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

19:41 EDT Live Nation CEO buys 25.7K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Live Nation disclosed that its CEO Michael Rapino bought 25.7K shares of common stock on March 12th. The total transaction size was $1M.

19:35 EDT Gran Tierra cuts 2020 capital program to $60M-$80M from $200M-$220M - Gran Tierra announced revisions to its 2020 capital program in response to recent commodity price volatility. CEO Gary Guidry states: "We operate 29 of our 31 blocks and over 95% of our producing assets and therefore have significant control over capital allocation and timing. As a result of current and foreseeable oil price weakness, we have reduced operating activities and our capital program. We plan to continue operating at reduced activity levels until there are clear signs of a recovery in oil prices. We are revising our 2020 capital budget to a maintenance range of $60M to 80M and are implementing reductions in operating costs and general and administrative expenses. In addition to reducing our costs, we are also benefiting from the recent depreciation of the Canadian dollar and Colombian peso. The Colombian peso has declined 15% versus the U.S. dollar from our original budget estimate. The majority of our operating costs and G&A within Colombia are denominated in Colombian pesos. All of our G&A in Canada is denominated in Canadian dollars. We have elected to shut-in 1,000 to 1,500 barrels of oil per day of higher cost production to focus on our core, low cost, higher netback production. While these decisions are expected to result in lower production than originally forecast, Gran Tierra is focused on protecting the Company's balance sheet and preserving value over the long term. At current oil prices, over 95% of our production is generating positive netbacks. Despite this planned reduction in capital investment, we remain focused on the continued development of the Acordionero, Costayaco, Cohembi and Moqueta oil fields. We plan to direct the majority of our revised 2020 program to the Core Assets. We will continue with regulatory, planning and land access activities on key future growth projects which have a minimal cost but can take a significant period of time to complete. Gran Tierra is focused on rigorously assessing project economics and will not deploy capital if commodity prices do not support sufficient returns. With our low decline and low cost producing assets, we believe Gran Tierra is prepared for these challenging times for the oil industry."

19:26 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Tilly's (TLYS) up 10.8%... Oracle (ORCL) up 4.0%... DocuSign (DOCU) up 3.6%... Myomo (MYO) up 2.8%... Gap (GPS) up 1.3%... Adobe (ADBE) up 0.4%... ALSO HIGHER: Deutsche Bank (DB) up 5.6% after CEO sent memo to assure staff business in good shape... DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Inovio (INO) down 20.8%... ViewRay (VRAY) down 20.7%... Zuora (ZUO) down 20.1%... Slack (WORK) down 19.7%... Senseonics (SENS) down 16.2%... Broadcom (AVGO) down 7.7%... Medallia (MDLA) down 3.4%... Ulta Beauty (ULTA) down 1.3%... ALSO LOWER: Disney (DIS) down 2.0% after closing California parks through March-end. Movers as of 19:00ET.

19:00 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 944.18MT from 953.25MT - This is the 3rd consecutive decline and lowest level of holdings since March 4th.

18:55 EDT Cboe Global Markets to suspend open outcry trading on Chicago trading floor - Cboe Global Markets announced that it will temporarily close its Cboe Options Exchange trading floor at the close of business on Friday, March 13, as a precautionary measure to prevent the potential spread of the novel coronavirus. Trading on C1 will continue to be available in an electronic-only trading mode until further notice. This is a proactive measure and not in response to any confirmed cases of COVID-19. Cboe is closely monitoring developments around COVID-19 and is following guidance provided by governmental and public health agencies to evaluate reopening of its trading floor.

18:16 EDT Andersons postpones April Investor Day event - The Andersons announced that the company has postponed its Investor Day event, previously scheduled for April 1 in New York City, due to general recommendations from public health authorities to restrict travel and large group gatherings as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. "Our highest priority is the health and safety of our employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and the public. We believe that delaying this event is the right thing to do now," said Pat Bowe, president and CEO. "We will announce a new date for the event as soon as practicable. We look forward to continuing our dialogue with investors. In the meantime, we are monitoring the situation closely. We are also communicating regularly with employees about staying healthy and modifying work practices to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus," added Bowe.

18:05 EDT Ballard Power announces purchase order from Solaris for 25 fuel cell modules - Ballard Power Systems announced a purchase order from Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. for 25 of the company's new 70 kilowatt heavy-duty FCmove-HD fuel cell modules. These 25 modules will power 15 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses planned for deployment in Cologne, Germany and 10 Urbino 12 hydrogen buses planned for deployment in Wuppertal, Germany, all under the Joint Initiative For Hydrogen Vehicles Across Europe funding program. Ballard launched its next-generation FCmove-HD product in 2019. Solaris selected the FCmove-HD shortly thereafter for the Urbino 12 FCEB and secured its first project for 12 FCEB's in Bolzano, Italy that are planned to go into service in 2020.

17:49 EDT Husky Energy cuts 2020 spending by $1B - Husky Energy is taking a series of actions to fortify its business in response to challenging global market conditions. Given current market conditions Husky will commence the safe and orderly reduction, or shut-in, of production where it is cash negative on a variable cost basis at current prices. The company is cutting its FY20 CAPEX program to $2.3B-$2.5B from $3.2B-$3.4B.

17:42 EDT Beyond Meat chief people officer Soto sells 7,850 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Beyond Meat chief people officer Cari Soto disclosed the sale of 7,850 common shares of the company on March 11 at a price of $84.7195 per share.

17:40 EDT Fluor awarded $1.78B Navy contract modification for nuclear propulsion work - Fluor was awarded a $1.78B cost-plus-fixed fee modification to a previously-awarded contract for naval nuclear propulsion work at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory. FY20 operations and maintenance; FY19 and FY20 research, development, test and evaluation and FY19 shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $290.78M, will be obligated at time of award. Funding in the amount of $207.96M will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:39 EDT Oracle's Ellison says 'we're winning everywhere in applications'

17:34 EDT Facebook removes over 200 accounts over foreign interference from Russia - Facebook said that it has removed 49 Facebook accounts, 69 Pages and 85 Instagram accounts for engaging in foreign interference - which is coordinated inauthentic behavior on behalf of a foreign actor - on Facebook, Instagram and other internet platforms. This network was in the early stages of building an audience and was operated by local nationals - some wittingly and some unwittingly - in Ghana and Nigeria on behalf of individuals in Russia. It targeted primarily the United States. The people behind this network engaged in a number of deceptive tactics, including the use of fake accounts - some of which had already been disabled by Facebook's automated systems - to manage Pages posing as non-government organizations or personal blogs, and post in Groups. They frequently posted about US news and attempted to grow their audience by focusing on topics like black history, black excellence and fashion, celebrity gossip, news and events related to famous Americans like historical figures and celebrities, and LGBTQ issues. This activity did not appear to focus on elections, or promote or denigrate political candidates. They also shared content about oppression and injustice, including police brutality. Although the people behind this activity attempted to conceal their purpose and coordination, Facebook said its investigation found links to EBLA, an NGO in Ghana, and individuals associated with past activity by the Russian Internet Research Agency. Reference Link

17:32 EDT Heritage Financial announces repurchase of up to 5% of outstanding shares - Heritage Financial announced that its board has authorized the repurchase of up to 5% of the company's outstanding shares or approximately 1.8 million shares. The number, timing and price of shares repurchased will depend on business and market conditions, and other factors, including opportunities to deploy the company's capital. The new stock repurchase program follows the previous stock repurchase program approved in 2014, which allowed for the buyback of approximately 1.5 million shares. Under the previous program, 1,512,600 shares were repurchased.

17:31 EDT LTC Properties announces share repurchase plan of up to 5M - LTC Properties announced that its board has authorized plans for the repurchase of an aggregate of up to 5M shares of its outstanding shares of common stock. Purchases will be made in accordance with Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and may be made in either the open market or private transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Act.

17:28 EDT Ascena Retail responds to S&P ratings report, bankruptcy not being considered - Ascena retail group issued the following statement in response to the recent report from S&P Global Ratings relating to the company. As previously stated publicly, the ascena Board and management team continue to take proactive actions designed to optimize the company's balance sheet. Bankruptcy is not being considered. The company remains in full compliance with all of its obligations under its financing agreements and intends to remain so. The rating change initiated by S&P today is a technical action pertaining to ascena's debt repurchase activity and is unrelated to its financial or operational performance, or strategic path forward. The debt repurchases are associated with the company's balance sheet optimization efforts. As noted in the S&P report, S&P expects the issuer rating change to be temporary and that the rating would be raised to the low 'CCC' category range after their reevaluation. This rating change is not expected to impact the company's ability to meet future obligations. As noted when the company reported its results for the second quarter of fiscal 2020, ascena is operating a business with significant liquidity, with over $600M in cash and revolver availability as of the end of the second quarter. The company's ongoing progress on its strategic and cost reduction objectives was reflected in operating income that surpassed its guidance for Q2 of FY20 due to the combined impact of better-than-expected gross margin performance and continued cost reduction efforts across the business.

17:22 EDT Bar Harbor Bankshares announces stock repurchase plan - Bar Harbor Bankshares announced that its board authorized a share repurchase plan. Under the terms of the plan, the company is authorized to repurchase up to 5% of its outstanding common stock, representing approximately 781,000 shares as of March 12, 2020. The plan is authorized to last no longer than twelve months.

17:16 EDT Adobe CEO says mobile usage continues to rise - Says encouraging workers to work from home for next two weeks. Cancelling in-person Las Vegas summit. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:12 EDT Oracle says seeing 'a lot of momentum' across portfolio - Says cloud renewal rate continues to increase. Says expects cloud gross margin to increase further. Says impact of coronavirus is "not yet clear." Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

17:01 EDT Liquidity Services selected to sell entire J&J Exhibitors transportation fleet - Liquidity Services and J&J Exhibitors and Motor Service have partnered to sell J&J's entire fleet of transportation assets through negotiated sales and online auction. All items are currently up for auction on AllSurplus, Liquidity Services' newest online auction marketplace for business surplus. J&J Exhibitors is a family-owned, full-service trade show provider and special event contractor that operated from 1927-2019 in Chicago.

16:53 EDT Adobe sees Q2 net new Digital Media ARR of approximately $385M - Sees Q2 Digital Experience segment year-over-year revenue growth of approximately 12%. Comments taken from Q1 investor presentation slides.

16:49 EDT Ra Medical Systems names Will McGuire CEO - Ra Medical Systems announced the appointment of Will McGuire as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the company's Board of Directors, effective March 30, 2020. Andrew Jackson, who has served as Interim CEO since August 2019, will remain Ra Medical's Chief Financial Officer. "Will's extensive industry experience, particularly in the vascular space, makes him an ideal fit to lead Ra Medical," said Martin Colombatto, Chairman of Ra Medical Systems. "He's built an impressive career at industry-leading medical device companies introducing new products, scaling commercial organizations, developing and implementing corporate strategies, exceeding sales projections and building high performing corporate cultures. His experience, energy and focus will help guide our product development, regulatory and commercial plans for DABRA, while we improve product reliability, expand our product offerings and enhance the experience for physicians and patients. We welcome Will to our executive team and to our board."

16:47 EDT ChromaDex says its products make no health claims related to coronavirus - ChromaDex seeks to correct statements made by an unaffiliated third-party, Merkel Media Group on behalf of its unnamed client, implying unsupported health claims about Tru Niagen and COVID-19. There are no published human clinical studies evaluating the effects of Tru Niagen supplementation with the coronavirus. As such, no health claims can be made related to COVID-19 at this time.

