Stockwinners Market Radar for February 11, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:04 EST AGM Group Holdings signs MOU with Beijing Hieason Technology - AGM Group Holdings announced that its indirectly wholly owned subsidiary, Beijing AnGaoMeng Technology Service Co., Ltd., has entered into a Non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Beijing Hieason Technology Co. to establish strategic cooperation in smart commercial advertising screens. Through strategic cooperation, the parties strive to become a leading smart commercial advertising service agency in China within three years.

19:01 EST SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise to 922.23MT from 916.08MT - This is the highest level of holdings since October 21st.

18:44 EST Columbia Sportswear CEO: All of our brands are strong - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle discussed the company's recent results. He said, "We have a strong balance sheet and can weather any storm." Boyle noted that Columbia is not different from other companies that have supply chains running through China. He added, "We have a small business in China and our first focus is making sure our employees are healthy." Boyle finished by saying, "We don't know the full impact globally from the coronavirus. It's hard to quantify what will happen."

18:02 EST Portland General Electric, Avangrid to partner on 162MW solar facility in Oregon - Portland General Electric (POR) and Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Avangrid (AGR), announced an agreement to purchase power from a new 162-megawatt solar generation facility - the largest in Oregon - to be developed and built in eastern Oregon. The new solar facility will be Avangrid Renewables' 11th renewable energy facility in Oregon and will be built on 1,200 privately owned acres in Gilliam County. Construction is expected to begin in late 2020 or early 2021. At its peak, construction will generate approximately 300 jobs in partnership with local unions. When the facility begins operating in late 2021, it will produce enough power to serve the equivalent of about 40,000 homes.

17:28 EST USA Technologies to delay filing 10-Q - In a regulatory NT 10-Q filing, USA Technologies states: "USA Technologies is unable to file within the prescribed time period, without unreasonable effort or expense, its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2019. During the course of preparing its financial statements for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2019, the company identified certain adjustments that are required to be made to its financial statements. These adjustments consist of the following: (i) incorrect allocation of transaction price between equipment revenues and license and transaction fees in connection with a customer contract which resulted in the inappropriate deferral of equipment revenues on hardware devices shipped during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 and the first quarter of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020; and (ii) inaccurate accounting treatment of the leasing/rental contracts of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Cantaloupe Systems, Inc., relating primarily to the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 and the first quarter of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, and which affected cost of goods sold, inventory and property, plant and equipment. These adjustments do not relate to the Audit Committee's internal investigation which was substantially completed in January 2019. The Company is in the process of analyzing the materiality of these adjustments, including whether the company would be required to restate any previously issued financial statements. Given the additional time required to complete the company's assessment of this matter, the company is unable to file its Form 10-Q within the prescribed time period without unreasonable effort or expense. The Company believes that it will be in a position to file the Form 10-Q within the five calendar-day extension period provided by Rule 12b-25(b)."

17:03 EST Beacon Roofing names Philip W. Knisely as chairman - Beacon announced that Philip Knisely has been appointed Chairman of the board, succeeding Robert Buck, who retired as Chairman but continues as a director. Phil Knisely has been a Beacon Director since October 2015.

16:58 EST Pacific Drilling appeals arbitration decision - Pacific Drilling announced that its subsidiaries, Pacific Drilling VIII Limited and Pacific Drilling Services, have filed an application with the High Court in London for leave to appeal the award that has been issued in the arbitration proceedings between PDVIII and PDSI and Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. related to the contract for the construction and sale of the Pacific Zonda. As previously disclosed, on January 15 an arbitration tribunal in London, England awarded SHI approximately $320M with respect to its claims against PDVIII and PDSI. Under the rules governing the arbitration proceedings, PDVIII and PDSI have no automatic right to appeal and the grounds on which the High Court in London may grant permission to appeal are limited. There can be no assurance that permission to appeal will be granted, or if granted, that the appeal will be successful.

16:52 EST Levi Strauss VP David Sievewright sells almost $336K in company shares - Levi Strauss VP David Sievewright disclosed in a filing that he had sold 16,946 shares of company stock at an average price of $19.82 per share of February 7. The total transaction value of the sale was $335,829.

16:46 EST Artisan Partners reports AUM $120.2B as of January 31 - Artisan Partners Asset Management reported that its assets under management, or AUM, as of January 31, 2020 totaled $120.2B. Separate accounts accounted for $63.2B of total firm AUM, while Artisan Funds and Artisan Global Funds accounted for $57.0B. In the month of January, AUM decreased $811M primarily due to negative investment returns and slight net outflows.

16:39 EST Heartland Financial to acquire AIM Bancshares in transaction valued at $280.4M - Heartland Financial and AIM Bancshares, or ABI, announced they have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Heartland will acquire ABI and its wholly owned subsidiary, AimBank. Based on Heartland's closing common stock price of $49.88 per share on February 10, the stock and cash transaction is valued at approximately $280.4M, or $11,010 per share of ABI common stock, subject to certain adjustments. The actual transaction value will change due to fluctuations in the price of Heartland common stock and is subject to certain potential adjustments as set forth in the merger agreement. AimBank is a full-service community bank, headquartered in Levelland, Texas with approximately $1.78B in total assets, $1.16B in net loans outstanding and $1.54B in deposits as of December 31, 2019. The bank serves Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Amarillo, Abilene and other surrounding West Texas communities from 19 full-service banking centers. AimBank also has six full-service banking centers in Northeastern New Mexico. Upon completion of the merger of ABI with and into Heartland, AimBank will merge with and into Heartland's existing Lubbock, Texas-based subsidiary, FirstBank & Trust, which had approximately $1.14B in total assets as of December 31, 2019 and operates eight full-service banking centers in West Texas. The combination of AimBank and FirstBank & Trust will create Heartland's largest bank subsidiary with assets of almost $3B and 33 banking centers serving West Texas and Northeastern New Mexico. This bank subsidiary will operate under the FirstBank & Trust brand. After completing the acquisition of ABI, Heartland will have total assets of approximately $15B with 140 full-service banking locations operating in 12 states. Under the terms of the merger agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of Heartland and ABI, ABI common shareholders at the closing will receive 207 shares of Heartland common stock and $685.00 in cash for each share of ABI common stock, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the definitive merger agreement. ABI option holders will receive cash for the in-the-money portion of ABI stock options. The transaction is subject to approval by federal and state bank regulators and the ABI shareholders and to customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close early in Q3 with a systems conversion planned for Q4. Heartland and ABI anticipate that the transaction will qualify as a tax-free exchange with respect to the stock consideration received by ABI's shareholders. Heartland expects the transaction to be accretive to its earnings per share within the first year of combined operations.

16:33 EST Johnson & Johnson to collaborate with BARDA on potential coronavirus vaccine - Johnson & Johnson announced that its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies will further expedite its investigational coronavirus vaccine program through an expanded collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The collaborative partnership with BARDA builds on Johnson & Johnson's multipronged response to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. In addition to Janssen's efforts to develop a vaccine candidate, the company is working closely with global partners to screen its library of antiviral molecules to accelerate the discovery of potential COVID-19 treatments and provide relief for people in China and around the world. "Developing an effective vaccine will be critical if we are to protect people against the novel coronavirus and combat future outbreaks," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson. "This partnership will ensure that vital research is made possible at rapid speed and underscores the importance of public-private partnerships to tackle the worldwide novel coronavirus epidemic. We are also in discussions with other partners, that if we have a vaccine candidate with potential, we aim to make it accessible to China and other parts of the world."

16:31 EST Ingersoll-Rand names Heather Hewlett as chief accounting officer of Trane Tech - Heather Howlett, vice president and corporate controller of Ingersoll-Rand plc has been promoted to vice president and chief accounting officer of the future Trane Technologies, effective at the completion of the Reverse Morris Trust transaction announced in April 2019. Howlett will serve as the company's principal accounting officer and be responsible for strategic leadership and oversight of accounting matters for Trane Technologies. She will report to Christopher Kuehn, chief financial officer of the future Trane Technologies.

16:28 EST Lipocine streamlines infringement lawsuit against Clarus Therapeutics - Lipocine announced that in an effort to streamline the issues and associated costs for dispute in its infringement lawsuit against Clarus Therapeutics in the United States District Court related to the infringement of six Lipocine U.S. Patents by Clarus's JATENZO product, Lipocine has voluntarily dismissed its allegations of patent infringement for expired U.S. Patent Nos. 6,569,463 and 6,923,988. Lipocine continues to vigorously defend its patent rights and maintains its allegations for patent infringement of four U.S. patents - U.S. patent nos. 9,034,858; 9,205,057; 9,480,690; and 9,757,390 - by Clarus's JATENZO product, which has yet to launch.

