Stockwinners Market Radar for February 12, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:03 EST Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Atomera (ATOM) up 8.9%... EuroDry (EDRY) up 8.7%... Redfin (RDFN) up 6.6%... Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP) up 5.6%... Antero Resources (AR) up 4.5%... TripAdvisor (TRIP) up 4.1%... Copa Holdings (CPA) up 4.0%... Applied Materials (AMAT) up 2.9%... ASGN Inc (ASGN) up 2.1%... CF Industries (CF) up 1.9%... Kinross Gold (KGC) up 1.8%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Akerna (KERN) down 15.0%... Nu Skin (NUS) down 14.3%... NetApp (NTAP) down 11.3%... TechTarget (TTGT) down 11.0%... SunPower (SPWR) down 7.7%... Laredo Petroleum (LPI) down 5.7%... Rush Enterprises (RUSHA) down 5.3%... CenturyLink (CTL) down 4.4%... Cisco (CSCO) down 4.1%... MGM Resorts (MGM) down 3.2%... Avalara (AVLR) down 2.9%... Marathon Oil (MRO) down 2.9%... Altice (ATUS) down 2.4%... Change Healthcare (CHNG) down 2.1%... Quotient Technology (QUOT) down 1.4%... Cadence Design (CDNS) down 1.2%... Equinix (EQIX) down 1.1%. ALSO LOWER: Turtle Beach (HEAR) down 7.4% after pre-announcing Q4 results... Tesla (TSLA) down 2.0% after reported recall of 15K Model X cars. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:26 EST Shopify COO: We like being the brand behind the brand - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Shopify COO Harley Finkelstein said, "Brick and mortar retail is not dead. It will always be important." Finkelstein noted that International growth is going to be a major part of the company's plans for 2020. He said that they are actually saying no to some large brands, preferring to work with smaller companies. He finished by saying, "We believe the Shopify economy is bigger than Shopify itself."

18:07 EST NorthWestern increases quarterly dividend 4.3% to 60c per share - NorthWestern declared a quarterly common stock dividend of 60c per share - a 4.3% increase - payable March 31 to common shareholders of record as of March 13.

17:25 EST Cisco down about 4% to $48.05 after weak Q3 revenue guidance

17:17 EST Equifax reports Q4 adjusted EBITDA margin 35.2% vs. 33.2% last year

17:10 EST MGM Resorts to launch modified Dutch tender offer to purchase $1.25B in stock - MGM Resorts to launch a modified Dutch auction tender offer to purchase up to $1.25B of common stock tomorrow at a range between $29 and $34 per share.

17:06 EST MGM Resorts withdrawing FY20 financial targets - The company states: "MGM Resorts expects several headwinds in calendar year 2020, certain of which the Company believes are unpredictable within an appropriate range of accuracy. As a result of the increased volatility in our business due to coronavirus as well as the market-wide weakness in Far East baccarat in Las Vegas, MGM Resorts believes it is appropriate to withdraw its fiscal 2020 full year financial targets. Our Macau casinos are currently closed. "We have made significant changes as a company since 2018, when we announced our financial targets. We have advanced our transition to a more asset light business model and are successfully continuing to execute on our MGM 2020 plan," said Corey Sanders, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of MGM Resorts. "While we are encouraged with the long-term outlook in most of our key segments, and are especially pleased with our underlying domestic business performance, we believe it is appropriate to withdraw our 2020 financial targets. Notwithstanding this decision, we are committed to growing free cash flow and Adjusted EBITDAR, moderating our capital expenditures and reducing the number of shares outstanding. The repurchase announced today is evidence of our continued confidence in our overall business and strategy, and we continue to believe in the value potential of MGM Resorts as we navigate the current environment."

17:05 EST Manulife Financial raises quarterly dividend 12% to C$0.28 per share - Manulife's board of directors announced an increase of 12% or C$0.03 per share to its quarterly common shareholders' dividend resulting in a dividend of C$0.28 per share on the common shares of Manulife, payable on and after March 19, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 25, 2020. In respect of the Company's Canadian Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan and its U.S. Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan, the Company will purchase common shares on the open market in connection with the reinvestment of dividends and optional cash purchases under these plans commencing with the March 19, 2020 dividend. The purchase price of these common shares will be based on the average of the actual cost to purchase them and there are no applicable discounts. This is a change from the quarterly common shareholders' dividend payments made from December 19, 2018 to December 19, 2019, when the Company issued common shares from treasury in connection with the plans, with a two per cent (2%) discount from the market price, as determined pursuant to the applicable plan, for reinvested dividends.

17:03 EST MGM Resorts CEO says Q4 results below expectations on Far East weakness - CEO Jim Murren states: "We are proud of the progress we made during 2019 as we took important steps to evolve our organization. However, our Q4 results were below our expectations, primarily due to lower than expected hold, weakness in Far East baccarat, and certain one-time items. All other dimensions of our business in Las Vegas performed on or ahead of plan. For FY19, we generated strong consolidated net revenue and Adjusted EBITDAR, which increased 10% and 6%, respectively, year over year. We are also executing on our stated MGM 2020 plan, which is realizing material cost savings and revenue enhancements and transforming the way we operate to position MGM Resorts for future growth and long-term value creation. Finally, we were pleased to return more than $1.3 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and buybacks in 2019. During the year, our team made meaningful strides in implementing our asset-light strategy to optimize our portfolio, strengthen our balance sheet and enhance free cash flow. This strategy is best positioning MGM Resorts for the future by providing the flexibility to invest in higher return growth opportunities. Following the monetization of the real estate of Bellagio and the sale of Circus Circus Las Vegas, we continued our momentum into the first quarter of 2020 with our announcement to monetize the real estate of MGM Grand Las Vegas. Our previously announced transactions are expected to provide total net cash proceeds to MGM Resorts of $8.2 billion, a portion of which we used to retire $3.1 billion of debt in the fourth quarter. We remain committed to reducing our net domestic financial leverage, excluding MGP, to approximately 1 time by year end 2020. We will have one of the strongest balance sheets in our industry and also the strongest in our recent history. Furthermore, with the expected launch of a modified Dutch auction tender offer tomorrow, we expect to continue to return value to shareholders on an efficient and expedited basis. Looking ahead, we remain focused on monetizing our remaining owned real estate assets, which we expect will allow us to invest into high growth initiatives such as Japan and sports, as well as continue to further fortify our balance sheet and return capital to shareholders."

17:00 EST MGM Resorts announces new $3B share repurchase program

16:49 EST Kingold Jewelry expects reporting delay due to Coronavirus outbreak - Kingold Jewelry provided an update on the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on its business and operation. Headquartered in Wuhan, China, Kingold is in the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak. The entire city of Wuhan has been locked down by the central government of China since January 23. The company has been temporarily closed and its jewelry production operations have been halted since January 12. All company personnel have been required to stay at home until further notice. In the short term, the company expects the situation to have a material impact on its operations in Q1. The impact of the Coronavirus on the company's operation and financial results for 2020 remains to be seen. The company's financial statements preparation and auditing process have been delayed due to government imposed quarantines, office closings and travel restrictions. It is impossible to predict when the 2019 year-end procedures can resume or be completed at this time.

16:45 EST Antero Resources sees 2020 average net production up 9% to 3,500 MMcfe/d - Antero Resources declared a drilling and completion capital budget of $1.15B, down 10% from 2019. Natural gas production guidance is 94% hedged at $2.87/MMBtu. Estimated oil and oil-equivalent production of 26,000 Bbl/d (pentanes are hedged to WTI) is 100% hedged in 2020 at $55.63/Bbl. CEO Paul Rady commented, "Our 2020 capital budget highlights the direct benefit from our well cost savings initiatives that we launched in 2019. In simple terms, we have reduced our total well cost per foot from $970 in the initial 2019 budget to a target of $795 to $825 per for 2020. The result is a 10% reduction in drilling and completion capital and a 28% reduction in lease operating expense as compared to 2019, while delivering production growth of 9%. This level of production in turn should trigger $75 million in previously announced gathering, processing and transportation expense savings in 2020 and paves the way for up to $350 million in total savings between 2020 and 2023. Additionally, by growing into our unutilized firm transportation commitments we reduce our cost structure by another $200 million by 2022."

