has been investing in offshore drilling companies and other energy-related public companies for more than a decade. He brings with him an expertise in debt and equity capital markets, asset allocation and risk management. Luminus owns approximately 18.7% of the outstanding shares of Valaris.

09:06 EST Voxeljet says NYSE approves plan to regain compliance - Voxeljet announced that on January 24, the New York Stock Exchange notified the company that it has accepted the Company's plan to regain compliance with the NYSE's continued listing standards. As previously reported by the company in a Current Report on Form 6-K on August 27, 2019, the company received a letter from the NYSE on August 23, 2019 stating that voxeljet was below compliance with continued listing standards set forth in Section 802.01B of the NYSE's Listed Company Manual relating to market capitalization and shareholders' equity. The company submitted a compliance plan to the NYSE on November 19, 2019 advising how the company plans to regain compliance with the continued listing standards by February 23, 2021. The company is subject to periodic review by the NYSE for compliance with the initiatives set forth in the plan. If the company is not in compliance with the continued listing standards by February 23, 2021, or if it does not make progress consistent with the plan during the plan period, NYSE may initiate delisting proceedings as appropriate. The company intends to regain compliance with the NYSE continued listing standards by such date; however, there is no assurance the company will be able to accomplish this.

09:04 EST Taronis Technologies awarded water patent - Taronis Technologies announced that the Company has been awarded a new patent. On January 21, 2020, the US Patent Office issued U.S. patent number 10,537,902. The patent is titled Reclamation of Metals from a Fluid. This patent was filed as a direct result of findings from the USDA funded agricultural waste sterilization project completed in September 2019. The Company has previously detailed its desired business model for agricultural waste solutions using its patented submerged plasma arc technology. The Company is actively seeking joint venture partners, specifically in the cattle and hog segments of the agricultural space. The Company has conducted extensive validation testing to demonstrate its ability to eradicate pathogens, breakdown pharmaceutical wastes, and to recover harmful metals dissolved in animal wastes.

09:03 EST STMicroelectronics, Fieldscale partner for intuitive touch controls - STMicroelectronics and Fieldscale have joined forces to simplify development of touch-enabled user interfaces for smart devices containing ST's STM32 microcontrollers. Touch-sensitive controls are convenient and attractive for end users, and can enhance product reliability, ingress protection, and cost-effectiveness. On the other hand, development can be challenging. Using a conventional iterative design approach, optimizing to eliminate unwanted effects and ensure consistent responses for touch sensing in all operating conditions can involve building multiple prototypes. ST and Fieldscale now enable STM32 customers to take a faster and more efficient route to market by introducing support for ST's Arm Cortex-based 32-bit MCUs to Fieldscale's SENSE development platform.

09:02 EST WEC Energy to acquire 80% ownership interest in Blooming Grove Wind Farm - WEC Energy Group announced that the company has agreed to acquire an 80% ownership interest in Blooming Grove Wind Farm. The project is being developed in McLean County, Illinois by Invenergy -- a leading developer and operator of sustainable energy solutions. Commercial operation is expected to begin by the end of 2020. The wind farm has long-term offtake agreements for all the energy produced with affiliates of two investment grade multinational companies. The Blooming Grove site will consist of 94 GE wind turbines with a combined capacity of 250 megawatts. WEC Energy Group's investment will total $345M for the 80% ownership interest.Under the tax rules, the WEC Energy Group investment is expected to be eligible for 100% bonus depreciation and production tax credits. The transaction is subject to receiving all necessary regulatory approvals.

