Stockwinners Market Radar for February 07, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:00 EST Synaptics CEO: We've made decisions to trade revenue for gross margin - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Synaptics CEO Michael Hurlston said, "We've been conservative with our guidance and we're comfortable with it." Hurlston noted the company had a "decent footprint in China," but it was hard to predict the ramifications of the coronavirus.

17:56 EST BlackRock's Kushel sells roughly 5,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, BlackRock senior managing director J. Richard Kushel disclosed the sale of 4,998 common shares of the company at a price of $541.81 per share on February 5.

17:22 EST Texas Instruments SVP Ilan sells over 14,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Texas Instruments senior vice president Haviv Ilan disclosed the sale of 14,170 common shares of the company at a price of $129.8817 on February 5.

17:19 EST Alexander & Baldwin to replace Diplomat Pharmacy in S&P 600 at open on 2/13 - UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is acquiring Diplomat Pharmacy (DPLO) in a transaction expected to be completed soon.

17:15 EST Honeywell awarded $3.52B ceiling Air Force contract in support of EGI/EGI-M - Honeywell has been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with estimated ceiling of $3.52B for embedded GPS inertial navigation system modernization, or EGI/EGI-M, follow-on production and sustainment. This contract provides production, sustainment and engineering technical services in support of the EGI/EGI-M system. Work will be performed in Clearwater, Florida, and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2035. This contract will allow foreign military sales. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. FY20 procurement funds in the amount of $1.64M are being obligated for the first order of EGIs for the F-15 aircraft. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.

16:55 EST USW calls on Navistar to negotiate in good faith to end strike - The United Steelworkers called on Navistar International Corporation (NAV) to negotiate in good faith for a fair contract to end an ongoing strike by about 85 members of Local 1636 in Joliet, Illinois. Union members have maintained pickets at the plant since Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, after overwhelmingly rejecting a contract proposal last week. USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap said that members of Local 1636 have earned a fair contract with improved compensation, benefits and working conditions, but as Navistar management has proposed it, some workers will go without pay increases for as long as 12 years, the union said. "Our brothers and sisters have worked and sacrificed for the sake of the company and to keep their plant operating," Millsap said. "Volkswagen (VWAGY) offered to buy Navistar for close to $3 billion last week, but what's a company worth without the loyal men and women who built it?" Millsap said that the union is ready and willing to meet with Navistar management to conclude bargaining and end the labor dispute as soon as possible with a fair contract.

16:41 EST Royal Caribbean director sells 16K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Royal Caribbean disclosed that the president of its Azamara Club Cruises unit sold 16K shares of common stock on February 6th. The total transaction size is $1.92M.

16:35 EST Synthetic Biologics announces NYSE acceptance of compliance plan - Synthetic Biologics announced that the NYSE has accepted the company's plan of compliance for continued listing on the exchange. As previously reported, on November 25, 2019, Synthetic Biologics received a letter from NYSE indicating that the company is not in compliance with certain continued listing standards relating to stockholders equity as set forth in Part 10, Section 1003 of the NYSE American Company Guide. Based on the Company's Form 10-Q for the period ending September 30, 2019 and filed with the Securities & Exchange Committee on November 4, 2019, the company was below compliance with Part 10, Section 1003 of the guide since it reported stockholders' equity of less than $6M and net losses in five of its most recent fiscal years. In accordance with NYSE's policies and procedures, the company submitted its plan of compliance on December 20, 2019 addressing how the company intends to regain compliance with Part 10, Section 1003 of the guide. The exchange notified Synthetic Biologics that it accepted the company's compliance plan and granted the company an extension for its continued listing until November 25. Synthetic Biologics will be subject to periodic review during the plan period. If the company does not regain compliance by the end of the plan period, or if the company does not make progress consistent with its plan, the exchange may initiate delisting procedures as appropriate. The notice of acceptance from NYSE does not affect the company's business operations or the listing of the company's common stock.

16:19 EST Landstar System CFO sells 14.3K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Landstar System disclosed that its CFO Kevin Stout sold 14.3K shares of common stock on February 6th. The total transaction size is $1.63M.