16:46 EDT Chembio Diagnostics names Richard Eberly president, CEO - Chembio Diagnostics announced the appointment of Richard Eberly as its President and Chief Executive Officer effective March 16, 2020. Eberly also will be a director nominee for election at Chembio's 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Gail Page, a Chembio director who has served as Chembio's Interim CEO since early January 2020, will assume an active advisory role for ninety days to assist in the leadership transition.

16:45 EDT Oneok CEO buys over $990K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Oneok disclosed that its CEO Terry Spencer bought over $990K shares of common stock on March 10th.

16:42 EDT Disney to close California parks from March 14th until end of month - The company states: "While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland Resort, after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California's executive order and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month. The Hotels of Disneyland Resort will remain open until Monday, March 16 to give guests the ability to make necessary travel arrangements; Downtown Disney will remain open. We will monitor the ongoing situation and follow the advice and guidance of federal and state officials and health agencies. Disney will continue to pay cast members during this time. Disneyland Resort will work with guests who wish to change or cancel their visits, and will provide refunds to those who have hotel bookings during this closure period. We anticipate heavy call volume over the next several days and appreciate guests' patience as we work hard to respond to all inquiries." Reference Link

16:41 EDT Bonanza Creek significantly reduces planned development activity in 2020 - Bonanza Creek Energy updated its 2020 operating plan due to the unprecedented drop in commodity prices. Consistent with the company's focus on economic returns, financial strength, and operational flexibility, Bonanza Creek is significantly reducing planned development activity in 2020. The company's operated drilling rig will finish the final well on its current pad this week and then be released. Ongoing completion activities involving the two final XRL wells of an 8-well pad will be finished within two weeks and the pad will be brought online later this year. Further completion activities will be suspended. Absent additional development activity, the company expects to exit 2020 with no debt and Q4 2020 production that is approximately flat with Q4 2019. Should commodity prices recover, and the economic returns justify their completion, the company can quickly restart development activity with the completion of two pads in late 2020 that should maintain flat production into Q2 2021.

16:36 EDT Chembio Diagnostics says partnered with LumiraDx for COVID-19 test - "As we look to 2020, we are very excited to partner up with LumiraDx and combine our collective scientific expertise to develop point-of-care tests for COVID-19. We are confident our combined solutions will be the preferred approach for healthcare providers to detect and monitor this pandemic. In addition, we are pleased to have appointed Richard Eberly as CEO to lead the next phase of Chembio's growth. He is a diagnostics industry veteran who brings to the company years of experience commercializing and growing many product platforms. We are confident we have the right team and technology to extend our leadership in point-of-care diagnostics, grow revenues, and create long-term shareholder value," said the company.

16:32 EDT Providence Service authorizes $75M stock repurchase program - The Providence Service Corporation announced that its board has approved a $75M stock repurchase program, effective as of March 12.

16:31 EDT W.P. Carey raises quarterly dividend to $1.04 per share - The dividend is payable on April 15 to stockholders of record as of March 31.

16:27 EDT Oracle up approximately 4% to $41.30 after Q3 results beat estimates - The company also announced a $15B increase in its share repurchase authorization.

16:23 EDT Broadcom CFO says generated over $2.2B in free cash flow in Q1 - "We generated over $2.2 billion in free cash flow in the quarter, which represented 9% growth on a year on year basis," said Tom Krause, CFO of Broadcom. "We ended the first quarter with over $6.4 billion of cash on hand and our cash flow outlook remains healthy. As a result, we are well positioned to continue to support our dividends to stockholders despite the challenging market backdrop."

16:22 EDT Zumiez plans to open approximately 20 new stores in FY20 - The company currently intends to open approximately 20 new stores in FY20, including up to 8 stores in North America, 8 stores in Europe and 4 stores in Australia.

16:21 EDT NCAA cancels Division I men's and women's 2020 basketball tournaments - The NCAA announced that President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men's and women's 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. "This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities," the NCAA stated. Publicly traded sports broadcasters include Disney (DIS), Fox (FOXA), CBS (VIAC), Sinclair Broadcast (SBGI), NBC (CMCSA), and AT&T (T).

16:19 EDT Zumiez reports February comparable sales increase of 5.8% - The company's comparable sales increased 5.8% for the four-week period ended February 29, 2020 compared to a comparable sales decrease of 3.8% for the four-week period ended March 2, 2019.

16:18 EDT Gap names Katrina O'Connell CFO - Following the earlier announcement of the appointment of Sonia Syngal to CEO effective March 23, 2020, today the company announced a series of additional leadership changes. Katrina O'Connell, Chief Financial Officer of Old Navy, will become the company's Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Teri List-Stoll who has served in the role since January 2017. List-Stoll will remain with Gap Inc. for several months to ensure a smooth transition. "Katrina brings more than two decades of Gap, Inc. experience, across both brands and functions. Her command of finance, portfolio management and strategy, coupled with her strong operating capabilities from her time leading inventory management, make her uniquely qualified to take on this role," said incoming Gap Inc. CEO Sonia Syngal. "I'm fortunate to have had her as a partner in leading Old Navy over the past three years, as we defined the growth roadmap for the brand, and I look forward to working alongside her in this new capacity."

16:16 EDT SUMR Brands to effect 1-for-9 reverse stock split - SUMR Brands announced that it has filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect a 1-for-9 reverse stock split of its common stock to become effective on March 13, and the company's common stock is expected to begin trading on a post-split basis at the open of trading on March 16. The company undertook the reverse stock split to regain compliance with the $1.00 per share minimum price bid requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

16:15 EDT Limoneira announces $10M share repurchase program - Limoneira announced that the company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $10.0 million of the company's issued and outstanding common stock. Harold Edward, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, said, "Today's share repurchase program announcement demonstrates the Board and management's continued confidence in the long-term growth prospects of Limoneira and the strong overall value of our Company. The authorized repurchases are part of the ongoing commitment to a disciplined and opportunistic capital deployment strategy."

16:13 EDT Asure Software announces $5M stock repurchase plan - Asure also announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new stock repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to $5 million of its outstanding common stock. This new stock repurchase program is in addition to the approximately 66,000 shares available under the Company's existing stock repurchase plan.

16:12 EDT Oracle reports Q3 short-term deferred revenues $7.8B - Operating cash flow was $13.9B during the trailing twelve months.

16:10 EDT Frequency Electronics awarded $7.2M in contracts - Frequency Electronics announced the award of two contracts with an aggregate value of approximately $7.2M. Both contracts are for design and manufacture of master oscillators and time/frequency generation electronics that will be incorporated into US Government space and airborne platforms, respectively. Further details on the contracts cannot be disclosed.

16:09 EDT Marker Therapeutics sees cash runway extending beyond 2Q21

16:06 EDT Merus sees sufficient cash to fund operations into 2022 - Based on the company's current operating plan, the company expects its existing cash, cash equivalents and investments will be sufficient to fund its operations into 2022. "Significant advancements made in 2019 have set the stage for an exciting and productive year ahead," said Bill Lundberg, president, CEO and principal financial officer of Merus. "Merus was founded on strong, sophisticated science and we have now matured into a promising clinical-stage company with compelling early data in our first and most advanced clinical program, zenocutuzumab, for patients with cancers that harbor NRG1 gene fusions. Along with our additional clinical programs, robust platform technology and strong balance sheet, Merus is well-positioned to achieve meaningful results for cancer patients in need."

16:05 EDT Ulta Beauty reports Q4 SSS up 4.0% - Q4 Comparable sales increased 4.0% compared to an increase of 9.4% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. The 4.0% comparable sales increase was driven by 1.8% transaction growth and 2.2% growth in average ticket. Q4 gross margin increased 10bps to 35.0% from last year.

16:04 EDT Oracle CEO Catz says 'we had an extremely strong quarter' - "We had an extremely strong quarter with Total Revenues growing 3% in constant currency," said Oracle CEO, Safra Catz. "Subscription revenues, made up of Cloud Services and License Support revenues, grew 5% in constant currency. These consistently growing and recurring subscription revenues now account for 71% of total company revenues, thus enabling a sequential increase in our operating margin, and double-digit non-GAAP Earnings Per Share growth in Q3." "The Oracle Autonomous Database, the world's only fully autonomous data management system, can automatically patch security vulnerabilities while running; it keeps your data safe," said Oracle Chairman and CTO, Larry Ellison. "Oracle Autonomous Database is also both serverless and elastic. It's the only database that can instantaneously scale itself to an optimal level of CPU and IO resources. You only pay for what you use. Security and economy are two fundamental reasons why thousands of customers are now using the revolutionary new Oracle Autonomous Database in our Generation 2 Public Cloud."

16:02 EDT Oracle raises share repurchase authorization by $15B

15:25 EDT McDermott announces confirmation of plan of reorganization - McDermott International announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has confirmed the company's plan of reorganization and approved the sale of Lummus Technology to a joint partnership between The Chatterjee Group and Rhone Capital. Under the terms of the Plan, McDermott will complete a comprehensive restructuring transaction to de-lever its balance sheet and immediately position the company for long-term growth. The transaction will allow the company to emerge with more cash on hand than debt, eliminating over $4.6B of debt. The company expects to emerge in the second quarter following the receipt of regulatory approval for the sale of Lummus Technology to the joint partnership. As announced on January 21, 2020, subsidiaries of McDermott entered into a share and asset purchase agreement to sell Lummus Technology to the joint partnership, as the "stalking horse bidder," for a base purchase price of $2.725B, subject to higher or otherwise better bids received through a court-supervised auction process. Proceeds from the sale of Lummus Technology are expected to repay McDermott's DIP financing in full, as well as fund emergence costs and provide cash to the balance sheet for long-term liquidity.

15:17 EDT Minerva says no corporate news to account for 'sharp' fall in share price - Minerva Neurosciences addressed a sharp reduction of its share price and subsequent brief trading halt of its shares occurred this morning. "There is no corporate news or change to our fundamentals that caused this share price movement. Based on information received from NASDAQ, we understand that this movement and trading halt was the result of automated trades made between 9:53 am and 9:54 am EDT, and in close proximity with the unusual trading halt of the entire NASDAQ exchange that also occurred this morning due to broader economic issues. The trading halt has been lifted and trading has resumed in the Company's stock. We also understand that the New York Stock Exchange has instructed brokers that all trades in the Company's shares executed between 9:53 am and 9:54 am EDT at or below the per share price of $4.92 have been reversed and ruled null and void," stated CFO Geoff Race.

14:41 EDT Napco Security to resume stock repurchase plan - Napco Security Technologies announced plans to repurchase shares of the company. The repurchase will be made from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions subject to market conditions and the market price of the common stock. Under the 2018 authorized program of 500,000 shares the company has the ability to repurchase approximately 435,000 shares.

