Stockwinners Market Radar for March 06, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:56 EST Standard General says 'we stand ready to work with Tegna' to evaluate proposals - Standard General L.P., one of the largest shareholders of TEGNA, and the owner of approximately 9.7% of the company's outstanding shares, issued the following statement regarding media reports that TEGNA has received multiple potential acquisition offers for the company: Soo Kim, Founding Partner of Standard General L.P., said, "We understand from media reports that TEGNA has received multiple offers from credible buyers. We believe that the TEGNA Board, with the assistance of independent advisors, needs to run a full and fair process to explore all alternatives to maximize value for all shareholders. We also understand that these proposals involve both cash and stock and all cash offers, and it is essential that the TEGNA Board carefully evaluate the benefits and risks of all available alternatives. We stand ready to work with TEGNA to help thoughtfully evaluate these proposals."

18:28 EST Splunk CEO: We are growing our cloud business like crazy - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Splunk CEO Douglas Merritt said, "We are growing our cloud business like crazy - 35% of software bookings are cloud. We are transitioning from a license company to a renewal company." When asked about the impact of the coronavirus, Merriit said that the company was encouraging people to work from home. He also noted that if "social distancing" becomes normal, it will likely help Splunk.

18:15 EST FAA proposes $19.68M civil penalty against Boeing - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration proposes a $19.68M civil penalty against The Boeing Co. for allegedly installing equipment on hundreds of the company's 737 aircraft containing sensors that were not approved for that equipment. The FAA alleges that between June 2015 and April 2019, Boeing installed Rockwell Collins Head-up Guidance Systems on 791 jetliners, including 618 Boeing 737 NGs and 173 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The FAA alleges that the guidance systems in these aircraft were equipped with sensors that had not been tested or approved as being compatible with those guidance systems. The FAA alleges that Boeing violated Federal Aviation Regulations when it certified these aircraft as airworthy when they were not in conformance with their type certificate. The agency further alleges that Boeing failed to follow its own Business Process Instructions, which are in place to help prevent such situations from occurring. The manufacturer of the head-up guidance system, Rockwell Collins, subsequently conducted the necessary testing and risk analysis and updated the documents. Boeing has 30 days to respond the FAA's enforcement letter.

17:51 EST Raytheon awarded $108.32M Army contract - Raytheon was awarded a $108.32M to a contract for the procurement of hardware, facilities, equipment and all technical, planning, management, manufacturing and testing efforts to include all incidental services to produce the PATRIOT digital sidelobe canceler and peripheral enhancement assembly box production kits. Work has an estimated completion date of July 31, 2022. FY20 missile procurement, Army and 2010 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $108.32M were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.

17:48 EST Professional Holding authorizes $10M stock repurchase plan - On March 2, the Board of Directors of Professional Holding authorized a stock repurchase plan providing for the repurchase of up to $10M of the company's currently outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock.

17:39 EST Boeing awarded $800M Navy contract modification for 11 P-8A aircraft production - Boeing awarded $800M for an advanced acquisition modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract. This modification procures long lead material and activities in support of lot 11 P-8A aircraft production and delivery. The purpose of this contract modification is to procure long-lead material and activities in support of 18 P-8A Lot 11 aircraft. The mission of the P-8A MMA is to provide long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations. Work is expected to be completed by June. FY20 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $800M will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:07 EST Live Nation's Emanuel sells 71,394 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Live Nation director Ariel Emanuel disclosed the sale of 71,394 common shares of the company at a price of $58.26 per share.

17:01 EST Denbury Resources gets NYSE listing standard notice - Denbury Resources announced that on March 5, 2020, it received formal notice from the New York Stock Exchange that the average closing price of the company's shares of common stock had fallen below $1.00 per share over a period of 30 consecutive trading days, which is the minimum average share price for continued listing on the NYSE. Denbury intends to notify the NYSE of its intent to cure the deficiency and return to compliance with the NYSE continued listing requirements within the six-month cure period. During the cure period, Denbury's shares of common stock will continue to trade on the NYSE, subject to compliance with other continued listing requirements.

16:52 EST J.B. Hunt withdraws from upcoming Investor Conferences - J.B. Hunt Transport Services will no longer be presenting at the J.P. Morgan 2020 Industrials Conference on March 11 or participating in the 2020 Stephens West Coast 1x1 Conference on March 12.

16:40 EST PotlatchDeltic transfers $100M in pension liabilities to New York Life - PotlatchDeltic announced that it agreed to purchase a group annuity contract from New York Life Insurance Company, pursuant to which it will irrevocably transfer to New York Life approximately $100M of pension obligations. New York Life will assume responsibility for annuity administration and benefit payments to select retirees beginning May 1. Retirees and beneficiaries covered by this transaction will receive personalized information with further details before May 1. This transaction was funded with plan assets and the company transferred the premium amount to New York Life on March 6. There will be no change to retirees' pension benefits as a result of the group annuity transaction. Following the annuity purchase and transfer, the company's pension plans will remain well-funded. PotlatchDeltic will recognize a pre-tax noncash pension settlement charge estimated to be approximately $45M against its first quarter 2020 income. "This transaction maintains financially secure benefits for our pension plan participants while reducing PotlatchDeltic's pension funding risk," said Jerald Richards, vice president and CFO. "The transfer represents almost one quarter of our qualified pension liability."

