Stockwinners Market Radar for January 30, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:39 EST American Airlines, TWU-IAM reach tentative collective bargaining deal - American Airlines and the TWU-IAM Association reached tentative agreements this week for new joint collective bargaining agreements that cover more than 31,000 team members. The tentative agreements are subject to ratification by Maintenance & Related and Fleet Service team members represented by the Association. The association will communicate details of the agreements to its members in the coming weeks.

18:40 EST Majesco to acquire InsPro Technologies - Majesco announced that it has entered into a merger agreement for the acquisition of InsPro Technologies Corporation. The InsPro Enterprise platform is an insurance administration and marketing system that supports group and individual business lines, and efficiently processes agent, direct market, worksite and web site generated business. InsPro Technologies processes over 15M policies for some of the leading blue chip insurance carriers and third party administrators in the United States, including several customers who process more than a million policies each. The transaction is structured as a cash for stock merger and is subject to customary closing conditions, including InsPro Technologies' stockholder approval. The transaction is expected to close in April 2020. Majesco intends to finance the total consideration in the transaction of approximately $12M, subject to adjustments, through available cash.

18:34 EST Everest Re sees Q4 catastrophe losses $215M - Everest Re expects to report Catastrophe losses in Q4 of $215M, which consist of Typhoon Hagibis in the amount of $190M and tornado losses in Dallas, Texas in the amount of $25M. Catastrophe losses are net of estimated reinsurance recoveries and reinstatement premiums. Also contributing to Q4 results are the following items: higher than normal current year losses in the reinsurance crop book related to poor weather conditions in the U.S. and Canada, negatively impacting underwriting income in the amount of about $50M; net favorable prior year reserve development of $19M; NII of about $146M, including lower limited partnership income of $6M. The company continued to see strong rate improvement in most classes of insurance and reinsurance during Q4 and at the important January 1 renewal date.

18:15 EST VSE Corp. enters deal to divest Prime Turbines for $21M - VSE Corporation announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its subsidiary Prime Turbines, LLC to PTB Holdings USA, LLC for $21 million in cash, subject to customary adjustments. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter 2020. With this divestiture, VSE's Aviation Group will no longer offer turboprop engine repair, maintenance, and overhaul services, as management reallocates resources toward the Company's higher-growth component/accessory repair and parts distribution businesses. Prime Turbines has approximately 60 employees with primary operations in Texas and Arizona and comprises approximately 4% of VSE's estimated revenue for 2019.

17:49 EST Taylor Morrison, William Lyon Homes get approval for merger - Taylor Morrison (TMHC) and William Lyon Homes (WLH) announced that, at their respective special meetings of stockholders held today, stockholders of both companies have voted to approve all stockholder proposals necessary to complete the merger between Taylor Morrison and William Lyon Homes. The companies expect the merger transaction to close in early February, subject to customary closing conditions.

17:41 EST Amazon.com says seller services had 'very strong quarter' - Says seeing greater participation of 3rd party sellers vs. one-day delivery, will see that more in 2020. Says saw "very strong holiday performance" from middle of November. Says Prime was very strong and had good momentum with more people joining in Q4 than in Q3. Says AWS benefiting from expansion of sales and marketing effort. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:29 EST Adobe VP Dana Rao sells over $1M in company shares - Adobe VP Dana Rao disclosed in a regulatory filing the sale of 2,919 shares of company stock at an average price of $353.66 per share on January 29. The total transaction value of the sale was $1,032,332.

17:25 EST EA says talking with many third parties, indies about distribution - Says has many third parties and indies talking with company about distribution. Says has opportunity to reach new player base with third parties and indies.

17:21 EST Hilltop Holdings increases quarterly dividend 12.5% to 9c per share - Hilltop Holdings declared a quarterly cash dividend of 9c per common share, a 12.5% increase from the prior quarter, payable on February 28 to all common stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 14.

17:15 EST EA says 'FIFA Online' growth in Asia 'extremely strong' in Q3 - Says growth in "FIFA Online" in Asia was "extremely strong" in Q3. Says mobile is up in Asia year-on-year in constant currency. Says 49% of units sold through digital rather than physical, compared to 47% a year ago.

17:11 EST Vertex CMO says 'well positioned for near and long-term growth' - Vertex Chief Medical Officer Reshma Kewalramani states: "Entering 2020, Vertex has never been stronger. We are well-positioned for both near- and long-term growth based on treating more people with our CF medicines and from other future medicines in diseases aligned with our strategy, including alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, APOL1-mediated kidney diseases, pain and severe hemoglobinopathies. Going forward, our financial strength will enable us to continue to significantly invest in internal R&D and external innovation, which will provide access to new technologies, programs and expertise that will lead to further growth in the years ahead."

17:06 EST Liberty Property shareholders approve merger with Prologis - Liberty Property Trust (LPT) announced that at a Special Meeting of Shareholders held earlier, Liberty's shareholders approved the previously announced merger agreement with Prologis (PLD). Upon completion of the transaction contemplated by the merger agreement, Liberty shareholders will receive 0.675 shares of Prologis common stock for each Liberty common share they own. The transactions remain subject to certain closing conditions and are expected to be completed on or around February 4, at which time Liberty will be acquired by Prologis and will no longer trade on the NYSE.

17:04 EST Embraer, SkyWest sign contract for 20 E175 jets with $972M order value - Embraer (ERJ) and SkyWest (SKYW) signed a firm order for 20 E175 jets in a 76-seat configuration. The order has a value of $972M, based on 2019 list prices, and is already included in Embraer's 2019 Q4 backlog. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of 2020.

17:01 EST CPS Technologies announces design win, initial order from new customer - CPS Technologies Corporation announced receipt of a significant design win and initial order from a new customer for its AlSiC hermetic package combining the CPS proprietary AlSiC base with a nickel-iron alloy frame.

16:59 EST Navistar confirms receipt of Traton acquisition proposal - Navistar International Corporation (NAV) confirmed that it has received an unsolicited proposal from Volkswagen (VWAGY) subsidiary Trato SE regarding a potential transaction to acquire the company for $35 per share in cash. "Consistent with its fiduciary duties, Navistar's Board of Directors, in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, will carefully review and evaluate the proposal in the context of Navistar's strategic plan for the company in order to determine the course of action that it believes is in the best interest of the company and its stakeholders," Navistar said. "Navistar advises its shareholders to take no action, and no shareholder vote is required at this time. There can be no assurance that any negotiations between Navistar and TRATON regarding this proposal will take place, and if such negotiations do take place, there can be no assurance that any transaction with TRATON will occur or be consummated. Navistar does not intend to make any additional comments regarding the proposal unless and until it is appropriate to do so or a formal agreement has been reached." Shares of Navistar are up nearly 50% in after hours trading.

16:57 EST Levi Strauss guides 14% increase in annual dividend to $130M - The company's board of directors has declared its first dividend for FY20 of 8c per share, payable on or about February 21, 2020, to all holders of Class A and Class B common stock as of February 12, 2020.

16:47 EST Dropbox names ex-Google executive Olivia Nottebohm COO - Dropbox (DBX) announced that, effective February 6, Dropbox, announced that, effective February 6, Olivia Nottebohm has been appointed as the company's COO, and as such, Nottebohm will be the company's principal operating officer. Prior to joining Dropbox, Nottebohm served as Vice President of SMB Sales and GTM Operations, Google Cloud at Google (GOOG), a global internet software services company, from September 2016 to February 2020. From August 2014 to September 2016, she served as Senior Director, Americas Product and Sales Operations, Google Ads at Google.

16:42 EST Tellurian says Cheniere lawsuit dismissed - Tellurian (TELL) announced that Cheniere Energy (LNG) has permanently dismissed all claims against Tellurian, chairman Charif Souki and vice chairman Martin Houston. Tellurian chairman Charif Souki said, "Although this frivolous lawsuit was clearly an attempt to disrupt the hard work and success we are having at Tellurian, it never distracted us from our focus on building Tellurian's global natural gas business, beginning with Driftwood LNG." Driftwood LNG is a proposed ~27.6 mtpa liquefaction export facility and associated infrastructure that will be located near Lake Charles, Louisiana on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The proposed facility is situated on ~1,000 acres of land with deep water access, and ample pipeline infrastructure. The project is backed by a lump sum turn key engineering and procurement contract with Bechtel that guarantees cost, performance and schedule. Bechtel has progressed the engineering to over 28% complete, all construction permits have been secured, and the project is shovel ready. Work is expected to begin this year, with first liquefaction in 2023. Commercially, Tellurian has contracted with Total as an equity partner, and in late 2019, Tellurian signed a memorandum of understanding with Petronet in the presence of India's Prime Minister Modi and with the support of both U.S. and Indian governments.

16:40 EST WWE falls over 5% after announcing management departures - Shares of WWE are down 5.3% or $3.30 at $59 per share after the company disclosed that effective immediately, its co-presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson will depart the company. The company also lowered its FY19 adjusted EBITDA outlook to "approximately" $180M from $180M-$190M prior forecast.