14:36 EDT SBA to provide Disaster Assistance Loans for businesses impacted by COVID-19 - SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza issued the following statement in part on Thursday in response to the President's address to the nation: "The President took bold, decisive action to make our 30 million small businesses more resilient to Coronavirus-related economic disruptions...SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance for a small business. These loans can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. Process for Accessing SBA's Coronavirus, COVID-19, Disaster Relief Lending The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus, COVID-19. Upon a request received from a state's or territory's Governor, SBA will issue under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was recently signed by the President, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan declaration...Once a declaration is made for designated areas within a state, the information on the application process for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance will be made available to all affected communities. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can't be paid because of the disaster's impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere; businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%. Reference Link

14:32 EDT Air Products selected for Mozambique onshore LNG project - Air Products announced it has signed an agreement to provide its LNG technology, equipment and related process license and advisory services to the Mozambique LNG Project. "Air Products' world-leading LNG manufacturing facility in Port Manatee, Florida will manufacture two LNG heat exchangers, which will then be shipped to the project site on the Afungi Peninsula in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. This LNG production facility will be the first onshore LNG Project in the Republic of Mozambique in Southeast Africa," the company said. Air Products is also involved with the Coral South floating LNG project, the first offshore FLNG project in Mozambique, which is expected to begin production in 2022, the company added.

14:02 EDT Ovintiv reduces Q2 capital investment plans by $300M - Ovintiv announced plans to immediately reduce second quarter 2020 capital investments by $300M and full year cash costs by $100M. "This is the first step in response to the recent large drop in oil prices. The Company has no long-term service commitments to fulfill and intends to use its operational flexibility to maintain balance sheet strength. Ovintiv is fully prepared to further reduce capital investments and activity levels as market conditions dictate. The Company is immediately dropping 10 operated drilling rigs and plans to drop an additional six operated rigs in May 2020. Following these rig count reductions, Ovintiv will have three operated rigs in the Permian, two in the Anadarko and two in the Montney," the company said. Beyond the immediate spending cuts announced today, Ovintiv is prepared to further reduce capital investments throughout the year to ensure free cash neutrality and balance sheet strength. The company expects to provide an update to its 2020 guidance in conjunction with first-quarter reporting, it noted. "We are moving quickly and decisively in response to these volatile and challenging times. It is imperative to take immediate action and we are dropping roughly two-thirds of our operated rigs and reducing our cash costs by $100 million. Market conditions are changing rapidly, and we have full operational flexibility to further adjust activity to maintain our balance sheet strength," added CEO Doug Suttles.

13:39 EDT Verizon increasing 2020 capital guidance range to $17.5B-$18.5B from $17B-$18B

13:33 EDT UnitedHealth CEO says talks with VP Pence about removing testing barriers - UnitedHealth CEO Dirk McMahon said that the company does not have enough data to make any determination on whether the company should view the coronavirus spread as an extension of flu season. McMahon added that a recent meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was mostly about a commitment to making sure the company removes barriers to diagnostic testing, though he said that Pence also discussed the importanc of having a health care workforce that's prepared to be on the front line to serve these patients. Comments taken from a transcript of UnitedHealth's appearance at the Barclays Global Healthcare Conference.

13:27 EDT UnitedHealth CMO notes somewhat of a severity bias with COVID-19 - UnitedHealth chief medical officer Richard J. Migliori also said that there is somewhat of a severity bias with COVID-19, meaning that the cases that people pay most attention to are those who are most ill. Migliori noted that the COVID-19 test is moving to the commercial marketplace, and "they will come," and that people will see a "dramatic increase" in the number of cases, some of which is because of the communicable nature of the disease, though much of it will also be driven by just getting the backlog of diagnosis completed. Comments taken from a transcript of UnitedHealth's appearance at the Barclays Global Healthcare Conference.

13:16 EDT NYSE to to bust all erroneous trades in Minerva from 9:53 to 9:54 ET today - The NYSE stated in a trader notice: "NYSE /NYSE Arca Equities in conjunction with other UTP exchanges, has ruled to bust all erroneous trades in NERV - Minerva Neurosciences, Inc., executed between 09:53:00 and 09:54:00 ET today, at or below $4.92. This ruling is not eligible for appeal."

13:02 EDT Delta capping fares for Europe, making adjustments in response to U.S. directive - Delta announced that it continues to work closely with U.S. authorities following President Trump's directive on travel between Europe and the United States. Under the directive, foreign nationals with 14-day prior travel within any of the 26 Schengen-area countries will not be eligible to enter the United States. U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents and certain of their family members, and other limited exceptions, will be allowed to enter the U.S. through one of 11 CDC-approved airports. As a result, some flights will operate today, Thursday, will return Friday, and then will be temporarily suspended. Delta continues to evaluate additional schedule adjustments based on customer demand. More details will be shared as soon as possible. Delta is also capping fares for travel to Europe. The U.S. State Department also issued updated guidance Wednesday recommending that Americans "Reconsider Travel Abroad" due to COVID-19. Delta has waived change fees for customers traveling to, from or through Europe and the U.K. through May 31. Reference Link

12:17 EDT Cuban says bought Live Nation shares two days ago, bought Twitter today - Billionaire investor and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, is speaking on CNBC and disclosed some of his recent stock purchases, though he added that he is "just as confused as anyone" amid the coronavirus outbreak.

12:00 EDT Gol Linhas falls -36.5% - Gol Linhas is down -36.5%, or -$2.44 to $4.25.

12:00 EDT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X ETF rises 29.9% - Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X ETF is up 29.9%, or $2.14 to $9.29.

12:00 EDT Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares rises 35.4% - Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares is up 35.4%, or $5.25 to $20.08.

11:17 EDT SAIC announces pilot of program with Goodyear Tire using blockchain - Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) announced a collaborative pilot program with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (GT) to take steps toward using state-of-the-art blockchain technology to secure supply chain transactions. The pilot plans to use industry-standard formatting for digital transactions, as well as smart contracts, or computer transactions, that are securely added to the blockchain. Blockchain participants would then be able to track and view data to analyze supply chain activity, further aiding customers in making informed buying decisions. "Accurate and secure supply chain solutions are critical to SAIC's work of providing our customers with the commodities they need when and where they require them. Blockchain technology will offer secure methods for transmission of mission-critical, sensitive data and information to our Armed Forces and U.S. government personnel around the world," said Jim Scanlon, SAIC EVP and general manager of the Defense Systems Customer Group.

11:02 EDT Southwest adding new international service to and from Phoenix's Sky Harbor - Southwest Airlines extended its bookable flight schedule through Oct. 30, 2020. As the carrier publishes its full schedule, it is adding new international service to and from Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport beginning in October, the company announced. Effective Oct. 8, 2020, Southwest will offer twice-daily nonstop service between Phoenix and Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos and once-daily nonstop service between Phoenix and Puerto Vallarta.

10:40 EDT Sasol announces actions to strengthen balance sheet after drop in oil - Sasol announced that the "unprecedented set of combined challenges driven by COVID-19 and the significant decline in the oil price have come at a time when Sasol is in a peak gearing phase as the Company completes LCCP." It added, "Sasol is confident that its foundation business is capable of positive cash flow from operations in a low oil price environment. At the prevailing Rand oil price of approximately R580/bbl, Sasol will be within the current covenant levels at 30 June 2020. In anticipation of a lower-for-longer Rand per barrel oil price, a comprehensive package of actions is being finalised to deliver this and sustainably strengthen the balance sheet. It is important to note the current liquidity position: Sasol has current cash and available facilities of approximately US$2,5bn; and Sasol has no significant debt maturities before May 2021. Sasol is prioritising the following actions, details of which will be announced to the market on Tuesday: Business optimisation to reduce costs; Working capital optimisation; Re-scheduling some capital expenditure; Expanding the scope of, and accelerating, the asset disposal programme to realise proceeds in excess of the current US$2 billion target; Engaging our lending groups. Thus far, engagements have been constructive; and Assessing alternatives to manage Sasol's near-term debt covenant constraints, including a potential equity issue."

10:30 EDT Lonestar Resources announces bolstered hedge positions - Lonestar Resources announced that it has entered into a series of hedge transactions which it said "considerably enhance the certainty around crude oil prices, natural gas prices, and interest rates." For the balance of 2020, Lonestar has a total of 7,453 barrels per day of crude oil swapped at an average West Texas Intermediate price of $57.09 per barrel. For the balance of 2020, Lonestar has a total of 20,000 MMBTU per day of natural gas swapped at an average Henry Hub price of $2.55 per MMBTU. Lonestar has recently taken steps to significantly bolster its price protection through the end of 2021 by adding to the Company's existing hedge book. For the calendar year 2021, Lonestar now has a total of 7,000 barrels per day of crude oil swapped at an average West Texas Intermediate price of $50.40 per barrel. For the calendar year 2021, Lonestar now has a total of 27,500 MMBTU per day of natural gas swapped at an average Henry Hub price of $2.36 per MMBTU. Lonestar has also recently entered into LIBOR swaps that provide a fixed rate for LIBOR of 0.68% on $190M of the company's borrowings under its Senior Secured Credit Facility for a period ending March 3, 2023. In comparison to the interest paid in 2019 on those borrowings, this LIBOR swap would save the company approximately $3M annually.

10:14 EDT Virtu Financial trading resumes

10:13 EDT Discovery Communications trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:12 EDT Toro Company trading resumes

10:11 EDT Omega Healthcare trading resumes

10:11 EDT Noble Energy trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:09 EDT Elanco Animal Health trading resumes

10:09 EDT Live Nation trading resumes

10:09 EDT Park Hotels & Resorts trading resumes

10:09 EDT Virtu Financial trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:08 EDT Eversource trading resumes

10:08 EDT Crestwood Equity trading resumes

10:07 EDT Quotient Technology trading resumes

10:07 EDT XPO Logistics trading resumes

10:07 EDT Healthpeak Properties trading resumes

10:07 EDT Heritage Insurance trading resumes

10:06 EDT Saga Communications trading resumes

10:06 EDT Hanover Insurance trading resumes

10:05 EDT Bright Horizons trading resumes

10:05 EDT Sysco trading resumes

10:05 EDT Newmont Mining trading resumes

10:04 EDT Okta trading resumes

10:04 EDT Concho Resources trading resumes

10:04 EDT Chimera trading resumes

10:04 EDT American Campus trading resumes

10:03 EDT Vector Group trading resumes

10:03 EDT CF Industries trading resumes

10:03 EDT Crestwood Equity trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:02 EDT Kimco Realty trading resumes

10:02 EDT Capstead Mortgage trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:02 EDT Orchid Island Capital trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:02 EDT LiveRamp Holdings trading resumes

10:01 EDT Sibanye Stillwater trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:01 EDT Heritage Insurance trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:01 EDT Oxford Lane trading resumes

10:01 EDT Omega Healthcare trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EDT Co-Diagnostics trading resumes

10:00 EDT Healthpeak Properties trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EDT Azul falls -27.1% - Azul is down -27.1%, or -$5.20 to $13.97.

10:00 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 27.5% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 27.5%, or $13.24 to $61.46.

10:00 EDT Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares rises 31.4% - Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares is up 31.4%, or $4.66 to $19.49.