16:30 EST Southern Company director sells 9.8K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Southern Company disclosed that its Pres. of External Affairs Christopher Womack sold 9,843 shares on March 5th. The total transaction size was $669K.

16:17 EST Paramount Group to sell 1899 Pennsylvania Avenue for $115M - Paramount Group announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell 1899 Pennsylvania Avenue, a 191,000 square foot office building located in Washington, D.C., for $115M. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020. The impact of the sale of 1899 Pennsylvania Avenue was not included in the company's most recent earnings guidance issued on February 12, 2020. Based on the timing of the closing of this sale, the company no longer expects to receive 1c per share of Core FFO in 2020 that had previously been included in its full year 2020 Core FFO guidance.

16:09 EST Credit Acceptance CIO Kotch sells 3,619 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Credit Acceptance chief information officer Noah Kotch disclosed the sale of 3,619 common shares of the company on March 4 at a price of $430.31 per share.

16:05 EST Aridis Pharmaceuticals postponing Investor Day due to coronavirus - Aridis Pharmaceuticals announced the postponement of its Investor Day scheduled for Thursday, March 12th, 2020 to a future date due to concerns related to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

16:02 EST Cocrystal Pharma up over 40% after announcing coronavirus program

15:47 EST National Healthcare announces compliance with CMS, CDC requirements - National HealthCare Corporation announced its support for, and compliance with, the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services infection control requirements, as well as the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We applaud and appreciate the steps taken by Vice President Pence, CMS, and the CDC to ensure America's health care facilities are prepared for the threat of COVID-19," said CEO Steve Flatt. Flatt was one of four skilled nursing representatives who met with Vice President Pence and CMS Administrator Seema Verma on Wednesday morning. "We also thank Governor Lee, Commissioner Piercy, and the entire healthcare team at the State for their support and guidance," Flatt added.

15:42 EST Citi offers fee waivers, other programs to help customers impacted by COVID-19 - As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, Citi announced it will offer assistance to impacted customers in the U.S. through a range of measures, including fee waivers for Citibank customers, hardship programs, and additional small business support, such as extended banker availability. Citibank's individual and Small Business customers impacted by COVID-19 may be eligible for the following assistance, effective Monday, March 9, 2020 for an initial thirty days. Retail Bank: Fee waivers on monthly service fees; waived penalties for early CD withdrawal. Small Business: Fee waivers on monthly service fees and remote deposit capture; waived penalties for early CD withdrawal; Bankers available after hours and on weekends for support.

15:24 EST Standard Motor announces new $20M share repurchase plan - Standard Motor Products announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the purchase of up to $20M of its common stock under a stock repurchase program.

14:36 EST Joint Corp. down 6% to $14.19 after disclosing material weakness in filing

14:30 EST El Paso Electric license transfer approved by U.S. NRC - El Paso Electric and the Infrastructure Investments Fund announced that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC, approved the joint application for the indirect transfer of control of EPE's ownership interest in the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station to IIF as a result of its proposed acquisition of EPE. As previously announced, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the City of El Paso, Texas, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission have all approved the acquisition. Approvals from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are still pending. EPE and IIF issued the following statement: "This approval marks another important milestone in connection with IIF's proposed acquisition of El Paso Electric. In addition to approval from EPE shareholders, we have now received five out of the seven required governmental approvals. We expect to close the transaction in the first half of 2020, which we continue to believe will provide meaningful benefits to our customers, employees and the communities we serve."

14:10 EST Alimera Sciences regains compliance with the Nasdaq listing rules - In a regulatory filing, Alimera Sciences reported that on March 6, the company received a letter from Nasdaq informing that it has regained compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules based on compliance with the total assets / total revenue listing standard. "That standard requires a listed company's revenue and total assets to exceed $50 million in each case for the most recently completed fiscal year (and meet certain other requirements that we also met). Our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, which we filed with the SEC on March 2, 2020, reflect that we met this standard as of December 31, 2019, the end of our most recent fiscal year," the company stated.

13:57 EST Anthem plans waive member costs for COVID-19 testing - Anthem announced its efforts to "eliminate the burden of additional costs" for members in its affiliated health plans by providing coverage of the coronavirus screening test at no out-of-pocket-cost. The companies also confirm that prior authorization is not required for diagnostic services related to COVID-19 testing. Testing similar to what is offered now from the Centers for Disease Control will soon be offered more broadly. Anthem's waiver of copays, coinsurance and deductibles and prior authorization will extend to this focused test used to diagnose COVID-19 for all of Anthem's affiliated health plan fully-insured, individual, Medicaid and Medicare members when medically necessary. Anthem also recommends members use telehealth when possible, as it can help prevent them from spreading a virus further within a physical clinical setting.

13:53 EST Alaska Air sees February unit revenues up about 2.5% y/y - In a regulatory filing, Alaska Air provided an investor update related to its financial and operational outlook. "We previously provided first quarter 2020 and full-year 2020 guidance on January 28, 2020. Given the rapid pace of changing circumstances related to COVID-19, we are providing updates about recent trends in the business and changes to guidance. January and February 2020 demand was in-line with the expectations indicated in our previous unit revenue guidance. In January 2020 our unit revenues increased approximately 5% year-over-year on a 3-point increase in load factor. February 2020 unit revenues, while not finalized, are expected to increase approximately 2.5% year-over-year on a 1.7-point increase in load factor. However, close-in demand for March began to deteriorate in late February, and in the first week of March we have experienced a significant increase in close-in cancellations and a decline in forward bookings. These changing trends are believed to be a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. We anticipate these trends will continue through the remainder of March."