16:43 EST Marathon Oil sees FY20 total capital budget of $2.4B, down 11% from 2019 - Sees 2020 annual U.S. oil production growth of 6% at the midpoint of guidance; Sees comparable growth in 2021 on comparable development capital.

16:39 EST Manning & Napier reports preliminary AUM $19.4B as of January 31 - Compared with $19.5B at December 31, 2019.

16:37 EST Penske Automotive raises quarterly dividend to 42c from 41c per share - The dividend is payable on March 3, 2020, to shareholders of record on February 24, 2020.

16:34 EST Piedmont Office Realty completes leadership transition plan - Piedmont Office Realty Trust announced that it has successfully completed the Company's leadership transition plan and that its former Chief Executive Officer, Donald A. Miller, CFA, has now stepped down from its Board of Directors after the Company announced last week annual results for 2019. The move is the culmination of the Company's succession planning efforts as a result of Mr. Miller's June 2019 retirement whereby C. Brent Smith was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Miller had agreed to remain a member of the Board of Directors for a short period to complete an effective transition. "As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Piedmont's initial public offering this week, I find it a very fitting occasion to reflect on how rewarding the last decade at Piedmont has been," commented Mr. Miller. "Recycling approximately $2.2 billion into assets over the last ten years, we have executed a consistent strategy focused on aggregating high-quality assets in a targeted group of highly-amenitized markets; a strategy that the investment community obviously appreciates based on our top-quartile stock performance over the last three years relative to our peer group. I couldn't be more proud of the job that Brent and the rest of the Piedmont team have done during my tenure and over the last seven months since my retirement. I am very excited to follow, now as an investor, the next chapter of Piedmont's success," said Mr. Miller.

16:33 EST Argo Group says Q4 results will be affected by loss, expense items - Argo Group announced that its results for Q4 will be adversely affected by certain loss and expense items. Key items affecting the fourth quarter include: Prior accident year losses of approximately $77M or 18 points on Argo's consolidated loss ratio for the Q4. Reserve increases were related to the company's London, Bermuda Insurance and European business units within Argo's International Operations, as well as property, professional and liability lines within Argo's U.S. Operations. Prior accident year losses in both segments were the result of new information received in the quarter relating to claims trends across various lines of business, as well as a continued review of International business currently in run-off. Prior year losses also include the conclusion of Argo's annual review of run-off reserves, which resulted in a $10M reserve increase. Current accident year losses of approximately $30M, or an additional six points when compared to Q3 year-to-date current accident year loss ratio of 59%. The adjustment reflects a change in actuarial estimates based on a more uncertain claims environment and the recalibration of the current year based on prior accident year loss adjustments. Catastrophe losses and related reinstatement premiums of approximately $3M, or 0.5 points on Argo's consolidated loss ratio for Q4. Catastrophe losses were primarily related to Typhoon Hagibis and were partially offset by a modest reduction to estimated losses for prior quarter events. Additional operating expenses of approximately $12M or 2.9 points related to costs associated with a reduction in workforce, an allowance for doubtful accounts related to our European business unit, and adjustments to underwriting expenses based on certain costs previously allocated to investment functions and trade capital providers. Based on these items discussed above, Argo expects to report an underwriting loss of approximately $114M for the quarter. Additionally, several non-operating charges will be reflected in fourth quarter results: As part of an ongoing strategic review and recent operating results, a goodwill impairment of approximately $16M related to Argo's European business unit. Expenses of approximately $18M related to losses and impairments on certain long-lived assets that are held for sale, primarily a corporate aircraft and real estate properties; the cancellation of contracts related to certain sponsorships and marketing services; and to severance costs associated with separation from Argo's former CEO. Other corporate expenses of approximately $8M, which primarily resulted from costs related to the previously announced independent directors' review of certain governance and compensation matters and Argo's cooperation agreement with Voce Capital.

16:32 EST Elanco agrees to divest European and UK rights for Drontal and Profender - Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) announced it has signed an agreement to divest the European Economic Area and UK rights to the Drontal and Profender product families from Bayer AG's (BAYRY) animal health business, to Vetoquinol SA, a French pharmaceutical company, for $140M in an all-cash deal subject to customary post-closing adjustments. Drontal and Profender are both de-wormers for dogs and cats. Divesting the rights to Drontal and Profender in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom further advances Elanco's efforts to gain European Commission clearance for the previously announced acquisition of Bayer AG's global animal health business. The closing of the transaction with Vetoquinol is contingent on Elanco closing its transaction with Bayer, as well as other customary closing conditions.

16:27 EST Aveo announces publication of tivozanib study in British Journal of Cancer - AVEO Oncology announced the publication of results from a monotherapy trial of tivozanib, the Company's vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGFR-TKI), in patients with advanced, inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the British Journal of Cancer. The article, titled "A multicentre phase 1b/2 study of tivozanib in patients with advanced inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma," is available online. For the Phase 1b/2 tivozanib study, a total of 27 patients were enrolled. The study sought to evaluate the safety, dosing, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of tivozanib in patients with advanced HCC. The recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) was determined to be 1.0mg once daily for 21 days followed by 7 days off treatment on a 28-day cycle. Median progression free and overall survival were 24 weeks and 9 months, respectively, for patients treated at the RP2D, with an overall response rate of 21%. A significant decrease in soluble plasma VEGFR-2 was also observed, suggesting adequate target engagement. "HCC represents the fastest rising cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., with five-year survival at approximately 26%," said Michael Bailey, president and chief executive officer. "This study is an important steppingstone in understanding tivozanib's safety and efficacy in HCC, and was the foundation for our ongoing Phase 1b/2 DEDUCTIVE study of tivozanib in combination with IMFINZI(R) (durvalumab). As we work toward our expected filing of a New Drug Application with the FDA this quarter for tivozanib in kidney cancer, we look forward to expanding our tivozanib-immunotherapy clinical strategy as part of our effort to maximize its long-term potential."

16:22 EST Annaly Capital to internalize management - Annaly Capital announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Annaly will acquire its external manager, Annaly Management Company LLC, and transition from an externally-managed REIT to an internally-managed REIT. The Internalization was negotiated and unanimously recommended by a special committee of Annaly's Board of Directors comprised entirely of independent directors and unanimously approved by the independent members of the full Board. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company will acquire the equity interests of the Manager and its affiliates, all of which are owned by members of Annaly's senior management team, for a nominal cash purchase price ($1.00) and acquire all assets and liabilities of the Manager, which are expected to be immaterial.

16:22 EST HNI Corporation names Jeff Lorenger chairman of its board - HNI Corporation announced the election of Jeff Lorenger as Chairman of its Board of Directors effective immediately. Mr. Lorenger has served as President since April 2018 and Chief Executive Officer since June 2018. Mr. Lorenger joined HNI Corporation in 1998 and held multiple executive level positions prior to his election as President and Chief Executive Officer. The Board also appointed Larry Porcellato as its Lead Director. Mr. Porcellato served as Chairman of the Board from January 2019 and prior to that as Lead Director. Mr. Porcellato has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2004. In his added capacity as Lead Director, Mr. Porcellato will preside at executive sessions of the Board and serve as liaison between the independent directors and the Chairman.

16:18 EST Hepion's CRV431 trial advances to third dose level - Hepion Pharmaceuticals announced the advancement to the third dose level in its ongoing clinical trial of CRV431, a Phase 1 multiple ascending dose study. The open-label MAD study is designed to assess safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CRV431, administered orally to healthy volunteers, once daily for 28 days. The study is examining doses of 75 mg, 150 mg, 225 mg and 300 mg, or higher in anticipation of progressing to a Phase 2 program. The Clinical Trial Management team has reviewed the 150 mg cohort data and determined this dosing level to be safe and well tolerated, authorizing advancement to the next dosing level of 225 mg daily for 28 days.