09:59 EDT Sysco trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:59 EDT Trane Technologies trading resumes

09:59 EDT CooTek Cayman Inc (Class A ADS) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:59 EDT Eversource trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:59 EDT CBOE Holdings trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:58 EDT Inovio trading resumes

09:58 EDT Voya Financial trading resumes

09:58 EDT Bright Horizons trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:58 EDT Newmont Mining trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:58 EDT H&R Block trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:57 EDT Hanover Insurance trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:57 EDT Coca Cola European Partners trading resumes

09:56 EDT Saga Communications trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:56 EDT Atlantic Capital trading resumes

09:56 EDT GrafTech trading resumes

09:56 EDT CDK Global trading resumes

09:56 EDT Sterling BanCorp trading resumes

09:56 EDT Caterpillar reports retail machines sales down 11% in three months end February - Caterpillar reported in a regulatory filing earlier that its total retail machines sales were down 11% on a three month rolling basis in February. For reference, retail sales of machines were down 7% in the period ending in January and down 5% in the period ending in December. The company reported world Resources Industries sales were down 7% in the February-end period, matching the January-end period decrease. Construction Industries world sales were down 11% in the February-end period, versus down 6% in the prior three-month period ending in January. Total Energy & Transportation Retail Sales were down 4% in the February-end period, and were down 2% in the January-end period.

09:56 EDT Paysign trading resumes

09:56 EDT FLIR Systems trading resumes

09:56 EDT Denali Therapeutics trading resumes

09:56 EDT Arch Capital trading resumes

09:55 EDT WEC Energy trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:54 EDT NVR trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:54 EDT AxoGen trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:54 EDT Minerva trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:53 EDT Inovio trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:52 EDT Acamar Partners Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT Atlantic Capital trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT GrafTech trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT CDK Global trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT Sterling BanCorp trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT Paysign trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT American Campus trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corporation IV (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT Biofrontera AG (ADS) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT Arch Capital trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT Nektar trading resumes

09:50 EDT Liberty Formula One trading resumes

09:47 EDT Royal Caribbean falls -22.5% - Royal Caribbean is down -22.5%, or -$9.97 to $34.40.

09:47 EDT Direxion Daily Jr Gld Mnrs Bull 3X Shrs falls -34.3% - Direxion Daily Jr Gld Mnrs Bull 3X Shrs is down -34.3%, or -$11.81 to $22.65.

09:47 EDT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X ETF rises 29.7% - Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X ETF is up 29.7%, or $2.13 to $9.28.

09:40 EDT SmileDirectClub reports on new pre-screening requirements, SmileShop training - SmileDirectClub announced updates to its customer experience to "ensure greater transparency of its procedures for its club members and provide effective training for its team members." The company said it "conducted a thorough review of its customer experience with the single mission to uphold the company's commitment to safe, affordable access to care." Some of the improvements have been made include that SmileDirectClub is adjusting its customer consent form to ensure customers understand the need to verify that they have visited a dentist within six months of starting treatment with SmileDirectClub and have not reported any pain or other clinical concerns specific to their oral health. Additionally, the company said SmileShop team members have received additional training to ensure consistent, clear and effective communication with customers regarding teledentistry and SmileDirectClub's consent form. "Although many of SmileDirectClub's SmileGuides are dental assistants and hygienists, when they are in the SmileShops they are not engaged in that capacity, do not practice dentistry and are not able to answer clinical questions about clear aligner therapy or treatment plans. SmileGuides provide general information about SmileDirectClub and its teledentistry platform and the SmilePay program, as well as gather patient information for subsequent review, assessment and diagnosis by one of the more than 250 dentists and orthodontists in the affiliated doctor network. Should customers wish to speak to a dentist or orthodontist in the network, SmileGuides may provide information on how to do so," the company said. Additionally, SmileDirectClub said it is improving its refund timelines and making its refund policy clearer. "SmileDirectClub's Smile Guarantee continues to offer a full refund without questions or conditions for any reason within 30 days of receiving aligners," the company said.

09:36 EDT CytoSorbents sees 'potentially promising option' to help get patients out of ICU - CytoSorbents provided an update from its CEO, Dr. Phillip Chan, stating in part: "In discussions with physicians who are working in the epicenters of infection in Italy and China, the real problem with the COVID-19 pandemic is that serious and critically-ill patients are flooding hospitals, and overwhelming their ability to treat these patients. Intensive care units are in gridlock and in many cases at the breaking point, as an increasing number of patients with life-threatening complications of COVID-19 infection such acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock, kidney failure, acute cardiac injury and secondary bacterial infections, occupy the limited number of ICU beds, and consume tremendous medical, equipment, and healthcare worker resources, with little hope of a quick recovery and ICU discharge...This is why CytoSorb represents a potentially promising option in helping to treat these patients, and get them out of the ICU faster, thereby relieving this bottleneck. Although CytoSorb does not kill or remove the virus, it has been used in more than 80,000 treatments as an approved treatment of cytokine storm in the European Union and distributed in 58 countries around the world, where it has helped physicians control severe inflammation while helping to reverse shock, and improve respiratory and other organ function. And again, these complications are often the real reason patients die of COVID-19 infection. Over the past two weeks, multiple patients with at least respiratory failure, shock, or kidney failure, in multiple hospitals in Wuhan, China have been treated with CytoSorb. Based on preliminary positive feedback on patient outcomes, we have responded to a request for additional devices and have now delivered a second shipment of CytoSorb devices to our partner in China, intended for new critically-ill COVID-19 patients. In addition, we have learned of the first initial treatments of CytoSorb on COVID-19 patients in intensive care units in Italy. Though challenging to get feedback on how these patients have done, due to the overwhelming workload of the treating physicians, we hope to have more information soon. Meanwhile, we have also received an additional order from Iran, another country where coronavirus infection has been rapidly spreading."

09:34 EDT Rubius Therapeutics trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:32 EDT Nektar trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EDT Zscaler trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:23 EDT LogMeln stockholders approve agreement to be acquired by PE firms - LogMeIn announced that its stockholders voted to adopt the previously announced definitive agreement in which LogMeIn will be acquired in a transaction led by Francisco Partners, a leading technology-focused global private equity firm, and Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation, the private equity affiliate of Elliott Management Corporation, at its special meeting of stockholders held earlier today. At the special meeting, LogMeIn stockholders adopted the merger agreement with more than 74% of the outstanding shares voting in favor of the merger. The proposed merger is expected to close in mid-2020, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals.

09:19 EDT Capitec Bank exceeds 9M BIO-key-enrolled customers in South Africa - BIO-key International announced that flagship customer Capitec Bank Holding Company of Stellenbosch, South Africa has exceeded nine million customers enrolled in their BIO-key-based in-branch biometric client identification system. Capitec customer enrollments in BIO-key have grown substantially since the bank deployed its system using BIO-key in 2015. The innovative system for streamlining client identification while enhancing security for its customers was one of the first of its kind in South Africa.

09:17 EDT Pluristem, Charite University of Medicine Berlin announce collaboration - Pluristem Therapeutics announced it has signed a collaborative agreement with the BIH Center for Regenerative Therapy and the Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies at Charite' University of Medicine Berlin to expand its existing framework and research agreement and conduct a joint project evaluating the therapeutic effects of Pluristem's patented PLX cell product candidates for potential treatment of the respiratory and inflammatory complications associated with the COVID-19 coronavirus. PLX cells are allogeneic mesenchymal-like cells that have immunomodulatory properties that induce the immune system's natural regulatory T cells and M2 macrophages, and thus may prevent or reverse the dangerous overactivation of the immune system. Accordingly, PLX cells may potentially reduce the fatal symptoms of COVID-19 induced pneumonia and pneumonitis. Previous pre-clinical findings of PLX cells revealed significant therapeutic effects in animal studies of pulmonary hypertension, lung fibrosis, acute kidney injury and gastrointestinal injury which are potential complications of the severe COVID-19 infection. Clinical data using PLX cells demonstrated the strong immunomodulatory potency of PLX cells in patients post major surgery. Taken together, PLX cells' potential capabilities with the safety profile observed from clinical trials involving hundreds of patients worldwide potentially position them as a therapy for mitigating the tissue-damaging effects of COVID-19.

09:13 EDT Ideanomics receives multiple vehicle order from Zhitong 3000 - Ideanomics announced a new vehicle order through its MEG subsidiary from truck services firm Zhitong 3000's holding company Jiangsu Linghao Network Technology. The overall order is broken into three order types, comprised of 3000 units of heavy haulage transportation vehicles at a cost of approx. $57K, 1000 units of heavy dump trucks for use with transportation of slag and mining ore - approx. $60,000 USD, and 800 passenger-class cars at a cost of approx. $23K. The total order is in the region of $250M.

09:12 EDT CleanSpark sees pipeline under contract resulting in March revenues over $900k - CleanSpark announcef that it has realized in excess of $275,000 in revenue over the past week as part of $900,000 in pipeline under contract scheduled for the month of March. As a result, it expects to exceed its fiscal 2019 revenues of $4.5M in only the first six months of fiscal 2020.

09:09 EDT RealReal partners with LeadsOnline to prevent stolen goods trafficking - The RealReal announced it has engaged with LeadsOnline to help law enforcement catch criminals who traffic in stolen luxury goods. Through the LeadsOnline platform, law enforcement officers now have visibility into The RealReal's current inventory. Details including product descriptions, serial numbers, imagery, and the date and location of the consignment will all be accessible to verified law enforcement officers. Officers will also have a direct line of communication with The RealReal so the company can further assist with active investigations.

09:08 EDT Providence Services' LogistiCare extends partnership with Lyft - The Providence Service Corporation (PRSC) announced that its subsidiary, LogistiCare Solutions, has renewed and extended their preferred partnership with Lyft (LYFT) in a multi-year commitment. The joint effort will improve access to care for millions across the U.S. who rely on LogistiCare for reliable and convenient transportation to fulfill their medical needs. Together, LogistiCare and Lyft have facilitated access to millions of rides since 2017 in 48 states and the District of Columbia.

09:05 EDT Energy Recovery awarded $23.5M for water projects - Energy Recovery announced awards of $23.5M to supply its PX Pressure Exchanger devices and related equipment and services to multiple desalination projects across the Middle East and North Africa. Shipments for these contracts are expected to begin Q1 and continue throughout the first half of 2021. These awards include the largest contract in Energy Recovery's history for the Taweelah Reverse Osmosis Independent Water Project, which will be the world's largest seawater reverse osmosis desalination facility once completed.

09:03 EDT Arkansas school district adopts Lexia Core5 Reading districtwide - Due to the success that its Pre-K-5 students have experienced with Lexia Core5 Reading, the Pulaski County Special School District in Arkansas, in and around Little Rock, has expanded its use of the program to all of its 16 elementary schools. Several schools in Pulaski County had been using Core5 since 2013, with an increasing number of schools adopting it year after year as they saw the positive results that their colleagues were achieving.

09:01 EDT Griffin closes on acquisition of Orlando, Florida building - Griffin Industrial Realty announced that it closed on the acquisition of an approximately 68,000 square foot mostly vacant industrial/warehouse building in Orlando, Florida, Griffin's third industrial/warehouse property in Orlando. The Building's approximately $5.7 million purchase price was paid in cash at closing using cash on hand. Griffin entered the Orlando market when it purchased a fully leased approximately 100,000 square foot industrial/warehouse building in October 2019 and subsequently acquired a fully leased approximately 108,000 square foot industrial/warehouse building in February 2020. This Acquisition increases Griffin's total real estate portfolio to 42 buildings aggregating approximately 4,639,000 square feet, with 91% of the square footage being industrial/warehouse space.

08:50 EDT Carnival trading resumes

08:47 EDT Neogen increasing production of sanitizers, disinfectants - Neogen is ramping up its inventory of hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, nitrile gloves, and disinfectants. Neogen's comprehensive suite of biosecurity products, including sanitizers, apparel, cleaners and disinfectants, were primarily developed for use in Neogen's agricultural markets. The company also offers AccuPoint Advanced, a sanitation monitoring device that provides an almost instant indication of the cleanliness of a surface.