16:24 EST Scorpio Bulkers president purchases approximately $900,000 in call options - Scorpio Bulkers announced that between January 31 and February 10 the president of the company, Robert Bugbee, purchased call options on 730,000 common shares of the company with a strike price of $3.00 and an expiration of December 2020 for the consideration of approximately $900,000.

16:23 EST Denny's reports Q4 domestic SSS growth of 1.7% - The Q1 growth included an increase of 1.8% at domestic franchised restaurants and an increase of 0.5% at company restaurants.

16:19 EST UDR sees FY20 revenue growth 2.7%-3.7%

16:19 EST Healthpeak completes review of its Same-Store policies - Healthpeak Properties has completed a comprehensive review of, and certain revisions to, its Senior Housing Operating Portfolio Same-Store policies, which includes the following conclusions: "We believe same-store results are a useful performance metric for management to gauge the operating results of our stabilized properties. However, the usefulness in comparing same-store results across peer companies is limited unless the policies used to determine the metric are consistent and transparently disclosed. In order to ensure we are utilizing industry best practices, we completed a comprehensive review of Healthpeak's SHOP SS Policies which is described on the following pages, along with the rationale for those policies. While our policies remain largely unchanged, we will make the following revisions to our SHOP SS Policies effective in 2020.Properties undergoing operator transitions will be removed from same-store results to more closely conform with industry practice and prevent temporary distortions unrelated to property fundamentals. However, if material, we will continue to provide disclosure around future transition properties. Consolidated and unconsolidated JVs will be included at our pro rata share in order to most accurately include the interests in our same-store population. We will disclose management fees separately from operating expenses so investors can better understand the components of SHOPNOI.We have provided pro forma disclosure illustrating the impact that these changes would have had on 2019 SHOP SS results. These changes have no impact on earnings per share, FFO, FFO as Adjusted, or FAD".

16:18 EST Primerica approves $300M in stock buybacks, 18% increase in dividends - Primerica said its board authorized the repurchase of up to $300M of its common stock through June 30, 2021 and approved an 18% increase in stockholder dividends to 40c per share, payable on March 16, to stockholders of record on February 24. The company expects to repurchase $250M of its common stock during 2020. It added, "Primerica has a strong balance sheet and continues to be well-capitalized to meet future needs. Primerica Life Insurance Company's statutory risk-based capital ratio was estimated to be about 440% as of December 31, 2019."

16:18 EST Lyft down 4.5% after reporting Q4 earnings, giving Q1, FY20 guidance

16:16 EST Bed Bath & Beyond reports 5.4% decline in SSS for first two months of Q4 - Bed Bath & Beyond reported preliminary, unaudited financial performance data for the first two months of the fiscal 2019 fourth quarter (December 2019 and January 2020), including a 5.4% decline in comparable sales driven primarily by store traffic declines combined with inventory management issues, and increased promotional activity and markdowns. The company is providing this update today to provide visibility into the current pressures on the business, which the company's new management has been reviewing to ascertain insights and key learnings. Mark Tritton, President and CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond, said, "We are experiencing short-term pain in our efforts to stabilize the business, including the pressures of store traffic trends coupled with our own executional challenges. However, we did achieve a notable positive shift in sales in our digital channels during this period, with growth of approximately 20%. I believe we can solidify this growth, while also addressing the broader stabilization of our business." Tritton added, "We are beginning to make bold and broad-based changes to modernize our business and better serve our customers. Our ability to achieve this and change the trajectory of our current results will take time, as we remaster the fundamentals of merchandising, pricing and promotion, and focus on our digital channels as part of our go-forward strategy."

16:15 EST Ligand buying assets from Icagen for $15M in cash

16:15 EST Ligand to acquire core assets, partnered programs, ion channel tech from Icagen - Ligand Pharmaceuticals announces the signing of an agreement whereby Ligand will acquire the core assets of Icagen, Inc.'s North Carolina operations, including partnered programs, proprietary ion channel screening and assay platforms, x-ray fluorescence capabilities, custom screening technologies and novel unpartnered preclinical-stage molecules for $15 million in cash. Icagen will also be entitled to receive up to an additional $25 million of cash payments based on certain revenue achievements. The acquired assets include Icagen's partnered programs with Roche focused on neurological diseases, and with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation focused on cystic fibrosis. Ligand is also acquiring six Icagen preclinical-stage internal programs targeting diabetes, Parkinson's disease, pain and other disorders. "This is an ideal transaction for Ligand, providing a valuable technology platform with high-value partnerships within a cash-flow positive and profitable business. Icagen has built deep expertise focused on ion channels and transporters to support target identification and evaluation, and has an established track record in ion channel drug discovery from screening to lead optimization," said John Higgins, CEO of Ligand. "We expect these capabilities will be synergistic across multiple technology platforms at Ligand, particularly with Vernalis and in novel OmniAb antibody discovery targeting ion channels and transporters. We are very pleased with how 2020 is starting, and we look forward to delivering more opportunities with investment in our business and further acquisitions." This transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including a vote of Icagen stockholders, and is expected to close in April 2020.

16:09 EST Exact Sciences reports Q4 Cologuard test volume 477,000, up 63%

16:07 EST Aware's Knomi solution selected by leading banks in Latin America - Aware announced that its Knomi solution has been chosen by several of the leading banks in Latin America to enhance the convenience and identity assurance for their mobile apps for tens of millions of customers. By incorporating Aware's Knomi biometric authentication into its mobile app and security infrastructure, their customers will be able to login to their mobile banking app using facial recognition with liveness detection instead of passwords. Knomi is a mobile biometric authentication framework that applies a variety of biometric algorithms to enable more secure and convenient mobile onboarding and password-less authentication experience. Its SDKs and web services work in concert to perform biometric capture, liveness detection, and matching, with face and voice modalities supported.

16:06 EST Western Union increases quarterly dividend 13% to 22.5c per share - CFO Raj Agrawal said, "Our solid underlying performance and focus on efficiency in 2019 generated strong profits and cash flow that enabled us to return over $880 million to shareholders, through dividends and repurchases, while funding our growth strategy. We remain confident in our ability to deliver strong financial performance in 2020 and beyond, and are pleased to announce an increase in our quarterly dividend."

16:03 EST Varex Imaging enters into renewed pricing agreement with Canon Medical Systems - Varex Imaging announced it has entered into a renewed three-year pricing agreement with Canon Medical Systems Corporation effective for calendar years 2020 - 2022. Varex will continue to supply its computed tomography tubes and heat exchangers for integration into Canon Medical Systems' CT imaging systems for the global market. Potential product sales associated with this renewed agreement are estimated to be approximately $385 million over the term of the agreement. Varex also supplies Canon Medical Systems with digital detectors and high voltage connectors through separate agreements.

16:02 EST Akamai says 'well-positioned' to achieve 30% non-GAAP operating margin in FY20 - "We were very pleased with our 2019 performance. Both revenue and earnings exceeded our expectations due to the rapid growth of our cloud security business, robust seasonal traffic on our network and our continued focus on operational excellence," said Dr. Tom Leighton, CEO of Akamai. "As a result, we achieved another year of strong revenue growth and operating margin expansion, and we believe that we are well-positioned to achieve our 30% non-GAAP operating margin goal in 2020, as we continue to invest in innovation and new products to drive future growth."

15:15 EST Stage Stores shares plunge 40% to 69c after report of bankruptcy potential

15:02 EST Sutter Rock Capital announces successful exit of portfolio company Parchment - Sutter Rock Capital announced its successful exit of portfolio company Parchment, Inc. This follows today's earlier announcement by Parchment, Inc. and Credentials Solutions of the completion of the merger, as previously disclosed by Sutter Rock. Parchment, Inc. is a multi-faceted education platform for issuing and receiving academic and professional credentials. "We're pleased to see the culmination of CEO Matthew Pittinsky and the entire Parchment team's successful 17-year journey with the merger of Parchment and Credentials Solutions - two like-minded organizations similarly focused on bringing clarity and transparency to the credentialing industry," said Mark Klein, President and CEO of Sutter Rock. Sutter Rock initially invested in Parchment, Inc.'s Series D financing in October 2012. Sutter Rock's exit of Parchment, Inc. resulted in a realized gain of $6.9M.

14:51 EST U.S. raises Macau travel advisory to 'exercise increased caution' - The U.S. State Department has raised it travel advisory for Macau to "Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution" due to the novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China. The notice states in part: "The Macau government has reported cases of the novel coronavirus in its special administrative region. In an effort to contain the novel coronavirus, the Macau government has placed restrictions on entry to its special administration region on individuals who have been to Hubei Province, China within the previous 14 days and may quarantine those they believe could have been exposed to the coronavirus." Publicly traded companies in the Macau gaming space include Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and Melco Resorts (MLCO).

