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

19:59 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 953.26MT from 962.03MT - This is the 2nd consecutive decline and lowest level of holdings since March 5th.

19:19 EDT Verso president Michael Weinhold resigns - Verso announced that Michael Weinhold has resigned as President of Verso, effective March 10, 2020.

18:50 EDT Newell Brands board member Brett Icahn buys 238.7K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Newell Brands disclosed that its board member Brett Icahn bought 238.7K shares of common stock on March 9th. The total transaction size was $3.15M.

18:36 EDT CME Group to close Chicago trading floor - CME Group announced it will close its Chicago trading floor as of the close of business Friday, March 13, as a precaution to reduce large gatherings that can contribute to the spread of coronavirus in line with the advice of medical professionals. All products will continue to trade on CME Globex as they do today. No coronavirus cases have been reported on the trading floor or in the Chicago Board of Trade building. The reopening of the trading floor will be evaluated as more medical guidance on the coronavirus becomes available. The company's headquarters at 20 S. Wacker Drive will remain open. The trading floor community will receive an additional q&a tomorrow related to the execution of certain floor products, procedures and protocols and other floor-related practices.

18:05 EDT NMPRC approves IIF's proposed acquisition of El Paso Electric - El Paso Electric Company and The Infrastructure Investments Fund announced that the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission approved IIF's proposed acquisition of EPE. EPE and IIF issued the following statement: "We are pleased that the NMPRC approved the unopposed stipulation and the Hearing Examiner's modifications. The parties worked collaboratively to reach a mutual understanding early in the process. Today's unanimous approval by the NMPRC confirms the significant value the proposed acquisition will provide to our customers, employees and communities." As previously announced, the proposed transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2020, with one remaining regulatory approval needed from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

17:55 EDT CNH Industrial to temporarily close certain Italian production facilities - CNH Industiral has expanded its already extensive measures to ensure a safe working environment for its employees in light of the COVID-19 emergency. The company has been leveraging its experience acquired firstly in China, and more recently rolling out best practices across all regions in which it operates. Reflecting the emergency decrees announced earlier this week by the Italian Government, the Company has started to introduce additional measures at its facilities in Italy, which strictly follow the mandated requirements. To this end CNH Industrial today announced that, where necessary, it will temporarily close Italian production facilities, during which time additional safety measures will be implemented. These protocols will be applied across all CNH Industrial's manufacturing sites should conditions require. This will enable the Company to continue to provide all employees with a safe working environment, whilst managing production volumes accordingly.

17:46 EDT PDC Energy says FY21 production and oil production to increase modestly - PDC Energy announced an operational update and changes to its 2020 guidance and 2021 outlook. The company expects to reduce its full-year capital investments by 20 to 25% compared to its original guidance range of $1.0 to $1.1B and projects free cash flow in excess of $150M million for the year. Production is now expected to average similar levels as pro forma 2019 volumes of approximately 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, while oil production is expected to average approximately 73,000 barrels per day. Both total production and oil production estimates reflect the mid-January closing date of the Company's merger with SRC Energy. The company will continue to monitor the near and long-term commodity price environment and has short-term contracts with further flexibility to adjust its development plan should it deem necessary. Given the current conditions, PDC expects to slow its pace of previously planned share repurchases while prioritizing its financial strength and liquidity. Additionally, the Company continues to scrutinize its cost structure with a goal of maintaining its peer-leading metrics. PDC plans to provide a detailed update to its 2020 guidance in the coming weeks. ..."We are well-prepared for this scenario as the resilience and strength of our assets are on full display as we project to generate free cash flow while maintaining our production base. Meanwhile, our ability to return capital to shareholders through both debt retirement and opportunistically buying back stock in this environment is truly differentiating." .. Utilizing the price assumptions outlined above would result in full-year capital investments similar to the updated 2020 plan and free cash flow in excess of $200M. Production and oil production for 2021 are expected to increase modestly on a daily basis compared to the updated 2020 plan.

17:44 EDT PDC Energy sees FY20 production similar as pro forma 2019 volumes - PDC Energy said that production is now expected to average similar levels as pro forma 2019 volumes of approximately 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, while oil production is expected to average approximately 73,000 barrels per day. Both total production and oil production estimates reflect the mid-January closing date of the Company's merger with SRC Energy.

17:43 EDT PDC Energy to reduce full year capital investment view by 20-25% - PDC Energy expects to reduce its full-year capital investments by 20 to 25% compared to its original guidance range of $1.0 to $1.1B and projects free cash flow in excess of $150M million for the year.

17:38 EDT Amneal Pharmaceuticals names Tasos Konidaris as CFO, effective March 12 - Amneal Pharmaceuticals announced it has appointed Tasos Konidaris as Senior Vice President, CFO, effective March 12. Konidaris succeeds Todd Branning, who is no longer serving in this role, but remains available to the company through March 31. Konidaris brings to Amneal more than 30 years of corporate finance and leadership experience, including in the pharmaceutical and business analytics and data industries. He most recently served as CFO and as a board member of Alcresta Therapeutics.

17:35 EDT Quorum Health says continues to engage in talks with KKR on recapitalization - Quorum Health responded to an update provided by KKR Credit Advisors on Tuesday March 10 regarding the previously disclosed non-binding proposal letter delivered to the Company on December 2, 2019. The company, together with its financial and legal advisors, continues to engage in constructive discussions with KKR and other debt holders regarding a potential recapitalization or financial reorganization transaction. The Company's objective is to reach a consensual agreement that enables it to reduce its annual interest expense, enhance its operations and invest in future growth.

17:33 EDT Granite Construction awarded $36M contract by El Dorado Irrigation District - Granite announced it has been awarded a $36M contract by the El Dorado Irrigation District, EID, for the Folsom Lake Intake Improvements Project in El Dorado Hills, California, located approximately 20 miles east of Sacramento. Originally constructed in 1958, the Folsom Lake Intake supplies raw water from Folsom Lake to the El Dorado Hills Water Treatment Plant where it is treated and conveyed to local customers. This project will provide critical improvements to the existing facilities including the replacement of all intake structures, pumps and associated piping, electrical, controls and site modifications. Crews will also be responsible for constructing a temperature-controlled device for EID's intake facilities in order to preserve the cold-water pool in Folsom Lake to help enhance downstream habitat for anadromous fish species as well as maintaining water delivery service during construction. "Granite's Sacramento Valley Region has a long history of working with the irrigation district and the team looks forward to working together again to complete the necessary improvements at Folsom Lake," said Carter Rohrbough, vice president of Granite's Northern California Operations.

17:16 EDT Wheaton Precious Metals sees 2020 gold equivalent production 685K-725K oz. - Wheaton's estimated attributable production in 2020 is forecast to be 390,000 to 410,000 ounces of gold, 22.0 to 23.5 million ounces of silver, and 23,000 to 24,500 ounces of palladium, resulting in gold equivalent production of approximately 685,000 to 725,000 ounces. For the five-year period ending in 2024, the company estimates that average annual gold equivalent production will amount to 750,000 ounces.

17:15 EDT Wheaton Precious Metals raises quarterly dividend 11% to 10c per share - The first quarterly cash dividend for 2020 of 10c will be paid to holders of record of Wheaton Precious Metals common shares as of the close of business on March 26 and will be distributed on or about April 9.

17:11 EDT Innovative Industrial Properties buys Florida property, in lease with Parallel - Innovative Industrial Properties announced that it closed on the acquisition of a property in Wimauma, Florida, which comprises approximately 373,000 square feet of industrial and greenhouse space, from an affiliate of Parallel, a leading multi-state cannabis company with operations in Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas. Parallel is the corporate parent company to Surterra Wellness, a market leader and one of the original licensed vertical operators in Florida, with a rapidly growing footprint that includes 39 retail dispensaries across the state and multiple industrial-scale cultivation, production and research facilities. The purchase price for the property was $35.3 million, excluding transaction costs. Concurrent with the closing of the purchase, IIP entered into a long-term, triple-net lease agreement for the property with a subsidiary of Parallel, which intends to continue to operate the property as a regulated medical cannabis cultivation and processing facility. Parallel is expected to complete additional tenant improvements for the property, for which IIP has agreed to provide reimbursement of up to $8.2 million. Assuming full reimbursement for the tenant improvements, IIP's total investment in the property will be $43.5 million.

17:02 EDT B&G Foods extends stock repurchase program to March 2021 - B&G Foods has authorized an extension of the company's stock repurchase program from March 15, 2020 to March 15, 2021. In extending the repurchase program, the board also reset the repurchase authority to up to $50M. Under the prior authorization, the company repurchased and retired from March 15, 2019 through March 11, 2020, 1,330,865 shares of common stock at an average price per share, excluding fees and commissions, of $18.55, or $24.7M in the aggregate. The company currently has 64,044,649 shares of common stock outstanding.

17:00 EDT Home Depot CIO buys 4.7K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Home Depot disclosed that EVP/CIO Matt Carey bought 4,745 shares of common stock on March 9th. The transaction size was $1M.