16:16 EST Obalon enters into new stock purchase pact with Lincoln Park Capital Fund - Obalon Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has entered into a new common stock purchase agreement and registration rights agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, a Chicago-based institutional investor, for up to $15M. The new Agreements replace existing agreements between the company and LPC. Under the terms of the Agreements and following the filing and effectiveness of a registration statement, Obalon will have the right at its sole discretion to sell to LPC up to $15 million worth of shares over a 36-month period, subject to various limitations including those under the NASDAQ listing rules. Furthermore, the company will control the timing of any sales to LPC, and LPC will be obligated to make purchases of the company's common stock upon receipt of requests from the company. There are no upper limits to the price per share LPC may pay to purchase the up to $15M worth of common stock, and the purchase price of the shares will be based on the then prevailing market prices of the company's shares at the time of each sale to LPC. Proceeds will be used by the company for general corporate purposes. There are no warrants, derivatives, financial or business covenants associated with the Agreements, and LPC has agreed not to cause or engage in any manner whatsoever, any direct or indirect short selling or hedging of shares of the company's common stock. The Agreements may be terminated by the company at any time, at its sole discretion, without any cost or penalty.

16:06 EST Quebec Superior Court allows BlackRock to pursue Valeant claim - On February 3, the Quebec Superior Court granted BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited, iShares Trust, iShares, Inc. and BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, collectively, the "Plaintiffs," authorization to pursue a secondary market claim under the Quebec Securities Act in relation to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, now known as Bausch Health Companies (BHC), shares purchased from February 28, 2013 to August 10, 2016. "Authorization under the QSA has been granted against Valeant and certain of its former officers and directors-namely, J. Michael Pearson, Howard B. Schiller, Robert L. Rosiello, Robert A. Ingram, Ronald H. Farmer, Theo Melas-Kyriazi, G. Mason Morfit, Dr. Laurence Paul, Robert N. Power, Norma A. Provencio, Lloyd M. Segal, Katharine B. Stevenson, Fred Hassan, Colleen Goggins, and Jeffrey W. Ubben, or collectively, the "Defendants". The Plaintiffs' claim is based on allegations that Valeant's filings with securities regulators in Canada and the United States contained materially false or misleading statements regarding Valeant's business practices, financial results, and other material facts. The Defendants dispute the Plaintiffs' claim," the notice from BlackRock stated.

16:01 EST American Express names Jessica Lieberman Quinn as Principal Accounting Officer - American Express announced that Jessica Lieberman Quinn has been appointed Executive Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer of the Company. She will assume Controllership duties in mid-February after the Company completes its financial filings for 2019. Ms. Lieberman Quinn has served as Senior Vice President, Business Chief Financial Officer for Global Commercial Services since February 2019.

14:52 EST Intelsat rises after FCC posts details of C-band auction plans - In a notice posted to the site of the Federal Communications Commission, the regulator reported that Chairman Ajit Pai announced the items on the tentative agenda for the February Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Friday, February 28. Along with that announcement, the FCC included a C-Band Rules document that included the accelerated relocation payments that the FCC would make available for each of the five eligible operators under Pai's proposal. "These payments reflect a variety of inputs, including content-distribution revenues, population coverage in the contiguous United States, and traffic. The Clearinghouse will distribute the accelerated relocation payments to each eligible space station operator," the document states. For Intelsat, the "Phase I Payment" proposed is $1,194,498,000 and the "Phase II Payment" proposed is $3,657,286,800. In afternoon trading, Intelsat shares are up 15c, or 4%, to $3.89. Reference Link

14:24 EST Penn National Gaming to become NASCAR's first authorized gaming operator - NASCAR and Penn Interactive, a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming, announced a new multi-year partnership that will make Penn National an authorized gaming operator of NASCAR in the United States. The partnership is Penn National's first with a professional sports league and will center around a brand new, free-to-play, mobile game named NASCAR Finish Line, which offers users the chance to win a $50,000 jackpot every race, the company stated. In addition, NASCAR and Penn National have extended their long-standing race title sponsorship for the "Hollywood Casino 400" at Kansas Speedway through 2026, "deepening the connection between the two entertainment companies," they said. "We are very excited to enter this long-term, strategic partnership with NASCAR. We look forward to the opportunity to provide NASCAR fans multiple outlets for their fandom, including online on a new free-to-play mobile game and at our destination casinos and sportsbooks," added Jennifer Weissman, Chief Marketing Officer for Penn National.

13:04 EST Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count unchanged at 790 rigs - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is unchanged from last week at 790, with oil rigs up 1 to 676, gas rigs down 1 to 111, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 3. The U.S. Rig Count is down 259 rigs from last year's count of 1,049, with oil rigs down 178, gas rigs down 84, and miscellaneous rigs up 3 to 3. The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is up 2 rig to 23 and up 4 rigs year-over-year. The Canada Rig Count is up 10 rig from last week at 257, with oil rigs up 10 to 167 and gas rigs unchanged at 90. The Canada Rig Count is up 17 rigs from last year's count of 240, with oil rigs up 9 and gas rigs up 8.