16:39 EST Independence Holding Co. announces market initiatives, expansion of channels - Independence Holding Co. announced its ramping up of initiatives for the tech-enabled and senior market and expansion of its pet insurance distribution channels. Roy Thung, CEO of IHC, commented, "As we enter a new decade, we would like to update you as to our focus for 2020 and beyond. In order to maximize our ability to serve consumers seeking pet insurance or supplemental health insurance (whether for seniors or those under age 65), we have reorganized our Specialty Benefits segment into specialty health and pet divisions. The health division is comprised of (i) our traditional distribution through independent agents and national accounts, which we now call Independence Brokerage Group, Inc... Independence American Insurance Company ("IAIC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of IHC, takes the risk on the pet insurance and many of the specialty health products sold by these divisions, but our agencies also sell life and health products from other insurance companies for which they earn commissions. Our proprietary platforms are designed to support multiple carriers and products, and we are recognized by the industry for our speed to market with innovative new products. During the past two years, we have successfully invested both our capital and efforts in improving our overall infrastructure, lead generation capabilities, sales automation platforms, and presence in the Direct-to-Consumer ("D2C") space. These efforts have paid off, especially as it relates to our entry into the senior market arena. The following are the highlights of some of our recent accomplishments and our plan for 2020 and beyond... In 2019, we significantly expanded our career advisors division by bringing in a new management team. These 1099 agents sell exclusively on the platform that we provide them, which provides a full complement of both in-house and third-party products in both the senior and non-senior markets. As a result, we are now up to 150 licensed agents, and anticipate having 300 agents in seven offices nationally by the end of 2020. In order to provide enough leads for this growing sales force, we are making significant investments in our lead generation and artificial intelligence capabilities, which will enhance our ability to identify consumer intent and improve conversion rates. With a focus on the senior market, we are continuing to acquire and invest in high value domains, as we emphasize online sales via our D2C web portals. Our deployed websites already drive heavy online traffic, and we expect volume to increase significantly as we re-launch these properties, including www.healthinsurance.org and www.medicareresources.org. We also have a growing presence with affinity groups that desire to offer our products to their members, including serving USAA members seeking to purchase non-senior health insurance. With respect to our independent brokerage channels, IBG distributes through over 14,000 independent producers contracted with IAIC through general agencies, call centers and national accounts. We also service independent brokers through My1HR, our Web Based Entity ("WBE"), which operates under the INSX Cloud platform and provides quoting and cloud based enrollment solutions to carriers and independent agents. This platform, which allows independent agents to enroll consumers in both on and off-exchange Affordable Care Act ("ACA") compliant plans as well make supplemental health products from IAIC and other carriers readily available, was one of only 27 WBEs in the country in 2019. In addition to generating ancillary health sales for IAIC, we earn fees for providing agents access to the platform. During the 2020 Open Enrollment Period ("OEP"), this platform was utilized by more than 2,000 independent agents who enrolled more than 225,000 cases. My1HR was named a 2020 Marketplace Innovator by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Our goal is to double the number of agents using this platform by the 2021 OEP. We believe this division will be generating at least $100 million of gross annualized pet insurance premiums by the end of 2020 with accelerating growth beyond. The following are the highlights of some of our recent accomplishments and our plan for 2020 and the future: We are pleased to announce that we now own a five percent equity interest in Figo Pet Insurance ("Figo"). We are the exclusive underwriter of pet insurance for Figo, and it has been recognized as the #1 InsureTech company for pet insurance by A.M Best's Review.2 Figo is expected to soon announce that it will begin underwriting pet insurance for a nationally recognized health insurer as a result of a marketing agreement recently struck between those companies. Through this relationship, Figo expects to make IAIC's pet insurance available as a benefit option to such carrier's business customers and their millions of employees. MetLife, which recently acquired PetFirst Healthcare ("PetFirst"), has also announced that it expects to focus on pet insurance as an employee benefit. Since IAIC is also a leading underwriter for PetFirst, we anticipate that IAIC will become a leading issuer of pet insurance in this rapidly expanding space. We are also continuing to acquire and invest in high value domains for pet insurance, as we emphasize online sales via our D2C web portal. We are gratified to announce that since its redesign, www.petplace.com is now reaching in excess of 18,000 users per day, which is an almost forty percent increase since its relaunch. Those interested in purchasing pet insurance are now redirected to our aggregator, www.mypetinsurance.com, where they can select from several brands. During the first quarter of this year, we expect to launch both an Android and an IOS app for the purchase of pet insurance through www.mypetinsurance.com. PetPartners, our subsidiary that markets and administers pet insurance for IAIC, continues to grow through its exclusive relationship with The American Kennel Club and through new partnerships with insurance agents, employers and affinity groups. PetPartners has entered into agreements with, and is in discussions with several more, national brands to distribute our pet insurance. In summary, IHC owns several agencies that collectively have a growing block of over $200 million of premiums for IHC's carriers as well as earning commissions on a significant amount of premiums written with other carriers. We have invested, and will continue to deploy, significant resources to build an infrastructure that: (i) markets to both the senior and non-senior consumers, (ii) offers platforms for both IHC and non-affiliated carrier products, (iii) is readily scalable, and (iv) provides the expertise to bring products to market in a nimble and compliant manner. The work we have completed has positioned us for the ramp up we are now experiencing as well as our anticipated accelerated growth for years to come. The cost involved in hiring, training and licensing a significant number of new agents for both the call centers and advisors will result in a loss for this division during the first three quarters of this year and will put some pressure on IHC's earnings from its other operations. However, we expect a significant increase in earnings in the fourth quarter of this year since we estimate that approximately fifty percent of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement business is sold during AEP. The agency's margin on this business is also significantly better due to higher conversion rates. As we make these investments in our future, we are fortunate that we have significant excess capital, are highly liquid, have no debt, and IAIC continues to produce high margins on its insurance premiums. We will accelerate our scale up in these markets in future years, and by doing so we are confident that that we are driving significant earnings and shareholder value."

16:37 EST WWE names Frank Riddick as interim CFO, co-Presidents Barris, Wilson step down - WWE announced that Co-Presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson will depart the company, effective immediately, and will no longer serve on its Board of Directors. Frank A. Riddick III, who has served as a member of WWE's Board of Directors for more than 11 years, has been named interim CFO, reporting to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. WWE has commenced a search for both a permanent CFO and Chief Revenue Officer. The company states it also "remains well positioned to continue its growth and operate effectively against its strategic priorities, including content creation and distribution, digitization, and localization in key markets around the world. The company expects its FY19 adjusted OIBDA to be approximately $180M."

16:33 EST IBM names Arvind Krishna as CEO

16:28 EST Amgen sees FY20 tax rate 13.5%-14.5%

16:27 EST Kennametal announces executive leadership changes - Kennametal announced two changes to its executive leadership team. Ron Port, currently VP and President of the Infrastructure segment, will become VP and Chief Commercial Officer, metal cutting business segments, effective immediately. Franklin Cardenas will succeed Port as VP and President of the Infrastructure segment as of February 10th. Cardenas joins the company from Donaldson Company, in the filtration industry, where he was most recently Vice President, Asia Pacific. Pete Dragich and Alexander Broetz will continue in their roles as Presidents of Industrial and Widia, respectively, and maintain responsibility for the corresponding financials of those segments. Port will also continue with his Infrastructure responsibilities until Cardenas joins the company in February.

16:26 EST Amgen CEO says 'entering a period of new product driven revenue growth' - "We are entering a period of new product driven revenue growth," said Robert Bradway, chairman and CEO. "Heading into 2020, our capital allocation priorities are clear, and we look forward to several important clinical data readouts from our innovative pipeline this year."

16:24 EST USD Partners raises quarterly distribution 0.7% to 37c per unit - USD Partners LP announced that the board of directors of its general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution of 37c per unit for the fourth quarter of 2019, representing an increase of 0.25c per unit or 0.7% over the prior quarter and 2.8% over the fourth quarter of 2018. The distribution is payable on February 19, 2020, to unitholders of record at the close of business on February 10, 2020.

16:22 EST Selective Insurance sees 2020 GAAP combined ratio 91.5% - Sees 2020 catastrophe losses of 3.5 points; after-tax net investment income of $185M, which includes $14M of after-tax net investment income from our alternative investments; an overall effective tax rate of approximately 19.5%, which includes an effective tax rate of 18.5% for net investment income, reflecting a tax rate of 5.25% for tax-advantaged municipal bonds and a tax rate of 21% for all other items; and weighted average shares outstanding of 60.5 million.

16:20 EST DXC Technology names Chris Drumgoole CIO - DXC Technology (DXC) announced that Chris Drumgoole has been named executive vice president and chief information officer. Drumgoole, who previously served as chief information officer at GE (GE), will report to Mike Salvino, DXC's president and chief executive officer. Drumgoole's appointment represents the seventh addition to Salvino's senior leadership team since he became CEO in September of last year. In his role, Drumgoole will lead DXC's global IT strategy and operations, helping the company meet and exceed the technology needs of its customers, the company said.

16:19 EST Arthur J. Gallagher CEO said 2019 momentum 'should continue in 2020' - J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO, said: "Our 2019 momentum should continue in 2020. Almost without exception, property & casualty rates around the world are firm and continue to trend higher in most lines and geographies. Our clients' businesses are growing. Unemployment is at historically low levels nearly everywhere. This is an environment where our professionals combine their creativity and knowledge with our vast capabilities to help clients manage risk and attract and retain talent. Further, our unique culture, guided by The Gallagher Way, continues to encourage colleagues worldwide to seek excellence for themselves, their clients, carrier partners and one another. I am extremely pleased with our 2019 performance and excited about our future."

16:17 EST Stifel Financial raises quarterly dividend 13% - The board declared a quarterly cash dividend on shares of its common stock of 17c per share, up 13% from 15c per share in the previous quarter, payable March 16 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 2.