16:45 EDT Colgate-Palmolive raises quarterly dividend to 44c from 43c per share - The increase will be effective in the second quarter. The Board declared that the second quarter dividend is to be paid on May 15 to shareholders of record as of April 20.

16:34 EDT BioLife Solutions says implementing continuity plans to reduce Covid-19 impact - The company said, "The Seattle area, including the location of our corporate headquarters and our media production facility and warehouse, is currently the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US. We are following the recommendations of local health authorities to minimize exposure risk for our team members and visitors. We believe we have sufficient inventory to meet previously forecasted biopreservation media demand for the next six to nine months, and we are implementing various business continuity plans to reduce the potential impact of COVID-19. However, this is a dynamic situation, with an unknowable magnitude and duration. Our focus is on the health of our team members in all locations, and our ability to meet customer demand for our products."

16:32 EDT O-I Glass CEO says business operating without interruption, demand stable - O-I Glass provided a business update in lieu of management's previously scheduled presentation at the JP Morgan investor conference which was cancelled by the organizers due to COVID-19. "O-I's operating performance through February has been solid, and pacing in-line with the company's most recent earnings guidance for the first quarter of 2020. Overall, sales volume has been flat with the prior year. Higher shipments in Asia-Pacific (including China) and the benefit from the Nueva Fanal acquisition offset continued lower beer demand in North America which has been in-line with our expectations. We benefited from higher average selling prices as well as favorable sales mix and cost performance, especially at the company's focus factories. We are pleased with the progress of our turnaround initiatives and overall business performance to date. Despite the challenges associated with COVID-19 and resulting economic disruption, O-I's business continues to operate without interruption and recent demand patterns remain stable through early March. O-I continues to closely follow guidance from the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as federal and state governments in appropriate jurisdictions related to COVID-19. The company has been working with customers and suppliers alike to develop preparedness plans in response to this rapidly evolving situation. We are better integrated as an enterprise and prepared than ever to move with speed and agility to execute any contingency plans if required. O-I continues to advance its strategic portfolio review, as expected, and the company's balance sheet is sound. Following refinancing activity last year and given proceeds from recent divestitures, the company's liquidity position is strong with cash and available lines of credit of approximately $2B at December 31, 2019 and no near-term bond maturities. Year-to-date through February 2020, cash flows compare favorably to the same period last year given lower working capital levels, lower capital expenditures and suspension of asbestos related payments. The Chapter 11 process of O-I's subsidiary Paddock Enterprises is proceeding as expected. Paddock has opposed a request by the U.S. Trustee to examine its Corporate Modernization transaction, which is a strategy that has been widely and successfully used by other companies and which we believe enhances Paddock's ability to resolve its liabilities fairly and in way that maximizes value for all stakeholders. We are confident that the Corporate Modernization transaction fully complies with Delaware law and will be validated through the bankruptcy process. Paddock remains committed to addressing its legacy liabilities in a just and appropriate manner and is continuing work with its creditor constituencies towards achieving a consensual Plan of Reorganization."

16:31 EDT Activision Blizzard names Daniel Alegre as COO - Activision Blizzard (ATVI) announced the appointment of veteran Google (GOOGL) executive Daniel Alegre as President and Chief Operating Officer, effective April 7, 2020. Alegre brings decades of global experience in entertainment and technology and a consistent record of driving revenue growth at Google. In his new role, Alegre will oversee the Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, and King Digital Entertainment businesses, reporting directly to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. Most recently at Google, Alegre was President of Global Retail and Shopping, where he led initiatives to embed ecommerce across all Google product areas and helped diversify beyond advertising into the retail transactions business.

16:30 EDT Park-Ohio authorizes share repurchase of up to 1M shares - Park-Ohio announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program whereby the company may repurchase up to 1M shares of its outstanding common stock. This replaces a share repurchase plan previously authorized by the Board of Directors in 2013.

16:28 EDT Blizzard cancels all March, April Overwatch League events amid COVID-19 fears - Blizzard said that it has canceled all Overwatch League events in March and April amid coronavirus fears. "The health and safety of employees, fans, players, teams, and partners is paramount to Activision Blizzard Esports," the company said. "We are continuing to closely monitor COVID-19 (coronavirus), city-level recommendations and mandates, and all guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After careful review and working in close collaboration with our teams, we are canceling all Overwatch League events scheduled for March and April." "Concurrently, we are working hand-in-hand with our teams to see that all matches are played when it's safe and logistically feasible, staying as close to our originally planned schedule as possible," Blizzard continued. "We are considering the various options available to esports in this effort, so that all teams - including those previously impacted by scheduling changes in China - can get back to doing what they do best. No adjustments have been made for any other scheduled Overwatch League events. We will share additional updates, as needed." Reference Link

16:25 EDT Midland States increases stock repurchase program to $50M - Midland States Bancorp announced that its board has approved an amendment to the company's current stock repurchase program that increases the amount of common stock authorized for repurchase to $50M from $25M and extends the expiration date of the program to December 31. As of March 10, the company had repurchased 477,230 shares of its common stock at an average price of $25.46 for a total investment of $12.2M under the stock repurchase program that was initially authorized on August 6, 2019.

16:22 EDT Chembio, Takeda complete feasibility study - Chembio Diagnostics (CEMI) announced that it successfully completed the technical feasibility phase for a potential companion/compatible diagnostic test being developed in collaboration with Shire Human Genetic Therapies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (TAK). The program is focused within Takeda's Rare Diseases Therapeutic Area Unit, which aspires to transform the treatment of rare diseases in immunology, hematology, metabolic and lysosomal storage disorders. Chembio originally announced in July 2019 that it had entered into the collaboration with funding provided by Takeda, subject to achieving certain milestones and building upon Takeda's technical research on a unique set of biomarkers.

16:19 EDT Victory Capital reports AUM of $142.4B as of Feb 29, 2020 - Victory Capital Holdings reported assets under management of $142.4B on February 29, 2020.

16:18 EDT Newgioco temporarily closes 150 betting shop locations in Italy - Newgioco provided an update on the impact of the COVID-19 virus on its operations. As result of the global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, on March 8, 2020 the Italian government imposed certain restrictions on public gatherings and travel until April 3, 2020. Accordingly, the company has temporarily closed approximately 150 betting shop locations throughout Italy. Subsequently, on March 10, 2020 the Italian government imposed further restrictions on travel throughout Italy as well as transborder crossings that may negatively impact the company's operating results and hamper our efforts to meet filing deadlines. The closing of physical locations does not affect the Company's online and mobile business operations; however, most professional sports events have been either postponed or cancelled which may have an effect on our overall sports betting handle and revenues. The impact, extent and duration of the government imposed restrictions on travel, public gatherings and sports events as well as the overall effect of the COVID-19 virus is presently unknown. "We are closely monitoring the active circumstances and the impact of COVID-19 on our product demand and business. Our priority is protecting our employees, supporting our customers and providing timely information to our investors and stockholders," stated Company Chairman and CEO, Michele Ciavarella. "Along with our management teams in Italy and Austria, we remain in close contact with local and national health authorities and have implemented notification and prevention procedures at our administration offices and physical locations. Also, the Company is pro-actively taking the health and safety of our employees very seriously by implementing smart-work initiatives by encouraging, when and where possible, work from home options."

16:14 EDT NWSL strikes multi-year media pacts with CBS Sports, Twitch - The National Women's Soccer League announced landmark, multi-year media rights agreements, in which CBS Sports (VIAC) and Twitch (AMZN) have acquired the rights to exclusively present all NWSL matches for the next three years, beginning with the upcoming 2020 season. CBS Sports will deliver a total of 87 NWSL matches in 2020 across CBS, CBS Sports Network, and CBS All Access, CBS's subscription video on demand and live streaming service. Highlights include the NWSL season opener and Championship Game on the CBS Television Network; 14 matches on CBS Sports Network, including both Semifinals; and 71 additional games on CBS All Access. All games offered on CBS All Access will be available to subscribers online at CBS.com, on mobile devices via the CBS app and on all major connected TV devices and platforms. The deal with CBS marks the first time a U.S. broadcast network will present live, national coverage of women's professional club soccer in the United States. In addition, Twitch will present 24 free, select matches during the 2020 NWSL regular season. Twitch will also serve as the NWSL's exclusive international media rights partner outside the United States, making all 108 regular season games, the playoffs, and championship available to global viewers. The NWSL and Twitch will collaborate on additional league and player-related content and original programming opportunities to enhance the overall fan-viewing experience and continue to grow women's professional soccer around the world. Reference Link

16:12 EDT Zagg suspends review of strategic alternatives - Zagg announced that its board suspended its review of strategic alternatives, which was first publicly announced on August 6, 2019. Despite a thorough and rigorous process conducted by the board with BofA Securities' assistance, during which time the company reached out to over 60 strategic and financial parties, the company was unable to finalize a definitive offer at a price that was not significantly below the current trading levels. The board determined that stockholder value would be better enhanced on a standalone basis than by pursuing a transaction on the terms and pricing proposed.