16:17 EST CenturyLink sees FY20 adjusted EBITDA $9B-$9.2B - "In 2019, we met all of our key financial outlook measures, highlighted by Adjusted EBITDA growth and margin expansion," said Neel Dev, CenturyLink's executive vice president and CFO. "Our investments and initiatives position us well for 2020, and we expect full year Adjusted EBITDA of $9.0 to $9.2 billion, Capital Expenditures of $3.6 to $3.9 billion and Free Cash Flow of $3.1 to $3.4 billion."

16:11 EST Fox Factory to acquire SCA Performance Holdings - Fox Factory Holding Corp. announced that its subsidiary, Fox Factory, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of SCA Performance Holdings from Southern Rocky Holdings, a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries. The $328M transaction, exclusive of vehicle inventory, will be financed through an expanded and syndicated credit facility led by Bank of America. The company also agreed to an additional $13M of contingent, performance-based retention incentives for key SCA management payable over the next two years. The transaction is expected to close late in Q1, subject to customary closing conditions, and to be accretive to Fox's FY20 financial results.

16:09 EST PDF Solutions appoints Adnan Raza CFO - PDF Solutions announced the appointment of Adnan Raza as CFO effective immediately after the company files its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Raza is currently EVP, Finance with the company, having joined in January 2020 and will succeed Christine Russell, who will focus on board service for technology companies. Russell will continue with the company in a part-time role for a period of time to support a seamless transition.

16:08 EST CSX increases quarterly dividend 8% - CSX Corp. announced that the company's board has authorized an 8% increase in its quarterly dividend, to 26c per share from 24c per share. The new quarterly dividend is payable March 13 to shareholders of record at the close of business February 28.

16:07 EST Altice USA to acquire assets of Service Electric Cable T.V. of New Jersey - Altice USA announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of regional cable operator Service Electric Cable T.V. of New Jersey, Inc., for $150 million in cash, subject to certain closing adjustments and closing conditions. With this acquisition, Altice USA will extend its footprint into neighboring communities to provide its high-quality broadband, video, mobile, and news offerings to thousands of additional homes and businesses in New Jersey. The transaction is expected to close by the third quarter of 2020, subject to receipt of regulatory approval and the satisfaction of necessary closing conditions.

16:04 EST NetApp CFO Pasek to retire by the end of the fiscal year - Ron Pasek, EVP, Chief Financial Officer, has informed NetApp of his intent to retire by the end of the fiscal year after a successful four-year tenure. Pasek will remain on to ensure a transition to his successor, which the Company expects to name prior to the end of the fiscal year. Pasek joined NetApp in April 2016, assuming leadership of the company's finance, customer leasing, workplace resources, internal audit, and IT functions. "Ron has been an integral part of the NetApp executive leadership team. He has helped increase product margins by 10 points, nearly doubled our earnings power and raised our dividend by over 100%," said George Kurian, chief executive officer. "We are grateful for Ron's achievements at NetApp and wish him well in his future endeavors."

15:32 EST Reuters launches fact-checking initiative in partnership with Facebook - Reuters (TRI) announced the launch of a new fact-checking initiative aimed at identifying misinformation on social media, in partnership with Facebook's (FB) Third-Party Fact-Checking Program. The newly created fact-checking unit at Reuters will verify content posted on Facebook and Instagram and identify where media is false or misleading. The fact-checking initiative is an extension of the media verification efforts Reuters has built through its long history of providing accurate and trustworthy news content. Reuters will now assess the authenticity of user-generated photos, videos, headlines and other content on social media-in the run-up to the U.S. election and beyond-verifying for Facebook's U.S. audience in both English and Spanish and publishing findings on a specially created blog. "We are steadfastly recognizing the magnitude of misinformation taking place around the world. It's a growing issue that impacts society daily and it's a responsibility for news organizations and platforms to halt the spread of false news," said Jess April, Director of Global Partnerships, Reuters. "Reuters has a superior track record in sourcing, verifying and clearing user-generated content for distribution to thousands of clients globally and we are best placed in using our in-house expertise to fact check social media content." Reference Link

15:28 EST SF city attorney subpoenas PG&E in widening public corruption investigation - San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced that he has issued eight subpoenas as part of a joint public corruption investigation with City Controller Ben Rosenfield. The probe stems from federal criminal charges filed against Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru and San Francisco restauranteur Nick Bovis that were made public on January 28. Herrera issued the subpoenas today for records from eight companies and nonprofits that his office believes were involved in funneling donations to fund City programs and events, including funding Public Works holiday parties. The subpoenas are being served on for-profit utility PG&E; construction firms Webcor, Pankow and Clark Construction; recycling company Recology; and three nonprofits: Lefty O'Doul's Foundation for Kids, the San Francisco Parks Alliance, and the San Francisco Clean City Coalition. A total of 10 subpoenas are being issued because some of the companies have more than one corporate entity. "We're following the facts, and we're following the money," Herrera said. "We are going to follow the evidence wherever it leads. We will get to the bottom of this. San Franciscans deserve no less." Reference Link

14:16 EST Abeona reports 'positive' interim data from MPS III gene therapy programs - Abeona Therapeutics announced that researchers from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital presented positive interim data from two ongoing Phase I/II clinical trials evaluating ABO-102 and ABO-101, the company's investigational gene therapies for MPS IIIA and MPS IIIB, respectively, at WORLDSymposium. Results from the Transpher A study demonstrated that MPS IIIA patients younger than 30 months treated with ABO-102 in dose cohort 3 continue to show neurocognitive development 18 months to two years after treatment. Reductions in cerebrospinal fluid heparan sulfate, denoting enzyme activity in the central nervous system, and liver volume reductions remain stable two years after treatment. Results from the Transpher B study showed that ABO-101 also improved multiple disease biomarkers providing clear evidence of a biologic effect in patients with MPS IIIB. Dosing in cohort 2 is complete and the first patient in cohort 3 was treated in late January, with a total of 8 patients treated to date. Both therapies have been well-tolerated to date. Abeona licensed the AAV9-based gene therapy technology underpinning ABO-102 and ABO-101 from AWRI at Nationwide Children's where it was developed. "In total, the new results continue to show that early treatment with ABO-102 can help preserve neurodevelopment in children with MPS IIIA. These data will inform our ongoing discussions with the FDA and EMA, as we work towards providing a regulatory update in the second quarter," said Joao Siffert, M.D., Chief Executive Officer. "For ABO-101, the reductions in disease-specific biomarkers are encouraging and demonstrate a clear biologic effect, which parallels that seen in the MPS IIIA study. We look forward to enrolling the Transpher B study as expeditiously as possible."

14:09 EST Nvidia pulls Activision Blizzard games from GeForce Now service - A representative from Nvidia (NVDA) said on the company's forums that Activision Blizzard's (ATVI) games will be removed from Nvidia's GeForce Now game streaming service. "Per their request, please be advised Activision Blizzard games will be removed from the service," the representative said. "While unfortunate, we hope to work together with Activision Blizzard to reenable these games and more in the future. In addition to the hundreds of games currently supported, we have over 1,500 games that developers have asked to be on-boarded to the service. Look for weekly updates as to new games we are adding." Reference Link

14:00 EST FIS extends partnership with PayPal over cardholder loyalty points - FIS (FIS) and PayPal (PPYL) are extending their partnership to enable millions of cardholders of U.S. financial institutions to participate in PayPal's Pay with Rewards. Beginning in Q3 2020, cardholders of thousands of financial institutions participating in FIS' Premium Payback loyalty network will be able to use their eligible card loyalty points to pay for eligible online purchases at millions of PayPal merchants globally. "Our partnership with FIS will help us extend Pay with Rewards to even more customers, offering more payment choice to our joint customers," said Jim Magats, senior vice president of global payments at PayPal. "The combination of FIS's wide-reaching loyalty program, which services thousands of financial institutions, and PayPal's network of 24 million global merchants will enable millions of additional cardholders to use loyalty points for PayPal purchases."