08:54 EST Weyland CEO says 'on track' for another year of double-digit organic growth - "Our record results for 2019 reflect the strategic investments we made over the last few years to grow customer demand, leverage our distribution partnerships, and continually enhance our CreateApp PaaS based on customer feedback," noted Weyland Tech CEO, Brent Suen. "This has resulted in a rapidly expanding customer base with low attrition, along with an increasing average revenue per customer. We have also benefited from markets with exceptionally strong growth in smartphone-driven m-Commerce, making CreateApp increasingly relevant and essential to businesses looking for a competitive edge in an increasingly mobile world. Having established a robust user platform and achieving strong user growth in our initial target markets in Southeast Asia, we are now ready for greater global expansion. Our recent acquisition of the Minneapolis-based Push Interactive and its highly-complementary e-Commerce platform has set the stage for our launch of CreateApp across the U.S. before the end of the current quarter. Based on our growth models, we continue to see our CreateApp U.S. subscription revenues reaching $5 million by year end. We are also planning CreateApp pilot launches with potential distribution partners to expand our CreateApp market reach to the Middle East and additional countries in Southeast Asia. These partnerships would be similar to our existing relationship with Indosat, Indonesia's second largest telecom provider, who markets and distributes CreateApp on our behalf in Indonesia. These global markets are very attractive, given their high smartphone penetration and the tens of millions of micro and small businesses well suited to the benefits and advantages of CreateApp. Looking ahead in 2020, we are on track for another year of double-digit organic growth, and triple digit acquisitive growth with the addition of Push. As we continue to work to elevate our profile in the financial community, we believe the market valuation for a company like ours with a $34.6 million subscription-based revenue stream should garner a several times multiple in its price-to-revenue ratio rather than a fraction it does today. Adding the revenue and synergistic operations of Push in 2020 should make our valuation even stronger."

08:52 EST D.R. Horton says spring selling season to dictate margins into Q3, Q4

08:49 EST D.R. Horton says labor 'getting tighter'

08:46 EST Twin River Worldwide announces partnerships with DraftKings, FanDuel - Twin River Worldwide announced separate market access partnerships with DraftKings and FanDuel Group, giving sports fans in Colorado access to award-winning sportsbook products. These partnerships combine Twin River Worldwide Holdings' nationwide experience in gaming and casino operations with market-leading sports betting expertise and globally recognizable brands. Colorado is the fifth state in the United States where the FanDuel Sportsbook platform will be available and is the sixth state to offer the DraftKings' Sportsbook platform. As announced last Friday, Twin River Worldwide Holdings completed the acquisition of Golden Gates, Golden Gulch and Mardi Gras casinos in Black Hawk, Colorado. With the completion of this acquisition, Twin River also acquired the right to three sports gaming licenses in Colorado, leading to the creation of these two partnerships. Twin River will retain the third license for its own future use.

08:39 EST APM signs LOI to purchase Broadway Gold's interest in Madison Project - American Pacific Mining announce the company has signed a Letter of Intent with Broadway Gold Mining whereby it was granted the exclusive right to negotiate a definitive agreement with Broadway and certain of its subsidiaries to acquire Broadway's interest in the Madison Copper Gold Project in Montana, USA. The project is currently subject to an Earn-In with Option to Joint Venture Agreement with Kennecott Exploration Company, part of the Rio Tinto Group, as announced by Broadway on April 30, 2019. Kennecott Exploration Company is not a party to the Letter of Intent or the proposed transaction between APM and Broadway. There is no guarantee that the parties will be able to finalize a definitive agreement. It is expected that any such definitive agreement would be subject to a number of conditions, including the receipt of all required regulatory, corporate and stock exchange approvals, the completion of the Arrangement and any required shareholder approvals. The exclusivity obligations described above automatically terminate if Broadway's previously announced plan of arrangement with Mind Medicine, Inc. does not close. Even if a definitive agreement is executed there can be no assurances that the parties will be able to complete such a transaction.

08:38 EST Denny's expands Beyond Meat burger to 1,700 locations after 'positive response' - Denny's (DENN) announced that after an "overwhelmingly successful" Beyond Burger launch exclusively in Los Angeles restaurants, it will now offer Beyond Meat's (BYND) plant-based burger more than 1,700 locations across the U.S. and Canada. To celebrate the rollout, Denny's is offering a free Beyond Burger with the purchase of any beverage at all participating locations on January 30 from 11am to 10pm, while supplies last. Denny's says it is "meeting guests' desire to move toward a flexitarian diet." Its Chief Brand Officer John Dillon added, "The positive response we received validated our decision to partner with Beyond Meat to introduce our guests to a plant-based option. We could not be more excited to add the Beyond Burger to our permanent lineup of delicious, affordable menu options as we continue to innovate and expand our menu to meet evolving dietary preferences."