16:17 EST Levi Strauss announces $100M stock buyback - The company announced a share buyback program designed to offset dilution that would otherwise be introduced from stock-based incentive compensation grants. Under this program, the company is authorized to purchase up to $100 million of its Class A common stock. The company anticipates using cash in the range of $80-100 million in 2020 for this purpose.

16:15 EST Flex committed to using buybacks to 'enhance shareholder returns' - Flex said it remains committed to using share buybacks to enhance shareholder returns and repurchased approximately $61M and $173M of ordinary shares during the three-month and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2019.

16:13 EST Western Digital says developed fifth-generation 3D NAND tech BiCS5 - Western Digital announced that it has successfully developed its fifth-generation 3D NAND technology, BiCS5, continuing the company's leadership in delivering the industry's most advanced flash memory technologies. BiCS5, built on triple-level-cell and quad-level-cell technologies, delivers exceptional capacity, performance and reliability at a compelling cost. This makes it ideal to address the exponential growth of data associated with connected cars, mobile devices and artificial intelligence, the company said. "As we move into the next decade, a new approach to 3D NAND scaling is critical to continuing to meet the demands of the rising volume and velocity of data," said Dr. Steve Paak, senior vice president of memory technology and manufacturing at Western Digital. "Our successful production of BiCS5 is an illustration of Western Digital's ongoing leadership in flash memory technology and strong execution to our roadmap. By leveraging new advancements to our multi-tier memory hole technology to increase density laterally as well as adding more storage layers, we have significantly scaled the capacity and performance of our 3D NAND technology, while continuing to deliver the reliability and cost which our customers expect."

16:10 EST Deckers Brands sees FY20 gross margin approximately 51.5% - Prior view was approximately 50.8%. Operating margin is now expected to be at or slightly better than 15.5% vs. prior view of approximately 15.0%.

16:07 EST Adobe CHRO Morris to leave company to pursue another opportunity - Adobe announced a number of organizational changes to its executive team. Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Donna Morris will be leaving Adobe to pursue another opportunity. Executive Vice President Gloria Chen will be stepping into the CHRO role effective immediately. A 20-year Adobe veteran, Chen was most recently Executive Vice President of Strategy and Growth as well as Chief of Staff to the CEO. In addition, Adobe Chief Technology Officer Abhay Parasnis will assume responsibility for Corporate Strategy and Development, which includes corporate strategy, global partnerships and mergers and acquisitions. "Gloria has made a tremendous impact throughout her career at Adobe, driving corporate strategy, global operations and business transformation, and I'm excited for her to now take on the role of Chief Human Resources Officer," said Shantanu Narayen, president and CEO, Adobe. "Abhay's technology vision and deep understanding of the industry landscape make him an ideal candidate to lead Corporate Strategy and Development in addition to his role as Chief Technology Officer. Both of these talented leaders embody the best of Adobe and will play expanded roles in our continued success."

16:05 EST Hawaiian Holdings sees FY20 ASMs up 5.5%-8.5% - Sees FY20 cost per ASM excluding fuel and non-recurring items up 0.5%-down 2.5%.

16:04 EST Amgen sees FY20 CapEx ~$700M

14:54 EST Evergy announces plan to reduce carbon emissions 80%, add more wind to portfolio - Evergy announced with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly that it will expand its wind energy portfolio by 660 megawatts. This addition will bring the total amount of wind serving Evergy customers to 4,535 megawatts, making Evergy one of the top five wind energy companies in the United States, the company said. Evergy also announced its commitment to achieve an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions below 2005 levels from its fleet of power plants by 2050, which is a commitment consistent with the Paris Climate Accord. By the end of 2020, Evergy will have reached an estimated 40% reduction in emissions.

14:20 EST WEC Energy sees FY20 effective tax rate 20%-21% - Says expects to be "modest" taxpayer in 2020. Says does not expect to issue any additional shares moving forward.

14:13 EST WEC Energy 'very encouraged' by investments in renewable energy - Says "very encouraged" by investments in renewable energy. Says continues to see "strong" economic development projects in Wisconsin. Says exceeded 2019 to reduce day-to-day maintenance costs. Guidance taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

14:02 EST TriMas announces agreement to acquire RSA Engineered Products - TriMas announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire RSA Engineered Products, a manufacturer of complex, highly-engineered and proprietary air ducting products, connectors and related components for air management systems used in aerospace and defense applications. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2020, at which time RSA will become part of TriMas' Aerospace segment. "We are excited to announce the acquisition of RSA Engineered Products, which will enhance the breadth of TriMas Aerospace's product line offering," said Thomas Amato, President and CEO of TriMas. "RSA also increases our position in the defense and business jet markets, as well as adds to our aerospace and defense aftermarket capabilities." RSA has one facility with approximately 100 dedicated employees located in Simi Valley, California, where it has engineering, testing and manufacturing capabilities. The majority of RSA's sales are through military, commercial, regional and business jet end markets. RSA generates approximately $32M in annual revenue. RSA Engineered Products is a portfolio company of Merit Capital Partners and Cornerstone Capital Holdings.

12:51 EST CDC confirms first person-to-person spread of coronavirus in U.S. - The United States reported the first confirmed instance of person-to-person spread with coronavirus virus today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced. The agency added, "Imported cases of 2019-nCoV infection in people have been detected in the U.S. While person-to-person spread among close contacts has been detected with this virus, at this time this virus is NOT currently spreading in the community in the United States...Both MERS and SARS have been known to cause severe illness in people. The complete clinical picture with regard to 2019-nCoV is still not fully clear." Reference Link

12:01 EST Microchip, Arrow Electronics announce collaboration on Edge IoT security - Microchip Technology (MCHP) and Arrow Electronics (ARW) announced an engineering services collaboration to simplify connectivity and security across industrial, smart building and energy markets. According to NIST, cybersecurity and privacy risks for IoT devices can be thought of in terms of three high-level risk mitigation goals, including protecting: device security, data security, and individuals' privacy. Arrow will augment Microchip's smart, connected, secure portfolio with engineering services so that original equipment manufacturers can decrease their time to market and meet requirements in recent government legislation and NIST IoT security guidelines.

12:00 EST Kirby falls -8.9% - Kirby is down -8.9%, or -$7.51 to $77.29.

12:00 EST Briggs & Stratton falls -20.9% - Briggs & Stratton is down -20.9%, or -$1.04 to $3.95.

12:00 EST Earthstone Energy rises 7.8% - Earthstone Energy is up 7.8%, or 36c to $4.98.

11:52 EST UPS and Square collaborate on new integrated shipping solution for SMBs - Last night, UPS (UPS) announced a new collaboration with Square (SQ) that offers turnkey UPS shipping options integrated into the Square Online Store, "a service that allows small and medium sized sellers to grow their business with a professional e-commerce website and integrated tools." Kevin Warren, UPS's Chief Marketing Officer, said: "UPS understands that making shipping seamless for small businesses is an essential ingredient to success and to growth. This collaboration gives Square's customers simple and affordable access to UPS's top-tier shipping services within the same familiar platform they're already using."

11:22 EST Nintendo Switch lifetime sales reach 52.48M units - As of its most recent earnings release, Nintendo said that lifetime unit sales of its Switch system have reached 52.48M. For comparison, the Wii U, Nintendo's previous home console that launched in late 2012, sold a total of 13.56M units in its lifetime. The Switch's 52.48M also puts it ahead of all of Nintendo's other home consoles in terms of unit sales outside of the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Entertainment System. Reference Link

10:02 EST Arcadia announces over $3M in pre-season GoodHemp seed commitments - Arcadia Biosciences announced in a letter to shareholders that the company has secured in excess of $3M in initial seed purchase commitments in just 50 days post launch of its newest product line: GoodHemp. "Revenues from these initial purchase commitments will be recognized when the seeds are delivered to growers, between second and fourth quarter this year. This revenue and that expected from follow-on commitments will contribute meaningfully to the greater than $10M in total expected revenues for 2020, as forecasted in the financial guidance provided by CEO Matthew Plavan last year," the company stated.

10:00 EST Murphy Oil falls -8.4% - Murphy Oil is down -8.4%, or -$1.89 to $20.66.

10:00 EST Intelsat falls -20.5% - Intelsat is down -20.5%, or -78c to $3.00.

10:00 EST Vivint Smart Home rises 10.8% - Vivint Smart Home is up 10.8%, or $1.87 to $19.17.

09:47 EST Borr Drilling falls -7.6% - Borr Drilling is down -7.6%, or -47c to $5.68.

09:47 EST Briggs & Stratton falls -19.2% - Briggs & Stratton is down -19.2%, or -96c to $4.03.

09:47 EST Farfetch rises 7.1% - Farfetch is up 7.1%, or 81c to $12.14.

09:43 EST Verizon says positioned for 'accelerated growth' in 2020 - Says "very excited" about prospects for Verizon Business Group. Says wireless business "performing well" in consumer and business.

09:33 EST Medtronic receives CE Mark for Cobalt, Crome portfolio - Medtronic announced it has received CE Mark for its Cobalt and Crome portfolio of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators. ICDs monitor heart rhythms and deliver therapy to correct heart rates that are too fast and can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. CRT-Ds, a treatment option for some individuals with heart failure, send small electrical impulses to the lower chambers of the heart to help them beat in more synchronized patterns and reduce patient symptoms. With the launch of the Cobalt and Crome platform, Medtronic also is making TriageHF technology available. This techology assesses patients' heart failure risk through a simplified, integrated, automatic tool that identifies patient status changes that may lead to worsening heart failure and hospitalization. TriageHF stratifies patients into three risk categories by evaluating factors such as heart rate variability, atrial fibrillation and fluid status. The TriageHF assessment tool is compatible with all Medtronic ICDs and CRT-Ds with the Medtronic OptiVol(fluid status monitoring feature, including those currently implanted in patients.