13:25 EST AngloGold sells South African assets to Harmony amid priorities shift - On Wednesday, South African gold miner AngloGold Ashanti (AU) announced it would be selling its remaining South African producing assets and related liabilities to Harmony Gold Mining (HMY) amid desires to list in London or Toronto. Consideration for the transaction is in cash and deferred payments with expected proceeds of around $300M with additional payment if certain criteria are met. SALE PROCESS: A rigorous nine-month sales process identified Harmony as the most suitable party to acquire these assets, given its financial capacity and proven technical capability in operating ultra-deep, hard-rock mining assets in South Africa. "From the beginning of the process an objective has been to sell our SA assets to a strong, capable and responsible operator that will ensure their long-term sustainability; we believe that this transaction achieves that," Kelvin Dushnisky, CEO of AngloGold Ashanti said. "This sale helps deliver on our commitment to sharpen our management focus and capital allocation on the highest return investment options available to us." HARMONY EARNINGS: Harmony also announced its operating results for the six months ended December 31, 2019. Harmony reported a 12% increase in revenue to $1.054B and earnings per share of 17c for the time period. "While a stronger gold price received continues to provide a welcome boost to our financial performance, we will focus our efforts on what we are able to control -- safety, costs, and production," the company said in a statement. PRICE ACTION: Shares of AngloGold are currently up approximately 2% to $19.42, while Harmony Gold shares are up over 10% to $3.06 per share. OTHERS: GOLD MINERS: Other publicly traded gold miners include Gold Fields (GFI), Kinross Gold, (KGC), IAMGold (IAG) and Agnico Eagle (AEM).

12:06 EST Wells Fargo ends mandatory arbitration for future sexual harassment claims - Wells Fargo announced that, effective immediately, the company will no longer require arbitration for employees in connection with any future sexual harassment claims. "Wells Fargo has zero tolerance for sexual harassment," David Galloreese, head of Human Resources at Wells Fargo, wrote in an article posted on the company's internal and external websites. "We believe that this is the appropriate change to make at this time for our employees. The treatment of sexual harassment claims has become an increasingly prominent issue across industries. We've taken many steps to create and maintain a workplace environment that promotes and protects the safety and well-being of our employees." Wells Fargo made the decision following internal dialogue and feedback from various stakeholders, including the proponents of a shareholder proposal. Clean Yield Asset Management submitted a shareholder proposal late last year that focused on mandatory arbitration of workplace sexual harassment claims. Clean Yield has since withdrawn the proposal. "Our Board of Directors and CEO Charlie Scharf value and appreciate input from our stakeholders as we consider opportunities to enhance our practices and transparency," Galloreese said. "We are working hard to improve our company for our stakeholders." The company's mandatory employment arbitration policy generally applies to employees hired since December 11, 2015.

12:00 EST Consol Energy falls -8.0% - Consol Energy is down -8.0%, or -62c to $7.22.

12:00 EST Insperity falls -23.4% - Insperity is down -23.4%, or -$20.87 to $68.21.

12:00 EST Acco Brands rises 16.6% - Acco Brands is up 16.6%, or $1.52 to $10.68.

11:58 EST Whiting Petroleum sinks 40% after report on capital structure talks - Shares of Whiting Petroleum are sinking after Debtwire, according to Bloomberg, reported that the company is holding discussions with advisory shops to look at its capital structure. Whiting is looking at a potential "up-tiering exchange": Debtwire said, citing bankers, investors and an analyst familiar with the matter, Bloomberg noted. Shares of Whiting Petroleum are down 42%, or $1.56, to $2.15 in midday trading.

11:46 EST Eldorado Resorts receives approval for Caesars deal from PGCB - Eldorado Resorts (ERI) announced that at a meeting today, the company received approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in connection with its pending acquisition of Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CZR), subject to customary conditions. The transaction is expected to be consummated in the first half of 2020 and remains subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, and other closing conditions.

11:40 EST Mondelez turns positive after JPMorgan said to suspend rating - Shares of Mondelez have moved off their lows and are not fractionally positive after Bloomberg said that JPMorgan has suspended its rating and price target on the stock. The suspension could be an indication that the bank is working with the company in some other capacity, which could prompt the research arm to stop providing a rating in the meantime, although that is unconfirmed. The suspension may be driving speculation about whether Mondelez is in talks about, or being advised by the bank, on some type of potential transaction.

11:26 EST Ameresco awarded task order from U.S. Navy - Ameresco announced that the U.S. Navy has awarded its Federal Solutions team a task order to implement a $58M energy resiliency project at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. This project expands on the long-term partnership between Ameresco's Federal Solutions team and the U.S. Navy at PNSY. This energy savings performance contract features on-site generation, battery storage, and microgrid controls to address the Navy's priority of maximizing energy security at the Shipyard while reducing energy costs. After construction is completed in 2022, Ameresco will operate and maintain ESPC-delivered systems until January 2044.

10:58 EST Facebook's WhatsApp says now has 2B users around the world - WhatsApp said in a blog post: "We are excited to share that, as of today, WhatsApp supports more than two billion users around the world... We know that the more we connect, the more we have to protect. As we conduct more of our lives online, protecting our conversations is more important than ever. That is why every private message sent using WhatsApp is secured with end-to-end encryption by default. Strong encryption acts like an unbreakable digital lock that keeps the information you send over WhatsApp secure, helping protect you from hackers and criminals. Messages are only kept on your phone, and no one in between can read your messages or listen to your calls, not even us. Your private conversations stay between you. Strong encryption is a necessity in modern life. We will not compromise on security because that would make people less safe. For even more protection, we work with top security experts, employ industry leading technology to stop misuse as well as provide controls and ways to report issues - without sacrificing privacy." Reference Link

10:43 EST 'We just follow the law,' Amazon's Jay Carney says on taxes - Amazon.com senior vice president of global corporate affairs Jay Carney is speaking on CNBC.

10:42 EST Amazon takes advantage of incentives in tax code, Jay Carney says - Amazon.com senior vice president of global corporate affairs Jay Carney is speaking on CNBC.

10:33 EST Boeing 'not assuming business as usual' with 777x aircraft certification

10:23 EST American National Insurance announces proposed holding company reorganization - On February 12, American National Insurance announced its pursuit of a holding company reorganization that if consummated would result in American National becoming a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of a newly-formed Delaware corporation, American National Group. Subject to approval of the Reorganization by American National's stockholders at the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and certain regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, American National expects that the Reorganization will be completed this summer. The directors and executive officers of the Holding Company will be the same as those for American National and the business operations will continue from current office locations and companies. This Reorganization is expected to provide American National with more strategic and financial flexibility and will improve its ability to remain a strong, enduring company. As a result of the Reorganization, the current stockholders of American National would become stockholders of the Holding Company with the same number and percentage of shares of the Holding Company as they held in American National prior to the Reorganization. The Holding Company's common stock is expected to be listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol "ANAT", the same symbol currently used by American National. The Reorganization is intended to be a tax-free transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes for American National and its stockholders.

10:11 EST Boeing CFO says priority is delivering over 400 newly built 737 MAX

10:06 EST Boeing CFO says working with customers in China

10:05 EST Boeing says coronavirus impacting air traffic, Q1 jet deliveries - Comments made by CFO Greg Smith at Cowen and Company's 41st Annual Aerospace/Defense & Industrials Conference.

10:00 EST Britannia Bulk falls -8.2% - Britannia Bulk is down -8.2%, or -50c to $5.60.

10:00 EST Insperity falls -25.0% - Insperity is down -25.0%, or -$22.30 to $66.78.

10:00 EST Shopify rises 16.0% - Shopify is up 16.0%, or $78.75 to $571.50.

09:47 EST Britannia Bulk falls -9.0% - Britannia Bulk is down -9.0%, or -55c to $5.55.

09:47 EST Insperity falls -21.4% - Insperity is down -21.4%, or -$19.08 to $70.00.

09:47 EST Scorpio Bulkers rises 9.0% - Scorpio Bulkers is up 9.0%, or 34c to $4.10.