13:01 EST Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count flat at 790 rigs

12:02 EST SeaSpine, 7D Surgical enter agreement to distribute MvIGS platform - SeaSpine Holdings and 7D Surgical announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance agreement. Financial terms were not disclosed. Under the agreement, SeaSpine and 7D Surgical will integrate and co-market their combined product offerings, as well as develop SeaSpine-specific instrumentation optimized to work with 7D Surgical's flagship Machine-vision Image Guided Surgery platform for spinal and cranial surgeries. The agreement allows SeaSpine to offer a customized, best-in-class navigational solution to its hospital and surgeon customers on a non-exclusive basis. The 7D Surgical MvIGS system is the only approved image guidance system that utilizes a novel and proprietary camera-based technology and machine-vision algorithms to eliminate the long-standing frustrations with legacy surgical navigational platforms. The system uses only visible light, eliminating patient and staff exposure to intraoperative radiation, which is common with other technologies. This results in a registration workflow that takes just seconds and allows the surgeon to control the system from the sterile field.

12:01 EST FedEx says taking steps to optimize last-mile residential deliveries - FedEx said it is taking steps to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of residential deliveries as e-commerce continues to grow at an explosive rate. Beginning in March, FedEx Express will contract with FedEx Ground for the transport and delivery of select day-definite, residential Express shipments. FedEx Express packages will be selected for delivery by FedEx Ground if they are residential deliveries for which FedEx Ground can meet the service commitment. The company will begin rolling this out in Greensboro, N.C. and will include other markets in phases throughout the remainder of the year.

12:00 EST Manitowoc falls -15.0% - Manitowoc is down -15.0%, or -$2.47 to $14.05.

12:00 EST Bill.com rises 13.9% - Bill.com is up 13.9%, or $6.73 to $55.24.

12:00 EST Youdao rises 16.4% - Youdao is up 16.4%, or $2.68 to $19.06.

10:55 EST OncoSec announces shareholder approval of CGP/Sirtex transaction - OncoSec Medical announced that, at its Special Meeting of Shareholders, based on a preliminary vote count provided by the Company's proxy solicitor, OncoSec shareholders have approved the proposed strategic investment by and partnership with Grand Decade Developments Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Grand Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Holdings, and its U.S. affiliate, Sirtex Medical US Holdings.

10:09 EST NJ governor says four Royal Caribbean passengers sent to hospital - New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued a statement on the docked Royal Caribbean (RCL) cruise ship in Bayonne. He said, "Personnel from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention boarded a cruise ship docked in Bayonne this morning and screened 27 passengers who recently traveled from mainland China. After being assessed by the CDC, 23 of those passengers were cleared and four individuals are being evaluated at an area hospital. The hospital is following proper infection control protocols while evaluating these individuals. New Jersey currently has no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus and the risk to residents remains low." Shares of Royal Caribbean are down 3% to $112.86 in early trading while peers Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) and Carnival (CCL) are also lower.

10:00 EST Greenhill & Co. falls -9.6% - Greenhill & Co. is down -9.6%, or -$2.05 to $19.25.

10:00 EST Manitowoc falls -15.2% - Manitowoc is down -15.2%, or -$2.51 to $14.01.

10:00 EST Bill.com rises 18.7% - Bill.com is up 18.7%, or $9.05 to $57.56.

09:47 EST Century Communities rises 13.4% - Century Communities is up 13.4%, or $4.28 to $36.12.

09:47 EST Pinterest rises 15.9% - Pinterest is up 15.9%, or $3.67 to $26.68.

09:39 EST Impinj president and COO Eric Brodersen to step down - Impinj reported that its President and Chief Operating Officer, Eric Brodersen, has decided to step down effective March 6. "I am immensely proud of, and humbled by, Impinj's many accomplishments during my tenure, highlighted by our success enabling partners and end customers with a platform that gives digital life to everyday items," said Brodersen. "The power of our strategic direction and the strength of our current management team provide me the opportunity to step back with confidence. I plan to spend time traveling and with my family before pursuing other opportunities."