09:31 EST MiX Telematics signs 'major contract' with National Oilwell - MiX Telematics (MIXT) has announced the signing of a major contract with National Oilwell Varco (NOV) based on the results achieved during a competitive pilot phase. MiX's premium fleet solution will be implemented in NOV's entire light-duty fleet throughout the US and Canada. The contract was awarded on the basis that NOV views MiX as the gold standard for service and partnership, with the main objectives being to decrease risky driving behavior and, in turn, improve driver and road safety.

09:21 EST Coca-Cola: 'Way too early' to tell what impact from coronavirus is in short-term - Says didn't see "particularly noticeable" impact on financials from SARS 10-15 years ago. Says China accounts for about 10% of global volume.

09:12 EST MasterCard makes strategic investment in Trust Stamp authentication services - Mastercard has made a strategic investment in Trust Stamp, an AI powered authentication services company headquartered in the Advanced Technology Development Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Trust Stamp is a graduate of the 2018 Mastercard Start Path accelerator program. Mastercard and Trust Stamp introduced their first collaboration with a secure non-PII authentication network for both online and offline environments at the June 2019 ID4Africa conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.

09:10 EST Henry Schein, HR for Health announce exclusive business relationship - Henry Schein and HR for Health, "a SaaS human resources software for private health care practices," announced an exclusive business relationship to assist doctors with reducing their employment compliance risk while simplifying human resources management. Together, Henry Schein Business Solutions, which offers dentists resources for business operations, finance, marketing, education, training and more, and HR for Health's human resources and compliance software will provide doctors with a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to help address the challenges of practice ownership, including team performance management, new patient flow, operations, payroll processing, and complying with ever-changing employment laws. This new business relationship with Henry Schein will expand HR for Health's ability to provide health care professionals with access to a high-quality HR solution that will help guide them through the ever-changing human resources landscape, reducing their compliance risk.

09:08 EST GlycoMimetics announces first patient dosed in GMI-1359 study - GlycoMimetics announced that Duke University investigators have dosed the first patient in a proof-of-concept Phase 1b study to evaluate GlycoMimetics' novel GMI-1359 drug candidate in patients with advanced breast cancer. The dose-escalating study will enroll up to 12 individuals with metastatic, hormone receptor positive breast cancer with stable or minimally progressive disease, including bone metastasis. GMI-1359 is a dual inhibitor of both E-selectin and CXCR4. The trial is designed to evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic measures of biologic activity, such as increases in circulating tumor cells and mobilization of CD34+ and immune T-cell subsets. GlycoMimetics expects the trial results to be available in late 2020, the conclusions of which the company will use to inform future development of GMI-1359.

09:07 EST UPS CEO says has been e-commerce shipper of choice 'for years' - UPS CEO David Abney is speaking on the company's Q4 earnings call.

09:05 EST Lightbridge retains Porter, LeVay & Rose as investor relations advisor - Lightbridge Corporation announced that it has retained long-standing agency Porter, LeVay & Rose, as its investor relations advisor of record, to lead the Company's awareness efforts with the investment community.

09:03 EST Thermo Fisher says guidance does not contain potential impact from coronavirus

08:57 EST UPS CFO says Amazon's percentage of total company revenue rose to 11.6% in 2019 - UPS (UPS) CFO Brian Newman said that in 2019 the strength of the company's network allowed it to "capitalize on the structural shift in the market for next-day delivery and help all customers embrace this trend." UPS was also able to increase its business with Amazon (AMZN) through competitive wins and the structural shift to next-day delivery, said Newman. "When combined with the revenue declines in the International and Supply Chain and Freight segments, Amazon's percentage of total company revenue rose to 11.6% for the year. On the whole, we managed a nearly 6% increase in annual volume. And at the same time, we generated double-digit increases in operating profit and expanded margins," the CFO stated on the company's Q4 call, which is ongoing.

08:54 EST UPS says outlook reflects year-over-year decline in U.S. industrial production - UPS CFO Brian Newman said the company's 2020 outlook reflects forecasted year-over-year declines in U.S. industrial production and other global softness. "However, there is growing optimism due to the recent trade agreements that could move us higher," noted Newman. Results will also be impacted by lower pension discount rates, so that operating profits, specifically in the U.S., "will be muted," but benefits below the line in other income and expense will more than offset the impact to operating profit, Newman added.

08:52 EST Net Element CEO says 'disappointed' by performance of stock - Net Element issues the following letter to shareholders from the Company's chief executive officer, Oleg Firer: "The dynamic payments industry continued to evolve in 2019, global non-cash transactions and digital payment alternatives continued its leadership position over cash. For us, 2019 was a year of continued organic growth in all business segments while we expanded our portfolio of software-as-a-service offerings focused on value-added payments solutions for small to medium size businesses and regional banks catering to financial technology companies. Our full stack of proprietary payment platforms and value-added services differentiate us from competitors and positions us as a leading omni-channel payments acceptance solutions provider going into this new year. We are pleased to report our achievements for 2019 and look forward to continued growth in 2020...Transaction Performance: Achieved organic growth across all categories. Total transaction dollars processed during 2019 increased 12% to more than $3.7 billion compared to $3.3 billion in 2018. Total transaction dollars processed geographically in North American and international markets in 2019 were $3.2 billion and $425 million, respectively. North American segment transactions processed for 2019 increased 19% to more than 70 million, while international segment transactions processed for 2019 decreased 12% to more than 36 million, due to consolidation and a shift in the business model. Partnerships: Aptito subsidiary entered into a channel partner agreement with HP Inc. for sales and support of its line of Android-based POS devices. Unified Payments partnered with VIP Systems, enabling the Internet of Things payments for the property management industry. This partnership gained traction with the addition of Hyde Beach House, a modern waterfront beach resort in Hollywood consisting of 342 units, as a client for Net Element's fully integrated payment ecosystem, Netevia. Moving forward, exciting projects and disruptive technologies like blockchain and Internet of Things will continue to provide us the opportunity for continued development of innovative payments solutions within the omni-channel payments strategy. We remain focused on reaching sustainable profitability for the Company, and expanding and monetizing value-added services around Netevia, our future-ready multi-channel payments platform. As a significant shareholder and investor in Net Element, I am disappointed by the performance of our stock, which unfortunately does not reflect our business performance. We remain committed to maximizing value for our shareholders and will look for strategic opportunities to fulfill this mission."

08:50 EST Coca-Cola expects consumer spending to remain 'healthy' in 2020

08:47 EST Coca-Cola says has seen 'strong' response to strategic actions

08:45 EST CN equips CNTL fleet with ISAAC's telemetry solution - CN announced that CNTL, CN's road transportation subsidiary, has selected ISAAC's Instruments' telemetry solution to optimize CN's road safety efforts on its fleet of more than 1,000 trucks. This decision aligns with CNTL's commitment to safety, and promotes the excellence of their program and record in this area. With delivery and installation of the devices in all trucks in less than 30 days, CNTL can already benefit from the advantages of the ISAAC solution. This investment will also improve user experience for drivers and office staff due to its ease of use. ISAAC's automated telemetry solution transforms complex data into meaningful indicators. ISAAC's integrated mobile communication technology provides real-time connectivity between drivers and company personnel, to optimize operations.

08:44 EST WisdomTree collaborates with Jeremy Siegel to launch model portfolios - WisdomTree in collaboration with Jeremy Siegel, WisdomTree's Senior Investment Strategy Advisor and Professor of Finance at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania - announced the launch of two unique multi-asset, open architecture model portfolios: the Siegel-WisdomTree Global Equity Model Portfolio and the Siegel-WisdomTree Longevity Model Portfolio, available first to advisors through the Model Market Center on the TD Ameritrade Institutional platform. Features: More heavily allocated to equities in seeking to mitigate the longevity short-fall risk; Equity allocation to more dividend / income / yield-oriented equities, which seeks to accomplish two simultaneous goals: income and outperformance potential; An all-ETF portfolio structure helping to optimize the tax-efficiency of the portfolio; and Siegel-WisdomTree Global Equity Model Portfolio: 0.29% composite model portfolio net expense ratio; Siegel-WisdomTree Longevity Model Portfolio: 0.25% composite model portfolio net expense ratio.

08:43 EST Coca-Cola CEO says M&A serves as 'enabler' to strategy vs. strategy itself - Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:40 EST Verizon says investment in business is number one priority for capital - Says priorities for capital allocation are as follows: 1) Investment in the business 2) Commitment to dividend 3) Strong balance sheet 4) Share repurchases.

08:39 EST XPEL to acquire Protex Centre for approximately C$3.25M - XPEL announced that it has agreed to acquire Protex Centre, the largest franchisee in the Protex Canada network. Closing is subject to customary conditions and is expected to occur on February 1. Protex Centre is a Montreal-based wholesale-focused paint protection film installation business, serving primarily dealerships with over 20 employees and a 15-year operating history. The acquisition is expected to add over C$2.5M in incremental revenue, excluding the approximately C$1M in annual purchases by Protex Centre from XPEL. We anticipate that the acquisition will be immediately accretive to our 2020 results of operations. The acquired business will combine physically and operationally with the Protex Pointe-Claire window film business acquired by XPEL in 2018, providing an integrated wholesale solution for a significant portion of the Montreal area. The purchase price was approximately C$3.25M, funded from cash on hand and through the issuance of unsecured promissory notes payable to the sellers.