16:10 EDT Bankwell Financial names Matthew McNeill chief banking officer - Matthew J. McNeill has been appointed to Executive Vice President, Chief Banking Officer at Bankwell, announced Christopher R. Gruseke, President and CEO of Bankwell and its parent company, Bankwell Financial Group. In his new capacity, Mr. McNeill will join Bankwell's Executive Team and report to Mr. Gruseke. McNeill was most recently Head of Commercial Lending at Metropolitan Commercial Bank in New York where he was responsible for managing all aspects of commercial banking for a $3.2 Billion commercial bank; including commercial lending, cash management, commercial deposits and consumer lending.

16:08 EDT Sierra Wireless chosen by Liveable Cities for smart city applications - Sierra Wireless announced that Liveable Cities, a division of Canada-based LED Roadway Lighting, has selected Sierra Wireless' LPWA solution to enable smart city applications. Liveable Cities is using Sierra Wireless Ready-to-Connect HL78 modules for its SilQ Luminaire streetlight and the tool-less Sensor Platform ANSI Controller, which can add radar, pollution and noise sensors to transform any streetlight into a network that provides data to cities to help them reduce pollution and keep citizens safe. The Sierra Wireless LPWA solution connects sensors integrated in the Luminaire streetlight or TSP platform and securely transmits speed, pollution and noise data over cellular networks to Liveable Cities' SMARTLINX cloud platform for analysis. City planners can use the data to understand speed, pollution and acoustic patterns across the city, evaluate effectiveness of reduction measures over time and make informed decisions about where to deploy additional resources.

16:06 EDT Manning & Napier reports preliminary AUM $18.6B as of February 29 - Compared with $19.4B at January 31, 2020 and $19.5B at December 31, 2019.

16:06 EDT Clearside Biomedical announces license agreement with Arctic Vision for Xipere - Clearside Biomedical announced that Arctic Vision, a company focused on developing and commercializing ophthalmology therapies in China and Asia, has acquired an exclusive license for the commercialization and development of Xipere in Greater China and South Korea. Xipere is a proprietary suspension of the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide formulated for suprachoroidal administration via Clearside's proprietary SCS Microinjector that is being investigated as a targeted treatment of macular edema associated with uveitis. Under the terms of the agreement, Clearside may receive up to a total of $35.5M in development and sales milestones. This amount includes a $4M upfront payment plus additional milestone payments for the achievement of specified events prior to and including receipt of approval of Xipere in the United States. Clearside also will be entitled to receive tiered royalties of 10% to 12% based on annual net sales of Xipere in Greater China and South Korea. Arctic Vision may pursue development and commercialization of Xipere for additional ophthalmic indications in Greater China and South Korea, with consent from Clearside.

15:32 EDT MGM Resorts coordinating with Southern Nevada Health District on COVID-19 case - MGM Resorts informed guests and employees that the Southern Nevada Health District has confirmed a case of the 2019 coronavirus involving a guest at The Mirage. The company released the following statement: "We were informed that an individual from New York who was a guest at The Mirage and an attendee of the Women of Power Summit from March 5-8 has tested positive for coronavirus. Upon learning of the individual's symptoms, Mirage staff worked in coordination with the state health district to implement MGM Resorts' health and safety protocol. Professional cleaners with expertise in this area are deep cleaning and sanitizing the individual's room, as outlined in the Company's health and safety procedures and in accordance with CDC guidelines for eliminating the presence of the virus. Access to the room remains restricted as it undergoes this comprehensive cleaning and disinfectant process. In addition to its pre-existing high standards of cleanliness, maintenance and sanitation at its properties, MGM Resorts in recent weeks implemented temporary enhanced cleaning procedures with a heavy emphasis on public areas. We are currently coordinating with the Southern Nevada Health District to notify guests and employees who may have had close prolonged contact with the individual and are directing our employees to follow all self-quarantine requests. We wish the individual well and offer our support in her recovery. The health and safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority, and we will continue implementing the health and safety steps we've taken to prepare for potential health and safety risks and combat the impact of this virus."

15:20 EDT Paradox CEO says company will mis E3 'as much as anyone' in industry - Following the cancellation of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, Paradox Interactive CEO Ebba Ljungerud provided the following statement to The Fly: "We'll miss E3 this year as much as anyone in this industry, not just for the chance to share our latest games, but also to see so many of our colleagues, partners, and friends in person. E3 is always an important beat on our calendar; regardless of our own plans, we all look to the show for the biggest reveals, trailers, and more. However, the health and safety of our team, and that of everyone else (as much as we'll miss seeing them), comes first and we take the advice of health officials seriously. Hopefully the worst impact on Paradox during this very unusual and tough time is that we can't do as much marketing for some video games -- we'll gladly take that."

15:04 EDT Art's-Way announces CEO transition from Carrie Gunnerson to David King in Q3 - Art's Way Manufacturing announces an anticipated Chief Executive Officer, CEO, transition from Carrie Gunnerson to David King, to occur in the third quarter. Carrie Gunnerson, the company's Chief Executive Officer since 2007, has expressed her desire to transition out of her role as CEO of the company by mid-2020, pending the company's identification of a qualified successor. Following an extensive search by the Board of Directors, on March 5, the company entered into an offer letter with David King, pursuant to which Mr. King is expected to assume the role of CEO upon the anticipated resignation of Ms. Gunnerson in the third quarter. Mr. King's anticipated start date is March 23 and he will serve in an interim role prior to assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer. The Company intends to enter into a formal employment agreement with Mr. King prior to his start date.

14:33 EDT GE Aviation announces selection by SunExpress for digital agreement - SunExpress selected GE Aviation for a comprehensive safety contract including eFOQA Mainline, the company announced. The program covers the SunExpress fleet including Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 airplanes and expands upon a previous agreement to enable advanced analytics with enriched data sets that will ultimately drive greater understanding of flight trends. Implementation is currently underway, the company announced.

14:27 EDT Amazon's Ring announces Ring Video Doorbell 3, Doorbell 3 Plus - Amazon's Ring unveiled the new Ring Video Doorbell 3 and Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, as well as its new Pre-Roll feature, making the company the first to offer this kind of technology on a battery-powered video doorbell. Pre-Roll, available exclusively on the all-new Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, captures the four seconds before motion is detected to help users see what triggered a motion alert. Click here for a look at how Ring's Pre-Roll feature works. Ring also announced the redesigned Ring Chime and Chime Pro for users who want to hear their Ring notifications inside their homes. All four new devices are available for pre-order today. "At Ring, we are continuously pushing the boundaries to bring the most innovative devices and features to our customers," said Jamie Siminoff, Ring's founder and Chief Inventor. "While features similar to Pre-Roll have been available on our wired devices, we believe it is important to also offer this feature to users with a battery-powered Video Doorbell, so that no one ever misses a moment at their doorstep. With Ring Video Doorbell 3 and Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, we're excited to continue bringing customers even more home security options, while keeping user privacy and control front and center."

14:20 EDT Scynexis expects cash to fund requirements past potential mid-2021 PDUFA - In December 2019, Scynexis raised approximately $35M in a public offering of common stock and warrants. Based upon the company's existing operating plan, Scynexis believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, and the sale of a portion of its net operating losses, will enable the company to fund operating requirements past a potential Prescription Drug User Fee Act date in mid-2021 for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Scynexis expects the FDA to complete the review of its new drug application and potentially approve ibrexafungerp for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

13:15 EDT Perini Management Services awarded two task orders valued at $87.2M - Tutor Perini announced that its subsidiary, Perini Management Services has been awarded two fixed-price task orders collectively valued at approximately $87.2M by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic District, for work at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The Motor Transport Division Facility Repairs design-build task order, valued at approximately $44.5M, includes repairs to five buildings, totaling over 145,000 square feet of renovated space. The Administrative and Warehouse Facility Repairs design-build task order, valued at approximately $42.7M, includes repairs to four buildings, totaling 173,300 sf of renovated space. Work on both task orders is expected to begin immediately with preconstruction and design activities followed by site mobilization this summer. Substantial completion on the respective projects is anticipated late 2022 and early 2023. The project contract values will be included in the Company's first quarter 2020 backlog.

12:34 EDT Starbucks temporarily expanding catastrophe pay for COVID-19 partner care - In an open letter to Starbucks partners from Rossann Williams, EVP and president, U.S. company-operated business and Canada, that was posted on the company's website, the executive stated in part: "As you all know, we have already activated a set of temporary, precautionary measures in our stores to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and do what's right for you and our customers. Over the last 10 days, we implemented additional cleaning and sanitizing, with an added labor investment so you don't have to worry about the extra time it takes to do these tasks...We are temporarily expanding catastrophe pay for COVID-19 partner care. Any partner who has been diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19, or comes in close prolonged contact with someone in their store or household who has, is eligible for up to 14 days of catastrophe pay - whether or not they are showing symptoms - so they can self-isolate at home...If you have not had any known contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, but are showing symptoms, you should stay home until you are symptom-free for 24 hours...In addition, we know the CDC and some local health authorities have advised that certain individuals may consider taking extra precautions, for example, people who are 60 years and older, people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes, people with weakened immune systems, and those who are pregnant. These partners, should they choose to self-isolate, are also eligible for up to 14 days of catastrophe pay with a doctor's noted recommendation." Reference Link

12:00 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 14.0% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 14.0%, or $5.65 to $46.10.