08:35 EST General Cannabis to acquire SevenFive Farm, terms not disclosed - General Cannabis announced that it has signed a purchase agreement to acquire SevenFive Farm, a cultivation facility in Boulder, CO. The pending acquisition will now be submitted to the Colorado state regulators for approval; the acquisition will close when this approval process is complete. The company originally announced the Letter of Intent for this acquisition in August 2019. SevenFive Farm is a 17,000 square feet light deprivation greenhouse cultivation facility that has operated in Boulder county for over 4 years. General Cannabis expects to improve production in the facility to approximately 300 lbs of flower per month. The cannabis cultivated at SevenFive will initially be sold on the wholesale market and, as the company adds retail operations, used to partially supply the Company's dispensaries. The Company expects that once the acquisition has been completed and integration has concluded, SevenFive Farm will generate over $5M in annual revenue and over $3M in positive contribution towards corporate EBITDA. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

08:33 EST Evoke Pharma announces notice of allowance from USPTO for Gimoti - Evoke Pharma announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a Notice of Allowance for the Gimoti trademark. Gimoti is Evoke's nasal spray product candidate for the relief of symptoms in adult women with acute and recurrent diabetic gastroparesis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the New Drug Application for Gimoti and has set a target goal date under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act of June 19, 2020.

08:32 EST Corium announces FDA acceptance of NDA for ADLARITY - Corium announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for filing the company's New Drug Application for ADLARITY, its lead investigational agent for the treatment of dementia of the Alzheimer's type in patients with mild, moderate, and severe Alzheimer's disease. FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of July 30th, 2020.

08:31 EST Marriott signs record number of rooms in 2019 - Marriott International announced it signed a record number of rooms in 2019, pushing its global pipeline to approximately 515,000 rooms as of year-end 2019 for the first time in the company's history. The company signed 815 agreements, representing more than 136,000 rooms, marking the seventh consecutive year of record-breaking volume of organic rooms signings. Growth was fueled by unprecedented levels of organic rooms signed in each of the company's international regions. During 2019, the company added 516 properties with more than 78,000 rooms in 60 countries and territories - an average of one new property every 17 hours.

08:20 EST Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie flies over Yuma in fourth flight - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced that Kratos' XQ-58A Valkyrie successfully completed its fourth test/demonstration flight on Thursday, January 23, 2020, at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona. Thursday's envelope-expanding flight lasted over an hour, during which the XQ-58A demonstrator successfully completed all 43 baseline test objectives, plus 6 additional tests, for a total of 49. The system deployed its parachutes and landed normally, validating the design changes incorporated for the test flight airbag system following flight three. To date, the Valkyrie has flown more than five hours and exceeded the progress originally planned for the flight series.

08:15 EST K12 acquires Galvanize for $165M in all-cash deal - K12 announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Galvanize. "The acquisition of Galvanize positions K12 as a premier provider of career readiness education services and a leader in skills training, technology staffing and developing talent and capabilities for Fortune 500 companies. The Galvanize management team, brand recognition, network of alumni, campuses, and industry-leading software engineering and data science programs will allow K12 to accelerate its entry into this important and growing market." K12 expects to acquire Galvanize for approximately $165 million in an all-cash transaction. The acquisition, which was approved by the Boards of Directors of K12 and Galvanize, is expected to close later January 27.

08:13 EST Pixelworks expands footprint with Shenzen, China office - Pixelworks announced the opening of a new office in Shenzhen. Complementing an already well established presence in Shanghai, the Company's new Shenzhen engineering facility will support both existing and expanded engagements with smartphone customers in the region. Pixelworks' Shenzhen office is located in the heart of Nanshan District at: Unit 02-03 17F CR Land Building Tower C, No. 9688 Shennan Avenue, Nanshan District Shenzhen, next to the office headquarters for numerous Chinese multi-national technology companies.

08:12 EST Gulf Resources announces 1-for-5 reverse stock split - Gulf Resources announced a 1-for-5 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding shares of common stock, which is expected be effective for trading purposes as of the commencement of trading on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. The reverse stock split is intended to increase the per share trading price of the Company's common stock to satisfy the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The NASDAQ Global Select Market. Trading of the Company's common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market will continue, on a post-split basis, with the opening of the markets on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, under the existing trading symbol "GURE" under the new CUSIP # 40251W 408. The reverse stock split reduces the number of shares of the Company's common stock outstanding from approximately 47.5 million shares of common stock pre-reverse split to approximately 9.5 million shares of common stock post-reverse split. The number of authorized shares of common stock and the par value per share will remain unchanged. As a result of the reverse stock split, every 5 shares of the Company's pre-reverse split common stock will be combined and reclassified into 1 share of common stock. The number of outstanding options will be adjusted accordingly, with outstanding options being reduced from approximately 0.68 million to approximately 0.14 million. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse stock split. Stockholders who would otherwise hold a fractional share of common stock will receive an increase to their common stock as the common stock will be rounded up to a full share.