09:36 EST Plus Therapeutics appoints Andrew Sims CFO - Plus Therapeutics announced that Andrew Sims has been appointed as the company's CFO, effective February 5. A seasoned financial executive with two decades of leadership experience in North America, Europe and Asia, Mr. Sims has held senior management positions in numerous growth companies. In his new role at Plus Therapeutics, Mr. Sims will oversee the company's financial management and strategy, and will report to Dr. Marc Hedrick, the company's President and Chief Executive Officer. Sims arrives at Plus Therapeutics having previously held Chief Financial Officer roles at several private equity-backed companies. His focus has been on mergers and acquisitions, integrations, corporate capitalization, and building out and managing teams to support global growth.

09:21 EST SB Financial extends share repurchase program to up to 400,000 common shares - SB Financial has authorized the extension of the company's share repurchase program through December 31. Pursuant to the share repurchase program, which expired in December 2019, che Company was authorized to purchase up to an aggregate of 400,000 common shares. A total of approximately 210,000 common shares of the company have been purchased to date, with approximately 190,000 remaining shares authorized for repurchase under the program, as extended The repurchased shares will be held as Treasury shares and will be available for general corporate purposes.

09:14 EST AbbVie says proposed acquisition of Allergan "proceeding well' - Says remains on track to close in 1Q20.

09:12 EST Upland Software: Localytics deal immediately accretive to adj. EBITDA per share - Upland Software says the acquisition adds approximately $20M in annualized revenues and will be immediately accretive to Upland's Adjusted EBITDA per share.

09:10 EST Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Uber (UBER), up 6%... AbbVie (ABBV), up 3%... Activision Blizzard (ATVI), up 1%... Skechers (SKX), up 11%... Telenav (TNAV), up 21%... NortonLIfeLock (NLOK), up 6%. ALSO HIGHER: Collegium Pharmaceutical (COLL), up 20% after acquiring the U.S. rights to the Nucynta franchise from Assertio Therapeutics (ASRT) for $375M in cash. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Hanesbrands (HBI), down 2%... Canada Goose (GOOS), down 8%... Take-Two (TTWO), down 9%. ALSO LOWER: eBay (EBAY), down 6% after IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) said it has decided to cease exploring strategic opportunities with the company... Aurora Cannabis (ACB), down 16% after announcing CEO Terry booth will retire, the elimination of approximately 500 full-time staff and a thorough review of all business operations... Credit Suisse (CS), down 1% after announcing CEO Tidjane Thiam will resign and appointing Thomas Gottstein as Group CEO.

09:08 EST Applied DNA Sciences granted MMC fibers patent from USPTO - Applied DNA Sciences announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, has granted it United States patent no. 10,519,605. The newly-issued patent covers methods of tagging man-made cellulosic, or MMC, fibers or materials with a nucleic acid, or DNA, tag during production and later authenticating the nucleic acid-tagged MMC fibers and/or materials via PCR-based detection techniques to confirm provenance and/or authenticity.

09:02 EST UPS announces new flight for export shipments out of Queretaro - UPS announced a new flight for export shipments out of Queretaro. With its inaugural ceremony taking place yesterday, this new route features an Airbus A300 aircraft, with 55 tons of cargo capacity. The investment in UPS's smart global logistics network allows Mexican businesses more opportunity to take advantage of the USMCA to export their products to the United States and Canada. The new flight will strengthen UPS's operations, aligning them with the growth dynamics of the companies in the state of Queretaro and the rest of the Bajio region. Operating Monday to Friday evenings, the new flight extends pickup services by up to three and a half hours. This gives businesses more time to prepare their export packages as well as greater flexibility in the event of emergency shipments.

08:46 EST CAE renews normal course issuer bid - CAE announced that its Board of Directors has approved the renewal of its normal course issuer bid to purchase, for cancellation, up to 5,321,474 of its common shares commencing on February 25, 2020 and ending on February 24, 2021.