13:38 EST House Transportation Committee issues preliminary findings report on 737 MAX - The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Majority Staff has released its preliminary investigative findings on its investigation into the design, development, and certification of the Boeing 737 MAX. "The Committee's preliminary findings, titled "The Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft: Costs, Consequences, and Lessons from its Design, Development, and Certification," outlines technical design failures on the aircraft and Boeing's lack of transparency with aviation regulators and its customers as well as Boeing's efforts to obfuscate information about the operation of the aircraft," the announcement on the release of the report states. "Our Committee's investigation will continue for the foreseeable future, as there are a number of leads we continue to chase down to better understand how the system failed so horribly. But after nearly 12 months of reviewing internal documents and conducting interviews, our Committee has been able to bring into focus the multiple factors that allowed an unairworthy airplane to be put into service, leading to the tragic and avoidable deaths of 346 people. As we release this report to lay out our findings to date, my thoughts are with the families of the victims. Our search for answers continues on their behalf and for everyone who boards an airplane. The public deserves peace of mind that safety is always the top priority for everyone who has a role in our aviation system," Chair Peter DeFazio said. Reference Link

13:02 EST Whirlpool to create 150 manufacturing jobs at Oklahoma distribution center - Whirlpool Corporation announced the official opening of its new Factory Distribution Center adjacent to its existing manufacturing plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The existing plant produces freestanding and slide-in ranges under the Whirlpool, Amana, Maytag, KitchenAid and JennAir brands. Whirlpool's $55M investment in the new FDC, an 800,000 square foot facility, will approximately double the size of its footprint in Tulsa. The investment will support increased production capacity in the plant and improve efficiencies within the company's existing supply chain across North America, helping Whirlpool to continue to deliver products to its growing customer base. The opening of the FDC will also support the creation of an estimated 150 additional manufacturing jobs within the plant in addition to the existing workforce of 1,710.

12:32 EST Comerica names new Chief Enterprise Technology & Operations Services Officer - Comerica (CMA) announced that Megan Crespi will be named Executive Vice President and Chief Enterprise Technology & Operations Services Officer, effective March 23. Crespi will report to Curt Farmer, Chairman, President and CEO. Paul Obermeyer, Comerica's current Executive Vice President and Chief Enterprise Technology & Operations Services Officer, will retire on September 1. Crespi comes from Ally Financial (ALLY), where she served as Chief Technology Officer.

12:00 EST NexTier Oilfield falls -19.0% - NexTier Oilfield is down -19.0%, or -79c to $3.35.

12:00 EST Britannia Bulk rises 23.9% - Britannia Bulk is up 23.9%, or $1.79 to $9.30.

12:00 EST Enzo Biochem rises 50.2% - Enzo Biochem is up 50.2%, or $1.13 to $3.39.

11:51 EST Moderna coronavirus vaccine study estimated to begin March 19 - The estimated start date of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine study is March 19, according to a posting on ClinicalTrials.gov. The Phase I, open-label study is testing males and non-pregnant females, 18 to 55 years of age who are in good health and meet all eligibility criteria. The clinical trial is designed to assess the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of mRNA-1273, which is manufactured by Moderna. Forty-five subjects will be enrolled into one of three cohorts and will receive an intramuscular injection of mRNA-1273 on days one and 29 in the deltoid muscle. Subjects will be followed through 12 months post the second vaccination. The primary objective is to evaluate the safety and reactogenicity of a two-dose vaccination schedule of mRNA-1273, given 28 days apart, across three dosages in healthy adults. Shares of Moderna are up 66c to $28.67 in midday trading. Reference Link