09:44 EST Medtronic recalls MiniMed Insulin Pumps for incorrect insulin dosing - Medtronic is recalling certain MiniMed 600 Series Insulin Pumps due to a missing or broken retainer ring which helps to lock the insulin cartridge into place in the pump's reservoir compartment, the FDA announced. "If the cartridge is not locked firmly into place, under or over delivery of insulin may occur, which could result in hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Severe hyperglycemia can result in a loss of consciousness, seizure, and death. The firm has received a total of 26,421 complaints in which the device malfunctioned in this manner. The firm is aware of 2,175 injuries and 1 death," the recall notice posted by the FDA states. The FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, "the most serious type of recall. Use of these devices may cause serious injuries or death," the notice added. Reference Link

09:30 EST Vuzix announces partnership with TensorMark - Vuzix announced a partnership with U.S. based TensorMark, a cloud-based AI and computer vision technology provider, to integrate their two innovative and game changing solutions on the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses. The companies are collaborating on numerous facial and object recognition POC demos centered around the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses, including one with a Fortune 50 company that is evaluating the solution for deployment across their customer base, leveraging AI and edge computing to provide enhanced intelligence to security personnel.

09:17 EST CHF Solutions announce distribution agreements for Germany, Austria, Switzerland - CHF Solutions announced the initiation of distribution agreements covering Germany, Austria and Switzerland with Neucomed Group and its affiliates, further expanding its commercial presence in the European Union. The company now has distribution partnerships covering 13 countries worldwide.

09:10 EST Revive Therapeutics enters LOI to acquire Psilocin Pharma Corp. for $2.75M - Revive Therapeutics announced that it has entered into a letter of intent, dated February 11, 2020 with Psilocin Pharma Corp., an arm's length party incorporated pursuant to the laws of the Province of Ontario. Pursuant to the terms of the LOI, Revive will acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of Psilocin for an aggregate purchase price of $2.75M. The Purchase Price will be satisfied through the issuance of an aggregate of 55 million common shares in the capital of Revive at a deemed price of $0.05 per share. Upon the execution of the LOI, Revive agreed to deposit an aggregate of 10 million common shares in the capital of Revive, for an aggregate consideration of $500,000, into escrow as a deposit of the Purchase Price. In the event that the Proposed Acquisition does not close, the Deposit Shares will be returned to Revive for cancellation. The closing of the Proposed Acquisition is subject to, among things, the successful completion of Revive's due diligence review of Psilocin and the execution of a definitive share exchange agreement between Revive and the shareholders of Psilocin.

09:07 EST Discover signs deal with National Bank of Oman to increase acceptance of cards - Discover Global Network, the payments brand of Discover, has signed a deal with the National Bank of Oman, or NBO, to increase acceptance for Discover, Diners Club International and affiliate network cards. While Discover has been accepted at merchants across the region for several years, the relationship with NBO will grow the number of places Discover Global Network cards are accepted with a focus on travel and entertainment merchants.

09:05 EST Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corporation trading resumes

09:02 EST Arthur J. Gallagher acquires Affiliated Benefit Consultants in Illinois - Arthur J. Gallagher acquired Oakbrook, Illinois-based Affiliated Benefit Consultants. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1986, Affiliated Benefit Consultants offers a suite of benefits consulting services to clients throughout the U.S. John Araujo and his associates will continue to operate in their current location under the direction of Tom Lannen, head of Gallagher's Great Lakes region employee benefits consulting and brokerage operations.

08:59 EST CytoDyn signs LOI for joint development, licensing of leronlimab in China - CytoDyn announced that the Company signed a nonbinding letter of intent for the joint development and licensing of leronlimab in China with Longen China Group. CytoDyn and Longen will begin exploring opportunities for leronlimab for the treatment of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus and cancer. Leronlimab has the potential to enhance the cellular immune response to the 2019-nCoV and could synergize with other retroviral therapies that are currently being used as the potential treatments. In oncology, CytoDyn has previously reported strong clinical data from three patients participating in the Company's Phase 1b/2 trial for the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and from one patient with stage 4 HER2+ MBC that has metastasized to the liver, lung and brain, who was enrolled through an emergency investigational new drug.

08:51 EST Dominion to acquire Southern Company's 5% stake in Atlantic Coast pipeline - Dominion Energy (D) disclosed on its Q4 earnings conference call on Tuesday that it is acquiring Southern Energy's (SO) 5% stake in the Atlantic Coast pipeline, which upon closing, will bring the project ownership to 53% for Dominion and 47% for Duke Energy (DUK). Total cash consideration for the acquisition is around $175M, the company said.

08:41 EST Datasea to provide hardware, software solutions to schools, communities in China - Datasea announced that it has entered into six agreements with K-12 schools and public communities in the cities of Nanjing and Taiyuan, China, to provide them with infrared thermometers and related hardware and software solutions aimed at detecting and controlling the coronavirus outbreak. Datasea's system includes real-time body temperature monitoring, health data management, and abnormal health status alarms. Once the alert is triggered, the system will provide real-time tracking, showing the trajectory of the affected person. Once the person is identified as a patient, using intelligent analysis, the system will generate a list of suspected infected people with whom the patient may have been in contact. Datasea's systems are divided into a campus version for schools and a community version, each of which can be customized based on specific customer needs. Datasea's customers pursuant to the six contracts include a primary school affiliated with Nanjing Normal University, the Nanjing Xuzhuang High-Tech Zone Experimental Primary School, Taiyuan No.1 Middle School of Jiancaoping District, Taiyuan Yingxin Primary School of Jiancaoping District, Nanjing Xuanwu Lake Community of Xuanwu District, and Taiyuan Xiurong Community of Lan County. Datasea intends to provide 13 price levels for its systems from approximately $1,457 to 27,086 per set with different hardware configurations and software functions. The signed contracts are for a trial period ending June 30, 2020. After the trail period concludes, customers can choose to return the devices or purchase them at a preferential price.

08:40 EST Teva sees about $4B North America generics market in 2020

08:39 EST GTEC Holdings says construction at 3PL JV 'currently on schedule' - Construction at the 3PL joint venture is currently on schedule to complete during the fiscal 2020 year. The JV has the necessary financial resources to complete its build out, pursue licencing and to fund the operating capital. In aggregate, the JV facility is expected to have the capacity to be able to produce up to 6,000 KG of indoor flower annually. Executed a term sheet to divest its last remaining retail asset. The transaction remains subject to closing; which is anticipated no later than March 31, 2020. Hired a Director of Security & Regulatory Affairs, who will play a key-role in maintaining regulatory compliance as the Company's increases its production footprint. As part of the Company's mandate to focus on the cultivation of premium indoor flower, it has listed its Spectre Labs warehouse for sale at $1.2M. The Company has been presented offers and is currently in negotiations with multiple prospective buyers, with the expectation of a completed sale in Q2 2020.

08:37 EST Teva says 'cautiously optimistic' opioid case will end in settlement

08:35 EST Powerbridge comments on business activity, coronavirus outbreak in China - Powerbridge provides comments on its recent and near-term business activity impact from the recent coronavirus outbreak in China. Nearly three weeks since the outbreak, the coronavirus has shaken the economy and disrupted every major industry, from food, fashion and entertainment to automobile and technology. As of the end of last week, over 400 companies had discussed the impact of coronavirus on their quarterly earnings calls. Stewart Lor, President and CFO of Powerbridge Technologies, commented, "Currently, our office remains in operation, but most of our employees are working from home. While the economic disruption is widespread across many industries and various supply chains, we have maintained daily communication with our partners and customers." Lor, continued, "Some of our partners and customers are deferring existing and new business as these contracts are being pushed out possibly a few weeks but not cancelled. We believe our overall 2020 outlook will have minor negative impact from the coronavirus outbreak and our yearly growth will maintain a positive outlook. Additionally, we have received new inbound business requests from our partners and customers seeking system upgrades and specific applications in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Our team is moving quickly to address these newly warranted needs. Given the significant level of uncertainty with this dynamic and evolving situation, we will continue to communicate with our partners and customers and update shareholders accordingly."

08:32 EST ANI Pharmaceuticals launches Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim Oral Suspension - ANI Pharmaceuticals launched Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim Oral Suspension USP 200 mg/40 mg per 5 mL. The current annual market for this product is approximately $29M, according to IQVIA. This launch represents ANI's third generic product introduction in 2020. Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim Oral Suspension is indicated in the treatment and prevention of various infections proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria which include urinary tract infections, acute otitis media, bronchitis, shigellosis, Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, and traveler's diarrhea.