12:00 EDT Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares rises 15.6% - Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares is up 15.6%, or $2.35 to $17.46.

11:49 EDT Roche announces FDA approval of CINtec PLUS Cytology Test - Earlier on Wednesday, Roche announced US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, approval of CINtec PLUS Cytology as the first biomarker-based triage test for women whose primary cervical cancer screening results are positive for the human papillomavirus, HPV, using the cobas 4800 HPV Test. This biomarker technology simplifies clinical decision making by providing easy to understand results so that clinicians and women are clear on next steps. DA considered data from the Roche-sponsored registrational IMPACT, IMproving Primary screening And Colposcopy Triage, trial, which enrolled more than 35,000 women in the US to clinically validate CINtec PLUS Cytology as a triage test in different screening scenarios. Publication of study data is pending. CINtec PLUS Cytology is expected to be widely commercially available in the US later in 2020.

11:19 EDT Disney says all nine members of board standing for election were re-elected - Shareholders of Walt Disney Company re-elected all nine members of the board of directors at the 2020 Annual Meeting held today, the company announced. Based on preliminary results, all Disney directors standing for election were elected to the Board, the company noted.

11:05 EDT NeuroMetrix plans to offer consumer, prescription versions of Quell technology - NeuroMetrix (NURO) provided an update on its Quell technology commercial strategy and pipeline. Quell technology is an advanced TENS platform designed for the symptomatic relief and management of chronic pain. It is enabled by a proprietary neurostimulation microchip that provides precise, high-power nerve stimulation in a small wearable device. Quell technology includes sensors and algorithms to automatically regulate nerve stimulation and track objective health metrics such as sleep and gait. It supports Bluetooth low energy to communicate with mobile applications that enhance functionality and connect to the Quell Health Cloud. The Company plans to offer consumer and prescription versions of Quell technology. Quell technology is marketed OTC as Quell 2.0, which has FDA clearance and is indicated for symptomatic relief and management of chronic pain. Over the past year, the Company has succeeded in making its consumer health business profitable. This necessitated changes in advertising and distribution, as well as headcount reductions. Quell 2.0 is now only available on QuellRelief.com and Amazon.com. Promotional spending has been reduced to achieve an attractive customer acquisition cost. The objective going forward is to grow this business while maintaining profitability. Starting in 2Q20, Quell marketing will focus on lower extremity chronic pain, a common issue for our customers. The Company will continue to innovate, with new Quell 2.0 features planned for 1H21. The Company is collaborating with GSK Consumer Healthcare (GSK) through a strategic agreement that began in 2018. It is supporting GSK in their launch of Quell technology outside the US. It is also partnering with GSK on clinical research that resulted in several scientific reports at pain medicine conferences in 2019, with additional presentations expected in 2020. GSK is partially funding Quell R&D. The Company currently has two investigational clinical targets in its prescription Quell pipeline: fibromyalgia and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. A double-blind, sham-controlled randomized controlled trial of Quell efficacy in patients with primary fibromyalgia pain is currently ongoing and should read-out in 2H20. If the trial is positive, based on its results and the results of other studies, the Company plans to submit a 510(k) for a prescription Quell indicated for treatment of fibromyalgia pain in 2H20, with a goal of a commercial launch in 4Q21. A RCT of Quell efficacy in patients with CIPN is expected to start this year, which will build on encouraging pilot data published last year. If the trial is positive, we anticipate submitting a 510(k) in H1 2022 with the goal of a commercial launch in late 2022. The commercialization strategy for the prescription products is expected to include direct sales and distributors. The Company also plans to explore strategic partnerships. These products will likely launch as self-pay, but with the goal of obtaining third-party reimbursement with additional clinical and real-world outcomes data.

10:47 EDT California AG will not appeal T-Mobile, Sprint merger approval decision - California Attorney General Xavier Bacerra announced that a settlement has been reached with T-Mobile (TMUS) regarding the company's pending acquisition of Sprint (S), according to multiple media reports. Bacerra will not appeal the court decision allowing the merger to proceed. Shares of Sprint are up 2% to $8.74 while T-Mobile is up 1% to $85.74 in morning trading.

10:06 EDT DuPont says 'wrongly targeted' in many PFOA cases - In a litigation update issued as part of presentation slides for the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference, DuPont stated regarding the Ohio MDL cases: "No verdict in first case and $50M of compensatory damages awarded in second; No punitive damages awarded; E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company moved for mistrial and is appealing the verdict; Chemours (CC) continues to defend and indemnify EID." Regarding its litigation with Chemours, DuPont stated: "Chemours is obligated to indemnify all PFOA cases; Chemours seeks to change its funding for PFOA liabilities; Ruling on DuPont's motion to move the matter to arbitration is expected shortly." In a summary, DuPont stated: "DuPont is wrongly targeted in many cases and EID is indemnified."

09:59 EDT DuPont says 12 of 13 China sites operating, Italy site shut down - In a COVID-19 update issued as part of presentation slides for the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference, DuPont stated: "Employee safety is top priority; taking precautions with employees including quarantine and workfrom-home situations. 12 of 13 China sites operating; 1 site in Wuhan still closed. 9 sites operating at full capacity; others greater than 70%. Most manufacturing locations in China were on extended shut-down following Chinese New Year. Japan and Korea sites operating at 100%; Italy site shut down. Logistics within China improving; continue to monitor supply."

09:47 EDT Britannia Bulk rises 10.8% - Britannia Bulk is up 10.8%, or $1.24 to $12.74.

09:43 EDT Apache trading resumes

09:42 EDT China Online Education trading resumes

09:38 EDT American Public Education trading resumes

09:38 EDT Equitrans Midstream trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:37 EDT Inovio trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:32 EDT Citi CFO sees net interest revenue down modestly y/y in Q1

09:29 EDT Citi: External factors having dampening impact on investment banking activities

09:28 EDT Citi: Coronavirus, 50bp rate cut, oil prices impacting operating environment

09:20 EDT Sigmatron International CEO says coronavirus to 'negatively affect' Q4 - Gary Fairhead, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board, said "Heading into the fourth quarter, our backlog was strong and revenue was ramping and all of a sudden the world was introduced to the Novel Coronavirus. There is no doubt that this will negatively affect our fourth quarter but to what extent remains to be seen. On the manufacturing level, our China plant was delayed by the government in terms of reopening after the Lunar New Year holiday. As of the end of February, we are up to 60% of our direct labor headcount before the holiday and it has steadily increased. If that wasn't bad enough, we will now be facing disruptions in the supply chain, as our supply base returns to work with smaller workforces due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Through the end of February, the disruptions were manageable, but we are being told de-commits from suppliers may increase in the weeks ahead. We have little doubt that is accurate. With that said, the customer backlog remains strong and we believe that once the Coronavirus situation is under control business will be strong. We have continued to successfully reduce inventory and increase our availability under our line of credit. That will help us going forward. We also have several new customers ramping their business with us. The primary negative at this time is the uncertainty surrounding our China operation and supply chain. Hopefully, it will be under control soon and will allow us to continue in a positive direction."

09:14 EDT Gritstone Oncology announces anticipated upcoming milestones - The company said, "Present additional efficacy and safety data from the Phase 1 studies of SLATE and GRANITE at an upcoming scientific congress by mid-2020. For SLATE, initiate Phase 2 expansion cohorts in patients with third-line MSS-CRC, refractory/resistant NSCLC and pancreatic cancer in the second half of 2020. For GRANITE, initiate Phase 2 expansion cohorts in patients with third-line MSS-CRC and second-line gastro-esophageal cancers in the second half of 2020. Nominate a lead bispecific antibody development candidate directed towards a novel solid tumor-specific HLA-peptide complex in the second half of 2020. Initiate a Phase 2 adjuvant study in high-risk localized tumors, such as NSCLC, pancreatic cancer and MSS-CRC, with SLATE in the first half of 2021. Initiate a Phase 2 adjuvant study in high-risk localized tumors, such as NSCLC and gastro-esophageal adenocarcinoma, with GRANITE in the first half of 2021."

09:06 EDT ToughBuilt announces distribution agreement with Distribution America - ToughBuilt Industries announced a distribution agreement with Distribution America, a hardware store retailers' cooperative with 15,000 affiliated retail locations.