11:38 EST USA Technologies shareholder Kurt King says Hudson provides 'best path forward' - The following letter was issued to the board of directors of USA Technologies by shareholder Kurt King. The letter read, in part: "I am Kurt King, beneficial owner of 600,000 shares of USA Technologies. This equates to roughly 1% of the company's outstanding shares. I have owned the stock for more than a year and intend to be a long-term holder...As we now know, the auditor's resignation last February was not the end of the management and governance failures. Subsequent events included the failure to meet Nasdaq's deadline for filing delinquent financials last September, the financing done with Antara under egregious terms in October, the need to restate FY19 and 1Q FY20 financials disclosed in February of 2020, and USAT's cringe-inducing delisting from Nasdaq also announced in February. Operating performance has deteriorated under your watch and the company continues to burn cash. You refused to work constructively with USAT's largest shareholder, Hudson Executive Capital, whose help could have mitigated the string of debacles of the past year-plus...This letter is prompted by your troubling announcement of leadership changes on March 2. You made several seemingly-permanent and likely expensive decisions despite the high likelihood the current board, CEO and CFO will be replaced following the April 30 annual meeting. As you are well aware, Hudson's proxy proposal initiated in October received yes votes from holders of 60.6% of shares with only 0.3% of shares opposed as of Hudson's filing in January. This extraordinary result was achieved despite you having denied Hudson USAT's shareholder list, leaving Hudson unable to identify and directly solicit a significant portion of shareholders...The most egregious of your recent decisions is that USAT's newly-appointed permanent CEO, Don Layden, will be entitled to a multi-million dollar exit package when his two-month tenure presumably ends on April 30. Further resources will be wasted by the exit of your newly-hired CFO. The disingenuousness of your March 2 actions was most clear in your addition of three of Hudson's board nominees to your own board slate without the nominees' knowledge, creating the false impression the nominations were the result of some sort of desirable middle-ground agreement. I believe informed investors can see right through your game; your intent to obstruct Hudson and entrench yourselves has been obvious since the proxy contest began last October. My concern is the potentially-costly confusion your latest actions could create among customers, suppliers, employees and potential new investors who haven't closely followed the story. I believe it would be disastrous for USAT shareholders were you to somehow win the upcoming vote. USAT's legacy management and board came to be widely distrusted by investors thanks to mis-management and the perceived deceptiveness of its senior leaders; I think many investors came to view USAT as uninvestable for these reasons. I believe your unfortunate conduct during the proxy contest will rightly lead investors to view you as a continuation of the legacy USAT, to wit, "meet the new boss, same as the old boss." In the four trading days completed since your announcement USAT's stock has declined 9% while the Nasdaq has gained 2%; investors' negative response to your actions seems unmistakable. While Hudson's involvement offers many positives, the most immediate will be the opportunity for investors to see a clean sweep of USAT's legacy leadership... It is obvious Hudson provides the best path forward. The shareholder vote on April 30 cannot come soon enough."

11:34 EST Cruise operators give up gains as U.S. said to consider discouraging cruises - Shares of Carnival (CCL), Royal Caribbean (RCL) and Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCLH) were all bouncing back in early trading following a recent run of down days fueled by the coronavirus outbreak. However, that recovery in price was short lived and the stocks are back in the red after Reuters' David Shepardson, Alexandra Alper and Ted Hesson reported earlier that four officials familiar with the situation said the Trump administration is considering ways to discourage U.S. travelers from taking cruises as part of a broader effort to limit the spread of the virus. It is possible that the administration could advise some or all U.S. travelers to avoid taking cruises, the officials said. No decision has been made and talks about the matter are taking place ahead of a meeting between Vice President Mike Pence and the cruise industry this weekend, the report noted. Reference Link

10:45 EST ON Semiconductor announces restructuring measures to save $90M annually - ON Semiconductor announced earlier this morning that it intends to take restructuring measures during Q1 "to realign its investments." The restructuring measures are expected to result in annual cost savings of approximately $90M, the majority of which are expected to be in operating expenses. These cost savings would be in addition to approximately $25M of expected annual cost savings that were announced on February 3 on the earnings conference call for Q4. The company expects to achieve targeted cost savings by the end of 2020 on quarterly run rate basis. "The company believes that these restructuring measures should enable it to optimize its cost structure and accelerate its progress towards its target financial model. These targeted cost reductions are structural in nature, and do not impact the company's ability to respond to a significant recovery in demand," ON said.

10:02 EST Royal Caribbean allows cancellations up to 48 hours before sailing - With COVID-19 adding uncertainty to travel plans around the world, Royal Caribbean Group said it will give guests greater control over their vacation decisions, allowing guests to cancel cruises as late as two days before departure. The "Cruise With Confidence" policy allows guests on Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea to cancel up to 48 hours before a sailing. Guests will receive a full credit for their fare, usable on any future sailing of the guest's choice in 2020 or 2021. The policy applies to both new and existing cruise bookings. The policy applies to all cruises with a sailing date on or before July 31, 2020, and will be offered by the company's global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea.

10:00 EST Tegna rises 24.0% - Tegna is up 24.0%, or $3.23 to $16.67.

10:00 EST Enzo Biochem rises 38.5% - Enzo Biochem is up 38.5%, or 87c to $3.13.

09:49 EST Norwegian Cruise Line trading resumes

09:47 EST H&R Block falls -15.2% - H&R Block is down -15.2%, or -$3.17 to $17.67.

09:47 EST Vermilion Energy falls -15.2% - Vermilion Energy is down -15.2%, or -$1.44 to $8.01.

09:47 EST ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 27.2% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 27.2%, or $7.80 to $36.51.

09:46 EST Neuronetics shares up 23% on breakthrough device designation for NeuroStar - Shares are off earlier highs but still up 23% or 63c per share to $3.33 per share in early trading.

09:28 EST BrainStorm raises $10M in common stock sale at $8.00 per share - BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Abbhi Investments, in connection with a privately negotiated sale of common stock and a warrant to purchase common stock. Upon the closing of this registered direct offering, BrainStorm will receive gross proceeds of $10M, resulting from the issuance and sale of 1,250,000 shares of common stock at a price per share of $8.00, a 4.9% premium to our closing share price of $7.62 on March 5, 2020, and a 35.6% premium to the 30 day volume-weighted average price of $5.90. The purchaser will also receive a warrant to purchase up to 250,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $15.00 per share. The warrant will be exercisable immediately and has a term of three years. The securities will be issued pursuant to the Company's existing shelf registration statement on Form S-3, which was filed with the SEC and declared effective by the SEC on June 29, 2018. BrainStorm intends to use the proceeds from this transaction to fund its operations, which includes, but is not limited to advancing the Company's clinical programs, commercial production of the investigational therapeutic NurOwn regulatory, pre-marketing and commercialization preparation activities of NurOwn for ALS, working capital and general corporate purposes.