08:30 EST PVH Corp. announces coronavirus impact - PVH Corp. announced that it is working with local authorities to ensure the health, wellness and safety of its associates and business partners in connection with the coronavirus outbreak in China. Emanuel Chirico, chairman and CEO, commented, "We are closely monitoring the situation in China. Our priority is the well-being of our associates and business partners, their families and local communities, and our hearts are with those that have been impacted by the coronavirus. I want to sincerely thank our dedicated associates in Asia who are going above and beyond, with many working remotely from home, to drive our business forward." Currently, the majority of the total Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger stores in China are temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns, including as a result of related government-imposed restrictions. Further, the stores that are open are operating for limited hours and are experiencing significantly lower than planned traffic and sales trends. Greater China is expected to account for approximately 7% of the company's 2019 revenue and the Asia Pacific region is expected to account for approximately 16% of the company's 2019 revenue. Additionally, approximately 20% of the company's global sourcing is derived from China, including approximately 10% of sourcing inbound to the U.S.

08:29 EST Worthington to consolidate oil, gas operations in Ohio - Worthington Industries announced a plan to consolidate its oil and gas equipment manufacturing operation in Wooster, Ohio into its existing facility in Bremen, Ohio. The consolidation will help utilize available capacity at Bremen which manufactures similar products. The closure of the Wooster operation is expected to be complete by May 31, 2020. The Bremen facility, which primarily serves customers in the Eastern U.S., recently added capabilities with the purchase of a paint and blast facility. The Company also operates a plant in Tulsa, Okla., serving oil and gas producers in the West. Worthington acquired the Wooster and Bremen operations when it purchased the Westerman Companies in September 2012.

08:17 EST IMAC appoints Gerard Hayden to board of directors - IMAC Holdings (IMAC) announced the appointment of Gerard Hayden, Jr. to its Board of Directors. Hayden replaces outgoing board member, Dean Weiland. Most recently he served as SVP, CFO of HealthStream, Inc. (HSTM).

08:15 EST Teva CEO says will keep consolidating manufacturing sites

08:14 EST NetSol Technologies anticipates 'sequentially improved results' in 2H20 - NETSOL President, Global Sales and Otoz CEO Naeem Ghauri added: "While we are continuing to sell add-on services and more licenses for existing contracts, we're also now generating new opportunities at an increasing rate for our subscription pricing, or SaaS, model. While it remains early days, we are encouraged by the strong initial interest we've seen and believe our decision to diversify our offerings beyond the traditional license sales will lead to long-term, predictable revenue growth. Going forward, we have visibility into a growing pipeline within all three of our geographic regions, which we anticipate to result in sequentially improved results in the second half 2020. Further out, we're working towards an eventual inflection point where annual recurring revenues, or ARR, can supplant our current license revenues and provide sustained profitability."

08:12 EST E-Trade reports January DARTs up 68% y/y - E-Trade released its monthly activity report for January. Daily Average Revenue Trades, or DARTs, for January were 463,739, a 31% increase from December and a 68% increase from the year-ago period. Derivatives represented 33% of DARTs during the month.

08:11 EST Xebec Adsorption receives $27M in orders for U.S. dairy projects - Xebec Adsorption announced that $27M in orders were received from U.S dairy farmers for a total of six turnkey biogas upgrading plants and small-scale containerized Biostream systems to produce Renewable Natural Gas. Five of these contracts are from the conversion of a previously announced letter of intent signed on December 5th, 2019 that have turned into firm purchase orders and an additional project using our large-scale BGX Solutions. Xebec expects to deliver the projects throughout 2020 and early 2021 with gross margin in line with our historic levels.

08:10 EST Baxter, COSMED announce FDA clearance of Q-NRG+ - Baxter announced the FDA clearance of Q-NRG+, a metabolic monitoring device utilizing indirect calorimetry, or IC, technology. IC is considered the "gold standard"1 to accurately measure a patient's calorie needs, or resting energy expenditure, or REE. These readings can help inform prescription and administration of nutrition therapy, which may include parenteral nutrition (PN), the intravenous administration of nutrients. As part of its partnership with COSMED, Baxter has rights to bring Q-NRG+ to at least 18 markets around the globe, with the potential for further expansion. The 510(k) clearance is the latest regulatory approval for Q-NRG+, which is currently available in 12 countries in Europe as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

08:09 EST Teva CEO says restructuring going exactly as planned - Says EBITDA is stabilizing. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:09 EST Twinlab enters strategic manufacturing agreement with Bonne Sante Group - Twinlab announced that it has entered into an agreement with Bonne Sante Group, Inc. and its subsidiary Bonne Sante Natural Manufacturing as part of a strategic partnership to manufacture Twinlab's products, with an immediate focus on powders, capsules and tablets to meet the company's growing domestic and international demand. The partnership will aim to deliver Twinlab's innovative products on an expedited basis while still maintaining the company's overarching commitments to quality science-based, nutritional supplements, including a complete line of vitamins, minerals and sports nutrition products. As part of the agreement BSNM will be responsible for the manufacturing and fulfillment of certain SKUs for Twinlab and its various brands. This includes products under the brands of Twinlab, Reserveage, REAAL, ResVitale and Metabolife. With products available in over 55 countries worldwide, the Twinlab brand has been the trusted leader for innovative, high performance health and wellness products. In addition to the extensive line of vitamins, minerals and sports nutrition formulas of its namesake brand, Twinlab Corporation also manufactures and sells other category leaders, including the Metabolife line of diet and energy products, as well as the Rebody, Reserveage and ResVitale lines of beauty and wellness products. Twinlab also owns NutraScience labs, a private label division based in NY. Twinlab products will be manufactured and fulfilled through Bonne Sante's manufacturing facility, which is a 22,000 sq. foot state-of-the-art FDA-certified facility in Doral, Florida. Through close coordination Bonne Sante will be supporting Twinlab's growing product line as it continues to deliver innovative solutions to the nutrition industry..

08:07 EST Gulf Resources regains compliance with Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement - Gulf Resources announced that it received notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market on February 11, 2020 indicating that the Company has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) for continued listing on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. Accordingly, the Company has regained compliance with the Bid Price Rule and Nasdaq considers the matter closed.

08:05 EST Digital Realty to acquire 49% interest in Westin Building Exchange in Seattle - Digital Realty announced it has reached an agreement with Clise Properties to acquire a 49% ownership interest in the Westin Building Exchange in Seattle, Washington. The Westin Building Exchange serves as the primary interconnection hub for the Pacific Northwest, linking Canada, Alaska and Asia along the Pacific Rim. The building is the sixth most densely interconnected facility in North America, and is home to leading global cloud, content and interconnection providers, housing over 150 carriers and more than 10,000 cross-connects. The 34-story tower is adjacent to Amazon's 4.1M square foot urban campus and overlooks Elliott Bay as well as the downtown Seattle skyline.

08:04 EST X4 Pharmaceuticals issued X4P-001 exclusivity patent from USPTO - X4 Pharmaceuticals announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, has issued United States Patent No. 10,548,889, which is expected to provide exclusivity of X4's lead therapeutic candidate, mavorixafor, X4P-001, through 2038.

08:03 EST Ametek raises quarterly dividend 29% to 18c from 14c per share - The dividend is payable on March 31 to shareholders of record as of March 13.

08:02 EST Teva sees long-term operating income margin of 28% by 2023 - Sees greater than 80% cash-to-earnings by 2023, with net debt/EBITDA of less than 3x by 2023. Says committed to utilizing cash flow to pay down debt. Does not plan to raise equity. Comments taken from slides being presented on the Q4 earnings conference call.

07:57 EST CVS Health sees FY20 integration costs ~$450M - Says: Integration synergies expectation increased to $800M-$900M in 2020 (primarily benefitting HCB). Enterprise Modernization expectation range narrowed to $450M-$550M in 2020 (primarily benefitting Retail/LTC and PBM). 2019 capital management expected to produce interest expense tailwind in 2020. Expects to maintain quarterly dividend. Sees leverage ratio on track to low 3x's in 2022. Comments taken from investor presentation slides.