14:18 EST Carter Bank & Trust announces special one-time cash dividend of 14c per share - Carter Bank & Trust announced the declaration of a special one-time cash dividend of 14c per share. This dividend will be paid on March 3 to shareholders of record as of February 18. The Bank's CEO Litz H. Van Dyke noted in the board making this decision, "We are encouraged by our core earnings over the past several quarters as well as our progress in improving the risk profile of our balance sheet. While we are cognizant that further improvement is needed, the Board of Directors of Carter Bank & Trust recognizes that our recent strategy of capital retention has resulted in capital levels that are well above the well-capitalized levels of federal banking regulatory agencies. In light of these considerations as well as our limited ability to effectively leverage this capital, our Board felt that it was appropriate to return some of our excess capital to our shareholders."

14:06 EST Kindred Group signs online betting agreements with Caesars Entertainment - Kindred Group said it has signed agreements with Caesars Entertainment (CZR) that provide Kindred with market access in Indiana and Iowa, and potentially additional states, to operate both online sports betting and online gaming pending passage of applicable laws and the parties obtaining all necessary gaming licenses. The agreements provide Kindred, under the Unibet brand, immediate access to pursue licensing in Indiana and Iowa over a ten-year period, the company announced in a statement. In Indiana, Kindred will partner with Caesars' Horseshoe Hammond Property, and in Iowa with Harrah's Council Bluffs.

13:39 EST 22nd Century to present MRTP application to FDA advisors on February 14 - 22nd Century Group announced that it will present the company's Modified Risk Tobacco Product, or MRTP, application for its reduced nicotine content cigarettes to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee on Friday, February 14. "This meeting will be the first TPSAC meeting to review a combustible tobacco product application, and the first time it has reviewed a modified exposure claim application. Committee experts from across public health and medicine will hear from 22nd Century Group and the FDA about 22nd Century's MRTP application and will then discuss specific areas of interest to the FDA. The Company's MRTP applications seek a reduced exposure marketing authorization from the FDA to allow 22nd Century's reduced nicotine content cigarettes to be marketed under the brand name 'VLN' with pack and advertising claims stating that the cigarettes contain '95% Less Nicotine' than conventional tobacco cigarettes, as well as related claims," the company said. Mike Zercher, President of 22nd Century Group, added: "The presentation of our MRTP application to the FDA's Scientific Advisory Committee is yet another milestone in the company's mission to make available reduced nicotine content products to adult smokers."

13:06 EST American Airlines extends suspension of flying to and from mainland China - In a travel alert posted to its corporate website, American Airlines stated: "Due to the reduction in demand, American Airlines has extended the suspension of flying to and from mainland China and Hong Kong from our Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX) hubs. Flights between DFW/LAX and the mainland China are suspended through April 24. Flights between DFW and Hong Kong (HKG) are suspended through April 23. Flights between LAX and HKG are suspended through April 24. We will continue to evaluate this schedule and make any adjustments as necessary." Reference Link

13:02 EST Advaxis, Personalis announce research collaboration agreement - Advaxis (ADXS) and Personalis (PSNL) announced a collaboration to leverage Personalis' ImmunoID NeXT Platform in Advaxis' ongoing Phase 1/2 ADXS-503 program evaluating ADXS-503 alone and in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The ADXS-503 construct targets 11 public or shared hotspot neoantigens in KRAS, EGFR and TP53 as well as 11 proprietary tumor-associated antigen targets. Under the terms of the expanded agreement, Personalis will conduct comprehensive tumor immunogenomic profiling to enable the identification of predictive composite biomarkers and/or signatures of response, as well as the broad evaluation of potential mechanisms of therapy resistance. This new agreement builds upon the prior two-year collaboration between Advaxis and Personalis for the genomic analysis of clinical tumor samples to manufacture Advaxis' ADXS-NEO drug construct, its personalized, neoantigen-directed immunotherapy to treat a variety of late stage cancers. As previously published, the ADXS-NEO drug constructs were able to efficiently generate de novo CD8+ T cells versus KRAS and EGFR hotspot mutations in late stage-cancer patients, thus providing proof-of-mechanism for our ADXS-HOT program.

12:41 EST Boeing reports no January orders for first time since 1962 - Boeing reported today that it received no commercial plane orders for the month of January. This is the first time received no orders in January since 1962, Reuters points out. The airplane maker also said it delivered 13 planes to customers last month, down from 46 in December of 2018. Shares of Boeing are down 87c to $343.75 in afternoon trading.

12:05 EST Wells Fargo hires JPMorgan's Weinbach to lead Consumer Lending - Wells Fargo (WFC) announced that Mike Weinbach will join the company as CEO of Consumer Lending in early May, reporting to CEO Charlie Scharf and based in New York. Weinbach will have responsibility for Home Lending, Auto, Credit Cards & Merchant Services, and Personal Loans. Weinbach joins Wells Fargo after 16 years at JPMorgan Chase (JPM), where he was most recently CEO of Chase Home Lending. Until Weinbach joins Wells Fargo, Mary Mack will oversee Consumer Lending on an interim basis in addition to her ongoing role as CEO of Consumer and Small Business Banking.

12:00 EST Under Armour falls -18.5% - Under Armour is down -18.5%, or -$3.78 to $16.67.

12:00 EST Youdao falls -20.4% - Youdao is down -20.4%, or -$6.02 to $23.48.

12:00 EST Ardmore Shipping rises 16.7% - Ardmore Shipping is up 16.7%, or 89c to $6.20.

11:52 EST GoDaddy to acquire Uniregistry's registrar, marketplace and portfolio - GoDaddy announced it is acquiring Uniregistry's leading domain registrar and marketplace businesses. In addition to the registrar and marketplace, GoDaddy is also acquiring Uniregistry's domain portfolio of more than 350,000 names. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close sometime in Q2 2020. The Uniregistry domain registry is not part of the transaction. "Uniregistry is unique in that domain investors built it from the ground up so their products and services have always catered to the domain investor community. This acquisition reinforces GoDaddy's commitment to domain investors. Combining Uniregistry's solutions and incredible knowledge with our platform will help investors succeed and advance future innovations for them. We can't wait to get started," said GoDaddy Vice President Paul Nicks.

11:48 EST Rexahn continues with process to explore and evaluate strategic alternatives - In a regulatory filing last night, Rexahn Pharmaceuticals reported that on February 8 the company entered into an exclusive license agreement with Zhejiang HaiChang Biotechnology Co. In the same filing, Rexahn stated: "Separately, the company announced that it continues with its process to explore and evaluate strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value.

11:47 EST Rexahn Pharmaceuticals reports license agreement with Zhejiang HaiChang - In a regulatory filing last night, Rexahn Pharmaceuticals reported that on February 8 the company entered into an exclusive license agreement with Zhejiang HaiChang Biotechnology Co., a Chinese company. Under the terms of the license agreement, the company granted HaiChang an exclusive, royalty-bearing, sublicensable worldwide license to research, develop and commercialize pharmaceutical products comprising RX-0201, subject to and limited by the exclusive rights of NEXT BT Co. Ltd. with respect to RX-0201 in Asia, the nano-liposomal formulation of RX-0201 known as RX-0301, and RX-0047, a proprietary compound currently in preclinical development. HaiChang has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop, seek regulatory approval for, and commercialize one product comprising RX-0301 and one product comprising RX-0047. HaiChang will pay to the company a one-time upfront payment in the amount of $250,000 for certain materials to be transferred by the company to HaiChang. HaiChang will pay the company development milestone payments in an aggregate of up to $63M with respect to RX-0201 and RX-0301 and up to $33M with respect to RX-0047, and royalties based on percentages of net sales in the low tens with respect to RX-0201 and RX-0301 and the mid-single digits with respect to RX-0047. However, if HaiChang exclusively sublicenses its rights to a third party with respect to RX-0201 and RX-0301 or RX-0047 in a particular jurisdiction, instead of the foregoing milestones and royalties to the extent relating to such compound(s) and jurisdiction, HaiChang will pay the company a percentage of any sublicensing revenue received by HaiChang, provided that in any event HaiChang will pay a milestone payment on initiation of a Phase 3 clinical trial that is subject to reduction by the amount of any sublicensing revenue paid with respect to the applicable compound(s) as of the time of initiation of the trial. In connection with entering into the license agreement, the parties terminated the research collaboration and license agreement, dated as of February 8, 2018, under which HaiChang had previously agreed to develop RX-0301 through completion of a Phase IIa proof-of-concept clinical trial for the treatment of hepatic cell carcinoma in China.