08:09 EST HeadHunter announces final decision of Federal Antimonoply Service - HeadHunter Group announced that the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia has issued a final decision on the case initiated in April 2019 pursuant to a complaint by Stafori LLC, as disclosed earlier. The company said, "Importantly, the Antitrust Agency has concluded that our actions do not limit overall competition in Russia's online recruitment market. The Antitrust Agency did determine that we infringed Stafori's interests and has ordered us to consider their applications for registration of their products in our system, if submitted. We will also be required to pay a fine, the amount of which will be assessed by FAS within a year following the date of decision and is currently expected to be less than RUB1M, which is the upper limit of a fixed fee according to the applicable law. There are no further rulings or orders from the Antitrust Agency in connection with the investigation or otherwise. We believe that the mitigation measures prescribed by FAS will not have a significant impact on our operations, and we intend to maintain our commitment to the business practice of protecting personal data in the market. We also have the right to appeal the FAS decision in court, and we will analyze the merits of an appeal in due course."

08:09 EST Trovagene announces data from Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of onvansertib - Trovagene announced positive data from an ongoing Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of onvansertib plus FOLFIRI and Avastin for second-line treatment of KRAS-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, or mCRC. The data demonstrate the pan-KRAS inhibitory effect of onvansertib. All five patients evaluable for efficacy assessment have shown a significant reduction in their KRAS mutational burden as measured by a simple blood test, which was subsequently confirmed by tumor regression visible on radiographic scans. Three patients had a greater than25% tumor shrinkage and one patient is now eligible for curative surgery, a clinically meaningful achievement, which is considered to be unprecedented in this patient population with only a 5% response to standard-of-care. The data was featured in a poster presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO-GI) in San Francisco on Saturday, January 25th.

08:07 EST Exxon Mobil announces Uaru discovery, ups recoverable resource base in Guyana - Exxon Mobil (XOM) has increased its estimated recoverable resource base in Guyana to more than 8B oil equivalent barrels and made a further oil discovery northeast of the producing Liza field at the Uaru exploration well, the sixteenth discovery on the Stabroek Block. The new recoverable resource estimate includes 15 discoveries offshore Guyana through year-end 2019. The Uaru discovery is the first of 2020 and will be added to the resource estimate at a later date. Uaru encountered approximately 94 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir. The well, drilled in 6,342 feet of water, is located approximately 10 miles northeast of the Liza field, which began producing oil in December 2019. Production from the Liza Phase 1 development is currently ramping up and will produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day in the coming months, utilizing the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading vessel, or FPSO. The Liza Unity FPSO, which will be employed for the second phase of Liza development and will have a production capacity of 220,000 barrels of oil per day, is under construction and expected to start production by mid-2022. Pending government approvals and project sanctioning of a third development, production from the Payara field north of the Liza discoveries could start as early as 2023, reaching an estimated 220,000 barrels of oil per day. Four drillships in Guyana continue to explore and appraise new resources as well as develop the resources within approved projects. A fifth drillship is expected to be deployed later this year. The Stabroek Block is 6.6M acres. ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is operator and holds 45% interest in the Stabroek Block. Hess (HES) Guyana, holds 30% interest and Cnooc Petroleum Guyana, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cnooc (CEO), holds 25% interest.

08:06 EST Liquidia Technologies submits NDA for LIQ861 inhalation powder to FDA - Liquidia Technologies announced the submission of its New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for LIQ861. LIQ861 is an investigational, inhaled dry powder formulation of treprostinil designed using Liquidia's PRINT technology with the goal of enhancing deep-lung delivery using a convenient, palm-sized dry powder inhaler for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The NDA has been submitted under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway and includes data from three clinical studies to establish the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of LIQ861. The open-label Phase 3 study, known as INSPIRE, included 121 PAH patients who transitioned from stable doses of the reference listed drug or added LIQ861 to no more than two approved non-prostacyclin oral PAH therapies. The company also completed pharmacokinetic studies to establish the bioavailability of LIQ861 relative to the bioavailability of the reference listed drug.

