Stockwinners Market Radar for February 09, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:45 EST Fly Intel: Top five weekend stock stories - Catch up on the weekend's top five stories with this list compiled by The Fly: 1. Facebook (FB) and the Internal Revenue Service will square off in a U.S. Tax Court case that could cost the social-media giant more than $9B, The Wall Street Journal's Richard Rubin wrote. The trial slated to start in the week ahead caps a nine-year dispute over how Facebook structured its international operations, the report noted, adding that the IRS argues that more of the company's profits should have been taxed at higher rates in the U.S., rather than in the company's Irish subsidiary. Facebook contends that it deserves a refund, the author wrote. 2. The Chinese embassy in Paris urged the French government not to discriminate against Huawei as it selects suppliers for its 5G mobile network, according to Reuters. The U.S. has been trying to convince countries to ban Huawei from their mobile networks, as Washington believes its technology could allow "back doors" for Chinese spying - an allegation denied by Huawei and Beijing, the report added. The Chinese embassy noted in a statement that China had used foreign companies such as Finland's Nokia (NOK) and Sweden's Ericsson (ERIC) to equip its own domestic networks, and that "We do not wish to see the development of European companies in China affected due to discrimination against Huawei and protectionism in France and other European countries." 3. The coronavirus is killing hundreds of people and sickening thousands more, and it is also disrupting the global tech supply chain, Eric Savitz wrote in this week's edition of Barron's. For now, it is nearly impossible to measure coronavirus risk for companies like Apple (AAPL), which is probably more reliant on China for parts, production, and sales than any company not based there, the author noted. But it isn't just Apple at risk, he contended, adding that a Dell Technologies (DELL) spokesperson told him that it is "assessing all options and mitigation plans to help ensure our supply chain remains operational and we're meeting customers' needs." At HP Inc. (HPQ), the story is much the same, Savitz wrote. 4. Sony's (SNE) "Birds of Prey" won the weekend, with a $33.3M debut from 4,236 theaters. This was one of the lowest domestic launches in modern times for a studio superhero pic. The movie also struggled overseas, earning $48M from 78 markets for a global start of $81.3M. "Birds of Prey" sports a B+ CinemaScore and an 80% Rotten Tomatoes rating. 5. FirstCash (FCFS), Kraft Heinz (KHC), and General Motors (GM) saw positive mentions in this week's edition of Barron's, while Tesla (TSLA) was mentioned negatively.

08:04 EST Regeneron announces two-year results from Phase 3 PANORAMA evaluating EYLEA - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced two-year results from the Phase 3 PANORAMA trial evaluating EYLEA Injection 2 mg in patients with moderately severe to severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The two-year pre-specified exploratory data demonstrate that untreated moderately severe and severe NPDR can lead to vision-threatening events, which includes vision-threatening complications and center-involved diabetic macular edema. Based on a Kaplan-Meier analysis, more than half of patients in the untreated sham arm developed a VTC or CI-DME within two years of entering the trial, while EYLEA treatment was shown to reduce the likelihood of these vision-threatening events by at least 75%. According to the company, the two-year results also showed a "greater benefit" for EYLEA patients treated at regular intervals compared to patients who received EYLEA treatment less frequently. Per the protocol, the group of trial patients who received EYLEA every 8 weeks in the first year were switched to receive it when their doctor determined they needed it in the second year. The proportion of these patients with a greater than 2-step improvement from baseline in Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale scores decreased in the second year. By comparison, in patients who continued to receive EYLEA every 16 weeks, the greater than 2-step DRSS scores remained consistent. In the second year, patients received an average of 1.8 injections in the 8-week/PRN group; a review of data from the independent reading center of investigator PRN decisions suggests that some of these patients may have been under-dosed based on the protocol rules of the trial. Patients in the 16-week group received 2.6 injections in the second year. During the 2-year PANORAMA trial, adverse events were consistent with the known profile of EYLEA. Serious ocular adverse events in the study eye occurred in 2% and 0% of the EYLEA 8-week/PRN and 16-week groups, respectively, and 2% of patients in the sham group. Ocular inflammation occurred in 2% and 1% of patients in the EYLEA treatment groups, respectively, and 1% of patients in the sham group. Anti-platelet trialists' collaboration-defined arterial thromboembolic treatment emergent events occurred in 3% and 6% of patients in the EYLEA treatment groups, respectively, and 5% of patients in the sham group. Also presented was the rationale for high-dose aflibercept clinical trials. A Phase 2 trial evaluating high-dose aflibercept in wet age-related macular degeneration is currently enrolling. Phase 3 trials planned to start in 2020 in wet AMD and DME will evaluate dosing intervals of 12 weeks and longer. The potential use of high-dose aflibercept is currently under clinical development and the safety and efficacy for this use have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.