09:23 EST Gol Linhas reports February total demand up 7.2% - In February: GOL's total supply increased 7.7%. Total seats increased 8.9% and the number of departures increased by 10.6%. GOL's total demand increased by 7.2% and the load factor was 80.7%. GOL's domestic supply increased 9.9% and demand increased by 9.1%. GOL's domestic load factor was 81.8%. The volume of departures increased by 10.4% and seats increased by 8.7%. GOL's international supply and demand decreased by 3.2% and 3.3% respectively, and international load factor was 74.3%.

09:19 EST Illinois Tool Works postpones investor day due to travel restrictions - ITW announced it will postpone its annual Investor Day, originally scheduled for Friday, March 13, 2020. Due to recently enacted travel restrictions at a number of participating firms, a significant percentage of attendees who registered for the event can no longer attend. The Company will announce the revised date for its 2020 Investor Day and plant tour as soon as it is rescheduled.

09:17 EST Innovation Pharmaceuticals signs MTA to explore briliacidin for coronavirus - Innovation Pharmaceuticals continues to receive inquiries regarding the potential of Brilacidin, the Company's novel defensin mimetic compound, to treat COVID-19, more generically called "coronavirus," given the urgent worldwide need to discover treatments and vaccines for the deadly epidemic. According to Worldometer.info as of Friday morning, more than 100,000 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed worldwide with over 3,400 deaths attributed to the virus. Innovation Pharmaceuticals has submitted a preliminary summary of Brilacidin's therapeutic potential as a novel coronavirus treatment to the U.S. Government's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and is already collaborating with scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for review of Brilacidin as a potential COVID-19 intervention. Innovation disclosed last week that the Company signed a Material Transfer Agreement to provide Brilacidin to one of the U.S.'s 12 Regional Biocontainment Labs for evaluation against COVID-19. The Company announces that a second MTA has been signed to ship Brilacidin to a major U.S. university for analysis.

09:16 EST Loop Industries enters offtake agreement with L'Oreal to supply PET resin - Loop Industries (LOOP) announced that they have entered into a multi-year offtake agreement with L'Oreal (LRLCY) to supply them with PET resin made of 100% recycled materials for their packaging needs.This resin is to be supplied from Loop Industries' joint venture facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina with Indorama Ventures, an integrated provider of PET plastic and polyester fiber manufacturing. The growing demand for Loop Industries' resin has driven the joint venture's decision to increase the facility's production capacity to 40 KT per year, thus enabling Loop Industries to broaden its array of partnerships and supply more brands with resin made from waste PET plastic and polyester fiber. Waste PET plastic and polyester fiber can be diverted away from landfills and natural areas, depolymerized into its base building blocks, purified and polymerized into virgin-quality Loop PET resin. Started in 2018, the collaboration between L'Oreal and Loop Industries is now entering a new step forward with this agreement for the supply of sustainable PET resin.

09:07 EST Globus Maritime announces receipt of Nasdaq notice of deficiency - Globus Maritime announced it has received written notification from the Nasdaq Stock Market dated March 2, 2020, indicating that because the closing bid price of the Company's common stock for the last 30 consecutive business days was below $1.00 per share, the Company no longer meets the minimum bid price continued listing requirement for the Nasdaq Capital Market, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rules, the applicable grace period to regain compliance is 180 days, or until August 31, 2020. The Company intends to monitor the closing bid price of its common stock between now and August 31, 2020 and is considering its options, including a potential reverse stock split, in order to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market minimum bid price requirement. The Company can cure this deficiency if the closing bid price of its common stock is $1.00 per share or higher for at least ten consecutive business days during the grace period. In the event the Company does not regain compliance within the 180-day grace period, and it meets all other listing standards and requirements it may be eligible for an additional 180-day grace period. The Company intends to cure the deficiency within the prescribed grace period. During this time, the Company's common stock will continue to be listed and trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The company's business operations are not affected by the receipt of the notification.

09:06 EST Health Insurance Innovations officially renamed Benefytt Technologies - Health Insurance Innovations announced that it has officially been renamed Benefytt Technologies, Inc. and that its NASDAQ ticker symbol has been changed to BFYT

09:04 EST Cerecor appoints Jeff Wilkins as chief development officer - Cerecor announced that Jeff Wilkins, MD has joined the Company as its chief development officer, with a specific focus on CERC-002, CERC-006 and CERC-007 clinical development programs. Wilkins brings over 19 years of clinical research experience to the Company, most recently serving as CMO of Zyla Life Sciences.