08:06 EST Comcast announces plans to open 6 new Xfinity stores in Twin Cities - Comcast announced plans to open six new Xfinity stores in the Twin Cities by the end of 2020. The nearly $1.5M investment will place new retail stores in Coon Rapids, Brooklyn Center, Maple Grove, Blaine, Vadnais Heights, and West St. Paul.

08:05 EST Lakeland Financial board reauthorizes stock repurchase up to $30M - In addition, on January 14, 2020, the board of directors reauthorized the purchase of up to $30 million worth of shares of the company's common stock, representing approximately 2.4% of the company's issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of December 31, 2019.

08:04 EST Lakeland Financial approves cash dividend of 30c for Q4 - As announced on January 14, 2020, the board of directors approved a cash dividend for the fourth quarter of 30c per share, payable on February 5, 2020, to shareholders of record as of January 25, 2020. Including this dividend, the total dividends per share for 2019 represent a 16% increase over the total dividends per share paid for 2018.

08:00 EST FTC grants early termination of HSR Act waiting period for Achillion sale - In a regulatory filing, on January 24, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, or the HSR Act, with respect to the pending acquisition of Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN) by Alexion (ALXN), pursuant to the agreement and plan of merger, dated as of October 15, 2019, by and among Alexion, Achillion and Beagle Merger, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alexion. The early termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the merger. On December 19, 2019, Achillion's stockholders voted to adopt the merger agreement at a special meeting of stockholders held by Achillion. The closing of the merger remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions. The merger is expected to be consummated as soon as practicable.

07:31 EST Macatawa Bank raises quarterly dividend 14% to 8c per share - Macatawa Bank announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 8c per share on its common stock to be paid on February 27, 2020 to shareholders of record on February 11, 2020. This quarter's dividend payment represents a 14% increase from the previous quarterly dividend rate of 7c per share.

07:15 EST RedHill Biopharma on track to launch Talicia in the U.S. in 1Q20 - RedHill Biopharma announced it has launched a nationwide H. pylori disease state educational field campaign led by its sales force, ahead of the planned U.S. launch of Talicia later this quarter. H. pylori infection is a highly prevalent and increasingly resistant Group 1 carcinogen. RedHill's disease state educational field campaign is intended to provide healthcare professionals with a greater awareness of the risks related to H. pylori infection and the high and growing resistance of the H. pylori bacterium to standard-of-care antibiotics, which has led to a 25-40% failure rate of current therapies. The campaign is primarily being carried out by RedHill's field sales force, which has grown over the past several months and is expected to include 140 representatives within the coming weeks. It is estimated that H. pylori resistance to clarithromycin more than doubled between 2009-2013. The campaign aims to raise awareness among the main physicians who treat the disease, which include gastroenterologists, primary care and other healthcare providers. This educational effort is further supported by RedHill's medical affairs, thought leader liaisons and marketing teams.

07:12 EST Anavex achieves enrollment target for ANAVEX 2-73 Phase 2 PDD trial - Anavex Life Sciences announced that it has met its enrollment target for the ANAVEX 2-73 Phase 2 study in Parkinson's Disease Dementia. The Company expects to announce topline results from this study by mid-2020. ANAVEX 2-73 is an orally available, small-molecule activator of the sigma-1 receptor which, data suggest, is pivotal to restoring neural cell homeostasis and promoting neuroplasticity. The study enrolled over 120 patients at 20 sites across Spain along with 3 sites in Australia. This multi-center, double-blind clinical trial is measuring efficacy, tolerability, and safety of two different once daily oral ANAVEX 2-73 doses or placebo. The ANAVEX 2-73 Phase 2 PDD study design incorporates genomic precision medicine biomarkers. Primary and secondary endpoints will assess cognition and Parkinsonian motor symptoms and sleep function during the 14-week study. The efficacy assessments include the Cognitive Drug Research Computerized Assessment System, MDS-UPDRS and incidence of Sleep Disorders Symptom Checklist. ANAVEX 2-73 previously demonstrated in a Phase 2a Alzheimer's disease study dose dependent improvement in exploratory endpoints of cognition within 5 weeks. To offer eligible participants of the Phase 2 PDD study access to ANAVEX 2-73, participants completing the trial may enroll in a voluntary 48-week open-label extension study.