08:37 EST Verizon says sees FY20 growth in Consumer, Business wireless service revenue - Says expects increase in wireless equipment revenue. Says FY20 capital intensity will be "consistent with historical levels." Expects "expansion of 5G deployment while maintaining 4G network leadership." Sees FY2- interest expense "slightly lower" than FY19 levels. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:33 EST VistaGen Therapeutics receives FDA clearance of Phase 2 study in Parkinson's - VistaGen Therapeutics' Investigational New Drug application for AV-101, the company's oral NMDAR glycine site antagonist, as a potential treatment of dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease receiving levodopa-based therapy has been cleared by the FDA. The FDA's IND clearance permits VistaGen to proceed with Phase 2 clinical development of AV-101 in this indication. The company also announced that the USPTO has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application related to therapeutic use of AV-101 for treatment of dyskinesia induced by the administration of levodopa. The patent, once issued, will be in effect until at least 2034.

08:29 EST Aqua Metals says 'actively reducing costs' while operations are ceased - Aqua Metals announced that it has been successful in collecting an additional $2,500,000 of insurance proceeds, thus completing the payout of the first of four layers of insurance. The Company's engineering and operations team has already established key go forward improvement plans and preliminary designs for building AquaRefining electrolyzers which we believe will reduce build costs and further improve operating economics. Coupled with the $2,500,000 payment made on December 23rd, 2019, the Company has successfully collected the first layer of insurance coverage for a total of $5,000,000. The Company has also extended cash retention incentives to all remaining employees. In addition, the Company recently regained access from the fire marshal to the affected area. Preliminary assessments of approximately $37,000,000 of insured losses have been submitted to the insurance carriers of which $5,000,000 has been paid to date. The Company and it's retained public insurance adjustor will continue meeting with equipment, demolition and construction suppliers to complete further assessments as we work with the insurance carriers on further payment tranches. Although the investigation is still being finalized, we continue to believe that the AquaRefining process and technologies were not related to the cause of the fire. As previously stated, the plant was not operating for several weeks up to and including the time of the fire. The cause of ignition is likely related to on site contractor work that was being performed the day of the fire. Root cause analysis is still underway and the Company will provide an update on root cause at the appropriate time. With plant operations paused, the Company is updating the AquaRefining electrolyzer design to take advantage of this opportunity to make incremental and potentially important improvements to the electrolyzer's capital and operating costs and uptime. The version 1.5 design improvements are based on the learnings obtained from operating up to 24 version 1.0 electrolyzers 24x7 for several months previously. In addition, the Company is actively reducing costs while its operations are ceased. These cost reductions include the suspension of the non-cash fee expense paid to our partner Veolia in the form of shares while our plant is not currently operating.

08:26 EST CHF Solutions files patent applications for innovations for aquapheresis therapy - CHF Solutions announced the filing of four patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to protect new innovations for use in aquapheresis therapy and further strengthen the company's intellectual property protection for its Aquadex FlexFlow system. The first application includes multiple potential new features and improvements to the diagnostic and ultrafiltration capabilities of the Aquadex FlexFlow system, which, if incorporated into the product, would be designed to improve usability for healthcare providers and guide therapy for optimum patient fluid balance. The second application is based on the company's design for a wearable device intended to assist in maintaining peripheral venous blood flow access in the arm during ultrafiltration treatment. The third application involves a wearable medical device designed to promote venous return. The fourth application involves a device designed to assess circulatory status during therapy.

08:25 EST Enphase Energy, Teslandi.pro collaborate on commercial solar project - Enphase Energy announced the Company completed a commercial solar project with Teslandi.pro, a full-service Dutch solar installer that delivers custom-made solutions for energy generation and storage. Teslandi.pro, with headquarters in Bussum, the Netherlands, installs renewable energy systems for commercial and residential customers. The company's commercial solar division was selected by sustainable building developer, E-Unit, to design and install a 780 kW solar energy system for its new 42-unit building in Arnhem, the Netherlands. This commercial solar system consists of 2,600 Enphase IQ 7+ microinverters, which dramatically simplify the installation process, and offers a complete AC system that produces no high-voltage DC, providing a safe solar solution. In addition, E-Unit's solar system is outfitted with six Enphase Envoy communications gateways, which connect the system to the Enphase Enlighten monitoring platform and makes per-panel energy monitoring and insights for operations and maintenance easy.

08:21 EST Sintx Technologies announces agreement toward collaboration with Nissin - SINTX Technologies announced an agreement toward establishing a collaboration framework with Nissin Manufacturing Company, Japan. The companies have agreed to terms whereby Nissin and SINTX will fund research and product development activities collaboratively at a newly developed joint research center, located in Kyoto, Japan. The purpose of this collaboration is to develop new products for worldwide markets, using SINTX's unique technology and knowledge in silicon nitride ceramics, and Nissin's superior manufacturing technology platforms and retail channels. Established in 1946, Nissin is a worldwide provider of many products, including precision automotive components, vertical automatic honing machines, and special purpose grinding machines, and others. The collaboration with SINTX is intended to expand Nissin's footprint in consumer products based on aseptic polymer technologies already in production

08:19 EST Dare Bioscience regains compliance with Nasdaq minimum bid price rule - Dare Bioscience announced that it was notified by the Nasdaq Office of General Counsel that the Company regained compliance with the minimum bid price rule in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) as a result of the closing bid price of the Company's common stock being $1.00 per share or greater for 10 consecutive business days.

08:19 EST OncoCyte announces relocation of headquarters to Orange County, Calif. - Oncocyte Corporation announced the move of its national headquarters to Irvine in Orange County, California. Oncocyte's new headquarters, located at 15 Cushing in Irvine will replace its Alameda office in the Bay Area. The move reflects Oncocyte's commitment to the growth of the company. As Oncocyte's portfolio of molecular diagnostics expands, the company is looking to continue growing its team. This announcement comes after several other recent milestones for the company. In just the first month of 2020, Oncocyte has announced its proposed acquisition of Insight Genetics, the commercial availability of its DetermaRx test and the completion of CLIA validation for its liquid biopsy test, DetermaDx. In securing its new lease, Oncocyte was represented by Jason Lantgen of JLL, and the new corporate headquarters space will include state of the art cancer genomics and molecular pathology labs, as well as corporate administrative functions.

08:18 EST Enzo Biochem responds to Harbert's press release - Enzo Biochem commented on Harbert's press release in reaction to Enzo's announcement that it is providing its shareholders with additional choices: "We are surprised by Harbert's public comments yesterday in reaction to our Tuesday announcement that we would welcome Harbert's two nominees onto the Board and provide shareholders the choice to benefit from the added perspective and diversity of an expanded Board. Harbert's assertion that the Company's additional proposals to shareholders are "undermining the will of its shareholders" is incorrect and inconsistent with our proposals. Rather, we are making these proposals in response to specific feedback from our shareholders. Moreover, the Board has not enacted anything. It is providing shareholders the right to vote on these proposals at our Annual Meeting, which is a choice that Harbert clearly does not want our shareholders to have. As we stated in our announcement, we have pursued a negotiated resolution with Harbert. Our agreement with Harbert was to keep the contents of our settlement discussions confidential. However, since Harbert has disclosed and mischaracterized our interactions, we believe it is necessary to correct the record. Our January 22 proposal offered to elect both of Harbert's nominees to the Board. It was met with a response from Harbert in which they made atypical and unreasonable demands including: the position of Lead Independent Director, the Chairmanships over two of the three board committees, approval rights over additional directors and board expansion as well as forced resignations of both Enzo nominees (one immediate and one in a year). We offered Harbert the chance to provide a more reasonable counterproposal and they declined. Our inability to make progress in the negotiation, coupled with the feedback we've received from shareholders, fueled our determination to let shareholders decide the matter for themselves. Nevertheless, immediately after we announced our proposals on Tuesday, representatives of Enzo again reached out to Harbert to reengage in settlement negotiations. Rather than responding in kind, Harbert issued their press release. Here are the facts: Our proposals to shareholders announced on Tuesday contemplate that Harbert's two nominees will be appointed to the Board regardless of whether shareholders approve the expansion of the Board. Harbert's statement that a seven person Board "would be completely out of line with what is necessary for a company of this size" is inconsistent with shareholder feedback we have received requesting a more expanded and diverse Board. Some shareholders, in addition to the Board, are concerned that with Harbert obtaining 40% of the Board Harbert's true intent is to take control of the Company, which we believe is supported by Harbert's extreme demands in our settlement negotiation, the tone of Harbert's press release and its vehement objection to expanding the size of the Board. We remain willing to engage in a genuine negotiation with Harbert. However, if a negotiated agreement with Harbert is not possible, shareholders as a whole will ultimately decide on how to constitute their Board."

08:14 EST Northrop Grumman: Guidance contemplates selection for next phase of GBSD program - Northrop Grumman says its 2020 guidance contemplates that the company sis selected for the next phase of the GBSD program in accordance with the Air Force's current acquisition timeline, which calls for an award in August. The company says it submitted its proposal in December and is in active discussions with the Air Force as they work through the selection process. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:12 EST NV5 Global announces $6M contract for environmental inspection - NV5 Global announced that it has been awarded a contract to provide environmental consulting and inspection services for the replacement of 61 miles of aging natural gas pipeline infrastructure in Ohio and West Virginia. NV5 will document compliance with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission certificate, applicable federal, state, and local permits and approvals, and the environmental commitments dictated in our client's project-specific plans and landowner agreements. The contract is valued at approximately $6 million and is expected to be completed in 19 months.