08:44 EDT Princess Cruises announces voluntary, temporary pause of operations for 60 days - In proactive response to the unpredictable circumstances evolving from the global spread of COVID-19 and in an abundance of caution, Princess Cruises announced that it will voluntarily pause global operations of its 18 cruise ships for two months (60 days), impacting voyages departing March 12 to May 10. "Princess Cruises is a global vacation company that serves more than 50,000 guests daily from 70 countries as part of our diverse business, and it is widely known that we have been managing the implications of COVID-19 on two continents," said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises. "By taking this bold action of voluntarily pausing the operations of our ships, it is our intention to reassure our loyal guests, team members and global stakeholders of our commitment to the health, safety and well-being of all who sail with us, as well as those who do business with us, and the countries and communities we visit around the world," added Swartz. Those currently onboard a cruise that will end in the next five days will continue to sail as expected through the end of the itinerary so that onward travel arrangements are not disrupted. Current voyages that are underway and extend beyond March 17 will be ended at the most convenient location for guests, factoring in operational requirements. Princess will do everything possible to return each guest home with the greatest amount of care possible. During this time, our operations and medical teams across the fleet will remain vigilant in their care and service for guests and crew onboard. For those who are impacted by this business decision, Princess is offering guests the opportunity to transfer 100% of the money paid for their cancelled cruise to a future cruise of their choice. To add a bonus incentive for guests to accept this offer, the company will add an additional generous future cruise credit benefit which can be applied to the cruise fare or onboard expenses. In addition, Princess will honor this offer for those guests who had made final payment and cancelled their booking on or after February 4, 2020. The future cruise credit can be used on any voyage departing through May 1, 2022. Princess will protect travel advisor commissions on bookings for cancelled cruises that were paid in full and for the total amount of the future cruise credits, in recognition of the critical role they play in the cruise line's business and success. If the future cruise credit option does not work for some guests, they will be able to complete an electronic form on Princess.com to request a cash refund. Princess asks guests not to call the Reservation Call Center due to the possibility of high call volumes and the potential of long on-hold wait times due to this unprecedented action. Guests and their travel advisors will be sent communications on how to manage cancellations and desired compensation. Princess Cruises plans to be back in operation beginning with cruises departing May 11, 2020.

08:42 EDT Livongo Health expands relationship with CVS Health via Point Solutions service - Livongo (LVGO) announced that it is available through the CVS Health Point Solutions Management (CVS) service. Point Solutions Management is a full service offering for CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management clients to contract, onboard, and manage health and care solutions including Livongo's Diabetes, Hypertension, Weight Management, and Diabetes Prevention programs. Livongo and CVS Health have collaborated since 2017 through CVS Health's Transform Diabetes Care Program, which includes the Livongo for Diabetes, Livongo for Hypertension, and Livongo for Diabetes Prevention programs. With the Point Solutions Management service, CVS Health clients not currently using Livongo can now add Livongo's proven solutions through an alternative contracting path.

08:40 EDT Provident Financial announces merger with SB One for approx. $22.09 per share - Provident Financial Services, Inc. (PFS), and SB One Bancorp (SBBX), the parent company of SB One Bank, today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Provident will acquire SB One. The combined organization will have approximately $12 billion in assets and will rank as the 3rd largest bank headquartered in New Jersey. The merger brings together two high-performing companies with complementary geographies and business lines. Provident will acquire all of the outstanding shares of SB One in exchange for common shares of Provident. The exchange ratio will be fixed at 1.357 Provident shares for each share of SB One, resulting in an aggregate transaction value of approximately $208.9 million, based on Provident's closing stock price on March 11, 2020. The transaction consideration is presently valued at $22.09 per share for SB One shareholders. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval by the shareholders of SB One. In the transaction, SB One will merge into Provident, and SB One Bank will merge into Provident Bank, with Provident and Provident Bank being the surviving entities. Key Transaction Highlights: Allows Provident to cross the $10 billion asset threshold in a meaningful way; Establishes a clear succession plan for management to be realized with a proven leader in Tony Labozzetta, who has both community bank and large regional bank experience. Mr. Labozzetta and two additional SB One directors will join the Boards of Directors of Provident and Provident Bank; Provides Provident with entry into attractive new markets in Bergen County, New Jersey as well as Astoria, New York. Provident intends to optimize the branch locations as part of the business combination; Enhances fee-based business and fee generation provided by SB One Insurance Agency; Strong cultural fit that combines two organizations with like-minded commitments to customers, communities and stockholders. Key Financial Highlights: Strong earnings accretion: Approximately 9% accretive to Provident's earnings per share; Achievable cost savings assumption of 30.0% or approximately $13.5 million in 2021; Reasonable tangible book value dilution: Approximately 2.0% dilutive to tangible book value per share at closing; Tangible book value earnback period projected to be approximately 2.25 years using the crossover method and 2.0 years using the simple method; Pro forma combined company with total assets of $11.8 billion, deposits of $8.6 billion, and net loans of $8.9 billion.

08:36 EDT Contango Oil & Gas undertaking extensive review of producing areas - Contango Oil & Gas Company as a result of the decline in commodity prices in the last several days, and especially oil prices, today provides a brief update on its response to that decline. The Company has consistently been diligent in protecting the vast majority of expected cash flow from such commodity price declines, as evidenced by the fact that it currently has hedges in place for 71% and 67% of currently forecasted hedgeable PDP oil production for 2020 and 2021, respectively, at average floor prices of $55.13 and $51.71 per barrel, respectively. The Company also has 72% and 54% of currently forecasted hedgeable PDP natural gas production for 2020 and 2021, respectively, hedged at average floor prices of $2.57 and $2.51 per Mcf. Approximately 98% of the Company's hedges are swaps, and the Company has no three way collars or short puts. The "hedgeable PDP" does not include Gulf of Mexico production that the Company's credit agreement precludes it from hedging during peak hurricane season, which is only one percent of current daily oil production. The Company currently forecasts product mix for 2020 production as approximately 47% natural gas, 27% oil and 26% natural gas liquids. The Company is currently undertaking an extensive review of all of its producing areas to determine the economic or operational justification for continuing to produce unhedged barrels in this price environment, and where determined not justified, and operationally feasible, evaluate potentially shutting in or curtailing production. The Company is also reevaluating the economic justification in this price environment for proceeding with the production-enhancing workover program originally scheduled for the first half of 2020. The limited onshore development drilling the Company had planned for 2020 is also being reevaluated. Because of the Company's low debt profile and borrowing cost of capital, the Company believes it is in the fortunate position of being able to temporarily shut in or curtail higher cost production when there is a decline in the commodity markets. The Company's exploratory test in the shallow waters off the Louisiana coast in Grand Isle will proceed as planned. While the Company does not expect to bring this project online at current prices, even at a $30 flat WTI price, the base forecasted success case for the prospect is 19.2 Mmboe of potential reserves, a 70% IRR, and a fully developed PV-10 of an estimated $178 million. The Company believes this justifies the forecasted $6.3 million investment to drill the first test well. If the test well is successful, production is not currently expected to commence until 2021. The Company had already commenced a cost reduction program in its midcontinent region acquired in the fourth quarter last year, primarily the PDP-heavy Oklahoma properties, as well as cost-focused initiatives in its other core areas in the Southern Delaware Basin and Eugene Island 10/11. Those initiatives will continue to be a priority for the Company in 2020.

08:34 EDT Kitov says U.S. marketing partners plan to start selling Consensi in May - Kitov Pharma provided an update on the planned U.S. commercial launch of Consensi, a fixed-dose combination of celecoxib, and amlodipine besylate, designed for the simultaneous treatment of osteoarthritis pain and hypertension, that was approved for marketing by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The Company's manufacturing partner is completing the packaging, release and shipment of Consensi to Kitov's marketing partners, that is expected to begin selling Consensi in the U.S. in May 2020. According to the U.S. marketing and distribution agreements, Kitov is eligible to receive up to $99.5 million in milestone, reimbursement payments, and royalties. The Company expects to receive aggregate milestone and royalty revenues of between $28 million and $36 million from 2020 through 2022. The projected revenues will provide an important source of financial support for Kitov as the Company continues to advance its emerging oncology pipeline, including bringing both CM-24 and NT-219 into the clinic this year.

08:32 EDT Youngevity mulls divestiture of direct selling business unit back to founders - Youngevity announced that the company is exploring the divestiture of its direct selling business unit back to the original founders of the direct selling division and has entered into a non-binding term sheet regarding a potential transaction with Steve and Michelle Wallach. The company's board of directors has formed a special committee consisting of all of its independent directors to review and consider the terms of the proposed transaction. The special committee has engaged an investment banking firm to review the fairness of the proposed transaction to stockholders. Some of the basic considerations outlined in the non-binding term sheet include the proposed sale to the company of approximately 14M shares of Youngevity's capital stock held by the Wallachs and termination of stock options, the forgiveness of approximately $80M of inter-company debt owed by the company to the direct selling business unit and the post-closing working capital level of the direct selling business unit to be mutually determined. It is expected that the terms and conditions of any transaction with the Wallachs will be set forth in a definitive purchase agreement and other ancillary documents to be negotiated between the parties, and that the conditions to closing will include receipt of a fairness opinion and stockholder approval of the transaction. In the event the transaction is completed, it is expected that the newly formed entity that acquires the Direct Selling Division will retain the Youngevity tradename and the public company will be re-branded with a new name and new stock symbol, Steve Wallach would resign as a Director, Chairman and CEO of the public company and become CEO and President of the newly formed entity that acquires the Direct Selling Division, Michelle Wallach will resign as COO of the public company and serve as the COO of the newly formed entity that acquires the Direct Selling Division and Dave Briskie would become the CEO of the public company.

08:32 EDT Viveve announces completion of participation in VIVEVE II trial - Viveve announced that all patients have now completed participation in the VIVEVE II pivotal FDA clinical trial. VIVEVE II is a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the company's proprietary, Cryogen-cooled Monopolar Radiofrequency technology for the improvement of sexual function in women following vaginal childbirth.

08:31 EDT Tenax Therapeutics completes enrollment in Phase 2 pulmonary hypertension trial - Tenax Therapeutics announced that it has completed enrollment of their Phase 2 clinical trial of levosimendan. "We are delighted that enrollment has been completed in this Phase 2 trial and anticipate top line data to be reported during the second quarter 2020 following the completion of dosing and data analysis," stated Anthony DiTonno, CEO of Tenax Therapeutics. "Pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease represents a significant unmet medical need given the lack of effective therapies for over an estimated two million patients in the US. Levosimendan with its triple mechanism of action has the potential to represent a breakthrough treatment option for these patients."