07:09 EST NuCana announces first patients dosed in Phase III study of Acelarin - NuCana announced that the first patients have been dosed in its Phase III study of Acelarin plus cisplatin for the first-line treatment of patients with biliary tract cancer and that the study design is being presented at the ASCO-GI Conference in San Francisco. The enrollment of patients in NuTide:121 follows U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance of the company's investigational new drug application for Acelarin. NuTide:121 is a global, multi-center, randomized Phase III study that is enrolling up to 828 patients in approximately 120 sites across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Patients are being randomized 1:1 and treated with either a combination of Acelarin plus cisplatin or the current standard of care regimen, gemcitabine plus cisplatin. NuCana also announced the presentation of a poster "NUC-1031 in combination with cisplatin for first-line treatment of patients with advanced biliary tract cancer" at the ASCO-GI Conference being held in San Francisco, CA. The poster details the study design of NuTide:121 and reviews the encouraging results previously reported in the Phase Ib ABC-08 Study. The primary objectives of NuTide:121 are Overall Survival and Objective Response Rate. Three interim analyses, including two designed to support accelerated approval, are planned as part of the Phase III study protocol, in addition to the final analysis. Based on discussions with the FDA and subject to any further regulatory guidance, the Company believes that a statistically significant improvement in ORR at either of the first two interim analyses, supported by positive trends in other endpoints, could potentially allow for an accelerated approval of a new drug application for Acelarin. Accelerated approval requires a confirmatory clinical study to verify the drug's clinical benefit. If accelerated approval were to occur, NuTide:121 would continue and the Company anticipates that data from subsequent analyses could provide the confirmatory data to support full approval.

07:07 EST EyePoint, Ocumension sign exclusive license agreement for DEXYCU - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals and Ocumension Therapeutics announced an exclusive license agreement for the development and commercialization of DEXYCU 9% for the treatment of post-operative inflammation following ocular surgery in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. DEXYCU is currently marketed by EyePoint in the U.S. EyePoint maintains worldwide development and commercialization rights outside of the territories licensed to Ocumension. Under the terms of the agreement, EyePoint will receive an upfront payment of $2M and royalties on product sales by Ocumension. EyePoint is eligible to receive up to an additional $12M if certain future prespecified development, regulatory and commercial sales milestones are achieved by Ocumension. In exchange, Ocumension will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the product in the agreed upon territories. Eyepoint will also be the exclusive supplier of DEXYCU to Ocumension for clinical use and commercial sale.

07:07 EST Rexnord initiates quarterly dividend of 8c per share - The Rexnord board approved an initial 8c per-share quarterly dividend to be paid on March 6, to shareholders of record as of February 21, which represents the first common stock dividend Rexnord has paid since its 2012 initial public offering.

07:04 EST Oncolytics: Data identifies CEACAM6 as a prospective biomarker for pelareorep - Oncolytics Biotech announced that a poster presentation highlighting statistically significant data identifying CEACAM6 as a prospective biomarker for pelareorep in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The presentation was delivered at the 2020 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium sponsored by ASCO in San Francisco. "We have identified another biomarker candidate for pelareorep," said Dr. Rita Laeufle, Chief Medical Officer of Oncolytics Biotech. "These results correlate CEACAM6 levels with long term benefit in patients with pancreatic cancer. We are working with industry and academic colleagues to verify this important finding not only in pancreatic cancer but potentially in other GI indications where this biomarker is linked to clinical outcomes."

07:02 EST Sunniva to cease operations of Full-Scale Distributors by end of February - Sunniva announces that as part of its previously stated cost saving measures through reducing its business activities in California it will be ceasing operations of its wholly owned subsidiary, Full-Scale Distributors, by the end of February 2020. "The closing of FSD is a necessary step that will eliminate the cash outlay required to operate that business," stated Dr. Anthony Holler, Chairman & CEO of Sunniva. "We continue to focus on the preservation of our available funds to allow us to actively defend Sunniva's rights under the previously disclosed dispute related to the Build to Suit Lease of the Cathedral City Glasshouse." While the company believes that it has strong legal positions with respect to the announced dispute and is taking steps to exert its position, there can be no certainty that the company will ultimately prevail or that it will be able to deal with all of its debt as it becomes due.