08:38 EST Zagg shareholder Arex Capital demanding strategic alternatives update - Zagg shareholder Arex Capital, which manages funds that collectively own 7.5% of the common stock of Zagg, released a letter to Zagg's board in which Arex demanded that Zagg's board of Directors provide shareholders with an update on the strategic alternatives process the company announced six months ago. Highlights of the letter include: "It has been six months since ZAGG announced the Board's review of strategic alternatives. We are surprised by how long this process has taken, and we hope that the delay is due to bidders' requests for final confirmation of the company's year-end results. However, we remain concerned that the Board may be deterring or rejecting bona fide offers to acquire ZAGG in hopes of achieving an unrealistic sale price (...) A sale of Zagg is the best outcome for all shareholders on a risk-adjusted basis. (...) Despite these positive indications and the market's general optimism about the potential for the upcoming 5G rollout, Zagg's shares continue to languish. (...) Zagg has no evident cost of capital advantage from being public. (...) We believe that the market has been clear in communicating its view that ZAGG is not well-suited to be a publicly traded company. (...) It would be highly unreasonable for this Board, which owns a de minimis amount of stock, to reject the well-informed bids of acquirers who can deliver immediate, compelling, fair value for shareholders in favor of unfounded optimism based on management projections, which have proven to be highly unreliable in the past. (...) we will hold the Board accountable should it pass on a value-maximizing opportunity for shareholders in favor of a highly risky standalone plan".

08:35 EST Beyond Air expects to announce results from LungFit BRO pilot study in 2Q20 - Initiate a pivotal study in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of calendar 2020, with anticipated completion in the second quarter of calendar 2021.

08:34 EST Beyond Air expects to sumbit LungFit PH PMA in 2Q20 - Expect approval and commercial launch of LungFit PH in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of calendar 2020

08:09 EST Gulfport Energy appoints Valerie Jochen to board of directors - Gulfport Energy announced Valerie Jochen has been appointed to Gulfport's Board of Directors, effective February 6, 2020. Jochen currently serves as a Professor of Practice in Reservoir Engineering at Texas A&M University.

08:08 EST Sanuwave Health appoints Tom Price to board of directors - SANUWAVE Health announced the appointment of Dr. Tom Price to its Board of Directors. He served in the US House of Representatives from Georgia's 6th district from 2005 to 2017, during which time he served as Chair of the House Budget Committee from 2015 to 2017. In February 2017 he was confirmed by the Senate as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and remained in that position until September 2017. Currently Tom serves on the boards of several privately held health care companies and non-profits as well as consulting and advising companies.

08:06 EST Tracon Pharmaceuticals transfers to Nasdaq Capital Market - TRACON Pharmaceuticals announced that it has transferred its Nasdaq listing to the Nasdaq Capital Market and is in compliance with the stockholders' equity standard to remain listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

08:02 EST Catalyst Biosciences says enrollment in DalcA trial is complete - Catalyst Biosciences announced efficacy and safety data from its Phase 2b trial of DalcA, a next-generation subcutaneously administered Factor IX therapy being developed for the treatment of hemophilia B. The data were presented by Johnny Mahlangu, M.B.B.Ch., M.Med, F.C.Path, professor of haematology, faculty of health sciences, head of the School of Pathology at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and principal investigator in the clinical trial in an oral presentation at the 13th Annual Congress of the European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders in The Hague, Netherlands. Data from the trial showed that 28 days of daily SQ dosing of DalcA achieved protective target FIX levels of greater than12%, with steady state FIX levels of up to 27% after 14 days with no bleeds, demonstrating effective prophylaxis and the potential for lower or less frequent dosing. One subject withdrew on day 7. No anti-drug antibodies were detected and no serious adverse events were reported. Three subjects reported injection site reactions, the majority of which were mild in severity and resolved without sequelae. The open-label Phase 2b study was designed to evaluate the ability of DalcA to maintain steady state protective FIX levels above 12% in six individuals with severe hemophilia B. Each subject received a single intravenous dose, followed by daily SQ doses of DalcA for 28 days. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety and tolerability of daily SQ dosing and anti-drug antibody formation are being monitored. The company also noted that enrollment in the DalcA trial is complete.

07:54 EST Jacobs selected by Army for $1.9B levee and floodwall on Texas coastline - Jacobs and Stantec, operating as the Galveston Coastal Services Joint Venture, have been selected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, to design a 26.7-mile-long levee and floodwall system along the coastline near Galveston, Texas. The USACE has estimated this to be an eight-year, $1.9B construction effort that will increase the area's preparedness to respond to natural disasters and disturbances.

07:49 EST SB Financial to merge with Edon Bancorp - SB Financial and Edon Bancorp entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Edon Bancorp will be combined with SB Financial and Edon State Bank will merge with and into State Bank. The merger agreement was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both bank holding companies and their subsidiary banks. Shareholders of Edon Bancorp will receive $103.50 in cash in exchange for each share of Edon Bancorp common stock for a transaction valued in aggregate at approximately $15.5M. The consideration represents approximately 135% of Edon Bancorp's tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2019. When finalized, the merger will give State Bank a presence in Edon, Ohio. SB Financial intends to complete the transaction in Q2. After completion of the merger, the combined entity is expected to have $1.1B in assets.