11:46 EST Marker Therapeutics says FDA lifts clinical hold on Phase 2 AML trial - Marker Therapeutics earlier announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has lifted the clinical hold on Marker's planned trial investigating safety and efficacy of its novel MultiTAA T cell therapy in patients with post-transplant acute myeloid leukemia. Marker previously announced on November 12, 2019, that the FDA placed the trial on clinical hold. The FDA requested additional information and technical specifications for two legacy reagents supplied by third parties used in the MultiTAA-specific T cell manufacturing process. The technical specifications and data requested by the FDA could not be produced by the original suppliers. The company identified alternative suppliers, satisfying the Agency's request. Based on data Marker provided, the FDA permitted the company to initiate its AML trial, beginning with a safety lead-in portion. The FDA placed a partial clinical hold on the trial for the use of the MultiTAA-specific T cell product manufactured using one of the reagents supplied by the alternative supplier, until the final data and certificate of analysis for the reagent are reviewed and accepted by the Agency. The safety lead-in portion of the trial is expected to enroll approximately six patients as part of the amended trial design. Three patients will be dosed with MultiTAA-specific T cells manufactured using the legacy reagent, and three patients will be dosed with T cells manufactured using the reagent from the alternative supplier. Marker currently estimates that the alternative supplier will deliver the final reagent, along with the final data and certificate of analysis required by the FDA, by the end of the second quarter of 2020. Marker anticipates to complete enrollment of the first three patients and submission of the final technical specifications and comparability data of the new reagents to the FDA during the second half of 2020, thereby satisfying the requirements for lifting the partial hold on the clinical trial. Given this expected timing, Marker does not currently expect the partial clinical hold to significantly impact site and patient enrollment of the AML trial. The safety lead-in will be followed by the 160-patient randomized portion of the study at approximately 20 transplant centers. Shares of Marker Therapeutics are up 13.7% to $3.06.

11:39 EST FTC issues orders to five large tech companies, to examine past acquisitions - The Federal Trade Commission announced that it has issued Special Orders to five large technology firms, requiring them to provide information about prior acquisitions not reported to the antitrust agencies under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. The orders require Alphabet (GOOGL) - including Google, Amazon.com (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Facebook (FB), and Microsoft (MST) to provide information and documents on the terms, scope, structure, and purpose of transactions that each company consummated between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2019. "The Commission issued these orders under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act, which authorizes the Commission to conduct wide-ranging studies that do not have a specific law enforcement purpose. The orders will help the FTC deepen its understanding of large technology firms' acquisition activity, including how these firms report their transactions to the federal antitrust agencies, and whether large tech companies are making potentially anticompetitive acquisitions of nascent or potential competitors that fall below HSR filing thresholds and therefore do not need to be reported to the antitrust agencies," the FTC said. The Special Orders require each recipient to identify acquisitions that were not reported to the FTC and the U.S. Department of Justice under the HSR Act, and to provide information similar to that requested on the HSR notification and report form. The orders also require companies to provide information and documents on their corporate acquisition strategies, voting and board appointment agreements, agreements to hire key personnel from other companies, and post-employment covenants not to compete. Last, the orders ask for information related to post-acquisition product development and pricing, including whether and how acquired assets were integrated and how acquired data has been treated. FTC Chairman Joe Simons added: "This initiative will enable the Commission to take a closer look at acquisitions in this important sector, and also to evaluate whether the federal agencies are getting adequate notice of transactions that might harm competition. This will help us continue to keep tech markets open and competitive, for the benefit of consumers."

11:05 EST NY AG calls T-Mobile ruling 'a loss for every American,' says reviewing appeal - New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement after a federal court rendered a decision declining to block the merger of T-Mobile (TMUS) and Sprint (S): "Today's decision marks a loss for every American who relies on their cell phone for work, to care for a family member, and to communicate with friends. From the start, this merger has been about massive corporate profits over all else, and despite the companies' false claims, this deal will endanger wireless subscribers where it hurts most: their wallets. There is no doubt that reducing the mobile market from four to three will be bad for consumers, bad for workers, and bad for innovation, which is why the states stepped up and led this lawsuit. We disagree with this decision wholeheartedly, and will continue to fight the kind of consumer-harming megamergers our antitrust laws were designed to prevent. As we review our options, including a possible appeal, Americans should continue to hold the companies to account for their promises. I'd like to thank California Attorney General Becerra and the 12 additional attorneys general from around the nation for their partnership throughout this lawsuit, as well as the talented team of lawyers that put in countless hours fighting for this nation's consumers."

10:43 EST Tower operator stocks surge after T-Mobile, Sprint merger approval - Shares of tower operators American Tower (AMT), Crown Castle (CCI), and SBA Communications (SBAC) are on the rise on Tuesday after T-Mobile (TMUS) and Sprint (S) received a favorable decision in court and said the companies are now taking final steps to complete their merger. T-MOBILE, SPRINT APPROVAL: T-Mobile and Sprint announced that after receiving a favorable decision in Federal Court in New York the companies are now taking final steps to complete their merger to create the "New T-Mobile." In a decision issued this morning, the Court stated that "T-Mobile has redefined itself over the past decade as a maverick that has spurred the two largest players in its industry to make numerous pro-consumer changes. The proposed merger would allow the merged company to continue T-Mobile's undeniably successful business strategy for the foreseeable future," the companies noted. John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, said, "Today was a huge victory for this merger ... and now we are FINALLY able to focus on the last steps to get this merger done! [...] We've said it all along: the New T-Mobile will be a supercharged Un-carrier that is great for consumers and great for competition. The broad and deep 5G network that only our combined companies will be able to bring to life is going to change wireless ... and beyond. Look out Dumb and Dumber and Big Cable - we are coming for you ... and you haven't seen anything yet!" Meanwhile, Sprint Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure said, "Judge Marrero's decision validates our view that this merger is in the best interests of the U.S. economy and American consumers. Today brings us a big step closer to creating a combined company that will provide nationwide 5G, lower costs, and a high-performing network that will invigorate competition to the benefit of all mobile wireless and in-home broadband consumers. With the support of federal regulators and now this Court, we will focus on quickly completing the few remaining necessary steps to close this transaction." TOWER OPERATORS TO BENEFIT: Commenting on the news, KeyBanc analyst Brandon Nispel told investors that he views this as a positive outcome for T-Mobile, but believes this merger is negative for Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T), given the resulting stronger competitor. Nispel also believes the tower operators American Tower, Crown Castle, and SBA Communications are beneficiaries as his tower bull case is beginning to come together. While the towers benefited from wireless capital spending of $25B-$30B annually by the big four over the past few years, Nispel thinks the accelerated build and potential for AT&T and Verizon to accelerate their spending could drive total wireless capital spending close to $35B, which he views as positive for towers. Further, he argued that the accelerated build by New T-Mobile will result in strong demand for new leasing activity for tower operators and ultimately could result in accelerating growth for new leasing in the next one to three years, while churn is back-end weighted. Dish (DISH) should also be able to mitigate any potential churn the towers might experience from Sprint given that, as part of the deal to sell Sprint's prepaid business to Dish, the company has the ability to take over leases from Sprint. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of American Tower have gained almost 5% to $255.79, Crown Castle's stock has advanced about 6% to $161.33, and SBA Communications has jumped 7.5% to $284.58.

10:21 EST Hilton says assuming 6-12 months for coronavirus outbreak, recovery

10:15 EST Hilton: Coronavirus could reduce unit growth by half a percent in 2020

10:13 EST Hilton says coronavirus could impact FY20 RevPAR growth by 100bps -

10:11 EST Hilton: 2020 top line growth to be 'similar to modestly softer' vs. 2019 - Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

10:02 EST Aerojet Rocketdyne names Andreas Wagner as Chief Human Resources Officer - Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJRD) announced that Andreas Wagner will join the company on March 2 as Chief Human Resources Officer. Wagner will report directly to CEO and President Eileen Drake and will serve as one of the officers of parent company Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings. Wagner brings more than 30 years of global human resources and leadership experience in the military and private sector. He most recently served as vice president of Human Resources for the global Aerospace, Defense, and Marine group at TE Connectivity (TEL).

10:00 EST Under Armour falls -16.1% - Under Armour is down -16.1%, or -$3.30 to $17.15.

10:00 EST Ardmore Shipping rises 10.5% - Ardmore Shipping is up 10.5%, or 56c to $5.87.

10:00 EST Sprint rises 74.2% - Sprint is up 74.2%, or $3.56 to $8.36.

09:48 EST Blink Charging says Michael Rama to replace Jonathan New as CFO - Blink Charging announced the appointment of Michael Rama as its new CFO, effective February 10. Rama will succeed Jonathan New, the company's CFO since 2018 and "a key officer following Blink's initial public offering on Nasdaq in February 2018," who will be stepping down in order to pursue other interests, the company said. Rama joins Blink following nearly a decade with NV5 Global, where he served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

09:47 EST Sequans rises 13.2% - Sequans is up 13.2%, or 55c to $4.71.