09:05 EDT Taronis Fuels schedules shipment for first Turkish unit - Taronis Fuels announced the scheduled shipment date of the mobile Venturi plasma arc gasification unit for delivery to Ankara, Turkey. The unit is scheduled to be shipped on March 30, 2020 and is scheduled to arrive in Ankara at the end of April. This first delivery represents a critical next step in the progress of two large multi-year purchase contracts. First, a 30 unit purchase contract for $165M is expected to be expanded to up to 100 units for a total of $550M if the initial commissioning is successful. Second, this delivery is a key component for a previously disclosed $250M, 13 country marketing agreement with MC Consulting, a Turkey-based multinational marketing team. MC Consulting was the key driver in the initial Turkey contract and holds a 50 unit contract option to sell Taronis' patented Venturi plasma arc gasification unit for $5M per unit across Central Asia.

09:05 EDT Masco announces $350M accelerated share repurchase - Masco announced it has entered into an accelerated share repurchase, ASR, agreement with HSBC Bank USA, National Association to repurchase $350M of Masco's common stock. This agreement is part of Masco's existing share repurchase authorization under which $2B of authority was announced on September 17, 2019. Under the ASR agreement, Masco will receive initial delivery of 7.3M shares on March 11 representing approximately 85% of the number of shares of common stock initially underlying the ASR agreement, based on the closing price of Masco's common stock of $40.82 on March 10.

09:03 EDT RLJ Lodging Trust withdraws FY20 financial guidance due to COVID-19 - RLJ Lodging Trust announced that it is withdrawing its first quarter and FY20 outlook issued as of February 25, due to the growing uncertainty and travel related concerns and restrictions related to the COVID-19. "Over the past week, we have experienced a notable increase in transient and group cancellations that is negatively impacting our business and ability to achieve our financial targets," commented Leslie Hale, President and CEO. "In light of the ongoing uncertainty and evolving situation surrounding the Coronavirus, we believe it is prudent to suspend our financial outlook until we have improved clarity. In the meantime, RLJ is extremely well-positioned to navigate through this period of uncertainty with a seasoned management team, a solid balance sheet and significant liquidity that allow us to continue to generate meaningful shareholder value."

09:03 EDT GoDaddy to present Investor Day exclusively via webcast on April 2 - GoDaddy announced that it will change the venue of its upcoming Investor Day on Thursday, April 2. Out of concern for the health and well-being of participants and attendees, GoDaddy will present its Investor Day exclusively via webcast rather than hosting an in-person event in New York City, as originally announced. Key members of GoDaddy's management team will host a series of presentations, product demonstrations and a Q&A session beginning at 10:00 AM PDT. The event, along with supporting materials, can be accessed through a live webcast or via an archived replay through the Investor Relations section of the company's website at https://investors.godaddy.net/.

09:01 EDT RenovaCare announces new headquarters, laboratory facilities - RenovaCare announced new corporate headquarters in Roseland, New Jersey and laboratory facilities in Berlin, Germany to advance the development of its patented technologies for spraying self-donated stem cells for the regeneration of skin and other organs and tissues. The RenovaCare team continues to grow as it welcomes its newest member, Dr. Katrin Zeilinger, the former Head of the Bioreactor Group at the Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charite-Berlin. She was part of the early bioengineering and clinical teams that optimized the RenovaCare cell isolation process. Today, that work translates to the foundational processes supporting the CellMist solution. Dr. Zeilinger will be working under the guidance of Dr. Roger Esteban-Vives, Vice President of Research and Product Development, who leads the engineering, product testing and laboratory work at RenovaCare labs in Berlin. There, Dr. Zeilinger will be involved in new product development, technology validation and performing laboratory testing related to the behavior of cells under various conditions.

08:59 EDT SmileDirectClub, Walmart Canada launch in-store shops - SmileDirectClub (SDC) in partnership with Walmart Canada (WMT) announced the launch of the brand's signature SmileShop experience within select Walmart locations in Ontario and Alberta. SmileDirectClub will offer Walmart Canada shoppers a convenient, safe and affordable, doctor-directed remote solution for straightening their teeth.

08:57 EDT Farmer Bros. amends credit agreement to support strategic initiatives - Farmer Bros. announced it has amended its credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A to increase the Company's flexibility in funding future capital improvements and execute on the strategic projects underpinning the Company's five key initiatives. The $125M credit facility has a maturity date in November 2023 and is subject to affirmative and negative covenants customary in a senior secured lending facility, including financial covenants relating to leverage and interest expense coverage.

08:54 EDT Fluidigm, SIgN establish first Center of Excellence in Singapore - Fluidigm Corporation announced the establishment of a new Center of Excellence for Imaging Mass Cytometry in Singapore together with the Singapore Immunology Network, part of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research. As the first CoE for IMC in Singapore and Southeast Asia, the center will focus on single-cell deep spatial immunoprofiling to demonstrate the utility of highly multiplexed imaging across a range of disease areas such as cancer immunology. IMC, based on CyTOF technology, is revolutionizing translational and clinical research by providing unprecedented visualization of complex cellular phenotypes and their relationships in the context of cancer, immuno-oncology, and immune-mediated diseases. Using the CoE's dual capabilities of performing both mass cytometry and IMC, researchers will be able to deeply profile a wide range of samples from blood to tissues, all on the same system using highly multiplexed cytometry and tissue imaging. To be housed in SIgN's premises at Biopolis, Singapore's biomedical research hub, the new CoE will serve as a regional platform for scientific innovation, training, and services in mass cytometry and IMC and accelerate innovation in new product development and pre-commercial product testing.

08:53 EDT Muscle Maker announces new veteran franchise program - Muscle Maker announced that it has launched a veteran focused discount program to engage retired military members and promote entrepreneurship through franchise ownership. The Company is offering qualified veterans a discount of 50% off the initial franchisee fee and 50% off the first-year royalties, and the company is investigating third party franchise financing opportunities to assist with associated build out costs. This will reduce the initial franchise fee from $35,000 to $17,500 and the program will be available to the first 50 eligible veterans. Muscle maker currently operates five military locations including Fort Bliss Army Base, two restaurants on Fort Benning Army Base, Fort Sill Army Base and Fort Meade Army Base and will open Camp Elmore Marine Base at the end of the month. The brand also recently announced that it has signed a lease to open on Fort Bragg Army Base, the largest military installation in the world located in North Carolina.

08:50 EDT James E Wagner Cultivation appoints Howard Steinberg to board of directors - James E. Wagner Cultivation announced that the board of directors of JWC has appointed Howard Steinberg as an additional director of the Corporation effective March 10th. The JWC Board will now consist of six members in total. Mr. Steinberg has been nominated to act as a director of the Board by Trichome Financial Corp. pursuant to the terms of the previously announced loan agreement between JWC and Trichome dated February 19, 2020. Steinberg brings more than 25 years of experience in private credit, private equity and real estate investing, having served as a Managing Director of Fortress Investment Group. Concurrent with his appointment, the Board has authorized and approved 100,000 incentive stock options be granted to Mr. Steinberg under its incentive stock option plan. The Stock Options have an exercise price of C$0.13 per share, vest immediately upon the date of grant and have an expiry date of March 9, 2025.

08:47 EDT Scynexis continuing to explore development of IV ibrexafungerp formulation - The company said, "SCYNEXIS continues to explore development of IV formulation of ibrexafungerp. While oral ibrexafungerp is progressing as a potentially valuable option to treat hospital-based invasive fungal infections, as recently shown in the second interim analysis from the FURI study, SCYNEXIS is developing an intravenous liposomal formulation of ibrexafungerp and will provide further updates on this program in the future."

08:45 EDT Scynexis says enrollment is ongoing in Phase 3 open-label CARES study - The company said, "Enrollment ongoing in Phase 3 open-label CARES study. Enrollment continues in the CARES study for patients with Candida auris infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently declared Candida auris, an emerging, multidrug-resistant pathogen, an "Urgent Threat" to public health."

08:44 EDT Scynexis to present data from Phase 3 open-label FURI study in 1H20 - The company "Announced positive results from the second interim analysis of the ongoing Phase 3 open-label FURI study. The study is evaluating oral ibrexafungerp as a salvage treatment in patients with difficult-to-treat mucocutaneous and invasive fungal infections that are refractory to or intolerant of current standards of care, or require a non-azole oral step-down therapy for treatment of azole-resistant Candida species. An independent Data Review Committee assessed the efficacy of oral ibrexafungerp in a second cohort of 21 treated patients from the FURI study. Together with the initial 20 patients reported in January 2019, the dataset consists of 41 patients analyzed to date. Efficacy was consistent across both interim analyses, as oral ibrexafungerp showed clinical benefits in 83% of patients, with 23 patients achieving a complete or partial response and 11 patients a stable disease response. Of the 41 treated patients, only six did not respond to ibrexafungerp treatment and one patient was considered indeterminate. The data will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference in the first half of 2020."