07:48 EST AbbVie reports Q4 Global IMBRUVICA net revenues $1.296B - Q4 Global IMBRUVICA net revenues were $1.296B, an increase of 28.9%, with U.S. net revenues of $1.073B and international profit sharing of $223M. Global VENCLEXTA net revenues were $251M. Global net revenues from the hematologic oncology portfolio were $1.547B, an increase of 37% on a reported basis, or 37.2% operationally.

07:34 EST Cboe Global Markets sees 2020 CapEx $65-$70M - Sees 2020 adjusted operating expenses $435M-$443M, up from previous guidance of $420M-$428M, reflecting the company's recent acquisitions of Hanweck and FT Options. The guidance excludes the expected amortization of acquired intangible assets of $120M. Depreciation and amortization expense are expected to be in the range of $34M-$38M, excluding the expected amortization of acquired intangible assets of $120M. The effective tax rate on adjusted earnings for the full year is expected to be 26.5%-28.5%.

07:20 EST Helius Medical announces Cline Medical as authorized PoNS Treatment clinic - Helius Medical Technologies announces the authorization of their eighth PoNS Treatment center in Nanaimo, British Columbia, The addition of the Clinic Medical Centre in Nanaimo further increases access to PoNS Treatment across Canada. Cline Medical Centre is a leading integrative and functional medicine healthcare facility located at 2090 Skaha Drive, Nanaimo, BC.

07:17 EST Trillium appoints Paul Walker to board, Ali Behbahani as board observer - Trillium Therapeutics announced that Paul Walker has been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors, and Dr. Ali Behbahani has been appointed as a Board Observer, effective February 6, 2020. Mr. Walker and Dr. Behbahani are general partners with New Enterprise Associates, a global venture capital firm with more than $20 billion of cumulative committed capital invested in healthcare and technology companies.

07:10 EST Harsco expects to close Stericycle ESOL acquisition by end of Q1 - The acquisition will be an all-cash transaction. Harsco expects to finance the acquisition with a combination of borrowings under its existing revolving credit facility and new debt financing. The Company anticipates that its net leverage ratio will approximate 3.5X following the completion of this transaction. Harsco remains committed to a target leverage ratio below 2.5X and future excess cash flow will be used to reduce leverage. Harsco intends to file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will have further details concerning the transaction. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

07:09 EST J.B. Hunt CFO David Mee to retire, John Kuhlow to assume interim CFO role - J.B. Hunt announced further changes to its leadership. Effective March 1, David Mee will retire from his current duties as executive VP, finance and administration and CFO. John Kuhlow, currently senior VP of finance, controller and chief accounting officer, will assume the role of interim CFO on that date. Mee will continue to serve as an employee and advisor to the company until April 1.

07:05 EST Stericycle to sell Environmental Solutions Business to Harsco for $462.5M - Stericycle (SRCL) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Domestic Environmental Solutions business, excluding the healthcare customer and unused consumer pharmaceutical take-back services, to Harsco (HSC) for $462.5M in cash, subject to customary adjustments set forth in the agreement. The transaction includes Stericycle's Domestic Environmental Solutions business including Manufacturing and Industrial Services and the retail portion of Hazardous Waste Services, which together employ approximately 2,000 team members across 61 facilities. Stericycle will continue to offer solutions for unused consumer pharmaceutical take-back services and provide hazardous waste services to healthcare customers. Harsco will provide transportation and disposal services to healthcare customers under a long-term service agreement to be entered into at the closing of the transaction.The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, will not impact the operations of Stericycle's regulated medical waste and secure information destruction businesses. Stericycle intends to use net proceeds from the divestiture to pay down outstanding debt. Stericycle today also announced that it completed the sale of its operations in Chile in December to an affiliate of Veolia for approximately $30.7M. This transaction is subject to customary post-closing covenants and indemnity obligations. The divestiture of the company's Chilean operations marks the fifth divestiture executed by Stericycle during 2019. Over the course of the year, Stericycle also sold a texting business based in the UK, a telephone answering services business in North America, a pharmaceutical returns business, and substantially all its operations in Mexico. The five transactions combined generated approximately $83.7M in gross proceeds during 2019.