07:55 EST Adverum Biotechnologies reports new interim data from Phase 1 trial of ADVM-022 - Adverum Biotechnologies announced new interim clinical data from the OPTIC Phase 1 dose-ranging clinical trial of ADVM-022 intravitreal injection gene therapy. OPTIC includes treatment-experienced patients with wet age-related macular degeneration. For the first time, data was presented from patients in cohort 2 at 24 weeks following treatment with a single intravitreal injection of a three-fold lower dose of ADVM-022 compared to the cohort 1 dose. ADVM-022 demonstrated a robust efficacy signal and evidence of a dose response: Cohort 1: 6 of 6 patients remain rescue-injection-free at a median follow up of 50 weeks, with 3 patients at 52 weeks. Cohort 2: 4 of 6 patients remain rescue-injection-free at 24 weeks at the lower dose. In both cohorts combined, 10 of 12 patients remain rescue-injection-free. For these patients: Vision was generally maintained as demonstrated by stable mean best corrected visual acuity compared to baseline. Retinal anatomy improvements were achieved and maintained as demonstrated by mean central subfield thickness compared to baseline. ADVM-022 continues to demonstrate a favorable safety profile and be well tolerated with no drug-related or procedure-related serious adverse events, no drug-related systemic adverse events, and no adverse events meeting the criteria for dose-limiting toxicities. ADVM-022-related adverse events have been mild to moderate. Low-grade ocular inflammation was commonly reported and was responsive to steroid eye drops.

07:31 EST Southern California Edison files 2020-22 Wildfire Mitigation Plan - Southern California Edison has filed its proposed 2020-22 Wildfire Mitigation Plan with the California Public Utilities Commission. SCE's multiyear plan builds on the progress made last year to reduce the risk of fire ignitions caused by utility infrastructure. The company's 2020 plan will advance the maturity of SCE's wildfire mitigation capabilities in a number of dimensions. In 2020, SCE proposes to: Install at least 700 circuit miles of covered conductor, reducing ignitions caused by objects that contact distribution power lines or conductor-to-conductor contact; Install fast-acting fuses at more than 3,000 locations; Continue enhanced inspections, applying advances in the company's risk model to prioritize and address the inspection findings for the overhead assets across transmission, sub-transmission, distribution and generation facilities in high fire risk areas; Deploy at least 375 weather stations; Actively identify and trim or remove trees that may pose a risk of falling into power lines; Advance new technologies; Leverage machine learning and analytics, also known as "big data," to improve inspections and automated sensing of electric system and equipment conditions; Engage Access and Functional Needs customers and partner with community-based organizations and community stakeholders to support their resiliency, working with existing philanthropic partners and deploying customer programs for PSPS preparedness, all-hazard awareness and emergency planning. The company will seek opportunities to accelerate efforts beyond the targets in the plan where possible. SCE plans to invest approximately $3.8B to implement the 2020-22 Wildfire Mitigation Plan. To further reduce PSPS impacts this year, the company is rapidly developing circuit-specific plans. For targeted circuits, SCE is applying a multipronged approach that includes: leveraging existing isolation equipment and/or installing additional sectionalization equipment; targeting grid hardening and remediation measures; providing resiliency solutions such as assistance with battery backup generation; pursuing microgrid opportunities where they are feasible. SCE remains committed to providing timely notification to potentially impacted customers, local governments, public safety agencies and the California State Warning Center before, during and after a de-energization event. SCE will continue to work with local governments and public safety agencies, as well as essential service providers and business customers, to refine the program. SCE met or exceeded nearly all the goals in its 2019 Wildfire Mitigation Plan.