08:42 EDT Scynexis says VANISH-303, VANISH-306 achieved faster-than-expected enrollment - The company "Announced positive top-line results for the Phase 3 VANISH-303 study and completion of enrollment in the Phase 3 VANISH-306 study, investigating the safety and efficacy of oral ibrexafungerp as a treatment for women with vaginal yeast infections. In the VANISH-303 study, ibrexafungerp achieved superiority over placebo with high statistical significance for the key endpoints required to support the New Drug Application filing for this indication. Both the VANISH-303 and VANISH-306 studies achieved faster-than-expected enrollment, demonstrating both the expected market opportunity and SCYNEXIS's stated timeline to submit an NDA to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of VVC in the second half of 2020. "

08:38 EDT BBQ Holdings announces acquisition of 18 Granite City Food & Brewery locations - BBQ Holdings has officially acquired Granite City Food & Brewery. The acquisition took place on March 10, 2020 and has immediately gone into effect for the 18 restaurants in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Montana, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, South Dakota and North Dakota. Founded in 1999 as a single store restaurant in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the brand has built a strong reputation in the Midwest for its award-winning craft beer and made-from-scratch craft food. The brand's chef driven menu is designed to introduce guests to innovative new cuisine choices and flavor profiles. The Minnesota-based restaurant brand has separated itself from competition in the segment through craft beer expertise, on-site brewing and customer experience.

08:36 EDT Seelos Therapeutics announces EMA guidance to design SLS-005 study - Seelos Therapeutics announced that it has received a written response from the European Medicines Agency, in lieu of a face to face meeting, offering guidance for Seelos' planned European study of SLS-005 in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type III, also known as Sanfilippo syndrome. Based upon the written response from the EMA, Seelos will design an open-label, non-placebo controlled, Phase IIb/III pivotal study for the treatment of patients with Sanfilippo syndrome types A and B in the European Union.

08:34 EDT foodora, Tiny Mile announce partnership for delivery robot 'Geoffrey' - foodora is launching a brand-new partnership with Toronto-based Tiny Mile, the creators of "Geoffrey," the safe, small and friendly delivery robot. Weighing just 10 lb., Geoffrey plays a big role in the future of no-contact, sustainable, artificially intelligent, on-demand delivery in Canada. Geoffrey can carry up to 6 lb. in its "trunk" - the approximate equivalent of an $80 takeout order, and travels at a maximum speed of 6 km/hour, delivering to a one-mile radius from a downtown Toronto restaurant within 15 minutes.

08:32 EDT T. Rowe Price reports preliminary AUM $1.15T at February 29 - Client transfers from mutual funds to other portfolios, including trusts and separate accounts, were $0.9B in February and $3.7B for the quarter-to-date period ended February 29.

08:30 EDT IMAC Regeneration Centers continues partnership with U.S. Government - IMAC Holdings announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has named IMAC Regeneration Centers as an approved provider of medical treatment, physical therapy and chiropractic services for their Office of Workers' Compensation Programs. The OWCP administers four major disability compensation programs that provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation and other benefits to certain workers or their dependents who experience work-related injury or occupational disease.

08:27 EDT PTC sees Q2 ARR 'approaching low double-digit y/y growth' - Says there has been no material disruption in business quarter-to-date, but seeing "signs of softness in smaller pockets of business", most notably in airline and retail space. Base scenario assumes FY24 ARR CAGR growth of 15%, Optimist scenario assumes growth of 17% and Pessimist scenario sees growth of 13%. Comments from the company's 8-K filing released yesterday to update on business conditions due to the current global macro environment.

08:25 EDT Vir Biotechnology announces research collaboration with NIH VRC - Vir Biotechnology announced a research collaboration agreement with the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center to advance characterization and development of human monoclonal antibodies against coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. The joint project, which will begin this week, will augment ongoing efforts by both parties to identify antibodies that can be used to prevent or treat infection with existing and emerging viruses and help inform the development of vaccines. Under the terms of the agreement, Vir and NIAID will work together to identify and optimize combinations of antibodies against coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, SARS and MERS, as well as antibodies that may be effective across additional types of coronaviruses. The two parties will exchange antibodies and other materials for testing in combination and individually and, by mutual agreement, will perform in vivo animal studies to analyze immune responses. Vir has identified a number of monoclonal antibodies that bind to SARS-CoV-2. These antibodies were isolated from individuals who had survived a SARS infection. The company is conducting research to determine if its antibodies, or additional antibodies that it may be able to identify from COVID-19 survivors, can be effective as treatment and/or prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2. NIAID-funded scientists are exploring ways to treat and prevent human coronavirus infections by working to develop new antibodies, drugs, and vaccines that block entry to cells, enhance the immune system response, or block viral replication. To date, this research has focused on the coronavirus spike protein and includes development of neutralization assays and competition assays that are used to characterize antibodies.

08:22 EDT FangDD Network promotes Xi Zeng to co-CEO, Jiaorong Pan to CFO - Fangdd Network Group announced an initiative to optimize its organizational structure through the creation of new senior management positions. The structural optimization is an essential step of FangDD's overarching strategy focused on refining its service offerings, expanding market leadership, and improving operating performances. As part of this initiative, the Company's board of directors has promoted Mr. Xi Zeng to co-CEO. As a co-Founder of the Company, Mr. Zeng served as FangDD's director and COO since 2011. In his new role, Mr. Zeng's responsibilities will expand to overseeing the execution of the Company's strategies with a focus on achieving growth targets. Meanwhile, the other co-CEO of the Company, Mr. Yi Duan, will focus on strategy development, product innovation, corporate governance, and capital market activities. Furthermore, the board also appointed Ms. Jiaorong Pan, currently the Company's SVP, as the CFO of the Company. As the Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Pan will oversee all finance functions and play a vital role in the Company's ongoing efforts to optimize cost structure, improve capital market communication and deliver profitable growth.

08:19 EDT Kemet says CFIUS will continue evaluation of acquisition by Yageo - KEMET Corporation announced that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has notified the Company by letter dated March 9, 2020, that it will continue its evaluation of the previously announced acquisition of KEMET by Yageo Corporation with a 45-day investigation period. This investigation period, which KEMET and Yageo expected, will be completed no later than April 23, 2020. KEMET and Yageo continue to work cooperatively with CFIUS throughout the process. The CFIUS process is confidential, and KEMET and Yageo do not intend to comment further on that process while it is ongoing. KEMET also announced that, on March 5, 2020, the Mexican Competition Authority authorized the acquisition of KEMET by Yageo. The parties continue to expect the transaction to close in the second half of 2020, subject to additional customary closing conditions and the receipt of the remaining required regulatory approvals, which include approvals under the antitrust laws in China and Taiwan, as well as approval from the Investment Commission, Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taiwan.

08:18 EDT Aqua Metals receives additional $5M insurance payment - Aqua Metals announced that it has received an additional $5,000,000 of insurance payments for a total of $10,000,000 paid to date. Thus far, the Company has received 3 payments. $2,500,000 on December 23, 2019, $2,500,000 on January 30, 2020 and this payment of $5,000,000 announced today. The Company continues to work with its public adjustor and special counsel along with the insurers with the objective of collecting additional losses, up to a potential of $50,000,000 of insured losses.

08:14 EDT BeyondSpring files for patent protection on BPI-002 - BeyondSpring announced the submission of a provisional U.S. patent application for its pipeline asset BPI-002, for methods of treating viral infections, including COVID-19, when administered alone or in combination with a vaccine. BPI-002 is a novel orally administered small molecule agent that is a potent T-cell co-stimulator. The agent is targeting two main effects: BPI-002 can potentially activate the adaptive immune system, the body's strongest line of defense, to directly attack and kill virally infected cells, including RNA virus, such as those causing COVID-19. If combined with a vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccine, BPI-002 can potentially function as an adjuvant to provide improved long-term humoral protection against future viral infection.

08:11 EDT The9 receives minimum bid price notice from Nasdaq - The9 received a notification letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq on March 6, notifying the company that the minimum bid price per ADS, each representing three Class A ordinary shares of the company, was below $1.00 for a period of 30 consecutive business days and that the company did not meet the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rules. The Nasdaq notification letter does not result in the immediate delisting of the company's securities. The company has a compliance period of 180 calendar days, or until September 2, to regain compliance with Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirement.

08:09 EDT Fiat Chrysler to temporarily shut Italy plants to spread of COVID-19 - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said in a statement that it is implementing new measures across its facilities in Italy to support the nationwide campaign addressing the COVID-19 crisis. As a result of taking these actions the company will, where necessary, make temporary closures of its plants across Italy. Above and beyond the measures already taken in support of government directives, the company will focus on actions to minimize the risk of spreading the contagion between employees. These actions include intensive sanitization of all work and rest areas, changing rooms and washrooms. To enable greater spacing of employees at their workstations, daily production rates will be lowered to accommodate the adapted manufacturing processes. These new measures further reinforce the health and safety initiatives taken by the company as an immediate response to the recent outbreak of the virus in Italy and constantly communicated to employees through multiple internal channels. During February the company started a program to progressively implement 'Smart Working' to more office-based employees in addition to spacing measures and controlling employee numbers at company cafeterias. All administrative areas of the company will continue their normal activities in compliance with government directives and regulations and while maintaining the safe distance and hygiene measures introduced immediately upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Reference Link

08:08 EDT Blue Hat Interactive issued U.S. patent for interactive toy technology - Blue Hat Interactive was issued a U.S. patent covering Blue Hat's "Interactive System Based on Light Intensity Recognition". Blue Hat's "Interactive System Based on Light Intensity Recognition" connects a physical toy with the virtual content of a mobile game, which Blue Hat believes represents a major breakthrough in the realization of AR technology.