07:47 EST Chembio Diagnostics receives $1.5M UNICEF order for Zika systems - Chembio Diagnostics announced a $1.5M purchase order from UNICEF for multiplex Zika tests and Micro Readers following the successful completion of conditions set forth in the previously announced long term arrangement. This initial order is part of the LTA, which has a total opportunity of up to $3.5M. Chembio's multiplex DPP Zika System allows simultaneous and discrete detection of antibodies for both active and prior exposure to the Zika virus, which is important for both treatment and surveillance.

07:34 EST 8i Enterprises Acquisition Corp. says merger target Diginex appoints COO - 8i Enterprises Acquisition Corp. announced that Diginex, a digital asset financial services and advisory company with which JFK entered into a definitive share exchange agreement dated July 9, 2019, has appointed Jim Pollock as its COO based in Singapore. In this role, Pollock will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of Diginex's business strategy, which includes the development of fully regulated and institutional grade digital asset infrastructure for the financial services sector. Pollock joins Diginex from Westpac, one of Australia's largest banks. In his 16 years at the bank, he held the capacity of COO in several of its business lines. Pollock will also build out Diginex's Singapore office. He will report directly to Mr. Richard Byworth, CEO of Diginex.

07:27 EST Allena Pharmaceuticals reduces target enrollment for URIROX-2 trial - Allena Pharmaceuticals announced that it has reached agreement in principle with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on a streamlined design for URIROX-2, the second pivotal clinical trial for reloxaliase, a non-absorbed, orally administered enzyme for the treatment of severe hyperoxaluria. URIROX-2 is designed to incorporate adaptive design elements that could allow for changes to sample size and duration of treatment based on accrued kidney stone disease progression rates and the conditional probability of achieving ultimate statistical success for KS disease progression in the long-term follow-up phase of the trial. Based on the higher-than-projected KS event rate and the urinary oxalate results observed in the completed URIROX-1 trial, the first pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for reloxaliase, and subsequent engagement with the FDA, Allena now plans to: Reduce the target enrollment from 400 subjects to 200 subjects to support a potential Biologics License Application filing for accelerated approval; Conduct the first sample size reassessment based on total accrued KS events once 130 subjects, rather than 240, have reached six months of treatment; and include a new sponsor-blinded estimation of the conditional probability of achieving the study's primary and key secondary UOx endpoints at the time of the first SSR. These revisions are expected to streamline URIROX-2, potentially reducing the target length and cost of the trial. The company plans to submit a protocol amendment and associated study documents for the revised trial design in the first quarter of 2020. The interim analysis is projected for the third quarter of 2021. The adaptive design of URIROX-2 retains a second KS-based SSR, now planned once 200 subjects, rather than 400 subjects, have reached six months of treatment. Analyses at that point will start with estimation of the conditional probability of achieving the primary long-term endpoint of KS disease progression, followed by confirmation of the relationship between UOx and KS events, and also safety and UOx efficacy data for the one month primary and six month secondary endpoints. Allena plans to file a BLA with the FDA for reloxaliase using the accelerated approval regulatory pathway based on the URIROX-1 trial results and the data package from the second SSR in URIROX-2, pending positive results. Patients would then continue on therapy in URIROX-2 to confirm clinical benefit during the long-term follow-up phase of the trial. Subject to positive results, topline data to support a potential BLA filing are currently expected in the first quarter of 2022. In November 2019, Allena announced positive topline results from URIROX-1. The study achieved its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in UOx, as well as a favorable tolerability profile. Additionally, data from URIROX-1 highlight the increased KS risk associated with high UOx: patients with a higher UOx at baseline had experienced a significantly greater number of KS within five years prior to enrollment, and the mean baseline UOx among patients who experienced a KS event during the URIROX-1 trial was substantially higher than the baseline UOx among patients who did not.

07:20 EST Cowen Group board authorizes increase in share buyback authorization - In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company repurchased $12.1 million of its common stock, or 793,240 shares, at an average price of $15.21 under the Company's existing share repurchase program. Outside the share repurchase program, in the fourth quarter of 2019 the Company acquired approximately $5.1 million of shares as a result of a net share settlement relating to the vesting of equity awards, or 330,595 shares, at an average price of $15.32. During 2019, the Company repurchased 2,233,636 shares for $34.5 million, or an average price of $15.44 under the Company's existing share repurchase program. Outside the share repurchase program, in the full year 2019 the Company acquired approximately $15.2 million of shares as a result of a net share settlement relating to the vesting of equity awards, or 1,005,387 shares at an average price of $15.14. The Board of Directors authorized an increase in the share buyback authorization. Approximately $25 million is currently available for repurchase under the program.

07:19 EST Teva restates FY17 net revenue, FY18 net revenue - In connection with the preparation of Teva's consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Teva determined that in the full years and interim periods of fiscal years 2017 and 2018, and the first three quarters of fiscal year 2019, it had an immaterial error in the presentation of distribution revenues from its Israeli distribution business. This business is part of the International Markets reporting segment and facilitates distribution of Teva and third party products to pharmacies, hospitals and other organizations in Israel. Specifically, the company concluded that it presented revenue from its Israeli distribution business on a gross basis, although it should have reported such revenue on a net basis. Because Teva has no discretion in establishing prices for any specifies goods or services, limited inventory risk and is not primarily responsible for contract fulfillment, Teva does not meet the criteria for reporting revenues from such business as a principal (on a gross basis), as opposed to as an agent. The company evaluated the cumulative impact of this item on its previously issued annual financial statements for 2017 and 2018, and the interim financial statements for 2017, 2018 and the first three quarters of 2019, and concluded that, for the reasons mentioned below, the revisions were not material, individually or in the aggregate, to any of its previously-issued interim or annual financial statements. Teva restated FY17 net revenue to $21.85B from previous $22.39B and FY18 net revenue to $18.27B from previous $18.85B.

07:17 EST Teva CEO says reduced cost base by more than $3B in 2019 - "In 2019, we made great strides towards positioning Teva for renewed growth by completing our two-year restructuring plan, reducing our cost base by more than $3B, and reducing our net debt by more than $9B, all while maintaining our global leadership in generics, serving around 200 million patients every day," said Kare Schultz, Teva's President and CEO. "Our key growth products met major milestones in 2019, including the launch of AJOVY in Europe, continued strong growth for AUSTEDO, and the successful launch of our first biosimilar TRUXIMA in North America. In 2020, we expect to see continued growth for AJOVY, AUSTEDO and our biosimilars." Schultz continued, "Looking ahead, we will further transform our manufacturing network, improve our profitability, and generate cash, which will further reduce our debt. We will enhance our biopharmaceutical offerings, and expand our key assets with additional indications and geographies."

07:11 EST Barrick Gold sees FY20 gold production 4.8M-5.2M ounces - Sees FY20 copper production 440M-500M lbs.

07:08 EST Barrick Gold increases dividend 40% to 7c per share - Barrick Gold has declared a dividend for 4Q19 of 7c per share, a 40% increase on the previous quarter's dividend, payable on March 16 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 28.

07:08 EST Barrick Gold raises quarterly dividend 40% to 7c per share - Barrick Gold Corporation announced that its Board of Directors has declared a dividend for the fourth quarter of 2019 of $0.07 per share, a 40% increase on the previous quarter's dividend, payable on March 16, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 28, 2020.

07:07 EST Waddell & Reed reports preliminary AUM $69.2B as of January 31 - Compared to $70B on December 31, 2019.

07:06 EST Johnson Controls names Phil Clement as Chief Marketing Officer - Johnson Controls (JCI) announced it has appointed Phil Clement as the company's chief marketing officer responsible for all global activities related to conceptualizing and implementing market strategy and demand generation, including achieving marketing targets through in-depth market development, research and planning. Clement most recently served as global chief marketing and communications officer for Aon (AON).