09:32 EST PAVmed subsidiary granted breakthrough device designation for EsoGuard - PAVmed announced that the company's majority owned subsidiary, Lucid Diagnostics, has received Breakthrough Device designation from the U.S. FDA for its EsoGuard Esophageal DNA Test on esophageal samples collected using its EsoCheck Cell Collection Device in a prevalent well-defined group of patients at elevated risk for esophageal dysplasia due to chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease. "EsoGuard's FDA Breakthrough Device designation represents a major milestone for PAVmed and Lucid," said Lishan Aklog, M.D., PAVmed's Chairman and CEO and Lucid's Executive Chairman. "This designation validates our belief that EsoGuard is a groundbreaking technology that has the potential to have as great an impact on esophageal cancer as widespread Pap screening has had in preventing deaths from cervical cancer. We look forward to working closely with the FDA to advance our EsoGuard in-vitro diagnostic clinical development program at an expedited pace."

09:23 EST 180 Degree Capital says Synacor to combine with Qumu in all-stock transaction - 180 Degree Capital (TURN) announced that its portfolio company, Synacor (SYNC), announced plans to combine with Qumu (QUMU) in an all-stock transaction. The combined company is expected to have over $120M in annual revenue on a pro forma basis. This will include an estimated $70M in software revenue, about 70% of which is recurring, and approximately $50M in revenues from SYNC's portal and advertising business. SYNC stated that this estimate is based upon the mid-point of SYNC's current FY19 guidance adjusted to exclude revenue related to ATT.net as previously disclosed and adding Qumu's preliminary and unaudited FY19 results. SYNC also stated that the deal is expected to be accretive on both an adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EPS basis in the first fiscal year after close with expected annualized operational synergies of $4M-$5M and excluding purchase accounting adjustments. SYNC noted that, upon closing, SYNC stockholders are expected to own approximately 64.4% and Qumu shareholders are expected to own approximately 35.6% of the stock of the combined company. After closing, the combined business will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker (SYNC). SYNC further noted that this transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and is expected to close mid-2020, subject to obtaining required approval from the stockholders of both SYNC and QUMU, and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

09:18 EST VirnetX announces Court denies Apple's petition for panel and en banc rehearing - VirnetX Holding (VHC) announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an order denying Apple's (AAPL) petition for panel and en banc rehearing of the decision issued in Appeal No. 2019-1050. Previously, in the appeal, the Federal Circuit affirmed-in-part and reversed-in-part a judgment issued against Apple by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. In its opinion in this case, the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court's ruling that Apple was precluded from challenging the validity of the asserted patents. Apple, the Court held, had unsuccessfully litigated the same issues in a previous case, and was barred from reprising those challenges. The Federal Circuit also affirmed the jury's finding that Apple's VPN-on-Demand feature infringes U.S. Patent Nos. 6,502,135 and 7,490,151. The Federal Circuit reversed, however, the finding that Apple's FaceTime feature infringes U.S. Patent Nos. 7,418,504 and 7,921,211. The Federal Circuit's opinion remanded the case to the district court for an assessment of whether a new trial was required on damages, given the reversal of the infringement finding as to FaceTime.

09:13 EST Neenah Paper appoints Julie Schertell as CEO - Neenah announced that John P. O'Donnell will retire as CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors effective on May 21, and that the Board of Directors has unanimously elected Julie A. Schertell, Senior Vice President and COO, to succeed him in both roles. Schertell will join Neenah's Board effective immediately. O'Donnell has been CEO since 2011 and joined the Board in November 2010. Schertell joined Neenah in 2008, and had been President of both the Technical Products and the Fine Paper and Packaging businesses before being named COO in December 2019. Prior to coming to Neenah, Schertell worked at Georgia-Pacific Corporation, where she held increasingly responsible leadership positions in Finance, Supply Chain, and Sales and Marketing

09:12 EST Great Western appoints Mark Borrecco as CEO - Great Western Bancorp, the parent company of Great Western Bank, announced that as part of its succession planning, the company's board has appointed Mark Borrecco as the organization's President and CEO effective March 9. The announcement comes after an extensive, nationwide search for the President and CEO role. Mark Borrecco was most recently serving as the CEO of Rabobank, NA, based in Roseville, CA from November 2015 through the sale of Rabobank to Mechancis Bank in 2019.

09:07 EST Elicio and Natera announce collaboration in prospective study of ELI-002 - Elicio Therapeutics and Natera (NTRA) announced their collaboration in a prospective, multicenter Phase 1/2 study of ELI-002, an Amphiphile immuno-oncology therapeutic targeting KRAS mutations in the adjuvant setting for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, or PDAC, who have undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by pancreatectomy. IND submission for the 108-patient trial which will open at 10-12 US sites will be in the first half of 2020. Natera's tumor-informed and personalized ctDNA platform, Signatera, will be used to select eligible patients whose tumors harbor a mutant KRAS allele and are at high risk for relapse because they have detectable molecular residual disease post-surgery. Signatera will also be used to perform serial monitoring to assess the percentage of patients achieving MRD clearance throughout the study.

09:05 EST Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Sprint (S) and T-Mobile (TMUS), up 71% and 10%, respectively, after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York approved the merger of the two companies. Dish (DISH) shares are also up 10% following the merger news. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Hasbro (HAS), up 6%... Omnicom (OMC), up 1%... AutoNation (AN), up 9%... Brighthouse Financial (BHF), up 4%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Under Armour (UAA), down 16%... Goodyear Tire (GT), down 3%... Masco (MAS), down 4%... Chegg (CHGG), down 1%. ALSO LOWER: Moderna (MRNA), down 6% after filing to offer $500M in common stock.

09:02 EST Neenah Paper appoints Julie Schertell as COO - Neenah announced that John P. O'Donnell will retire as CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors effective on May 21, and that the Board of Directors has unanimously elected Julie A. Schertell, Senior Vice President and COO, to succeed him in both roles. Schertell will join Neenah's Board effective immediately. O'Donnell has been CEO since 2011 and joined the Board in November 2010. Schertell joined Neenah in 2008, and had been President of both the Technical Products and the Fine Paper and Packaging businesses before being named COO in December 2019. Prior to coming to Neenah, Schertell worked at Georgia-Pacific Corporation, where she held increasingly responsible leadership positions in Finance, Supply Chain, and Sales and Marketing

09:01 EST T-Mobile to have more than 3500 additional full-time employees in year one - Benefits of the New T-Mobile include: New T-Mobile will be a job creator from Day One. In year one, New T-Mobile will have more than 3,500 additional full-time U.S. employees than the standalone companies would have had, and 11,000 more people by 2024. Additionally, plans to build more than 600 new retail locations and five new customer experience centers will create approximately 12,000 more jobs - many in small towns. America's first transformational nationwide 5G network and services that will supercharge innovation throughout the U.S. economy, connect people throughout the country and help bridge the Digital Divide. With speeds up to 5x faster than current LTE in just a few years and reaching as much as 15x faster by 2024, New T-Mobile's 5G network will change the way consumers think about and use the Internet. Expanding access and bridging the Digital Divide with #5GForAll. The New T-Mobile will challenge a system that is not working for America's consumers, driving competition and innovation that benefits everyone, everywhere. New T-Mobile's plans to deploy a higher quality and more robust network for rural America and to prioritize more vulnerable urban populations will ensure that all Americans have a meaningful chance to thrive in the 5G economy.

09:00 EST Banc of California announces $45M stock repurchase program - Banc of California last night announced that its board has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 6c per share on its outstanding common stock. The dividend will be payable on April 1, to stockholders of record as of March 16. The company also announced that its board has authorized the repurchase of up to $45M of the company's common stock. The repurchase authorization expires in February 2021. "As we continue to enhance our franchise and improve the earnings power of the Company for the long term, we remain committed to a thoughtful capital allocation strategy of optimizing our balance sheet and returning value to our shareholders," said Jared Wolff, CEO. "Our Board of Directors' decision to authorize this share buyback program reflects our continued confidence in the financial strength of the Company, our business and our ability to enhance earnings."

08:57 EST Under Armour sees North American business 'continually challenged' in FY20

08:53 EST Care.com trading halted, news dissemination

08:50 EST Enzo receives New York State approval for its CT/NG/TV tests - Enzo Biochem announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Enzo Clinical Labs, Inc. has received New York State approval for its CT/NG/TV tests using liquid-based cytology sample collection on its proprietary GenFlex platform. GenFlex is a commercially available sample-to-result molecular diagnostic platform that includes sample collection, sample processing, amplification and detection. The GenFlex open system delivers high-throughput, high capacity, workflow efficiency and flexibility at a much greater level of affordability than existing systems. This is the latest successful development in Enzo's strategic plan to provide a cost-effective, comprehensive menu of molecular diagnostic products and services. This significant milestone achievement highlights Enzo's continued ability to deliver high performance, open, flexible, adaptable and cost-effective products, devices and services. Compared favorably to all other proprietary platforms dominating the diagnostic testing market, Enzo's GenFlex platform offers 30-50% cost-savings over current closed systems. GenFlex addresses the $450 million annualized global CT/NG/TV diagnostic market as well as the $1.3 billion Women's health market. Extensions of the Genflex platform, which Enzo is currently developing, could eventually address the entire $7 billion molecular diagnostic market.