08:10 EST Allergan, Histogen expand CCM skin care partnership - Histogen announced it has expanded its partnership with Allergan (AGN). The companies originally partnered in 2017 when Allergan acquired exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Histogen's CCM technology to health care practitioners in the aesthetic field. Over the past year, Allergan licensed additional rights to commercialize Histogen's CCM in new distribution channels such as digital platforms, spas and salons. In this latest expansion, Allergan has gained exclusive rights to incorporate and commercialize Histogen's CCM in microdermabrasion therapies and exclusive rights to new Histogen intellectual property in the aesthetic field. With the latest expansion, Allergan now has exclusive rights to incorporate and commercialize CCM in dermabrasion therapies such as its recently launched DiamondGlow system, secured through its 2019 acquisition of Envy Medical. In addition, Allergan has licensed exclusive rights to new Histogen intellectual property claiming novel formulations for use in the aesthetics field. Allergan believes it can leverage such novel intellectual property to develop innovative new skin care product lines in the future.

08:07 EST Grainger CEO says will 'diligently manage expenses' in 2020 - "In 2019, we grew sales, operating earnings and EPS despite challenging and uncertain economic conditions. Our sales growth in the U.S. outperformed the market throughout the year, and our share gain accelerated in the fourth quarter, as our growth initiatives began to take hold. At our U.S. endless assortment business, Zoro, we continued to invest in the business to ensure ongoing success. At the total company level, our strong expense control held SG&A stable and enabled our advertising, technology and Zoro investments, " said DG Macpherson, Chairman and CEO. "As we look to 2020, we will diligently manage expenses while continuing to invest in future growth. We are confident in our strategy and ability to execute moving forward."

08:05 EST Insmed names Sara Bonstein as CFO, effective January 31 - Insmed (INSM) announced the appointment of Sara Bonstein as CFO, effective January 31. Ms. Bonstein will assume responsibility for leading the company's global financial operations, including financial planning and analysis, investor relations, accounting, tax and treasury. Sara will also serve as a member of Insmed's Executive Committee. Bonstein joins Insmed with more than 15 years of financial and operational experience in the life sciences industry, most recently serving as CFO & COO of OncoSec Medical (ONCS).

08:03 EST RMR Group executes two lease renewals in Boise, Idaho - RMR Group (RMR) announced that the Natural Resource Center recently signed ten-year lease renewals for 59,696 square feet at 1249 South Vinnell Way and 90,855 square feet at 1387 South Vinnell Way, both located in Boise, Idaho. These leases comprise 100% of the total rentable square feet at each property. The properties are suburban office buildings with amenities including fitness centers, locker rooms and showers. Situated near Interstate 84 and Interstate 184, the properties also offer close proximity to retail and dining options. The properties are owned by Office Properties (OPI) and managed by The RMR Group. The RMR Group is responsible for providing all aspects of management services and strategy for more than 1,400 properties with over 97M square feet of commercial office, industrial, medical office, life science and retail space.

08:01 EST CarMax partners with, takes minority stake in automotive research site Edmunds - CarMax on Wednesday announced it is partnering with, and investing in, Edmunds, an automotive research site. CarMax is investing $50M to acquire a minority stake in the company. "Edmunds' proprietary content, comprehensive automotive market insights and streamlined user experience across the car buying and selling journey will allow us to deepen our engagement with customers shopping online," said Bill Nash, CarMax president and CEO. "Consumers trust Edmunds for its in-depth, expert-driven automotive editorial content and unbiased reviews. Edmunds has also made significant investments in digital innovations over the last several years that align with our continued focus on enhancing the customer experience online."

07:51 EST Biogen sees FY20 R&D expense approximately 15%-16% of total revenue - Sees FY20 SG&A expense approximately 19.5%-20.5% of total revenue.

07:48 EST Biogen sees FY20 tax rate approximately 18%-19%

07:42 EST Continental Building obtains shareholder approval for Saint-Gobain acquisition - Saint-Gobain announced that Continental Building obtained shareholder approval to be acquired by Saint-Gobain and that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act has expired thereby satisfying the regulatory approval requirements under the merger agreement. The group expects the deal to close on February 3. Upon completion of the transaction, Saint-Gobain will acquire all the outstanding shares of Continental Building Products for $37.00 per share, in cash, in a transaction valued at approximately $1.4B. Continental Building employs 645 people and is expected to generate 2019 revenues of approximately $510M and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $130M per broker consensus.

07:39 EST Monro sees 2020 comparable same store sales down 1% to flat - Previous guidance up 1%-2%.

07:36 EST Alliance Data reports December net charge offs 6.1% vs. 6.3% last month - Reports December delinquency ratio 5.8% vs. 5.9% last month.

07:33 EST Spirit AeroSystems announces 737 MAX production agreement with Boeing - Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) announced that it reached an agreement with Boeing (BA) relating to the 737 MAX production rate. Under the agreement, Spirit will restart production slowly, ramping up deliveries throughout the year to reach a total of 216 MAX shipsets delivered to Boeing in 2020. Spirit does not expect to achieve a production rate of 52 shipsets per month until late 2022. The parties are continuing to negotiate other terms. The rate agreement is based on several assumptions including Boeing's expected production rate and the successful return of the 737 MAX to service. As previously disclosed, the 737 MAX contractual agreement is a requirements contract between Boeing and Spirit and the rate may change at any time.

07:27 EST Aptinyx announces publication of data on NMDAr modulator NYX-458 - Aptinyx announced a publication in Movement Disorders detailing data on its novel NMDAr modulator, NYX-458. The data demonstrate that administration of NYX-458 resulted in a reversal of cognitive deficits in a non-human primate model of Parkinson's disease. The data were published in the January issue of Movement Disorders, the official journal of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. In the published studies, NYX-458 exhibited rapid, robust, and enduring reversal of the cognitive deficits induced in the non-human primate model. The deficits induced in the model are analogous to the attention, working memory, and executive function impairments associated with dopamine loss in Parkinson's disease and are the predominant cognitive symptoms experienced by Parkinson's patients. The reversal of cognitive deficits-back to healthy baseline levels on some measures-facilitated by NYX-458 was observed as early as one-day following a single dose and lasted for at least three weeks. Additionally, the positive effects were recovered following re-impairment, maintained with repeat dosing, and endured for up to three months following the last of the repeated doses. In a separate cohort of nun-human primates, NYX-458 did not worsen motor symptoms associated with dopamine loss, did not interfere with the anti-parkinsonian effects of levodopa, and did not worsen the side effects of levodopa. The reversal of cognitive deficits in these translatable disease models suggests that NYX-458 has the potential to be a novel therapeutic option for patients suffering from cognitive impairment associated with Parkinson's disease, and supports its continued development.

07:22 EST BioHiTech Global signs agreement with Carnival - BioHiTech Global (BHTG) announced that the company will provide its Revolution Series Digesters and data analytics platform to certain Carnival (CCL) ships, in a purchase contract in which Carnival can potentially acquire several hundred units. Under the terms of the contract, BioHiTech will provide each ship designated by Carnival with multiple Revolution Series Digesters as well as ongoing cloud-based data analytics and supplies. BioHiTech's Revolution Series Digesters will help reduce the environmental impact of Carnival's operations by safely disposing of food waste on-site, limiting the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from conventional processing systems. The company's data analytics platform will also provide real-time supply chain transparency to help in Carnival's food waste reduction efforts.

07:22 EST Autolus Therapeutics announces additional data on Phase 1/2 trial of AUTO3 - Autolus Therapeutics announced additional data regarding its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial of its next-generation programmed T cell therapy, AUTO3, to treat adults with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The data is to be presented in a keynote lecture titled "Improved CAR T cell approaches for lymphoid malignancies," by Dr. Martin Pule, clinical senior lecturer in the Dept. of Hematology at UCL Cancer Institute and chief scientific officer of Autolus Therapeutics, at the EHA-EBMT 2nd European CAR T Cell Meeting. As of the data cut-off date of January 21, 2020, 18 patients in the ALEXANDER Phase 1/2 clinical trial of AUTO3 were evaluable for safety and efficacy with minimum 28-day follow-up. In the cohorts dosed at 450 x 106 AUTO3 cells plus pembrolizumab, five out of seven patients achieved a response and four out of seven patients achieved a complete response. Across all dose levels, seven out of eight complete responders had ongoing complete responses at a median follow up of six months. All seven out of seven complete responders treated with AUTO3 and pembrolizumab have ongoing complete responses as of January 21, 2020 at a median follow up of three months. AUTO3 was generally well tolerated, with no patients experiencing dose limiting toxicity, and there were no treatment-related deaths. One patient experienced Grade 4 lung infection due to para-influenza virus that was possibly considered to be related to treatment and the patient is recovering. Such infections are a common event in late stage DLBCL patients. No patients experiencing Grade 3 or higher Cytokine Release Syndrome were reported with primary treatment, and one of 18 patients experienced a Grade 3 neurotoxicity that resolved swiftly with administration of steroids. As of the data cut-off, no patient has experienced neurotoxicity of any grade in cohorts treated with AUTO3 and pembrolizumab.