08:08 EDT Ovid Therapeutics expects results for Phase 2 ROCKET trial in 2Q20 - The company said, "Ovid expects results from the Phase 2 ROCKET trial and the SKYROCKET trial in Fragile X syndrome early in the second quarter of 2020. There are no approved treatments for Fragile X syndrome. The ROCKET trial is a signal-finding, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of gaboxadol in males ages 13 to 22 with a confirmed diagnosis of Fragile X syndrome. The primary objective of the study is safety and tolerability of gaboxadol over 12 weeks of treatment in three different active dose arms. The secondary objective is to evaluate changes in behavior after 12 weeks of treatment using the ABC-C scale adapted for Fragile X syndrome. If positive, the data from ROCKET, along with data from SKYROCKET, will inform next steps in the clinical path for gaboxadol in Fragile X syndrome. SKYROCKET is a non-drug study of males ages 5 to 30 with a confirmed diagnosis of Fragile X to assess the suitability of scales for the measurement of behavior, sleep and functioning. This trial is designed to provide additional data on the key endpoints that are being explored in ROCKET, gain deeper understanding of placebo effects in this disorder and provide comparative data on the benefit offered by the standard of care."

08:06 EDT IBM Watson Health and EBSCO partner in clinical decision solution - IBM Watson Health and EBSCO Information Services announced a strategic collaboration aimed towards enhancing clinical decision support and operations for healthcare providers and health systems. The companies are combining their respective solution suites - DynaMed and IBM Micromedex with Watson - into a single global solution called "DynaMed and Micromedex with Watson." The combined solution suite will be designed to bring together drug and disease content, into a single source for evidence-based insights to help inform clinical decisions. DynaMed and Micromedex with Watson will be designed to provide clinicians direct access to drug and disease content at the point-of-care to support clinical decision making. DynaMed and Micromedex with Watson is expected to be available for general adoption in April.

08:06 EDT Oncternal Therapeutics announces interim clinical data update for cirmtuzumab - Oncternal Therapeutics announced an interim clinical data update for cirmtuzumab, a ROR1-targeted monoclonal antibody, combined with ibrutinib, in patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma, or MCL, as part of the ongoing Phase 1/2 CIRLL clinical trial. There was a 50% complete response, or CR, rate determined by Cheson criteria. One of the six patients had a complete metabolic response, or CMR, by PET scan, with a bone marrow biopsy pending. All six CRs are ongoing, including one patient who has remained in CR at over 21 months on study. Four of the six patients achieved CRs within four months on the combination of cirmtuzumab and ibrutinib. The trial had a 33% partial response, or PR, rate, 17% stable disease rate, 83% best objective response rate and 100% clinical benefit rate. The median follow-up was 6.4 months. Patients had received a median of two prior therapies before participating in this study including chemotherapy; autologous stem cell transplant, or SCT; autologous SCT and CAR-T therapy; autologous SCT and allogeneic SCT and ibrutinib with rituximab. The combination of cirmtuzumab plus ibrutinib has been well tolerated in this study, with adverse events consistent with those reported for ibrutinib alone. There were no dose-limiting toxicities, no discontinuations and no serious adverse events attributed to cirmtuzumab alone.

08:04 EDT Soliton's tattoo removal device special 510(k) receives FDA clearance - Soliton's Special 510(k) Premarket Notification regarding its Generation II Rapid Acoustic Pulse device was given FDA clearance. The Generation II RAP device delivers the same tattoo-removal technology as the Generation I device but is slightly modified for improved ease of use in the physician's office. The Generation II RAP device constitutes the underlying technology of the RAP device that will be deployed in the strategic U.S. tattoo removal commercial launch planned for mid-2020. Only the tattoo removal indication was reviewed by the FDA in this submission and cleared for marketing.

07:36 EDT Tiziana Life Sciences developing TZLS-501 as potential coronavirus treatment - Tiziana Life Sciences has announced that its TZLS-501 treatment could be a potential treatment for patients infected with coronavirus who are at risk of respiratory failure. Tiziana is expediting development of TZLS-501, with Novimmune, SA, a Swiss biotechnology company with whom it entered into a world-wide license for composition-of-matter in 2017. Tiziana plans to administer TZLS-501 using a proprietary formulation technology. Tests have already shown that the treatment rapidly depletes circulating levels of IL-6 in the blood. An excessive production of IL-6 is regarded as a key driver of chronic inflammation and is believed to be associated with severe lung damage observed with COVID-19 infections and acute respiratory illness.

07:32 EDT BIO-key secures $30M contract for biometric security solutions - BIO-key International announced that it has secured a $30M contract for its biometric authentication platform through its partner Technology Transfer Institute of Africa and the Company's newly created subsidiary based in Africa. The solutions, based on BIO-key's WEB-key biometric security platform, will facilitate the enrollment of users and the positive identification of individuals for a telecommunications company in Nigeria, working in conjunction with its Nigerian identity supply partner, Chams PLC.

07:21 EDT Bio-Path Holdings appoints Ernst & Young as auditor - Bio-Path Holdings announced that the Audit Committee of the Company's Board of Directors approved the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company's new independent registered public accounting firm, replacing former auditor, BDO USA. BDO's reports on the Company's financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.

07:17 EDT Akcea Therapeutics promotes Joshua Patterson to general counsel - Akcea Therapeutics (AKCA), a majority-owned affiliate of Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS), announced that Lisa Johnson-Pratt, M.D., has joined the company as SVP of new product strategy. In this role, Dr. Johnson-Pratt will drive Akcea's corporate strategy and provide strategic support for the development and commercialization of new pipeline products. She will report to Damien McDevitt, Ph.D., interim CEO at Akcea. The company also announced the appointment of Joshua Patterson as general counsel. Patterson previously served as VP, legal and corporate secretary at Akcea. Previously Dr. Johnson-Pratt was with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where she most recently served as vice president of global franchise operations.

07:15 EDT Canopy Growth, TerrAscend Canada enter debt financing arrangement - Canopy Growth (CGC) and TerrAscend Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of TerrAscend (TRSSF), announced they have entered into a loan financing arrangement in the amount of C$80.5M pursuant to a secured debenture . In connection with the Loan, TerrAscend has issued 17,808,975 common share purchase warrants to the company

07:14 EDT Verrica Pharmaceuticals secures $55M in loan facilities - Verrica Pharmaceuticals announced that it has entered into a mezzanine loan and security agreement with Silicon Valley Bank and WestRiver Innovation Lending Fund VIII, L.P., pursuant to which the lenders have agreed to lend the Company up to $50M in a series of term loans. In addition, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement with SVB, pursuant to which SVB has agreed to provide the Company a revolving line of credit of up to $5M. At closing of the agreement, Verrica borrowed $35M. The Company may borrow an additional $15M prior to December 31, 2021, subject to the achievement of minimum YCANTH revenues and certain other conditions.

07:06 EDT Canadian Solar's Chinese manufacturing and supply chain back to full capacity - Canadian Solar informed, following the recent disruptions associated with Corona Virus Disease, that its manufacturing operations and supply chain in China are now back on track to full capacity utilization. The impact to the company's delivery schedule is now mainly limited to the capacity loss in last week of January and first 10 days of February. The company expects that, under current conditions, it can deliver orders on-time and in accordance with the latest schedules confirmed with its customers. In the meantime, the company is closely monitoring the development of the COVID-19 in other countries and regions.

07:04 EDT Main Street invests $24.4M in Cody Pools - Main Street recently completed a new portfolio investment in Cody Pools, a designer and builder of premium, customized swimming pools and spas for residential and commercial customers in the U.S. Main Street, along with its co-investors, partnered with the company's senior management team to facilitate the transaction, with Main Street funding $24.4M in a combination of first-lien, senior secured term debt and a direct equity investment. In addition, Main Street and one of its co-investors are providing Cody with a credit facility to support its future growth initiatives and working capital needs.

07:02 EDT Starwood Property authorizes $400M share repurchase program - Starwood Property has authorized the repurchase of up to $400M of its outstanding common shares and convertible notes over a period of one year. The share repurchase program will be funded through the company's existing cash.

07:01 EDT PepsiCo confirms plans to acquire Rockstar Energy Beverages for $3.85B - PepsiCo announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire energy drink maker Rockstar Energy Beverages for $3.85B. "As we work to be more consumer-centric and capitalize on rising demand in the functional beverage space, this highly strategic acquisition will enable us to leverage PepsiCo's capabilities to both accelerate Rockstar's performance and unlock our ability to expand in the category with existing brands such as Mountain Dew," said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta. "Over time, we expect to capture our fair share of this fast-growing, highly profitable category and create meaningful new partnerships in the energy space." Rockstar products are available in over 30 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in over 30 countries. PepsiCo has had a distribution agreement with Rockstar in North America since 2009. In addition to Rockstar, PepsiCo's energy portfolio includes Mountain Dew's Kickstart, GameFuel, and AMP. PepsiCo has also entered into an agreement, which will provide approximately $0.7B of payments related to future tax benefits associated with the transaction, payable over up to 15 years. PepsiCo does not expect the transaction to be material to its revenue or earnings per share in 2020. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval, and is expected to close in the first half of 2020. Centerview Partners LLC acted as financial advisor to PepsiCo. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as lead counsel to PepsiCo, and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP as U.S. tax and antitrust counsel. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as financial advisor to Rockstar, with King & Spalding acting as Rockstar's legal counsel.