08:47 EST Riot Blockchain receives additional 1,060 S17 Pro Antminers from BitmainTech - Riot Blockchain has received an additional 1,060 S17 Pro Antminers from BitmainTech PTE. at the Oklahoma City mining facility. Riot is currently deploying the new S17 Pro generation miners and expects to complete the final installation in the next seven business days. Upon full deployment, Riot estimates the aggregate operating hashrate at the Oklahoma City mining facility, assuming full utilization of the facility's current total 12 megawatt available electric supply to be approximately 248 petahash per second. This would represent an estimated 240% increase over Riot's late 2019 average mining hashrate. Riot anticipates that total deployment of the 4,000 S17 Pro new miners will represent approximately 90% of the Oklahoma City's mining facility's total current power capacity. Riot is aware that public sources have reported that the outbreak of the coronavirus in China has directly affected the Chinese mining industry including manufacturers and mining farms.

08:43 EST Charles River 'closely monitoring' coronavirus situation - Management does not currently anticipate a material impact to FY20 results due to impact of coronavirus. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:40 EST Under Armour CEO says 'I'm not satisfied with where we are today' - Says realization of performance milestones taking longer than expected. Says "several unknowns" related to the coronavirus. Says evaluating each individually to mitigate risks. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:38 EST MGP Ingredients CEO Gus Griffin to retire, David Colo to succeed - MGP Ingredients (MGPI) announced CEO Gus Griffin's plans to retire from the company and its board at the company's annual meeting of stockholders on May 21. The board named David Colo, currently a director of MGP, as president and COO effective March 16 until he assumes the role of CEO upon Griffin's retirement in May. Griffin became CEO in July 2014. Under his leadership, the company developed and implemented a new long-term strategic plan that produced improvements in the company's financial results while also establishing a foundation for future growth. Griffin's retirement timeline is consistent with the fixed term set out in his 2017 employment agreement, which permitted the board to plan for an orderly succession. Colo has served on the MGP Board since 2015 and will remain a director of the company. He has more than 30 years of experience in general management, operations and supply chain management. Colo has served as president and CEO of SunOpta (STKL).

08:33 EST iCAD announces first metastatic brain tumor treated with Xoft Axxent eBx System - iCAD announced the first metastatic brain tumor was treated in the U.S. with intraoperative radiation therapy, or IORT, using the Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy, or eBx, System. This procedure is the start of a clinical trial on IORT for patients with large brain metastases treated with neurological resection with the Xoft System. The Xoft System is also currently being studied for the treatment of other types of brain tumors in institutions worldwide, including the European Medical Center. Positive preliminary clinical data on Xoft IORT for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma, or GBM, was presented at the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies, or EANS. In a matched pair study, 30 patients were treated for recurrent GBM. The IORT group was treated with a single fraction of radiation immediately following surgical resection, without chemotherapy or temozolomide following surgery. The comparison group was treated with routine postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy +/- concomitant or sequential EBRT. Median overall survival, or OS, in group A was 24 months; OS for group B was 21 months. As of September 2019, nine patients were still alive from group A, whereas none of the patients in group B survived. A retrospective analysis published in World Neurosurgery examined the repeat resection and the various methods of IORT for the treatment of malignant brain gliomas, including high-energy linear accelerators and modern, integrated brachytherapy solutions using solid and balloon applicators.

08:29 EST Advanced Emissions issues 10% price increase on activated carbon, coal additives - Advanced Emissions announced a price increase of 10% on all activated carbon products and front end coal additives sold by ADA. This price increase will be effective on all shipments made on or after March 1 or as contracts allow. Mild weather coupled with depressed natural gas pricing has resulted in lower demand of these products in the mercury control market and consequently a higher cost per pound as fixed costs are absorbed by less volume. In addition, costs of key raw materials and continued escalation in freight has resulted in a higher cost per pound to produce and deliver. This price recovery is necessary to preserve the profitability of the business and allow for future investment into the business.

08:17 EST HTG Molecular announces utilization of EdgeSeq Mouse mRNA tumor response panel - HTG Molecular highlighted the HTG EdgeSeq Mouse mRNA tumor response panel as a way to identify endogenous targets of cardiac fibrosis as reported in the September 2019 issue of Nature. In a mouse study, researchers sought to identify the cardiac immune response to fibrosis in mice and provide proof-of-principle for the development of immunotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of cardiac disease. Using the HTG EdgeSeq Mouse mRNA Tumor Response Panel, researchers assessed the expression levels of 1,659 inflammatory and immune genes and found that 22 genes were differentially expressed between normal and CAR T-cell treated mice.

08:16 EST Varian Medical receives FDA 510(k) clearance for Ethos therapy - Varian announced it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Ethos therapy, an Adaptive Intelligence solution. Ethos therapy is an artificial intelligence-driven holistic solution that provides an opportunity to transform cancer care. This new solution is designed to deliver an entire adaptive treatment in a typical 15-minute timeslot, from patient setup through treatment delivery.

08:15 EST ViacomCBS' CBS SPorts, William Hill Sports Book announce partnership - CBS Sports and William Hill, a sports book operator, announced a strategic partnership that makes William Hill the Official Sports Book and Wagering Data Provider across all CBS Sports platforms. The deal will reimagine fan engagement through a unique integration of sports betting, media, product and technology. The partnership will tip off with initial integrations in March on CBS Sports digital platforms, with a full rollout planned for the fantasy football season. CBS Sports will utilize William Hill's odds, experts and more than 140 sports books to bolster its current digital offerings, delivering deeper information and programming produced from William Hill sports books across the country, and further engaging sports bettors and fans, the companies said in a statement. In addition, the partnership includes opportunities to feature William Hill data, odds and markets across CBS television programming. William Hill will receive exclusive rights to promote its brand across CBS Sports' broad range of digital platforms, including through CBS Sports Fantasy, one of the largest fantasy platforms in the world, resulting in highly efficient customer acquisition for the sports betting company. "We're thrilled to launch this momentous partnership, which will allow us to deepen our investment and further extend our leadership in delivering multiplatform sports wagering content, while providing William Hill with unprecedented reach for their market-leading betting platform as they continue to grow their industry-leading U.S. business," said Jeffrey Gerttula, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS Sports Digital. Reference Link

08:13 EST OneMain Holdings sees effective tax rate around 25% in 2020

08:11 EST ArTara Therapeutics announces Blaine Davis as CFO - ArTara Therapeutics (TARA) announced the appointment of Blaine Davis as CFO effective immediately. Davis most recently served as VP, head of investor relations and corporate communications at Nasdaq-listed Insmed (INSM). Davis brings more than 20 years of experience in investor relations, corporate affairs and sales and marketing at life sciences companies focused on rare diseases.

08:10 EST CNS Pharmaceuticals to initiate Phase I clinical trial for Berubicin - CNS Pharmaceuticals announced its plan to initiate a Phase I clinical trial for Berubicin in pediatric brain cancer in Poland in collaboration with WPD Pharmaceuticals, a Polish corporation. The Company, in collaboration with WPD, will conduct the upcoming Phase I clinical trial at Children's Memorial Health Institute, the largest pediatric hospital in Poland. The Company believes this Phase I trial of Berubicin at Children's Memorial represents the first ever investigation of an anthracycline and topoisomerase II inhibitor in pediatric brain tumors. WPD and CNS are currently working with Children's Memorial to complete documentation for the upcoming study and EMA scientific advice meeting.

08:08 EST Soliton files Special 510 Notification with the FDA for its Generation II RAP - Soliton announced that it has filed for Special 510 Premarket Notification with the FDA for its Generation II Rapid Acoustic Pulse, or RAP, device. The Generation II RAP device delivers the same tattoo-removal therapy as the Generation I device, but is slightly modified for improved ease of use in the physician's office. The Generation II RAP device constitutes the underlying technology of the RAP device that will be deployed in the limited U.S. commercial launch planned for mid-year 2020. The Special 510 filing states the device is indicated as an accessory to the 1064 nm Q-Switched laser for tattoo removal on the arms, legs and torso in Fitzpatrick Skin Type I-III individuals.

08:06 EST Sirius XM invests $75M in SoundCloud - SoundCloud and SiriusXM Holdings announced that SiriusXM, has invested $75M in SoundCloud, the world's largest open audio platform. SoundCloud will use this additional investment to accelerate its product development and enhance the services that fuel its global community of creators and listeners. Under the terms of the agreement, SiriusXM has purchased $75M of securities for a minority investment, and the SoundCloud Board of Directors will expand to include two individuals designated by SiriusXM. The Raine Group served as financial advisor to SoundCloud, and Morrison & Foerster as its legal counsel. Allen & Company served as financial advisor to SiriusXM, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP as its legal counsel.