08:25 EDT Innovation Pharmaceuticals announces testing procedures of brilacidin - Innovation Pharmaceuticals announced research procedures that one of the 12 Regional Biocontainment Labs in the United States will follow when testing Brilacidin, the Company's lead defensin mimetic drug candidate, against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. Testing is scheduled to begin the week of March 16.Staff scientists at the RBL will evaluate Brilacidin's potential inhibitory efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in lung epithelial cell lines, as well as its potential inhibitory effect in viral replication of the alphavirus in different cell lines. VEEV has been chosen as a prototype because of the RBL's focus in this area, possessing in-house necessary assays to assess the antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity of a given compound. Brilacidin also will be compared with other small molecules to assess Brilacidin's potential relative efficacy. Should Brilacidin show promise, testing will be expanded to include additional mechanism of action studies to determine Brilacidin's specific inhibitory activity across the lifecycle of the SARS-CoV-2 virus-viral entry, viral RNA and viral release. Host kinase landscape may also be explored to determine if Brilacidin has any effect on the kinase function of specific target kinases by multiplexed proteomics strategies. Last, synergistic studies of Brilacidin, with other antivirals, might also be pursued.

08:23 EDT Aeterna Zentaris announces settlement of class-action lawsuit - Aeterna Zentaris announced it has settled the previously disclosed class-action lawsuit against it pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The settlement payment will be funded entirely by the Company's insurers. The previously disclosed class-action lawsuit alleged that the Company and certain of its current and former officers and directors violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in connection with certain public statements made between August 30, 2011 and November 6, 2014, regarding the safety and efficacy of Macrilen and the prospects for the approval of the Company's New Drug Application for the product by the FDA. The settlement remains subject to execution of final settlement documents and approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

08:21 EDT Alkaline Water begins shipping single-serve 1-liter to discount chain - The Alkaline Water Company announced that its flagship brand Alkaline88 would soon be available at a specialty discount retailer in over 7,000 stores nationwide.

08:19 EDT Clarus to acquire S.K.B. Corporation for $85M in cash, 1.15M shares - Clarus Corporation announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held S.K.B. Corporation, a leading manufacturer of protective cases, for $85 million in cash and 1,153,846 shares of Clarus common stock. SKB will continue to operate independently as a wholly owned subsidiary of Clarus. Headquartered in Orange, California and founded in 1977 by Steve Kottman and Dave Sanderson, SKB is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of molded polymer transport cases engineered to provide superior protection for a diverse range of equipment. SKB's products, known as "SKB Cases," are utilized across industries, including consumer, sports, electronics, healthcare, music, photography and industrials. In particular, SKB Cases are renowned in the music industry and benefit from "super-fan" status, as many high-profile artists insist on using SKB's products exclusively. SKB serves hundreds of companies globally, and its products are widely recognized for uncompromising quality and unsurpassed durability. In 2019, SKB generated $53 million in sales and more than $9.5 million of Adjusted EBITDA. The addition of SKB will extend the Company's "innovate and accelerate" brand strategy, focused on enhancing the go-to-market process across a more diversified user portfolio. Under Clarus, SKB will have enhanced scale and resources, as well as access to Clarus' robust relationships and channels to market. The acquisition is expected to further strengthen Clarus' leadership in the outdoor and consumer industries, while providing access to new channels, including music and industrial end markets. The transaction is expected to close in April 2020, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Following the closing of the transaction, the SKB management team will continue to run the business from SKB's headquarters in Orange, California.

08:17 EDT Apollo Global announces $500M share repurchase authorization - Apollo Global Management announced that the executive committee of its board of directors has approved a new share repurchase authorization that allows the Company to repurchase up to $500 million of its Class A common stock. This new authorization, which is effective immediately, increases Apollo's capacity to repurchase shares from $80 million of unused capacity under the Company's previously approved plan.

08:16 EDT Diffusion Pharmaceuticals announces retirement of CSO John Gainer - Diffusion Pharmaceuticals announced the retirement of Professor John L. Gainer, Ph.D., the company's chief science officer. Dr. Gainer will continue to serve as both an advisor to the Company and as a member of the board of directors. In recognition of the advancement of the TSC technology into the clinic, the Company has begun a search for a Chief Medical Officer as a replacement for the former Chief Science Officer position.

08:15 EDT Power Solutions receives notification of rescheduling of Data Center World 2020 - Power Solutions International announced that it has been informed that the Data Center World 2020 conference and expo in San Antonio, Texas, has been rescheduled to August 24-27, 2020. PSI will provide details at a later date should it participate in a panel as originally scheduled.

08:15 EDT Carnival trading halted, news pending

08:14 EDT Redfin says 'housing demand holding up surprisingly well' - In a regulatory filing last night, Redfin issued a housing-market update "as a way to inform our customers, not our investors." In the update, Redfin stated in part: "Now coronavirus fears have spread from Seattle to other parts of the country, but we haven't seen a big impact on home-buying demand yet. We measure demand by looking at the annual growth rate in people going on their first home tours with a Redfin agent, to see if that rate slowed over the past seven days compared to the first two months of 2020...Redfin's demand growth has weakened meaningfully nationwide, but from high levels. Demand is still growing at surprisingly healthy levels. And growth in the number of people submitting offers is much higher...We pay particular attention to Seattle, because other cities may soon be as affected by the virus as we are here. The impact on home-buying demand over the past seven days has been noticeable here, but year-over-year growth in early-stage demand is still positive, and, as a percentage, is in the low teens for the period. In San Francisco, another city starting to see infection rates rise, early-stage demand growth has declined from a percentage in the 40s to the high single digits for the same period. We aren't reporting on another virus-prone area, New York, as Manhattan is one of the only major U.S. cities where Redfin hasn't hired many agents...What's even more surprising is that plenty of people are also listing their home for sale, nationwide and even in areas with coronavirus fears. We don't need to rely on data about our own brokerage customers for an early indication that inventory is going to increase; people sign up privately with a brokerage to tour a home but listing a home for sale is a public event."

08:13 EDT HighPoint Resources provides summary of hedge position - HighPoint Resources provided a summary of the Company's hedge position. The Company currently has approximately 95% of anticipated 2020 oil volumes hedged at a WTI price of $58.32 per barrel and nearly half of anticipated 2021 oil volumes hedged at a WTI price of $54.71 per barrel. In addition, the Company estimates that the value of its hedge portfolio is approximately $145 million based on current WTI strip prices. Chief Executive Officer and President Scot Woodall commented, "Proactive hedging of anticipated forward oil production has been an important component of our corporate strategy to insulate against commodity price risk, to protect anticipated cash flows, and to support our capital program. This strategy has served us well and ensures a greater level of certainty to our cash flows. We remain focused on maintaining value for the long term and have reduced capital spending as part of our original 2020 operating and financial plan. In addition, we will reassess our development activity and adjust activity levels as needed to preserve our balance sheet and liquidity in this lower crude price environment."

08:12 EDT Edison Nation acquires HMNRTH Nutraceutical line - Edison Nation announces the acquisition of HMNRTH Nutraceutical's line of Cannabidiol health and wellness products. HMNRTH's Cannabidiol product line includes a unique blend of oral sprays and topical ointments. The existing product line includes oral sprays specifically formulated for morning, daytime and evening use as well as muscle and joint creams. In addition to Cannabidiol, HMNRTH products provide additional benefits such as Natural Caffeine for morning energy and Melatonin for evening rest. With verified third-party lab testing and a U.S. based supply chain, HMNRTH's formula consist of 100% Hemp Derived CBD and are FDA and GMP Compliant.

08:10 EDT Silicon Labs to acquire Redpine Signals' connectivity business for $308M in cash - Silicon Labs announced that it has entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement with Redpine Signals to acquire the company's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth business, development center in Hyderabad, India, and extensive patent portfolio for $308M in cash. The Redpine Signals acquisition includes an at-scale design center with approximately 200 employees in Hyderabad, India. The addition of Redpine's multidisciplinary and high-performing team will help Silicon Labs scale R&D faster and more efficiently in one of the most talent-rich locations in India. Silicon Labs expects the transaction to add approximately $20M in incremental revenue on an annualized basis for FY2020, to enhance its IoT revenue growth rate at comparable gross margin, and to be accretive to earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis in 2H 2021. The transaction will add approximately $15m of non-GAAP operating expenses on an annualized basis. The boards of directors of both companies and the stockholders of Redpine Signals have approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020 subject to customary closing conditions.

08:09 EDT Apache reduces 2020 capital investment plan $1B-$1.2B from $1.6B-$1.9B - Apache Corporation announced multiple actions being taken in response to the current oil price environment. The company reduced its 2020 capital investment plan to a range of $1.0 billion to $1.2 billion from a previous range of $1.6 billion to $1.9 billion. Over the coming weeks, the company will reduce its Permian rig count to zero, limiting exposure to short-cycle oil projects. Activity reductions are also planned in Egypt and the North Sea. In Suriname, upon the conclusion of operations at the Sapakara West-1 exploration well, the company will proceed, as planned, to a third exploration prospect.

08:08 EDT John Wiley & Sons acquires Madgex, terms undisclosed - John Wiley and Sons announced it has acquired Madgex, a provider of advanced job board software and career center services. Terms were undisclosed. Madgex has been a long-standing partner to Wiley starting with the company's first career center service, the Wiley Job Network, in 2011. Since then, the expertise and software provided by Madgex have helped drive the evolution of Wiley's recruitment services, connecting skilled professionals and researchers with open job opportunities.

08:04 EDT Selecta Biosciences expects gene threapy program in the clinic by year-end

08:03 EDT Selecta Biosciences plans to commence Phase 3 program of SEL-212 in 2H20

08:02 EDT Selecta Biosciences expects cash to meet operating requirements into 1Q21 - Selecta had $91.6 million in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash as of December 31, 2019, which compares to cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments of $35.9 million as of September 30, 2019. Selecta believes its available cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash will be sufficient to meet its operating requirements into the first quarter of 2021.

08:00 EDT ECMOHO partners with Beingmate on digital marketing - ECMOHO Limited and Beingmate Baby & Child Food Co. entered into strategic cooperation under which ECMOHO will provide online and offline digital marketing services for three of Beingmate's product lines, including baby food, specialty baby formula and child supplements. ECMOHO will help Beingmate implement digital marketing strategy and help it achieve higher growth and profitability and at the same time deliver higher value add to consumers.

08:00 EDT Protalix secures $43.7M in financing to advance Fabry disease program - Protalix has secured securities purchase agreements to raise $43.7M through a private equity investment in the company. Participating in the financing were a number of Israeli and U.S.-based investors including Psagot Investment House, More Investment House, Highbridge Capital, UBS O'Connor, Rosalind Capital, and Alrov Properties, among others. Net proceeds from the financing will be used to advance the company's clinical programs and commercialization of PRX-102 for the treatment of Fabry disease, as well as to further develop its early stage pipeline of therapeutics, and for general corporate purposes. In a private placement in reliance on the exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S Securities Act of 1933, the company agreed to issue and sell to the purchasers an aggregate of approximately 17.6 million unregistered shares of the company's common stock at a price per share of $2.485. The company expects to generate gross proceeds equal to approximately $43.7M in the private placement.

07:59 EDT Trevena says PDUFA goal data for oliceridine NDA set for Aug. 7 - Resubmitted NDA and received PDUFA goal date of August 7, 2020. In February 2020, the Company resubmitted the NDA for oliceridine to the FDA, after successfully completing all activities requested in the complete response letter, including a multi-dose healthy volunteer QT study, nonclinical work to confirm levels of an inactive metabolite, and drug product validation reports. In March 2020, the Company announced that FDA had acknowledged receipt of the resubmitted NDA. In their acknowledgement letter, FDA stated that the Company's resubmission was a complete, Class 2 response to the Agency's action letter. A PDUFA goal date has been set for August 7, 2020.