07:03 EST Compugen provides update on Phase 1 trial of PVRIG antibody - Compugen's ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating COM701, a first-in-class therapeutic antibody targeting PVRIG, was featured in a trial-in-progress poster at the The ASCO-SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Symposium in Orlando, FL. Enrollment in the eighth dose level patient cohort of 20mg/kg at Q4 weekly dosing schedule is ongoing in the monotherapy dose escalation study. Enrollment in the fourth dose level patient cohort at Q4 weekly dosing schedule in the combination dose escalation study of COM701 with Opdivo - nivolumab - has been completed with no dose-limiting toxicities reported. No dose limiting toxicities have been reported in lower dose level patient cohorts in the monotherapy and combination dose escalation arms. COM701 is a humanized antibody that binds with high affinity to PVRIG, a novel immune checkpoint target candidate discovered by Compugen, blocking the interaction with its ligand, PVRL2. Blockade of PVRIG by COM701 has demonstrated potent, reproducible enhancement of T cell activation, consistent with the desired mechanism of action of activating T cells in the tumor microenvironment to generate anti-tumor immune responses.

06:58 EST VF Corp. says coronavirus to impact results in Asia Pacific region near term - In light of the coronavirus outbreak, VF Corporation is working in accordance with local government guidelines to ensure the health, safety and overall well-being of the company's associates and partners in the communities where they live and work. "The safety and well-being of our associates and partners in China is our highest priority. Our thoughts are with those people affected by the coronavirus," said Steve Rendle, VF's Chairman, President and CEO. "While the coronavirus will impact our financial results in the Asia Pacific region in the near term, VF's growth opportunity in China and across the Asia Pacific region is significant and the fundamentals of our business are strong. VF is well positioned to navigate the impact of the coronavirus situation given the diversity of our business and operating model in other key geographies. At this time, about 60% of VF's owned and partner stores in China have been temporarily closed due to coronavirus mitigation efforts. Stores currently open have experienced significant declines in retail traffic. In Fiscal 2019, the Asia Pacific region and mainland China represented 12% and 6%, respectively, of total VF revenue. And, while it is not possible to gauge the impact to our supply chain at this point, approximately 16 percent of VF's total cost of goods sold is sourced directly from mainland China, of which 7 percent is bound for the US market. The coronavirus situation in China was not contemplated at the time VF provided its adjusted fiscal 2020 outlook on January 23, 2020. We will provide an update as to the operational and financial impacts of the coronavirus during VF's fourth quarter fiscal 2020 conference call in May 2020."

06:32 EST InfuSystem CFO Gregory Schulte steps down, Wesley Winnekins named Interim CFO - InfuSystem and CFO Gregory Schulte have agreed to a mutual separation. Schulte's departure is not the result of any disagreement with the company regarding its operations or accounting policies or practices. The company has appointed Wesley Winnekins as Interim CFO, effective immediately. The company has retained Heidrick & Struggles, a provider of executive searches, to assist with a nationwide search for a new CFO.

06:28 EST FGL Holdings to be acquired by Fidelity National for $12.50 per share - FGL Holdings (FG) announced that the company has entered into a merger agreement pursuant to which Fidelity National Financial (FNF) will acquire F&G for $12.50 per share, representing an equity value of approximately $2.7B. The transaction was approved by a Special Committee of F&G Directors, a Special Committee of FNF Directors and the FNF board. Under the terms of the merger agreement, holders of F&G's ordinary shares (other than FNF and its subsidiaries) may elect to receive either $12.50 per share in cash or 0.2558 of a share of FNF common stock for each ordinary share of F&G they own. This is subject to an election and proration mechanism such that the aggregate consideration paid to such holders of F&G's ordinary shares will consist of approximately 60% cash and 40% FNF common stock. Upon closing of the transaction, F&G shareholders will own approximately 7% of the outstanding shares of FNF common stock. This represents a premium of 28% to F&G's 60-day volume-weighted average price and a premium of 17% to F&G's all-time high closing stock price following its combination with CF Corp. of $10.70 prior to February 6, when the media reported a potential transaction. FNF currently owns 7.9% of F&G's outstanding ordinary shares and all of F&G's Series B Preferred shares, and, in connection with and immediately prior to the closing of the proposed acquisition, will acquire all outstanding F&G Series A preferred shares, with a face value of approximately $321 million as of December 31, 2019. Including the assumption of F&G's $550 million of senior notes due 2025, FNF's pro forma debt to total capital is expected to be approximately 26% at the close of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the second or third quarter of 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory clearances and approval by F&G shareholders. Following the close of the transaction, F&G will operate as a subsidiary of FNF. F&G is expected to remain headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, and will continue to be led by Chris Blunt and F&G's current management team. The terms of the merger agreement provide that F&G will be permitted, with the assistance of its legal and financial advisors, to actively solicit alternative acquisition proposals from third parties during a 40-day "go-shop" period from the date of the merger agreement until Wednesday, March 18, 2020. F&G may terminate the merger agreement to enter into a superior proposal with specified bidders identified in this period for a termination fee of $39.97M, subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement. There is no guarantee that the "go-shop" process will result in any alternative acquisition proposal or that any alternative acquisition proposal will be identified at any time, or approved or completed. F&G does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the "go-shop" process unless and until F&G's Special Committee and/or F&G's board makes a determination requiring further disclosure.