07:02 EST Johnson Controls appoints Phil Clement as Chief Marketing Officer - Johnson Controls announced it has appointed Phil Clement as the company's Chief Marketing Officer responsible for all global activities related to conceptualizing and implementing market strategy and demand generation, including achieving marketing targets through in-depth market development, research and planning. Clement most recently served as global chief marketing and communications officer for Aon.

07:00 EST Noble Midstream lowers 2020 organic CapEx view 25% to $190M-$230M - Lowered CapEx view is due to 2019 progress on sustainable costs savings and better line of sight to customer activity. Expects combined equity investments of $220M-$260M, including the Saddlehorn commitment. This is an increase to 2020 guidance as a result of scope changes, phasing of investments from 2019 to 2020, and cost assumptions to complete the projects. Q1 organic net capital expectations are $60M-$70M and equity investment capital expectations are $180M-$220M.

06:55 EST Noble Energy sees 2020 volumes up 10% - Noble Energy announced its capital expenditure and production outlook for 2020. CEO David Stover said, "With substantial cash flow and volume growth expected from Leviathan, we are prioritizing free cash flow generation over U.S. onshore growth in 2020. Conventional major project developments, where we have a deep lineup of low-cost discovered resources, along with a return to exploration drilling provide significant catalysts for our company this year as we build long-term value." The company's 2020 capital program has been established at $1.6B-$1.8B, a reduction of approximately $560M from 2019. Capital expenditures within the U.S. program are planned at slightly over $1.3B. Similar to 2019, Noble Energy anticipates drilling and completing 110-120 wells in the DJ Basin and 50-60 wells in the Delaware Basin in 2020. As compared to 2019, average well costs in each of the DJ and Delaware Basins are expected to be down approximately 10%. Approximately 60% of the company's U.S. onshore capital program is targeted for the first half of the year. Offshore development capital expenditures are planned at approximately $275M, significantly lower than 2019 as the Leviathan project concludes. Anticipates approximately $75M in exploration capital, with the majority of that amount representing costs associated with an offshore Colombia well planned in the second half of the year. Sales volumes for 2020 are estimated to be approximately 10% higher than 2019 at the midpoint of the company's range of 385-405 MBoe/d. Noble Energy's natural gas sales volumes from Israel are estimated to average 445-485 MCbfe/day in 2020, an anticipated increase of over 100% from 2019. In the U.S:, 2020 sales volumes are designed to be consistent with the 2019 average. 4Q20 U.S. onshore oil volumes are expected to be up 5%-7% higher than 4Q19. Total company volumes will grow from the first to the second half of the year.

06:54 EST Lazard reports preliminary AUM approximately $243.6B as of January 31

06:52 EST CVS Health reports Q4 Pharmacy Services Segment revenue $37.07B - Total revenues increased 6.2% and 5.0% for the three months and year ended December 31, 2019, respectively, compared to the prior year primarily due to brand inflation as well as increased total pharmacy claims volume, partially offset by continued price compression and an increased generic dispensing rate. Total pharmacy claims processed increased 10.2% and 6.6%, on a 30-day equivalent basis, for the three months and year ended December 31, 2019, respectively, compared to the prior year primarily driven by net new business and the continued adoption of Maintenance Choice offerings. Operating income and adjusted operating income increased 0.7% and 1.5%, respectively, for the three months ended December 31, 2019 compared to the prior year. Operating income and adjusted operating income increased 2.8% and 3.5%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the prior year. The increase in operating income and adjusted operating income in both periods was primarily driven by increased claims volume, the addition of Aetna's mail order and specialty pharmacy operations and improved purchasing economics, partially offset by continued price compression. The increase in operating income in both periods also was partially offset by increased intangible asset amortization related to Aetna's mail order and specialty pharmacy operations.

06:47 EST CVS Health reports Q4 SSS up 3.2%

06:38 EST BP sets ambition to become net zero by 2050 or sooner - BP today set a new ambition to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero. The ambition is supported by aims including: Net zero across BP's operations on an absolute basis by 2050 or sooner. Net zero on carbon in BP's oil and gas production on an absolute basis by 2050 or sooner. 50% cut in the carbon intensity of products BP sells by 2050 or sooner. Install methane measurement at all BP's major oil and gas processing sites by 2023 and reduce methane intensity of operations by 50%. Increase the proportion of investment into non-oil and gas businesses over time. To deliver the ambition, BP will fundamentally reorganize to become a more focused, more integrated company, comprising: Four business groups to deliver performance and value growth: Production & Operations; Customers & Products; Gas & Low Carbon Energy; and Innovation & Engineering. BP will host a capital markets day in September to set out its strategy and near-term plans. New CEO Bernard Looney said: "The world's carbon budget is finite and running out fast; we need a rapid transition to net zero. We all want energy that is reliable and affordable, but that is no longer enough. It must also be cleaner. To deliver that, trillions of dollars will need to be invested in replumbing and rewiring the world's energy system. It will require nothing short of reimagining energy as we know it. This will certainly be a challenge, but also a tremendous opportunity. It is clear to me, and to our stakeholders, that for BP to play our part and serve our purpose, we have to change. And we want to change - this is the right thing for the world and for BP."

06:02 EST Hawaiian Electric raises quarterly dividend to 33c per share from 32c per share - The board of Hawaiian Electric Industries increased HEI's quarterly cash dividend from 32c to 33c per share, payable on March 10, to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 26. The revised quarterly dividend amount would be equivalent to an annual rate of $1.32 per share.

05:54 EST Pretium Resources sees FY20 Brucejack Mine gold production 325K-365K oz - Gold production at the Brucejack Mine for 2020 is expected to be in the range of 325,000 to 365,000 ounces. The production rate for 2020 is expected to be 3,800 tonnes per day with average annual gold grade ranging between 7.6 grams per tonne to 8.5 grams per tonne at a targeted gold recovery of 97%. The midpoint of 2020 gold production guidance is slightly below 2019 actual production. The AISC for 2020 is expected to range from $910 to $1,060 per ounce of gold sold with cash costs expected to range from $725 to $830 per ounce of gold sold. AISC estimates include costs associated with continued lateral development at a rate of approximately 1,000 meters per month through 2020. Lateral development will focus on opening the mine on the 1080 Level and Brucejack Fault Zone in the first half and stope development in the second half of 2020. The increased development should provide sufficient access to build the stope inventory required to allow mining operations to optimize stope blending and provide alternative stopes for mining if required. In addition, AISC includes costs associated with a high-density reverse circulation drill program to increase the volume of grade information necessary to enhance mine planning and optimize gold production. This program is scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2020. The AISC for 2020 also includes approximately $20 million for a number of one-time sustaining capital expenditures and costs related to growth-oriented expenses, which together total approximately $55 to $60 per ounce of gold sold.

05:29 EST TLC completes patient enrollment in TLC590 Phase II clinical trial - TLC announced the earlier-than-scheduled completion of patient enrollment in Part 2 of the TLC590 Phase II clinical trial, which is taking place across four sites in the United States. The randomized, double-blind, comparator- and placebo-controlled study will evaluate the analgesic efficacy and safety of TLC590 for postsurgical pain management in patients following bunionectomy. Topline data is expected to be reported in mid-2020. TLC590 is a non-opioid, proprietary BioSeizer sustained release formulation of ropivacaine intended to manage postsurgical pain for three days or more with a single dose, potentially reducing the need for opioids following surgery. In Part 1 of the two-part Phase II clinical trial following bunionectomy, the safety, dose linearity and relative bioavailability of TLC590 were established based on 50 patients.

05:13 EST Kosmos signs SPA with BP Gas Marketing - Kosmos Energy (KOS) announced that the company and its partners have signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement, or SPA, with BP Gas Marketing Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of BP (BP). The SPA is for 2.45 million tonnes per annum, or MTPA, of liquified natural gas, or LNG, from Phase 1 of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project for an initial term of up to 20 years. Following the signing of the SPA, Kosmos intends to book net proved reserves of approximately 100 million barrels of oil equivalent associated with Phase 1, as evaluated by the company's independent reserve auditor Ryder Scott Company, LP. The company expects to book additional reserves when further phases of the Tortue project are sanctioned and sale and purchase agreements signed for the offtake volumes.