07:56 EDT James E Wagner receives first purchase order from the OCS - James E. Wagner Cultivation Corporation announced that it has received its first purchase order from the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, operating as the Ontario Cannabis Store. This agreement marks the launch of JWC's products for sale in the Ontario recreational market via the OCS online store, the province's cannabis retail platform. The initial purchase order, for JWC Kief products, will be fulfilled early next week. The products will be made available to the nearly 30 private retail stores across Ontario and consumers for purchase thereafter.

07:50 EDT Menlo Therapeutics expects data from Foamix Phase 2 trial for FCD105 in 2Q20

07:47 EDT Agenus granted FDA Fast Track Designation for cervical cancer combination - Agenus has been granted Fast Track designation by the FDA for investigation of balstilimab in combination with zalifrelimab for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic cervical cancer. This designation was based on comprehensive data that support the potential for balstilimab and zalifrelimab to address a significant unmet medical need. Agenus expects to file 2 BLAs this year for accelerated approval of the combination of balstilimab and zalifrelimab and balstilimab monotherapy in metastatic cervical cancer. Agenus has reported updated data from a pre-planned interim analysis revealing robust and durable activity of balstilimab and zalifrelimab in patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic cervical cancer. The data demonstrated 26.5% objective response rates which are durable in an all-comer, selected population of patients with refractory cervical cancer who have failed prior platinum chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab.

07:43 EDT Primo Water announces change to webcast only for Investor and Analyst Day - Primo Water announced updated plans for its Investor and Analyst Day. Primo will host its Investor Day on Tuesday, March 24, beginning at 1:30pm Eastern Time via webcast only. Due to increasingly restrictive travel and group event guidelines put in place as a precaution relating to COVID-19, the live component of the event will no longer be held in New York City.

07:42 EDT BridgeBio's QED announces dosing in Phase 3, Phase 2 trials of infigratinib - BridgeBio Pharma affiliate company QED Therapeutics announced that patients have been dosed in separate Phase 3 and Phase 2 clinical trials of infigratinib in cancer indications. The Phase 3 PROOF 302 trial sponsored by QED is studying infigratinib for the adjuvant treatment of invasive urothelial carcinoma. A second, investigator-initiated trial, led by Sameek Roychowdhury, M.D., Ph.D., of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, is studying infigratinib for the treatment of advanced and metastatic solid tumors with confirmed FGFR gene fusions/translocations or other FGFR alterations. In the PROOF 302 trial, investigators are enrolling subjects with invasive urothelial cancer harboring susceptible FGFR3 genetic alterations who are at high risk of recurrence following surgical resection. Subjects will be randomized to receive once daily oral infigratinib or placebo. The primary outcome is disease-free survival, and secondary outcomes include metastasis-free survival, overall survival, and safety and tolerability measures. The Phase 2 study at OSU and selected sites within the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network will evaluate the efficacy of infigratinib in patients who have advanced or metastatic solid tumors that are positive for FGFR1-3 gene fusions/translocations or other FGFR alterations. The open-label study will assess overall response rate as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include progression-free survival, best overall response, disease control rate, overall survival and measures of safety and tolerability.

07:39 EDT Edesa Biotech enters collaboration with NRC to develop vitiligo immunotherapies - Edesa Biotech announced a collaborative research project with the National Research Council of Canada, or NRC, to develop novel immunotherapies for vitiligo as well as other indications. Vitiligo is a life-altering autoimmune disease that results in the depigmenting of the skin. People who have vitiligo develop white patches of skin due to the destruction of special cells called melanocytes which produce the skin pigment melanin. The cause of vitiligo is not known but evidence suggests that vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly targets and injures these cells. Vitiligo can affect any area of skin, but it commonly occurs on the face, neck and hands. According to the World Health Organization, vitiligo affects approximately 1% of the world's population. It is a lifelong condition. Under the agreement, NRC scientists will produce multiple monoclonal antibodies for Edesa to identify a lead candidate to take into IND-enabling studies. The NRC will grant Edesa an exclusive worldwide license for the antibodies arising from the project. Edesa expects to complete the initial phase of the project by the end of the year.

07:36 EDT Idera Pharmaceuticals expects cash to fund operations into 1Q21 - The company said, "As of December 31, 2019, our cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $42.8 million, which includes a $6.2 million contingently refundable option fee received in connection with the December 2019 private placement transaction, discussed above. We currently anticipate that, based on our current operating plan, our current cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments, excluding the $6.2 million contingently refundable option fee, will fund our operations into the first quarter of 2021."

07:35 EDT Idera Pharmaceuticals expects data from ILLUMINATE-206 trial in 2Q20

07:33 EDT resTORbio has not set timetable for completion of strategic review process - On February 19, 2020, the company disclosed that it commenced plans to explore strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value and has engaged JMP Securities LLC to act as a strategic advisor for this process. There can be no assurance that this strategic review process will result in the company pursuing any transaction or that any transaction, if pursued, will be completed. The company has not set a timetable for completion of this strategic review process, and the company does not intend to comment further unless or until its Board of Directors has approved a definitive course of action, the review process is concluded, or it is determined other disclosure is appropriate.

07:32 EDT resTORbio expects results from Phase 1b/2a trial of RTB101 by mid-year - Interim results of the multicenter, 2:1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1b/2a trial evaluating the safety and tolerability of RTB101 alone or in combination with escalating doses of sirolimus once weekly for 4 weeks in patients with Parkinson's disease indicated that the first 3 dosing regimens were well tolerated and RTB101 300 mg once weekly was observed to cross the blood brain barrier. The concentrations of RTB101 in cerebrospinal fluid in subjects dosed with RTB101 300 mg once-weekly monotherapy were higher than expected and based on preclinical models, have the potential to induce autophagy in the brain. Sirolimus at the dose of 2 mg, alone or in combination with RTB101, was not detected in the CSF. Concentrations of RTB101 observed in the CSF four hours after dosing were highest when RTB101 was given as a monotherapy in the first three cohorts in the study. To date, patients have been enrolled in three cohorts and dosed once weekly with 300 mg of RTB101 alone, 2 mg of sirolimus alone, or a combination of 300 mg RTB101 and 2 mg of sirolimus. Enrollment of the RTB101 300 mg in combination with sirolimus 4 mg once weekly cohort is ongoing with results expected by mid-year 2020.

07:27 EDT TC Energy signs letter of intent to acquire Pioneer Pipeline for $255M - TC Energy (TRP) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, NOVA Gas Transmission has executed an exclusive letter of intent with Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Inc. and TransAlta Corporation (TAC) to purchase the Pioneer Pipeline for $255M. The Pioneer Pipeline consists of 131 km of operating pipeline that, upon closing of the transaction, will be integrated into the NGTL System. The pipeline is located within Alberta and runs from west of Drayton Valley to west of Edmonton. The acquisition is underpinned by 15-year firm delivery contracts for 328 million cubic feet per day and an eight-year firm receipt contract for 47 mmcf/d. The proposed purchase of the Pioneer Pipeline is subject to execution of definitive agreements, which is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2020. The acquisition and operation of Pioneer Pipeline by NGTL also requires approval of the Canadian Energy Regulator.

07:21 EDT Axsome Therapeutics expects cash to fund operations for at least two years - R&D expenses are anticipated to decrease in subsequent quarters reflecting the conclusion of ongoing trials. Axsome believes that its cash at December 31, 2019 will be sufficient to fund the company's anticipated operations, based on its current operating plans, for at least two years.

07:20 EDT Dollar General: Coronavirus unlikely to have 'material impact' on FY20 results - The diluted EPS growth guidance outlined includes the anticipated impact of previously implemented tariff rates on certain products imported from China. The guidance does not contemplate any additional increases in tariff rates, any expansion of additional products subject to tariffs, or any tariff-related impacts to broader consumer spending. Based on information currently known by management, the company does not anticipate that supply chain disruptions experienced to date as a result of the coronavirus outbreak are likely to have a material impact on its fiscal 2020 financial results. However, the company continues to monitor this evolving situation, and there is no guarantee that this outbreak will not have a more significant impact on its business. The company is also reiterating its plans to execute approximately 2,600 real estate projects in fiscal year 2020, including 1,000 new store openings, 1,500 mature store remodels, and 80 store relocations.

07:17 EDT Dollar General reports total merchandise inventories $4.7B at January 31 - As of January 31, 2020, total merchandise inventories, at cost, were $4.7B compared to $4.1B as of February 1, 2019, an increase of approximately 7.8% on a per-store basis.

07:16 EDT Rubius Therapeutics deprioritizes RTX-134, discontinues Phase 1b clinical trial - As a result of the decision to focus on oncology and autoimmunity, the Company is deprioritizing the RTX-134 program for the treatment of phenylketonuria and its other rare disease programs. Multiple factors contributed to this decision, including unanticipated delays in the RTX-134 program, primarily due to continued manufacturing challenges at the Company's contract manufacturing organization, the anticipated high cost associated with producing chronic, high-dose therapy for enzyme deficiencies and the continued momentum of the Company's oncology pipeline. Future capital investments and improvements in manufacturing efficiency, together with enhancements to the RED PLATFORM, may enable Rubius to revisit chronic, high dose-dependent conditions in the future. As previously announced, the first patient was dosed in the Phase 1b PKU clinical trial of RTX-134 in January 2020. While there were no reported adverse events and RTX-134 administration was well tolerated, the results from the first patient were uninterpretable possibly due, in part, to the low dose of cells administered and the sensitivity of the flow cytometry assay used to detect circulating cells. As a result of the deprioritization, the current Phase 1b clinical trial in PKU will be discontinued.

07:15 EDT Rubius Therapeutics to focus on development of oncology, autoimmunity pipeline - Rubius Therapeutics reported fourth quarter and full-year 2019 financial results and announced its plan to focus on the development of its oncology and autoimmunity pipeline. This strategic decision allows Rubius to focus on the areas in which its RED PLATFORM may offer the greatest potential to benefit patients. Development in these therapeutic areas is enabled by the Company's investment in internal manufacturing at its Smithfield, RI facility, which is now cGMP ready to produce clinical supply for its lead oncology program, RTX-240, a broad immunostimulatory Red Cell Therapeutic for the treatment of solid tumors. The Investigational New Drug application for RTX-240 has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Company plans to announce when the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 1 clinical trial. As previously announced, Rubius is on track to file an IND for RTX-321, its first artificial antigen-presenting cell for the treatment of HPV-positive cancers, by year-end. The company also expects to manufacture RTX-321 clinical supply at its fully owned manufacturing facility.

07:13 EDT Aldeyra to prioritize late-stage ocular disease pipeline - Aldeyra Therapeutics announced strategic prioritization of late-stage ocular disease programs in allergic conjunctivitis, dry eye disease, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy. In conjunction with the strategic prioritization, Aldeyra appointed ophthalmology drug development expert James A. Gow as Senior VP of Clinical Development. Aldeyra has elected to place on hold clinical development of topical dermal reproxalap for the treatment of ichthyosis associated with Sjogren-Larsson Syndrome and ADX-1612 for the treatment of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. The initiatives to prioritize Aldeyra's ocular portfolio are expected to extend the company's cash runway through the end of 2021. Prior to joining Aldeyra, Gow served as VP, Global Development Lead for lifitegrast - Xiidra - on global clinical development projects at Novartis AG.