08:04 EST Watts Water sees Q1 sales impact of $10M-$20M from coronavirus outbreak - Watts Water provided an update on the coronavirus outbreak, saying no employees have been infected to date. Production ramp-up likely will slow including supply chain, but is assuming "normal" activities by early March. The company sees an estimated Q1 sales impact of $10M-$20M, with operating margin flat to down slightly vs. last year. Comments taken from slides being presented on the Q1 earnings conference call.

08:04 EST Optibase subsidary to sell retail portfolio en Germany for EUR35M - Optibase announced that its wholly owned European subsidiary, Optibase Bavaria GmbH & Co., had entered into a definitive agreement with an unrelated third party buyer, to sell its retail portfolio in Germany comprised of twenty-seven separate commercial properties, located in Bavaria, Germany, for an aggregate cash consideration of EUR35M, or approximately $38.9M. The closing of the transaction is subject, among other things, to customary conditions, including the waiver of a right of first refusal by the main tenant; and the waiver by the local municipalities of their right of first refusal on each of the properties. The exercise of the right of first refusal in regard to certain properties, will not affect the closing of the transaction with respect to the other properties. The closing will be conducted in tranches with respect to certain groups of properties and is expected to occur over the course of Q1 and Q2. Optibase expects to generate capital gains, net of expenses, from the above transaction of approximately EUR 6M, or approximately $6.7M.

07:51 EST Goodyear Tire down 5% to $12.50 after Q4 results miss estimates

07:48 EST Goodyear Tire reports Q4 tire unit volumes 39.6M, down 2% y/y - Tire unit volumes totaled 39.6M, down 2% from 2018. Original equipment unit volume decreased 10%, driven by lower global vehicle production. Replacement tire shipments increased slightly.

07:36 EST Parsons selected by Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific - Parsons has been selected by Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, or NIWC Pacific, as one of nine awardees for a potential $249M indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract to provide life cycle services for software and hardware of new and existing command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or C4ISR, systems and networks. This two-year contract includes two additional three-year option periods. The contract includes support for project management, administration, drafting, technical integration, testing, maintenance, engineering, logistics, facilities and security for software and hardware in new and existing C4ISR systems. Work will be performed in domestic and international locations based on requirements for each task order.

07:34 EST Dominion sets new goal of net zero emissions by 2050 - Dominion Energy announced a significant expansion of the company's greenhouse gas emissions-reduction goals, establishing a new commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The goal covers carbon dioxide and methane emissions, the dominant greenhouse gases, from our electricity generation and gas infrastructure operations. The strengthened commitment builds on the company's strong history of environmental stewardship, while acknowledging the need to further reduce emissions consistent with the findings of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It is also a recognition of the increased expectations and interest, among customers as well as employees, in building a clean energy future. Under the strengthened emissions framework, the company will focus not only on driving toward the 2050 goal, but on achieving near-term progress, particularly on methane, which is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon. Under the net zero framework, the company is committing to decrease methane emissions by 65% by 2030 and 80% by 2040, from 2010 levels. Furthermore, the company has committed to invest in carbon-beneficial renewable natural gas projects that will capture an amount of methane from U.S. farms at least equivalent to any remaining methane and carbon dioxide emissions from the company's natural gas operations, making Dominion's gas infrastructure area net zero 10 years before the overall company.

07:22 EST CareDx announces patent rights upheld in Delaware court - CareDx (CDNA) announced that on Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware recommended the denial of Natera (NTRA) and Eurofins Viracor's motions to dismiss CareDx's patent infringement complaints against them. CareDx alleges that both Natera's and Viracor's organ transplant products infringe CareDx's patent rights. Natera and Viracor argued to the court that those patents are invalid because they allegedly cover ineligible subject matter. The court rejected their attack on the patents, explaining that the patents state that the invention is a "new, more accurate and useful analytic method" to help determine if a transplanted organ is rejected. The Court stated that the patents do not merely claim as the invention an unprotectable natural law.

07:20 EST Synacor, Qumu to combine in all-stock transaction - Synacor (SYNC) and Qumu (QUMU) announced plans to combine in an all-stock transaction. Strategic Collaboration product fit that brings together Qumu's Enterprise Video platform with Synacor's Cloud ID Identity & Access Management platform, and the Zimbra Email & Collaboration platform. Improves operating scale and strengthens global presence with the combined business expected to generate more than $120 million in annual revenue on a pro-forma basis with an estimated $70 million of software & services segment revenue, $50 million of which would be recurring, and about $50 million in continuing portal & advertising segment revenue. $4 - $5 million in annualized operating synergies expected in the first fiscal year following closing that include overlapping public company costs and various operating expenses. Accelerates Qumu's go-to-market strategy via Synacor's 1900+ Channel-Partners and strengthens cross selling opportunities. Qumu's Global 2000 and Fortune 500-heavy customer base, including the world's largest companies and most valuable brands, complementing Synacor's base of more than 4,000 Business, Government, Service Provider, Content Provider, and Publisher customers. The merger, which is expected to close in mid-2020, creates a global SaaS-based collaboration software-focused business with significant operational synergies and cross selling opportunities. The transaction is structured as an all-stock deal. Under the terms of the merger agreement, each share of Qumu common stock issued and outstanding as of the effective date of the merger will be converted into approximately 1.61 shares of Synacor common stock. After closing, Synacor common stock, including the shares issued in the merger, will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker "SYNC". Upon closing, Synacor stockholders are expected to own approximately 64.4% and Qumu shareholders are expected to own approximately 35.6% of the stock of the combined company. Post close, Himesh Bhise will continue as Chief Executive Officer and Tim Heasley as CFO of Synacor. Vern Hanzlik, the CEO of Qumu, will join Synacor as Chief Revenue Officer, Software & Services. The Board of Directors of the combined company will consist of seven directors - three directors to be appointed by Synacor, two directors to be appointed by Qumu and Synacor CEO Himesh Bhise. The reconstituted board will conduct a search to identify a new, seventh independent director with software and SaaS experience who is anticipated to serve as Chairperson of the combined company. This transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of both companies and is expected to close mid-2020, subject to obtaining required approval from the stockholders of both Synacor and Qumu, and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

07:16 EST Myriad Genetics submits sPMA application to FDA for myChoice CDx test - Myriad Genetics (MYGN) announced that it has submitted a supplementary premarket approval, or sPMA, application to the FDA for its myChoice CDx test to help identify women with advanced ovarian cancer who are potential candidates for maintenance therapy with Lynparza in combination with bevacizumab. Myriad's filing is based on the results from the Phase 3 PAOLA-1 trial of Lynparza that was published online in the New England Journal of Medicine in December 2019. Lynparza is marketed by AstraZeneca (AZN) and Merck (MRK).

07:12 EST Karyopharm enters Xpovio distribution agreement in Israel, Palestinian Authority - Karyopharm announced their entry into an exclusive distribution agreement for the commercialization of Xpovio, Karyopharm's lead SINE compound, in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Under the terms of the agreement, Karyopharm will receive certain prespecified payments and is eligible to receive additional payments if prespecified regulatory and commercial milestones are achieved by Promedico, a fully-owned Neopharm company. Karyopharm is also eligible to receive double-digit royalties on future net sales of Xpovio in the covered territory. In exchange, Promedico will receive exclusive rights to commercialize Xpovio in the covered territory and is responsible for all regulatory filings and obligations required for registering Xpovio. Karyopharm has retained exclusive production rights and will supply finished product for commercial use in the covered territory.

07:11 EST Zomedica files U.S. patent application for fecal parasite detection - Zomedica announced that the company has filed a U.S. patent application covering compositions and methods for five fecal parasite detection assays for detecting parasitic infections in cats and dogs designed for use with its ZM-020 pathogen detection device. The patent application details optimal fecal sample amounts for parasite infection detection. In early 2019 Zomedica previously submitted a U.S. provisional patent application covering compositions and methods for detecting urinary tract infections designed for use with its ZM-020 pathogen detection platform to detect urinary tract infections in dogs and cats. The initial library of pathogens for urine samples is focused on the identification of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas bacteria species and three types of crystals and white blood cells. The initial library of pathogens for fecal samples is focused on the identification of hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, coccidia and giardia. The assays are intended to be used with the ZM-020 pathogen detection device which is a miniaturized Raman spectroscopy platform capable of broad-based pathogen identification in minutes. The technology used in the ZM-020 device, which is currently being developed by Seraph Biosciences, has the potential to achieve reference lab sensitivity/specificity in-clinic during the point-of-care experience, which could result in better pet outcomes and faster recovery. The ZM-020 diagnostic platform requires a small fecal sample preparation. Additionally, the platform has automated analysis and does not require specialized staff training. Assuming development work is successfully completed Zomedica expects the commercial launch of the ZM-020 fecal test to occur by 2022 and urine tests by 2023. Zomedica is strategically committed to a singular commercial focus of its endocrine diagnostic platform, TRUFORMA through 2021.