06:25 EST FGL Holdings to be acquired by Fidelity National for $12.50 per share

06:11 EST Aurora Mobile launches proprietary systems to assist in coronavirus control - Aurora Mobile has launched a suite of proprietary outbreak analytic and monitoring systems to assist national, municipal and provincial authorities in their efforts to bring the current outbreak of 2019-nCOV coronavirus under control. The systems will assist with government decision-making for targeted prevention and control and aid in delivering highly efficient implementation. The Systems will cover a total of 334 cities in 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across China, and will be able to identify high-risk groups based on their mobility behavior characteristics through daily data updates. In addition, Aurora Mobile is developing a statistical model in partnership with scholars to analyze the relational dynamic between population outflow from high-risk areas and the evolving outbreak in regions where people are migrating to.

06:11 EST Credit Suisse board reaffirms full support for Chairman Urs Rohner

06:10 EST Hanesbrands approves new 40M share stock repurchase program - The new share repurchase plan authorizes the company to buy up to 40M shares without expiration. The new plan replaces the company's previous share-repurchase authorization for 40M shares that was approved in April 2016.

06:08 EST Hanesbrands CEO says 2020 an 'inflection point for sales, profit and EPS growth' - "HanesBrands delivered a solid fourth quarter right in line with our guidance and concluded a very successful year with record operating cash flow, significantly reduced debt, continued organic revenue growth, and strong underlying business fundamentals," said Hanes CEO Gerald Evans Jr. "Looking forward, we expect to create meaningful shareholder value using our strong balance sheet, stabilized Innerwear profitability, and Champion, International and consumer-directed growth. We view 2020 to be an inflection point for sales, profit and EPS growth rates that accelerate down the P&L." While the company has exited its C9 Champion business in the mass retail channel and its DKNY license for intimate apparel, the company expects continued growth in 2020 for its underlying business.

06:06 EST Hanesbrands expects to make about $200M of share repurchases in 2020

05:33 EST GW Pharmaceuticals jumps 9% to $129 after competing data from Zogenix

05:29 EST Zogenix Phase 3 clinical in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome meets primary objective - Zogenix last night reported positive top-line results from its Phase 3 clinical trial of its lead investigational therapy, Fintepla, in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The trial met its primary objective of demonstrating that Fintepla at a dose of 0.7 mg/kg/day was superior to placebo in reducing the frequency of drop seizures, based on the change between baseline and the titration and maintenance treatment period. The same dose of Fintepla also demonstrated statistically significant improvements versus placebo in key secondary efficacy measures, including the proportion of patients with a clinically meaningful reduction in drop seizure frequency, the company said. A decrease in the frequency of drop seizures between baseline and the treatment period was observed for a lower dose of Fintepla compared to placebo, but this change did not reach statistical significance. Fintepla was generally well-tolerated, with the adverse events consistent with those observed in the company's two prior Phase 3 studies in Dravet syndrome, Zogenix added. Patients taking Fintepla 0.7 mg/kg/day achieved a median reduction of 26.5% compared to a median reduction of 7.8% in patients taking placebo. Using a parametric analysis, patients taking Fintepla 0.7 mg/kg/day demonstrated a 26.5% greater reduction in mean monthly drop seizure frequency compared to placebo. Stephen Farr, CEO of Zogenix said, "We are pleased with the top-line efficacy and safety results from Study 1601, which highlight FINTEPLA's potential to be an important new treatment option for one of the most difficult to treat rare epilepsies. We look forward to working with regulatory agencies to potentially bring FINTEPLA to the LGS patient community."