08:48 EST CVS Health announces COVID-19 resources for Aetna members - CVS Health announced several steps to support Aetna members in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Effective immediately, Aetna members will have access to the following resources: Aetna will waive co-pays for all diagnostic testing related to COVID-19. This policy will cover the test kit for patients who meet CDC guidelines for testing, which can be done in any approved laboratory location. Aetna will waive the member costs associated with diagnostic testing at any authorized location for all Commercial, Medicare and Medicaid lines of business. Self-insured plan sponsors will be able to opt-out of this program at their discretion. For the next 90 days, Aetna will offer zero co-pay telemedicine visits - for any reason. Aetna members should use telemedicine as their first line of defense in order to limit potential exposure in physician offices. Cost sharing will be waived for all video visits through the CVS MinuteClinic app, Aetna-covered Teladoc offerings and in-network providers delivering synchronous virtual care (live video-conferencing) for all Commercial plan designs. Self-insured plan sponsors will be able to opt-out of this program at their discretion. Through Aetna's Healing Better program, members who are diagnosed with COVID-19 will receive a care package containing CVS over-the-counter medications to help relieve symptoms. The package will also include personal and household cleaning supplies to help keep others in the home protected from potential exposure. Through existing care management programs, Aetna will proactively reach out to members most at-risk for COVID-19. Care managers will walk members through what they can do to protect themselves, where to get information on the virus, and where to go to get tested. Aetna is extending its Medicare Advantage virtual evaluation and monitoring visit benefit to all Aetna Commercial members as a fully-covered benefit. This offering will empower members with other conditions that need follow-up care to engage with providers without the concern of sitting in a physician's office and risking potential exposure to COVID-19. CVS Health is implementing the following programs to educate members about COVID-19 and help address any associated anxiety and stress: Opening Crisis Response Lines for all Aetna (Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid) and Caremark members who may be experiencing anxiety related to COVID-19. Expanding 24x7 access to the Aetna Nurse Medical Line for all Aetna and Caremark members. Providing Aetna plan sponsors with a Resources for Living toolkit with materials specifically developed for members experiencing anxiety related to COVID-19.

08:33 EST Aesthetic Medical appoints Cathy Peng to board of directors - Aesthetic Medical announced appointment of Cathy Peng as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company effective March 6, 2020 to replace Zhang Jianbin who stepped down due to personal reasons. Peng currently is the CEO of ROCS Global Inc., which is an executive consulting firm headquartered in Silicon Valley.

08:20 EST Tegna jumps after report of $8.5B takeover bid from Gray Television - Shares of Tegna (TGNA) have jumped over 26% in pre-market trading after Reuters Krystal Hu and Greg Roumeliotis reported that Gray Television (GTN) has made an offer to acquire its larger peer for about $8.5B, including debt. People familiar with the matter said the offer of $20 per share for Tegna is made up of cash and stock, according to the report.

08:16 EST Methode Electronics appoints Therese Bobek, Mary Lindsey to board of directors - Methode Electronics announced on the recommendation of the Nominating and Governance Committee to increase the size of the Board from ten to twelve members. Upon recommendation of the committee, the Board elected Ms. Therese Bobek and Ms. Mary Lindsey as Directors and approved their appointments to the Audit Committee. Bobek was an Assurance Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1997 until her retirement in 2018. Lindsey served as CFO of Commercial Metals Company, a global manufacturer and recycler of steel and other metals, from January 2016 until her retirement in August 2019.

08:12 EST Rogers Communications offers 5G service on 5G smartphone - Rogers (RCI) announced it is bringing exclusive 5G service to its customers on Canada's first 5G smartphone, the Samsung (SSNLF) Galaxy S20 5G series. Rogers Infinite customers and business customers with unlimited plans can access 5G services, where available, on the new Samsung 5G smartphone. Rogers recently announced it has begun rolling out Canada's first 5G network in downtown Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, with 20 more markets to come this year. Samsung Galaxy S20 5G series smartphones are available anywhere Rogers devices are sold across the country. With Rogers financing, customers can get a new Samsung 5G smartphone for $0 down and 0% interest and pay off their device through equal monthly payments over a 24-month period. With Rogers Upfront Edge, Infinite customers can save even more on their new device when they return it within two years. Rogers 5G wireless service is available exclusively on Rogers Infinite and Rogers Business Wireless with unlimited data plans. These 5G-ready plans come with 5G access included, a $15 per month value, at no extra charge until March 6, 2021.

08:06 EST PriceSmart CEO says has not seen 'significant impact' from coronavirus - Sherry Bahrambeygui, CEO, commented: "We saw solid net merchandise sales growth in February driven in part, by a combination of the benefits realized from the Six Rights of Merchandising initiatives we have undertaken during the last several months, the addition of four new clubs, and one more shopping day versus the prior year period because of leap day. As we expected, recent club openings in our existing markets are putting pressure on comparable net merchandise sales in the near-term. We believe these additional clubs, strategically located, enhance our members' shopping experience, drive membership loyalty and, as a consequence, will continue to increase membership and sales growth over time. With regard to the Coronavirus, we have not yet seen a significant impact in any of our markets, except we noted an increase in sales of certain durable food and cleaning items approaching the end of February. We continue to prepare for various scenarios to minimize out-of-stocks and to protect our supply chain so that we can be in a strong position to effectively serve our members and our markets when they need us most. And, as always, our plans prioritize the safety and well-being of our members and our employees and their families. We wish you and your families good health and safety, as we all work together to emerge from this health concern."