07:01 EST Marathon Petroleum raises dividend 9.4% to 58c - Marathon Petroleum has declared a dividend of 58c per share on common stock. The dividend is payable March 10 to shareholders of record as of the close of business February 19. "The 58c dividend approved by our board represents a 9.4% increase to our previous quarterly dividend," said the company. "This dividend increase underscores our continuing commitment to returning capital to shareholders and our confidence in the cash flow generation capabilities of MPC."

06:57 EST AstraZeneca reports Phase 2 DESTINY-Gastric01 trial met primary endpoint - High-level results from the positive registrational Phase 2 trial DESTINY-Gastric01 showed AstraZeneca's and Daiichi Sankyo's Enhertu achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in objective response rate and overall survival in patients with HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer that had progressed following two or more treatment regimens including trastuzumab and chemotherapy, the companies announced. The trial met its primary endpoint of an improvement in ORR, as assessed by an independent review committee, in patients treated with Enhertu compared to investigator's choice of chemotherapy. Enhertu also showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in OS, a key secondary endpoint. The overall safety and tolerability profile of Enhertu in DESTINY-Gastric01 was consistent with that seen in the published Phase I trial in which the most common adverse events were hematologic and gastrointestinal including neutrophil count decrease, anemia, nausea and decreased appetite. There were cases of treatment-related interstitial lung disease and pneumonitis, the majority of which were Grade 1 and 2 with two Grade 3 and one Grade 4. No ILD-related deaths (Grade 5) occurred in gastric patients in the Phase I trial or in the DESTINY-Gastric01 trial. In addition to the planned discussion with the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, both companies plan to discuss the data with other health authorities. Enhertu recently received Accelerated Approval in the US for HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic breast cancer following two or more prior anti-HER2 based treatment regimens and additional global regulatory submissions in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer are underway. Enhertu is being jointly developed and commercialized worldwide with AstraZeneca except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo maintains exclusive rights.

06:54 EST Tenneco reconfirms ongoing review of strategic alternatives - Tenneco reconfirmed that it has been reviewing strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value and announced the addition of Lazard to its existing advisor team as an independent financial advisor. In consultation with its advisors, Tenneco is reviewing and considering, in addition to the current plan to spin off the company's Aftermarket and Ride Performance business, or "DRiV," a full range of strategic options including the sale of DRiV and/or the company's Powertrain Technology business. Transactions involving other individual product lines in the portfolio are also under consideration. The company also announced that it is committed to adding at least one new independent director over the course of 2020 as part of its ongoing board refreshment process. This follows the recent addition of two new independent directors. The board will focus on identifying candidates who will bring additional skills and experience relevant to Tenneco's strategy and operations, as well as with respect to strategic transactions. Tenneco noted that its board is comprised of 10 highly qualified directors, eight of whom are independent and all of whom are seasoned leaders committed to driving shareholder value. As previously announced on January 7, the company is implementing a plan to accelerate the reduction of operational costs, improve cash flow performance, reduce leverage, and better position DRiV and New Tenneco for the planned separation. Tenneco has made significant progress to facilitate the planned spin-off of DRiV and has substantially completed all necessary system and process components required for New Tenneco and DRiV to operate independently. Tenneco today also updated enterprise FY19 guidance for key financial targets. As compared to the full year guidance provided on the company's Q3 earnings release on October 31, 2019, the expectation for FY19 revenues is slightly higher than previously stated guidance. Additionally, adjusted EBITDA, capital expenditures, depreciation/amortization, interest expense and the net leverage ratio are all expected to be in line with previously stated guidance.