07:20 EST Sherwin-Williams sees 2020 tax rate in 'low twenty percent range'

07:18 EST Wabco to sell R.H. Sheppard to Bendix for $149.5M - WABCO Holdings announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell R.H. Sheppard Co. to Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems for $149.5M. Sheppard is an industry-leading supplier of steering technologies for commercial vehicles. Bendix is an indirect subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse AG, a leading global supplier of braking systems and other safety-critical rail and commercial vehicle systems. WABCO is divesting Sheppard in connection with the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice's review of the proposed merger between WABCO and ZF Friedrichshafen AG, and pursuant to the settlement order approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Sheppard transaction is subject to closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and is contingent upon the closing of the ZF acquisition of WABCO, which is expected in early 2020 following receipt of remaining regulatory approvals.

07:15 EST Oasis Midstream Partners exceeds high-end of 4Q19 volumes guidance - Estimates 4Q19 distribution coverage between 2.1x and 2.3x. 4Q19 third party gas volumes in Bighorn DevCo were approximately 30% of total gas processing volumes and increased 3% sequentially to 78.2 MMscfpd. In connection with the assignment by Oasis Petroleum to OMP of Panther DevCo LLC, OMP began executing services to Oasis Petroleum and third parties in the Delaware Basin effective November 1, 2019. Concurrent with the assignment, OMP reimbursed Oasis Petroleum approximately $24.9M and assumed approximately $10.0M of liabilities incurred by Oasis Petroleum prior to the effective date. Capital expenditures net to OMP approximated $197M-$207M, which includes OMP's reimbursement to Oasis Petroleum for the assignment of assets in the Delaware Basin.

07:13 EST Oasis Midstream Partners increases quarterly distribution 5% to 54c per share - Oasis Midstream Partners declared the quarterly cash distribution for Q4 of 54c per unit. This distribution will be payable on February 27 to unitholders of record as of February 13. In addition, the General Partner will receive a cash distribution of $1.0M attributable to the incentive distribution rights related to the earnings for 4Q19.

07:11 EST Plymouth Industrial REIT acquires industrial portfolio in Atlanta, Savannah - Plymouth Industrial REIT continued its growth in select industrial markets in Georgia with the acquisition of a five-building, 924,036-square-foot industrial portfolio in Atlanta and Savannah for $34.7M. The acquisition, which is projected to provide an initial yield of 7.6%, was funded with borrowings under the company's credit facilities.

07:10 EST Archer Daniels raises quarterly dividend to 36c per share from 35c per share - ADM' board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of 36c per share on the company's common stock, a 2.85% increase from last quarter's dividend of 35c per share. The dividend is payable on March 5, to shareholders of record on February 13.

07:06 EST MSCI sees FY20 adjusted EBITDA $750M-$770M - Sees FY20 effective tax rate 19%-22%.

07:04 EST Altria Group revises terms for investment in JUUL - Altria and JUUL agreed to revised terms governing Altria's minority investment in JUUL, which include the following provisions: Altria and JUUL are focusing their work together to create compelling pre-market tobacco product applications (PMTA) based on rigorous scientific research and data-driven underage use prevention efforts. As a result, Altria will continue providing regulatory affairs services to JUUL, which includes supporting the company in preparing and submitting its PMTA. Altria will discontinue all other services by the end of March 2020 that were part of the original investment agreement. JUUL will, upon antitrust clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, restructure its board of directors to consist of two directors designated by Altria, three independent directors, the JUUL CEO and three directors designated by JUUL stockholders other than Altria. Upon antitrust clearance, the restructured JUUL Board of Directors will add a nominating committee and a litigation oversight committee to its existing compensation and audit committees. Altria has the option to be released from its non-compete obligation if JUUL is prohibited by federal law from selling e-vapor products in the U.S. for at least a year, or if Altria's carrying value of the JUUL investment is not more than 10% of its initial carrying value of $12.8B. "This agreement is a continuation of the reset initiated by JUUL's leadership team." said Willard. "We look forward to working with the company under this structure to support JUUL's commitment to working with regulators and submitting the best possible PMTA." Altria recorded a fourth-quarter, non-cash pre-tax impairment charge of $4.1B related to its investment in JUUL. This impairment is primarily due to the increased number of legal cases pending against JUUL and the expectation that the number of legal cases against JUUL will continue to increase. Since October 31, 2019, the number of legal cases pending against JUUL has increased by more than 80%. Altria has not made any assumptions, or drawn any conclusions, regarding the merits or likelihood of success of any of these cases, litigation is subject to uncertainty and it is possible that there could be adverse developments in pending or future cases. For 2019, Altria recorded a total of $8.6B in non-cash pre-tax impairment charges to its JUUL investment, bringing the value of its JUUL investment to $4.2B as of December 31, 2019. Altria now expects a resolution with respect to antitrust clearance in the first half of 2020.

07:03 EST Verizon reports Q4 Verizon Consumer revenues $24.2B, up 2% y/y - Consumer wireless service revenues were $13.4 billion in fourth-quarter 2019, a 1.9 percent increase year over year, driven by customer step-ups to unlimited and higher-priced tiers and an increase in connections per account. Full-year 2019 wireless service revenues were $53.8 billion, a 2.5 percent increase year over year. Total retail postpaid churn was 1.09 percent in fourth-quarter 2019, and retail postpaid phone churn was 0.83 percent. Consumer reported 35,000 Fios Internet net additions and 51,000 Fios Video net losses in fourth-quarter 2019, reflecting the ongoing shift from traditional linear video to over-the-top offerings. Consumer Fios revenues remained relatively flat, primarily due to the demand for broadband offerings, offset by the impact of video subscriber losses. Total Verizon Business revenues were $8.1 billion, up approximately 1.0 percent year over year. For full-year 2019, total Verizon Business revenues were $31.4 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent from full-year 2018. Business reported 396,000 wireless retail postpaid net additions in fourth-quarter 2019, an increase of 18.6 percent year over year. This consisted of 202,000 phone net additions, 132,000 tablet net additions and 62,000 other connected device additions. Total retail postpaid churn was 1.28 percent in fourth-quarter 2019, and retail postpaid phone churn was 1.00 percent.

07:00 EST Meritor awarded PACCAR business for battery-electric powertrains - Meritor (MTOR) announced that it has entered into an agreement with PACCAR (PCAR) to be its non-exclusive supplier of electric powertrains for its Kenworth T680 and Peterbilt 579 and 520 battery-electric vehicles. Meritor will be the initial launch partner and primary supplier for the integration of functional battery-electric systems on these refuse and heavy-duty chassis. Production is targeted to begin in early 2021.

06:59 EST Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO James Quincey says made 'good progress' in 2019 - "We made good progress in 2019 by delivering on our financial commitments and growing in a more sustainable way," said James Quincey, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. "We continue to transform the organization to act with a growth mindset, which gives us confidence in our 2020 targets and our ability to create a better shared future for all of our stakeholders."

06:57 EST Raytheon says merger with United Technologies targeted to close early in Q2 - Raytheon (RTN) said the previously announced merger with United Technologies (UTX) is targeted to close early in the second quarter of 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals, as well as completion by United Technologies of the separation of its Otis and Carrier businesses.

06:56 EST CNX Resources cuts FY20 production view to 525-555 Bcfe from 535-565 Bcfe

06:49 EST Northrop Grumman reports total backlog $64.8B as of December 31, 2019

06:47 EST Northrop Grumman sees FY20 Aeronautics Systems sales mid to high $11B - Sees FY20 Defense Systems sales mid $7B, Mission Systems sales high $9B, Space Systems sales low $8B. Sees FY20 Aeronautics Systems operating margin low to mid 10%, Defense Systems operating margin mid 10%, Mission Systems operating margin low 14%, Space Systems operating margin low to mid 10%.

06:41 EST Wesco sees Anixter transaction closing in Q2 or Q3 - In investor presentation slides ahead of its Q4 earnings conference call, Wesco (WCC) says it expects to close the Anixter (AXE) transaction to close in Q2 or Q3.

06:38 EST AmerisourceBergen raises quarterly dividend 5% to 42c from 40c per share - The quarterly dividend of 42c per common share will be payable March 2 to stockholders of record at the close of business on February 14.

06:36 EST Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing says new strategy 'gaining traction' - Christian Sewing, CEO, said: "Our new strategy is gaining traction. Stabilizing revenues in the second half of 2019 and our consistent cost discipline both contributed to better operating performance than in 2018. Our client business is developing well, right across the bank. With our strong capital position and a Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 13.6%, we're very confident we can finance our transformation with our own resources and return to growth."

06:32 EST Royal Dutch Shell sees Q1 Upstream production 2.63M-2.78M boe/d - Q1 Integrated Gas production is expected to be 950 - 980 thousand boe/d. Q1 LNG liquefaction volumes are expected to be 9.0 - 9.5 million tonnes. Q1 Refinery availability is expected to be 90% - 94%. Oil Products sales volumes are expected to be 6,400 - 7,000 thousand b/d in Q1. Chemicals manufacturing plant availability is expected to be 91% - 95% in Q1.