07:08 EST Charles River up 1.5% after reporting Q4 results

07:02 EST Under Armour down 15% after reporting Q4 results, providing FY20 guidance

06:57 EST Louisiana-Pacific sees FY20 CapEx $130M-$140M - Expects SmartSide Strand sales growth to be approximately 10-%12% for 2020.

06:56 EST AutoNation reports Q4 same-store revenue $5.5B - Same store Q4 gross profit totaled $886M, an increase of 7% compared to the year-ago period, driven by growth in all business sectors - new vehicles, used vehicles, customer care, and customer financial services. Same store Used Vehicle gross profit was $88M, an increase of 21% compared to the year-ago period.

06:55 EST Consol Energy sees FY20 coal sales volume 24.5M-26.5M tons

06:51 EST Comstock Mining updated on MCU and SSOF - Comstock Mining provided updates on key components of the Company's strategic objectives, including updates on its strategic investees, Mercury Clean Up, or MCU, and Sierra Springs Opportunity Fund, or SSOF. During 2019, the Comstock Board of Directors approved a transformational strategy focused on high-value, cash-generating, precious metal-based activities. On February 7 MCU signed a definitive joint venture agreement with Clean Ore Solutions OPC, to partner and lead in a major mercury remediation project located in the Philippines. The joint venture will be named Clean Mineral Recovery Technologies, or CMRT, and be between COS, 60%, and MCU, 40%, with the goal of removing mercury in accordance with government sponsored mercury remediation plans. Comstock and MCU have also secured the necessary Nevada permits and approvals and are beginning to mobilize equipment to commence sampling this week. The sequipment is also scheduled to begin arriving on site this week. SSOF was formed to capitalize on the extraordinary, explosive growth of high-tech industries in northern Nevada, and its qualified opportunity zones. During 2019, SSOF raised over $11M and acquired Silver Springs Regional Airport and an adjacent, 180,000 plus square foot manufacturing complex, both as qualifying opportunity zone businesses. The Company has definitive agreements to sell its two properties in Silver Springs, and over 200 acre-feet of senior water rights for just over $10M and has received an additional $100,000 deposit toward the purchase of these properties. The closing dates for these sales is February 28. The Company has reduced its debenture down to approximately $4.8M, and upon completion of the non-mining asset sales, the Company's remaining debt will be eliminated, plus initial funding for the Company's growth.

06:46 EST US Foods reports Q4 total case volume increased 12.3% - In Q4: Total case volume increased 12.3%; independent restaurant case volume increased 11.9%. Total organic case volume increased 0.4%; independent restaurant organic case volume increased 2.9%.

06:41 EST Daimler AG sees FY20 group unit sales slightly below prior-year level

06:35 EST AIM ImmunoTech files 3 pivotal patent applications surrounding Ampligen - AIM ImmunoTech announced the filing of three provisional patent applications related to its drug candidate Ampligen in the company's efforts toward joining the global health community in the fight against the deadly Wuhan coronavirus that has so far infected approximately 40,000 people and killed almost one thousand, primarily in China. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, including the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. After a 2002 SARS outbreak in the Guangdong province of southern China caused more than 8,000 cases and more than 800 deaths, the United States' National Institutes of Health contracted studies to evaluate potential treatments for SARS. Ampligen achieved a 100% survival rate - as compared to 100% mortality - at clinically achievable human dosage levels in animal experiments. The SARS virus is very similar in key RNA sequences to the Wuhan coronavirus, and the company expects Ampligen to be similarly effective with the Wuhan coronavirus. AIM believes that Ampligen has the potential to be both an early-onset treatment for and prophylaxis against the Wuhan coronavirus, which originated in China before quickly spreading to other countries. The company's three provisional patent applications include: Ampligen as a therapy for the Wuhan coronavirus; Ampligen as part of a proposed intranasal universal coronavirus vaccine that combines Ampligen with inactivated Wuhan coronavirus, conveying immunity and cross-protection and; a high-volume manufacturing process for Ampligen. Under the Patent Cooperation Treaty of 1970, which provides international protections for patents, the three provisional patent applications can convert to international patent applications based on the date of their filings. Alternatively, direct national filings in many countries are possible under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of 1883 - an international agreement. China, the epicenter of the epidemic, is a signatory of both the treaty and the agreement.

06:34 EST Hasbro says Q4, FY19 results do not included results of eOne acquisition - In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, Hasbro completed the acquisition of eOne. Hasbro's financial results for fourth quarter and full-year 2019 do not include the results of eOne, but were impacted by eOne acquisition financing, foreign exchange hedges and other activities.

06:32 EST Hasbro CEO says 'delivered a good year and achieved key objectives' - "The global Hasbro team delivered a good year and achieved key objectives we set for 2019. We profitably grew revenues across regions absent foreign exchange supported by the successful execution of our channel strategy; we delivered growth in MAGIC: THE GATHERING driven by the successful launch of Arena and we executed at a high level during the holiday season," said Brian Goldner, Hasbro's chairman and CEO. "Our acquisition of Entertainment One accelerates our Brand Blueprint strategy and significantly expands our expertise and capabilities as a global play and entertainment company. Our teams are actively engaged to unlock value across our organization - in gaming, in toys, in consumer products and in entertainment." "Our teams worked extremely hard and executed at a high level this holiday, driving fourth quarter and full-year revenue and profit growth while also diversifying our supply chain and preparing to close a major acquisition," said Deborah Thomas, Hasbro's CFO. "We are strongly positioned to continue investing in long-term drivers of the business, including brand innovation, gaming and entertainment, as we also focus on returning to our stated gross Debt to EBITDA target of 2.0 to 2.5X over the next 3 to 4 years."

06:32 EST InfuSystem Holdings enters into agreement to add NPWT to its Therapy Service - InfuSystem Holdings announced that it has entered into an agreement whereby it will add Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, or NPWT, to its Integrated Therapy Service, or ITS, platform. As part of the new relationship, InfuSystem's turnkey solutions will include providing the durable medical equipment, overseeing logistics, biomedical services, and managing third-party billing.

06:14 EST Hilton sees Q1 adjusted EBITDA $520M-$540M - Management and franchise fee revenue is projected to increase between 3%-5% compared to the first quarter of 2019.

06:13 EST BrainStorm holds meeting with FDA to discuss approval in ALS of NurOwn - BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics announced that the Company recently held a high level meeting with the FDA to discuss potential NurOwn regulatory pathways for approval in ALS. Repeated intrathecal administration of NurOwn is currently being evaluated in a fully enrolled Phase 3 pivotal trial in ALS. In the planned meeting with senior Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) leadership and several leading U.S. ALS experts, the FDA confirmed that the fully enrolled Phase 3 ALS trial is collecting relevant data critical to the assessment of NurOwn efficacy. The FDA indicated that they will look at the "totality of the evidence" in the expected Phase 3 clinical trial data. Furthermore, based on their detailed data assessment, they are committed to work collaboratively with BrainStorm to identify a regulatory pathway forward, including opportunities to expedite statistical review of data from the Phase 3 trial. Both the FDA and BrainStorm acknowledged the urgent unmet need and the shared goal of moving much needed therapies for ALS forward as quickly as possible.

06:05 EST Hilton CEO says 'we carry positive momentum into 2020' - Christopher Nassetta, President & CEO of Hilton, said, "We delivered strong bottom-line results for the fourth quarter and full year. Adjusted EBITDA and diluted EPS, adjusted for special items, exceeded the high end of our guidance as a result of our resilient business model and strong net unit growth. We carry positive momentum into 2020 with expectations of continued strong net unit growth. We are also thrilled with the introduction of Tempo by Hilton, our new lifestyle brand that will provide another platform for growth in the future."

06:04 EST Hilton reports Q4 system-wide comparable RevPAR decreased 1% - System-wide comparable RevPAR decreased 1% and increased 0.8% on a currency neutral basis for the fourth quarter and full year, respectively, from the same periods in 2018.

05:55 EST Deutsche Telekom says T-Mobile, Sprint decision expected today - Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY) said in a statement that a U.S. Court is expected to publish decision on T-Mobile (TMUS) / Sprint (S) merger today. "The US District Court for the Southern District of New York has informed the involved parties that the judge in charge, Judge Victor Marrero, intends to publish his decision on the intended merger of T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp. today. We remain confident that the judge will decide in favor of the transaction," the company said.