06:52 EST Arconic sees FY20 adjusted free cash flow $800M-$900M

06:50 EST Eli Lilly, Incyte announce baricitinib meets primary endpoint in BREEZE-AD4 - Eli Lilly (LLY) and Incyte (INCY) announced that baricitinib met the primary endpoint in BREEZE-AD4, an investigational Phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety and efficacy of baricitinib in combination with topical corticosteroids, or TCS, for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, or AD, who were inadequate responders, intolerant or had contraindication to treatment with cyclosporine. The primary endpoint was defined by the proportion of patients achieving at least a 75% or greater change from baseline in their Eczema Area and Severity Index, or EASI, at Week 16. BREEZE-AD4 is a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study conducted outside of the U.S. The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of the 1-mg, 2-mg and 4-mg doses of baricitinib in combination with TCS in patients with moderate to severe AD who have experienced failure to cyclosporine or are intolerant to-or have contraindication to-cyclosporine. In this study, the 4-mg dose of baricitinib plus TCS met the primary endpoint as defined by the proportion of participants achieving EASI75 at Week 16. The safety profile was consistent with the known safety findings of baricitinib in AD. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events, or TEAEs, included nasopharyngitis, headache and influenza. No venous thromboembolic events or deaths were reported in the trial. Lilly recently submitted baricitinib for regulatory review in Europe as a treatment for patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis and plans to submit for approval in the U.S. and Japan in 2020. Full results from the BREEZE-AD4 study will be disclosed at future scientific venues and in peer-reviewed journals. Baricitinib is approved for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in more than 60 countries, including the U.S., member states of the EU and Japan and is marketed as OLUMIANT.

06:48 EST Cott Corp. subsidiary acquires almost all assets of Roaring Spring Water - Cott Corporation announced that DS Services of America, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cott, acquired substantially all of the assets of Roaring Spring Water. The acquisition of Roaring Spring Water, a provider of water delivery services to homes and offices in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, will grow the customer base of DS Services by approximately 7,500 customers.

06:36 EST D.R. Horton reports 30,200 homes in inventory at December 31, 2019 - The company had 30,200 homes in inventory at December 31, 2019, and its homebuilding land and lot portfolio totaled 319,000 lots, of which 39% were owned and 61% were controlled through land purchase contracts.

06:33 EST D.R. Horton reports Q1 homes closed increased 13% - Q1 homes closed increased 13% in both homes and value to 12,959 homes and $3.9B; Net sales orders increased 19% to 13,126 homes and 22% in value to $3.9B.

06:09 EST Texas Capital announces collaboration with American Airlines on savings account - Texas Capital (TCBI), parent company of Texas Capital Bank, announced the launch of Bask Bank, a digital savings account that earns American Airlines (AAL) AAdvantage miles instead of interest. Bask Bank's collaboration with American Airlines gives savers an incentive-based savings account to earn AAdvantage miles. Every dollar saved is an AAdvantage mile earned. There are no fees, no minimum balance, it's easy to sign up and savers enjoy unlimited potential to earn miles. Traditional savings accounts return pennies on the dollar. Bask Bank changes that by rewarding savers with miles, enhancing their saving potential and providing them with the opportunity to experience travel and more through the AAdvantage program. Bask Bank will also offer several ways to earn AAdvantage bonus miles, including an account opening bonus of 5,000 AAdvantage miles, a feedback bonus and a variety of balance bonuses.

06:03 EST Vocera, SEHA collaborate to implement Vocera Platform - Vocera Communications is partnering with Abu Dhabi Health Services Company - SEHA, the largest integrated healthcare network in the United Arab Emirates, to implement the Vocera Platform at the new Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City. The 732-bed SSMC will be the first hospital within SEHA to standardize care team communication with Vocera solutions. There are future plans for SEHA to deploy the Vocera solution across 11 additional hospitals in the region.

05:16 EST AbbVie, Allergan announce agreement to divest brazikumab, Zenpep - AbbVie (ABBV) and Allergan (AGN) announced that Allergan has entered into definitive agreements to divest brazikumab and Zenpep. These agreements are in conjunction with the ongoing regulatory approval process for AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan. AstraZeneca (AZN) will acquire brazikumab, an investigational IL-23 inhibitor in Phase 2b/3 development for Crohn's Disease and in Phase 2 development for ulcerative colitis, including global development and commercial rights. Nestle (NSRGY) will acquire and take full operational ownership of Zenpep upon closing the transaction with customary transition support from Allergan. Zenpep is a treatment, which is available in the United States, for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency due to cystic fibrosis and other conditions. Nestle also will be acquiring Viokace, another pancreatic enzyme preparation, as part of the same transaction. The closings of the acquisitions of brazikumab and Zenpep are contingent upon receipt of U.S. Federal Trade Commission and European Commission approval, closing of AbbVie's pending acquisition of Allergan and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. On January 10, 2020, AbbVie and Allergan received conditional approval of the transaction by the European Commission, subject to the approved divestiture of brazikumab and other conditions. AbbVie and Allergan continue to expect a first-quarter 2020 close of their pending transaction, subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.