06:29 EST Shell reports Q4 Upstream production 2.813M boe/d vs. 2.81M boe/d last year - During the quarter, Shell and its Consortium partners announced the start of oil and gas production at P-68 FPSO, located at BM-S-11-A concession (Shell pre-unitisation interest 25%) in Berbigao, Sururu, and West Atapu, which can process up to 150 thousand barrels of oil and 6 million cubic metres of natural gas daily. Compared with the fourth quarter 2018, Integrated Gas earnings excluding identified items primarily reflected lower realised LNG, oil and gas prices as well as higher operating expenses and depreciation, partly offset by stronger contributions from LNG, gas and power trading and optimisation. Compared with the fourth quarter 2018, total production decreased mainly due to the transfer of the Salym asset into the Upstream segment and divestments, largely offset by field ramp-ups in Australia and Trinidad and Tobago. LNG liquefaction volumes increased mainly as a result of additional capacity from the Prelude floating LNG facility and the Elba LNG facility compared with the fourth quarter 2018. Compared with the fourth quarter 2018, cash flow from operating activities excluding working capital movements mainly reflected lower cash inflows related to commodity derivatives as well as lower cash earnings. Fourth quarter identified items primarily reflected a loss of $217 million related to the fair value accounting of commodity derivatives as well as a charge of $85 million related mainly to impairments in Singapore and the U.S. Compared with the fourth quarter 2018, Downstream earnings excluding identified items reflected weaker realised refining, chemicals and marketing margins, partly offset by lower operating expenses and tax charges. Compared with the fourth quarter 2018, cash flow from operating activities excluding working capital movements benefited mainly from higher cash earnings and lower tax payments.

06:22 EST Eli Lilly, Incyte announce results from Phase 3 BREEZE-AD5 study - Eli Lilly (LLY) and Incyte (INCY) announced that baricitinib met the primary endpoint in BREEZE-AD5, an investigational Phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety and efficacy of baricitinib for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, or AD. 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-AD5 is a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study designed for and conducted in North America, evaluating the efficacy and safety of the 1-mg and 2-mg doses of baricitinib monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe AD. In this study, the 2-mg dose of baricitinib met the primary endpoint as defined by the proportion of participants achieving EASI75 at Week 16, and key secondary endpoints including another measure of skin inflammation defined by clear or almost clear skin and at least two points improvement on the validated Investigator's Global Assessment for AD and reduced itch severity. The safety profile in BREEZE-AD5 was consistent with the known safety findings of baricitinib in AD. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events, or TEAEs, included upper respiratory tract infections, nasopharyngitis and diarrhea. No venous thromboembolic events, or VTEs, 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 AD and plans to submit for approval in the U.S. and Japan in 2020. The full results from the BREEZE-AD5 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.

06:20 EST Corteva accelerating ramp up of Enlist E3 soybeans to U.S., Canadian farmers - Corteva announced that the company is accelerating the ramp-up of Enlist E3 soybeans to U.S. and Canadian farmers over the next five years - reinforcing the company's commitment to its Enlist technology and continued focus on bringing greater choice and value to growers. Corteva continues to see strong demand for the technology from farmers, retailers and independent seed companies; and expects planted acreage projections in 2020 to approach 20% of the U.S. market - double original expectations. "The decision to accelerate production of Enlist E3 soybeans, along with the Enlist One and Enlist Duo herbicides, ahead of the 2021 selling season reflects our continued focus on rapidly ramping up differentiated technology solutions that we expect will enable greater choice and value for growers over time," said James Collins, Jr., Corteva CEO. "Our Enlist weed control system illustrates the power of Corteva across platforms, integrating seed and chemistry - providing much-needed solutions to farmers that address complex challenges, such as weed resistance, while strengthening Corteva's proprietary trait offering."

06:17 EST Inovio collaborates with Beijing Advaccine to advance vaccine for coronavirus - Inovio announced that it is collaborating with Beijing Advaccine to advance the development in China of INO-4800, Inovio's vaccine against the recently emerged strain of coronavirus that has killed numerous people and infected thousands more in China to date. Inovio recently announced that it is developing INO-4800 through Phase 1 human testing in the U.S. to evaluate safety and immunogenicity with the support of an initial grant up to $9M from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI. Inovio plans to rapidly develop INO-4800 against the new coronavirus and has already started preclinical testing and preparations for clinical product manufacturing. The goal of this collaboration is to leverage Advaccine's expertise to run a Phase 1 trial in China in parallel with Inovio's clinical development efforts in the U.S. Inovio and Advaccine will also work together to attract additional grant funding and further collaborations with larger vaccine companies in China to increase the speed of future testing of INO-4800. Inovio's participation in this developing effort is based on the suitability of its DNA medicine platform to rapidly develop vaccines against emerging viruses with pandemic potential, proven vaccine development capabilities, and ability to generate countermeasures against previous pandemic threats. In a recently published paper in Lancet Infectious Diseases, Inovio's Phase 1 study of INO-4700, its MERS-CoV vaccine, demonstrated it was well-tolerated and furthermore induced high levels of antibody responses in approximately 95% of subjects, while also generating broad-based T cell responses in nearly 90% of study participants. Durable antibody responses to INO-4700 were also maintained through 60 weeks following dosing.

06:11 EST Murphy Oil sees FY20 total net production 190K-202K BOEPD excluding NCI - Sees 2020 CapEx excluding NCI $1.4B-$1.5B.

06:10 EST Murphy Oil sees Q1 total production 181K-193K BOEPD - Sees Q1 exploration expense $28M.

06:08 EST Stifel Financial raises quarterly dividend 13% to 17c per share - Starting in first quarter of 2020.

06:04 EST Enterprise Products provides 2020 distribution and buyback guidance - Based on current expectations, Enterprise's management plans to recommend to the board of Enterprise's general partner a $0.0025 per unit per quarter increase to its quarterly distribution rate for 2020. If approved by the board, this would result in aggregate distributions declared with respect to 2020 of $1.805 per unit, or a 2.3 percent increase compared to aggregate distributions declared with respect to 2019. Enterprise also intends to use approximately 2 percent of its 2020 CFFO to buy back its common units during 2020. Using 2019 CFFO as a base, these proposed distribution increases and unit buyback plan would result in an approximate 5.6 percent increase in capital returned to limited partners in 2020 compared to 2019. In addition, during the fourth quarter of 2019, affiliates of Enterprise's general partner purchased approximately 2.2 million of our common units for $58 million in open market purchases. These affiliates have expressed their intention to make additional purchases of Enterprise's units during 2020 opportunistically.

05:34 EST Citi appointed as depositary bank for Addex Therapeutics ADR programme - Citi, acting through Citibank N.A., has been appointed by Addex Therapeutics to act as depositary bank for its American Depositary Receipt, or ADR, programme. Addex Therapeutics' American Depositary Shares trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "ADXN". Each ADS represents six ordinary shares of the company. Addex Therapeutics' underlying ordinary shares are listed and trade on SIX Swiss Exchange under the same symbol "ADXN".

05:23 EST Sanofi announces 'positive' topline results demonstrated by olipudase alfa - Olipudase alfa, an investigational recombinant human acid sphingomyelinase, demonstrated positive results in two separate clinical trials evaluating olipudase alfa for the treatment of acid sphingomyelinase deficiency, or ASMD, in adult and pediatric patients. Olipudase alfa is the first and only investigational enzyme replacement therapy in late-stage development for the treatment of ASMD. No treatments are currently approved for ASMD. "These significant results for olipudase alfa mark a major scientific advancement for ASMD and an important step toward providing a potential therapy for adult and pediatric patients who currently have no approved treatment options for this devastating disease," said John Reed, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head of Research and Development at Sanofi. "We look forward to engaging with regulatory authorities to bring this potential new treatment to patients." The randomized Phase 2/3 trial enrolled 36 adult patients with ASMD across 24 centers in 16 countries. Patients received either placebo or olipudase alfa intravenous infusion every two weeks at a dose of up to 3mg/kg administered every two weeks over 52 weeks. The trial contained two independent primary efficacy endpoints to address separate critical manifestations of ASMD, progressive lung disease and enlarged spleen, which are prominent clinical features in patients with ASMD. The study protocol defines the trial outcome as positive if one of the independent primary endpoints was met. The first independent primary endpoint measuring improvement in lung function, using the percent predicted diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide, or DLco, was met; therefore, ASCEND is declared positive. The relative improvement from baseline to week 52 was 22% for the olipudase alfa arm compared with 3% for the placebo arm. The difference between the two treatment arms was statistically significant. The other independent primary endpoint measuring the effect of olipudase alfa on spleen size, assessed as percent change from baseline in multiples of normal, or MN, of spleen volume, was met per the study protocol. In the olipudase alfa arm, spleen volume was reduced by 39.5%, compared with a 0.5% increase in the placebo arm. The difference between the two treatment arms was statistically significant. For the U.S., the spleen volume endpoint was further combined with a patient-reported outcome, or PRO, measurement of symptoms associated with enlarged spleen called Splenomegaly Related Score, or SRS. Compared to baseline, the SRS was reduced by 8.0 points in the olipudase alfa arm and 9.3 points in the placebo arm; therefore, this combination endpoint was not met.

04:49 EST TD Ameritrade, Schwab receive second request from DOJ over proposed merger - TD Ameritrade (AMTD) disclosed last night that pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Act, on January 29, 2020, it and Charles Schwab (SCHW) each received a request for additional information and documentary material, often referred to as a "second request," from the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Issuance of the second request extends the waiting period imposed by the HSR Act until 30 days after TD Ameritrade and Schwab have substantially complied with the second request, unless the period for review is extended voluntarily by the parties and the DOJ or is terminated earlier by the DOJ. "TD Ameritrade and Schwab have and will continue to cooperate fully with the DOJ in its review. The parties continue to expect that all required regulatory approvals for the Merger will be obtained and that the Merger will be completed in the second half of 2020," the company added.