06:50 EDT BWX Technologies awarded TRISO nuclear fuel manufacturing contract - BWX Technologies announced that its BWXT Nuclear Operations Group subsidiary has been awarded a contract from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory to manufacture TRISO nuclear fuel to support the continued development of the Transformational Challenge Reactor. BWXT had previously announced that it is restarting its TRISO production line at its Lynchburg, Virginia manufacturing site. Restart activities will be finalized to allow for production to be completed by the fall of 2020.

06:48 EDT Lazard reports preliminary AUM approximately $226.8B as of February 29 - Lazard reported that its preliminary assets under management as of February 29 totaled approximately $226.8B. The month's AUM included market depreciation of $14B; foreign exchange depreciation of $1.9 and net outflows of $0.9B.

06:11 EDT Matador provides update on 2020 operational plan after oil price decline - Matador Resources provided a brief update on its 2020 operational plan in response to the recent sharp decline in oil prices. Matador expects to take the following actions over the next several months to reduce its capital spending and protect its balance sheet: reduce its operated drilling program from six rigs to three rigs before June 30. Matador expects to release one of its six operated rigs by the end of March and expects to release two of its remaining five rigs before the end of Q2, after which Matador expects to operate three rigs for the remainder of the year; reduce its unit operating costs; continue to pursue divestitures of portions of its non-core assets, including possible sales of leasehold and mineral interests in South Texas and in the Haynesville shale as well as a possible joint venture or divestiture involving its mineral interests in the Delaware Basin. Matador anticipates suspending its development activities in the Wolf asset area in Loving County, Texas by the end of Q1. The company is currently evaluating multiple options to optimize its drilling and completions activities beyond Q1. Matador currently anticipates minimal changes to planned 2020 CapEx for its San Mateo midstream affiliate. CEO Joseph Wm. Foran has voluntarily agreed to reduce base salary by 25%, the Board members have agreed to reduce their compensation by 25% and the executive officers and Vice Presidents have agreed to reduce their base salaries by 20% and 10%, respectively. Matador's borrowing base was affirmed at $900M unanimously by all eleven lenders in the company's commercial banking group. Matador chose to increase its elected borrowing commitment from $500M to $700M, with most banks increasing their commitments to the company's reserves-based credit facility. Matador's next regularly scheduled borrowing base redetermination is expected to occur in the Fall and should be completed on or before November 1. Matador faces no near-term debt maturities. Matador has approximately 45% of its anticipated oil production hedged at approximately $48 per barrel in 2020.

06:06 EDT Ideaya Biosciences expands pact with Cancer Research, University of Manchester - Ideaya Biosciences announced an expanded research collaboration with Cancer Research UK and the University of Manchester, UK, to develop small molecule inhibitors of Poly, or ADP-ribose, glycohydrolase, or PARG. PARG is a cellular enzyme that hydrolyzes Poly polymerase, or PARP, a protein function required for DNA repair. Since initiating the Cancer Research UK partnership in 2017, IDEAYA has developed a selective and cell potent PARG small molecule series, that demonstrates robust on-target in vivo pharmacodynamic modulation. In 2019, Dr. Stephen Taylor and Pilay et. al., published a paper in Cancer Cell which provides a potentially differentiated and complementary treatment approach to PARP inhibitors. The expanded research collaboration will evaluate Ideaya's PARG inhibitors in vitro in multiple ovarian cancer cell lines and in vivo in ovarian cancer xenograft models.

06:04 EDT CNH Industrial unit acquires Potenza Technology, terms not disclosed - FPT Industrial, the global powertrain brand of CNH Industrial, announced that it has acquired Potenza Technology, a company specialized in the design and development of electric and hybrid powertrain systems.

06:02 EDT RadNet to acquire DeepHealth - RadNet reported it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire DeepHealth," a leading radiology artificial intelligence and machine learning company initially focused on solutions for the medical interpretation of mammography exams." RadNet will purchase DeepHealth for an initial payment of approximately 1M shares of RadNet Common Stock to be made at closing, which is planned for April 1. Additional payments to DeepHealth equityholders aggregating up to approximately 1.5M shares will be contingent upon the achievement of several significant milestones, including establishing approval from the FDA for certain mammography and prostate MRI algorithms and for demonstrating certain features, functionality and radiologist productivity. Upon closing of the transaction, Dr. Gregory Sorensen, Co-Founder and President of DeepHealth, will join RadNet to lead all of RadNet's AI efforts, including those projects currently being developed by RadNet's previously acquired Nulogix team. Dr. Sorensen's responsibilities, in addition to continuing the management of DeepHealth's staff and initiatives, will include directing RadNet's AI strategy, acquisitions, partnerships, licensing and product development.

05:57 EDT Tesla's Musk says scouting locations in 'central USA' for Cybertruck Gigafactory - Elon Musk tweeted Tuesday that Tesla is scouting possible locations in the "central USA" to produce its all-electric Cybertruck. Musk also tweeted that the automaker is looking to produce its Model Y crossover SUV on the east coast. Reference Link

05:49 EDT Puma: Can't quantify negative effect COVID-19 could have on FY earnings, revenue - In a statement, Puma said it "continues to closely monitor the development around COVID-19. The wellbeing of our employees and partners is our highest priority in this situation. All our offices around the world are open. The office in Shanghai re-opened after the officially extended holiday period for Chinese New Year. In all our facilities, we are taking precautionary measures. We have asked all employees who are in or have been to any of the officially defined risk areas to work from home for a period of two weeks." It also said: "COVID-19 has also negatively impacted our business since the beginning of February both in terms of sales and sourcing." It noted that China accounts for less than 20% of its international sourcing volume and that factories outside China have not been impacted. "The outlook we gave on February 19 for the full year 2020 was based on the assumption that the situation regarding the COVID-19 virus would normalize in the short term. Given the duration of the situation in China, the negative impact in other Asian countries and now also the spread to Europe and the US, we unfortunately have to conclude that a short-term normalization will not occur. The development over the coming weeks and months is impossible to predict and we currently cannot quantify the negative effect this could have on our full-year revenue and earningsWe will of course manage this situation as best we can short-term, but at the same time continue to work on strengthening our brand, so we can continue our momentum with good growth in both revenue and earnings when the situation normalizes."

05:45 EDT Adidas sees up to EUR1B coronavirus hit to China sales in 2020 - Adidas said in a statement: "While the company's business in Greater China performed strongly in the first three weeks of 2020, the company has been experiencing a material negative impact on its operations due to the outbreak of the coronavirus since then. As a result of a significant number of store closures - both own- and partner-operated - and a pronounced traffic reduction within the remaining store fleet, revenues in Greater China have been around 80% below the prior year level between Chinese New Year on January 25 and the end of February. Since then, the company has started to experience a slight improvement in its Greater China business activity, with stores and warehouses gradually opening and consumer traffic slowly picking up. Since the coronavirus outbreak, adidas has been working closely together with its wholesale partners to ensure inventory levels remain healthy in the market. This resulted in the cancelation of all shipments in February and could lead to the acceptance of a significant amount of product takebacks, which the company plans to clear through its own channels throughout the remainder of the year. Based on the latest information available, the company expects revenues in Greater China in the first quarter of 2020 to be between EURO$ 0.8 billion and EURO$ 1.0 billion below the prior year level. Consequently, operating profit in Greater China is anticipated to decline between EURO$ 0.4 billion and EURO$ 0.5 billion in the first quarter. In addition, the company has started to observe traffic declines with a corresponding negative business impact in Japan and South Korea. While the company's supply chain has also been facing disruptions, the majority of factories in China are operational again and global sourcing activities have not been impacted so far. As the situation keeps evolving, the further recovery in Greater China, the extent of spillover into other countries as well as the availability of raw materials remain largely uncertain. In light of these uncertainties, the overall impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the company's business in 2020 cannot be quantified reliably at this point in time. Despite the temporary challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, the company remains fully confident about its future growth prospects thanks to its healthy fundamentals and its strong positioning within an attractive industry."

05:13 EDT Concord Medical announces RMB 700M investment by CITIC Industrial - Concord Medical announced that CITIC Industrial Investment Group Limited, a renowned investment institution, will make an investment in Concord Medical's subsidiary, Meizhong Jiahe Hospital Management Group, subject to the satisfaction of closing conditions pursuant to an agreement entered into between the parties. The total investment will be approximately RMB 700M.