07:13 EDT Corbus expects cash, cash equivalents to fund operations into 4Q20 - Cash and cash equivalents were $31.7 million at December 31, 2019. In February 2020, the company completed a public offering with gross proceeds of $46 million and net proceeds of $43 million. Cash and cash equivalents of $31.7 million at December 31, 2019 together with the $43 million net proceeds from the February 2020 offering and the $7.5 million remainder of the expected milestone payments from the $25 million Development Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation are expected to fund operations into the fourth quarter of 2020.

07:11 EDT Corbus expects topline data from Phase 2b study in SLE in late 2020

07:10 EDT Corbus expects topline results from Phase 3 DETERMINE study in 2021

07:09 EDT Corbus expects topline results from Phase 3 RESOLVE-1 study in summer - Presented new Phase 2b open label extension data evaluating lenabasum for systemic sclerosis and dermatomyositis at the American College of Rheumatology 2019 Annual Meeting in November. Data showed continued favorable safety and durable outcomes for patients still enrolled at 25 and 23 months, respectively. OLE data further supports rationale for Corbus' ongoing Phase 3 RESOLVE-1 study in SSc, with topline results expected in summer 2020.

07:06 EDT Centene says extending coverage for COVID-19 - Centene announced that it is extending coverage for COVID-19. This important step is being taken in partnership with other major insurers and with the support of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Centene intends to cover COVID-19 testing and screening services for Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplace members and is waiving all associated member cost share amounts for COVID-19 testing and screening. To ensure that these members receive the care they need as quickly as possible, the company will not require prior authorization, prior certification, prior notification or step therapy protocols for these services.

07:06 EDT Trump restricts travel to U.S. from foreign nationals visiting some EU countries - President Trump is issuing a proclamation under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict travel to the United States from foreign nationals who have recently been in certain European countries. Section 212(f) of the INA only applies to the movement of human beings, not goods or cargo. The restriction applies to foreign nationals who have been in the Schengen Area, 26 countries in Europe with open borders agreements, in the last 14 days. Those who are exempt from these restrictions, such as American citizens, will be directed to a limited number of airports where screening can take place. Publicly traded airlines include Alaska Air (ALK), American Airlines (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), JetBlue (JBLU), Southwest (LUV), Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and United Airlines (UAL). Reference Link

07:03 EDT Devon Energy lowering FY20 CapEx by $500M - Devon Energy announced an immediate decrease in capital spending of $500M for FY20, in response to the challenging commodity price environment. The revised capital budget of approximately $1.3B represents a decline of nearly 30% compared to its previously announced 2020 capital plan. The $500M of capital reductions will be diversified across Devon's portfolio, with the STACK and Powder River Basin assets receiving the most substantial cuts proportionally. Beyond these immediate spending cuts, Devon is prepared to further tailor capital activity lower throughout the year should commodity prices remain weak to protect its financial strength. The company's capital programs have significant flexibility to adjust activity due to minimal exposure to long-term service and supply contracts. The company entered 2020 with $1.8B of cash and an undrawn credit facility of $3B. Devon has more than 40% of its estimated oil production protected for 2020 at a floor price of $53 WTI. Devon has sold the Barnett Shale to Banpu Kalnin Ventures for $770M. This transaction is scheduled to close on Apr. 15 and Devon expects no incremental cash taxes associated with the divestiture of these assets.

07:03 EDT AbbVie receives EC approval of VENCLYXTO combination regimen - AbbVie announced that the European Commission has approved VENCLYXTO in combination with obinutuzumab for the treatment of adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who were previously untreated. The approval is valid in all 27 member states of the EU, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the United Kingdom.

06:59 EDT Party City CEO Jim Harrison stepping down, Brad Weston succeeds - Party City CEO Jim Harrison will be transitioning to the new role of Vice Chairman effective April 1. Harrison will continue to serve as a director of the company. Succeeding Harrison as CEO will be Brad Weston who has served as President of PCHI and CEO of the Party City Retail Group. Weston has also been appointed to the company's Board of Directors. Weston served as CEO of Petco prior to joining Party City in July 2019. As Vice Chairman, Harrison will primarily focus on corporate development opportunities, while also partnering with Weston and CFO Todd Vogensen to provide counsel and assistance.

06:51 EDT Mallinckrodt evaluates role for iNO to treat COVID-19 complications - Mallinckrodt commented that it is currently evaluating the limited published evidence suggesting a potential role for inhaled nitric oxide, or iNO, as a supportive measure in treating those patients infected with coronavirus and having associated pulmonary complications. The company has engaged with the FDA, the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, on this matter; however, the safety and efficacy of iNO for pulmonary complications associated with coronavirus have not been established. Mallinckrodt markets iNO as INOmax gas for inhalation in the U.S. for the treatment of term and near-term neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure associated with pulmonary hypertension. While nitric oxide has not been specifically studied or used to treat COVID-19, in vitro it has demonstrated an inhibitory effect on the replication cycle of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus, or SARS-CoV. In another study, investigators utilized iNO in the treatment of six patients infected with SARS-CoV. This study compared the outcomes of the six patients treated with iNO to eight controls. Improvements in blood oxygenation, a reduction in supplemental oxygen and a reduction in the amount of ventilator support were achieved. A potential clinical manifestation of infection with many respiratory viruses is acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, - a disorder in which fluid leaks into the lungs, making breathing difficult or impossible. iNO has been evaluated in randomized controlled trials, both in pediatric and adult patients with ARDS. In one study, iNO elicited a partially dose dependent improvement in blood oxygenation and decreased pulmonary artery pressure. In a second trial, evaluating pediatric ARDS patients, improvements were found in the composite measure of days alive or free of ventilator support at day 28 of the trial. There have been other trials evaluating iNO in the context of ARDS, which have demonstrated mixed results. In recent days, the company has submitted information to the NIH regarding the potential to evaluate iNO in ARDS, informed BARDA of the ongoing evaluation in this area and is in early discussions with the FDA on the potential to submit a pre-investigational new drug, or IND, package in support of the potential use of iNO in coronavirus-associated ARDS.

06:50 EDT Alpha Pro Tech sees increased demand for personal protective equipment - Alpha Pro Tech updated the status of orders booked for APT's personal protective equipment products in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. As of March 11, 2020, APT has booked approximately $22.6M in orders for the company's proprietary N-95 Particulate Respirator face mask since January 27, an increase of $8.5M, or 60%, from the $14.1M reported as of February 27, and demand for the product remains strong. As a result of a ramp up in production, the company maintains expectations to fulfill approximately $4.0M of the currently booked orders in Q1, with the remaining $18.6M in backlog of orders to be fulfilled by early in Q3. The company still expects the ramp up plan on N-95 face mask production to be completed by early May, which will enable the company to continue to fulfill current and expected future orders. In addition, orders of the company's line of face shield products have also increased significantly since January 27, currently totaling over $1.6M, with approximately $1.0M of the orders being booked since the company's February 27 press release, and demand remains strong. The $1.6M in currently booked orders represents the approximate average annual sales for this product line over the last three years.

06:47 EDT Brown & Brown unit acquires The Colonial Group, terms not disclosed - J. Scott Penny, Chief Acquisitions Officer of Brown & Brown, and Robert Burke, Jason Haupt, Gregory Headen, and Cynthia Martin, the principals of The Colonial Group, Affordable Home Services, and Mobilhome Insurance Service, announced that Hull & Company, a subsidiary of Brown & Brown, has acquired substantially all of the assets of The Colonial Group and all issued and outstanding shares of its affiliate, Colonial Premium Finance Company. With origins dating back to 1961, The Colonial Group is a managing general agency for independent retail insurance agents placing property and casualty insurance for businesses and individuals primarily in the Southeast.

06:37 EDT Co-Diagnostics says scaling up production of COVID-19 diagnostic test - Co-Diagnostics announced that Dr. Brent Satterfield PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Co-Diagnostics, will address a meeting held by the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense in Washington, D.C. on March 18. The focus of the meeting will be to address national biodefense in light of the response to COVID-19, and its implications for preparedness. Co-Diagnostics was the first U.S. company to receive a CE-mark for a COVID-19 diagnostic test. The company is currently shipping orders for its test to countries on 5 continents, including shipments to Italy, the most severely impacted country in the European Union. The company continues to scale up production to meet global demand, and is also seeking emergency use clearance for use as an in vitro diagnostic by the U.S. FDA as well as by the CDSCO in India, both of which are expected to further increase the domestic and international reach of this powerful and cost-effective diagnostic tool. Dr. Satterfield remarked, "I am pleased to present the details of the rapid development of our COVID-19 test to the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. The company's proprietary platform serves as a template to develop other tests needed now, and in the future as new pathogens surface in our interconnected world. Our current test detects COVID-19 with a high level of specificity to distinguish it from similar viruses. However, in addition to recently being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the virus that causes COVID-19 is also believed to be mutating. Co-Diagnostics' patented CoPrimer technology is uniquely suited to quickly develop multiplex assays that can identify multiple mutations of the virus in a single test when the need arises. Rapid, efficient development of multiplexed tests is a core competency of Co-Diagnostics."

06:34 EDT Manchester United announces $35M share repurchase program - Manchester United announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program for up to $35M of its Class A ordinary shares, effective immediately. The share repurchase program does not obligate the company to acquire any particular amount of Class A ordinary shares and may be modified, extended or terminated by the Board of Directors at any time. The company will not purchase any shares from members of the Glazer family as part of this program.

06:07 EDT Farmmi subsidiary in final phase of plan to increase production capacity by 20% - Farmmi announced Zhejiang Forest Food, a subsidiary, is in the final phase of a technical transformation project designed to increase manufacturing efficiencies, overall capacity and the ability to meet growing demand for Shiitake mushrooms, Mu Er mushrooms, other edible fungi, and sought-after agricultural products. Upon completion, the technical transformation project is expected to increase production capacity by 20%.Forest Food commenced the technology transformation project in July 2019 in an effort to expand capacity and manufacturing efficiencies. The initial phase involved a thorough evaluation of the company's existing footprint, expansion strategy, R&D pipeline and requirements to meet growing demand levels. Following the review, the company implemented a strategy to upgrade and transform its working environment, including the warehousing of raw materials, processing and handling of semi-finished goods, finished product inspection, drying, packaging and warehousing, and hardware facilities. The company has already completed the environmental transformation, equipment selection and procurement, installation and commissioning of equipment and facilities. As part of the final phase of the technology transformation project, the company is submitting certification applications for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point and BRC Global Standard for Food Safety., standards for food safety. After the certifications are granted, the company will be able to fully utilize its expanded production capacity.

06:02 EDT CareTrust REIT raises quarterly dividend to 25c from 22.5c per share - The current dividend will be payable to common stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 31. Management affirmed that the company plans to pay the dividend on or about April 15.

05:41 EDT Teva announces recommendation by NICE for AJOVY - Teva Pharmaceutical Europe BV an affiliate of Teva Pharmaceutical announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, or NICE, has recommended AJOVY in its Final Appraisal Document, or FAD, for the prevention of migraine in adults with chronic migraine. NICE recommends AJOVY for chronic migraine patients who have not responded to at least three prior preventive drug treatments. NICE recommends AJOVY for chronic migraine patients who have not responded to at least three prior preventive drug treatments. This decision is based on a dossier submitted to NICE for a Single Technology Appraisal. Following issuance of the FAD, NICE will provide its formal guidance to the NHS in England.