08:05 EST PriceSmart reports February net merchandise sales increased 11.7% to $255.5M - PriceSmart announced that for the month of February, net merchandise sales increased 11.7% to $255.5M from $228.8M in February a year earlier. The extra day from leap year, Saturday, February 29, impacted net merchandise sales favorably versus the same one-month period in the prior year. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacted net merchandise sales negatively by $1.6M or 0.6% versus the same one-month period in the prior year. There were 45 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of February and 41 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of February 2019. For the five weeks ended March 1, comparable net merchandise sales for the 41 warehouse clubs open at least 13 1/2 full months increased 1.0% when compared to the same five-week period last year. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacted comparable net merchandise sales negatively by $1.9M or 0.6% versus the same period in the prior year.

08:03 EST Digirad Corp soars 72% to $5.50 after Q4 results, FY20 guidance

07:44 EST Frontline announces sale-and-leaseback agreement up to $544M - Frontline announced that it has signed a sale-and-leaseback agreement in an amount up to $544M with ICBC Financial Leasing. The Lease Financing has a tenor of seven years, carries a rate of LIBOR plus a margin of 230 bps, has an amortization profile of 17.8 years and includes purchase options for Frontline throughout the term with a purchase obligation at the end of the term. The proceeds of the Lease Financing will be used to finance the cash amount payable upon closing of the acquisition of 10 Suezmax tankers built in 2019 under the sale and purchase agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trafigura Pte Ltd. targeted to take place March 16, 2020.

07:33 EST Colony Capital issues statement in response to Blackwells Capital press release - Colony Capital issued the following statement in response to the press release issued by Blackwells Capital: "There is nothing new in Blackwells' latest letter, which is yet another effort to hide its lack of a coherent strategy behind personal attacks against Colony's Board and management team. Following the consummation of a cooperation agreement with Blackwells in February 2019 under which three new directors were appointed to the Colony Capital Board of Directors and the Board formed a Strategic Asset Review Committee ("SARC"), the SARC completed a comprehensive review process and the Company successfully executed a number of important initiatives. The Company's actions - including the CEO succession announcement, pivot to digital infrastructure, and numerous value enhancing acquisitions and divestitures - resulted from the strategic review process overseen by the five independent directors on the SARC (including the directors approved by Blackwells last year), and were unanimously approved by the full Board. In short, the directors approved by Blackwells last year have been instrumental in charting the Company's strategic path. Colony Capital believes it is important to note that Colony insiders own approximately 9.5% of Colony's outstanding shares - underscoring that Colony's Board, executives and senior management have much more at stake and are aligned with the interests of other shareholders. In contrast, Blackwells owns less than 1.9%, has presented no new ideas, and already has disproportionate representation on the Board. The Board and management team of Colony Capital, including the three directors that Blackwells itself approved last year, are confident in its ongoing strategic pivot, and will continue to advance that strategy to drive long-term value for all shareholders."

07:25 EST AstraZeneca reports Phase 3 DANUBE trial did not meet primary endpoints - The Phase 3 DANUBE trial for Imfinzi and Imfinzi plus tremelimumab in unresectable, Stage IV bladder cancer did not meet the primary endpoints of improving overall survival versus standard-of-care chemotherapy for Imfinzi monotherapy in patients whose tumor cells and/or tumor-infiltrating immune cells express high levels of PD-L1, or for Imfinzi plus tremelimumab in patients regardless of their PD-L1 expression, AstraZeneca reports. Jose Baselga, Executive Vice President, Oncology R&D, said: "AstraZeneca remains committed to addressing unmet needs in bladder cancer and the potential for immunotherapy to improve outcomes for these patients. The results from this trial will inform our comprehensive Phase III development programme in bladder cancer. We look forward to the results of the Phase III NILE trial also in the 1st-line metastatic setting, and we continue to advance clinical trials for patients at earlier stages of the disease." The safety and tolerability profiles for Imfinzi and the combination with tremelimumab were consistent with previous trials. The data will be presented at a forthcoming medical meeting, the company noted.

07:10 EST Briggs & Stratton CEO says repositioning 'around our foundational expertise' - As a result of careful analysis of market dynamics and opportunities, the company will be repositioning to focus its businesses with expected annual sales of approximately $1B in the design, production and sale of: Briggs & Stratton residential engines, where it maintains a recognized global leadership position; Vanguard commercial engines, which has experienced sustained high growth and market share gains; Briggs & Stratton standby power generation, in which it maintains the number two position in North America; and Vanguard commercial battery systems, where it is a pioneer in commercializing electrification for a broad range of commercial applications. "An in-depth analysis to more deeply understand the impact of market trends on our business portfolio has led us to focus our resources and energies to drive more sustained growth and higher risk-adjusted returns," stated Todd Teske, Chairman, President and CEO. "We are pursuing a repositioning of the company to simplify our portfolio around our foundational expertise in power application. This action gives us an opportunity to streamline and optimize our corporate infrastructure to support higher profitability, as well as to strengthen our balance sheet with proceeds from the divestiture of strong, yet non-core, assets. Throughout this process, our mission has remained the same: to provide power to people to make work easier and improve lives. We will do this by providing innovative and diverse power solutions and a superior support network."

07:08 EST FangDD Network announces donation of medical equipment to combat COVID-19 - Fangdd Network Group announced a donation of approximately RMB1M worth of medical supplies and equipment to hospitals in China's Hubei Province to help combat the COVID-19 outbreak. The donation includes medical safety glasses, sterile gloves, hazmat suits, and facemasks, all of which were procured through international channels. In addition, the Company implemented a series of measures to ensure a safe and efficient operating environment for real estate agents and customers on its platform. As a technology-enabled platform, the Company has always been committed to the development of an online real estate transaction process for agencies and agents. For this purpose, the Company launched online solutions to cover five key elements in the transaction process, including property listings, customer interactions, real estate agent services, transaction management services, and payment of transaction service fees.

07:07 EST Medigus announces ScoutCam closes investment round - Medigus announced that on March 3, 2020, ScoutCam Inc. consummated an investment agreement for a total of $948,400 with certain investors. This investment reflects a post-investment valuation of approximately $14,500,000. Following the closing of the investment, Medigus will hold approximately 56% in ScoutCam. According to the agreement, ScoutCam will issue of $948,400 worth of units at a purchase price of $0.968 per unit, and each unit will consist of a combination of shares of common stock and warrants to purchase shares of common stock. In connection with the investment, ScoutCam issued to the participating investors 1,959,504 shares of common stock and a total of 2,939,258 warrants to purchase shares of common stock. The shares of common stock and warrants were issued to the investors pursuant to Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

07:03 EST AbbVie: EC approves change to marketing authorization for MAVIRET - AbbVie announced that the European Commission has approved a change to the marketing authorization for MAVIRET to shorten once-daily treatment duration from 12 to 8 weeks in treatment-naive, compensated cirrhotic, chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 3 infection. MAVIRET was already indicated as an 8-week, pan-genotypic, once-daily regimen for treatment-naive HCV patients without cirrhosis, and as an 8-week, once-daily regimen for treatment-naive GT 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 HCV patients with compensated cirrhosis.

06:58 EST Madison Square Garden makes progress on proposed spin-off transaction - The Madison Square Garden Company announced that it is continuing to make important progress on the spin-off of its entertainment businesses from its sports businesses. The company filed a publicly available Form 10 Registration Statement with the U.S. SEC for the new entertainment company, which is expected to be called Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. In addition, the company announced that Andrew Lustgarten is expected to be named President and CEO overseeing all business operations for the pure-play sports company, which is expected to be re-named Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. This transaction remains subject to various conditions, including final league and MSG Board approval. MSG's proposed spin-off transaction would create two distinct companies for shareholders - MSG Sports, a pure-play sports company that would reflect the strong and steady financial performance of MSG's sports businesses and MSG Entertainment, an entertainment company that would capitalize on opportunities for growth, most notably through venue expansion. Following the completion of the spin-off, James Dolan is expected to serve as Executive Chairman of the sports company and as Executive Chairman and CEO of the entertainment company. In addition to serving as President and CEO of the sports company, it is anticipated that Lustgarten will serve as President of the entertainment company.

06:31 EST Kiwa Bio-Tech Products names Wade Li as CEO - Kiwa Bio-Tech Products is pleased to announce that on March 5, the company appointed Wade Li as CEO. Wade Li founded Kiwa Bio-Tech Products Group in 1999.

06:08 EST Nvidia to acquire SwiftStack; terms not disclosed - SwiftStack co-founder and president Joe Arnold announced in a blog post that the object storage software company has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by NVIDIA. Arnold said: "For more than a year, our team has worked together with NVIDIA to solve the data challenges to enable AI at scale. We expect to close the transaction in the weeks ahead, subject to customary conditions." Reference Link

06:01 EST Baker Hughes announces February international rig count of 1,085, up 7 - Baker Hughes announced that the Baker Hughes international rig count for February 2020 was 1,085, up 7 from the 1,078 counted in January 2020, and up 58 from the 1,027 counted in February 2019. The international offshore rig count for February 2020 was 245, unchanged from the 245 counted in January 2020, and down 5 from the 250 counted in February 2019. The average U.S. rig count for February 2020 was 791, unchanged from the 791 counted in January 2020, and down 258 from the 1,049 counted in February 2019. The average Canadian rig count for February 2020 was 249, up 45 from the 204 counted in January 2020, and up 19 from the 230 counted in February 2019. The worldwide rig count for February 2020 was 2,125, up 52 from the 2,073 counted in January 2020, and down 181 from the 2,306 counted in February 2019.

05:28 EST Accenture acquires Context Information Security, terms not disclosed - Accenture has acquired Context Information Security, a cyber defense consultancy, previously owned by parent company Babcock International Group. Financial terms were not disclosed. "The acquisition of Context - which also has offices in Germany, the U.S. and Australia - strengthens Accenture Security's existing portfolio and becomes part of Accenture's cyber defense offerings. The addition of Context's more than 250 employees will further deepen Accenture Security's services to clients."

05:23 EST JinkoSolar raises FY19 solar module shipments view to 14.3 GW-14.4 GW - JinkoSolar previously expected FY19 solar module shipments of 14 GW-14.2 GW.

05:15 EST Levi Strauss no longer participating in BofA conference due to COVID-19 concerns - Levi Strauss announced that it will no longer be participating in the Bank of America Securities Consumer and Retail Technology Conference on Tuesday, March 10, as a result of the cancellation of the in-person format related to COVID-19 concerns.