Stockwinners Market Radar for March 13, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:39 EDT Comcast announces comprehensive COVID-19 response - On the heels of offering new, low-income Internet Essentials customers two months of free internet and raising the speed of that program's service to 25/3 Mbps, Comcast announced additional steps to help ensure people stay connected to the internet as more schools suspend classes and companies encourage employees to work from home due to the Coronavirus. "During this extraordinary time, it is vital that as many Americans as possible stay connected to the internet - for education, work, and personal health reasons," said Dave Watson, Comcast Cable CEO. "Our employees also live and work in virtually every community we serve, and we all share the same belief that it's our company's responsibility to step up and help out." Comcast is taking steps to implement the following new policies for the next 60 days, and other important initiatives: Xfinity WiFi Free For Everyone: Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free - including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, consumers should select the "xfinitywifi" network name in the list of available hotspots, and then launch a browser. Pausing Our Data Plan: With so many people working and educating from home, we want our customers to access the internet without thinking about data plans. While the vast majority of our customers do not come close to using 1TB of data in a month, we are pausing our data plans for 60 days giving all customers Unlimited data for no additional charge. No Disconnects or Late Fees: We will not disconnect a customer's internet service or assess late fees if they contact us and let us know that they can't pay their bills during this period. Our care teams will be available to offer flexible payment options and can help find other solutions. Internet Essentials Free to New Customers: As announced yesterday, it's even easier for low-income families who live in a Comcast service area to sign-up for Internet Essentials, the nation's largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program. New customers will receive 60 days of complimentary Internet Essentials service, which is normally available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month. Additionally, for all new and existing Internet Essentials customers, the speed of the program's Internet service was increased to 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. That increase will go into effect for no additional fee and it will become the new base speed for the program going forward. News, Information and Educational Content on X1 and Flex: For those with school-age students at home, we've created new educational collections for all grade levels in partnership with Common Sense Media. Just say "education" into your X1 or Flex voice remote. To help keep customers informed, we also have created a collection of the most current news and information on Coronavirus. Just say "Coronavirus" into your X1 or Flex voice remote. 24x7 Network Monitoring: Underpinning all of these efforts, Comcast's technology and engineering teams will continue to work tirelessly to support our network operations. We engineer our network capacity to handle spikes and shifts in usage patterns, and continuously test, monitor and enhance our systems and network to ensure they are ready to support customer usage. Our engineers and technicians staff our network operations centers 24/7 to ensure network performance and reliability. We are monitoring network usage and watching the load on the network both nationally and locally, and to date it is performing well.

17:52 EDT Tenzing Global Management discloses 5.6% activist stake in comScore - In a regulatory 13D filing, Tenzing Global Management disclosed a 5.6% activist stake in comScore, which represents 3.95M shares. The Reporting Persons is said to potentially "engage in communications with one or more stockholders of the Issuer, one or more officers of the Issuer and/or one or more members of the board of directors of the Issuer and/or one or more representatives of the Issuer regarding the Issuer, including but not limited to its operations, and plans of the Reporting Persons. The Reporting Persons may discuss ideas that, if effected may result in a change in any of the following: the acquisition by persons of additional Shares of the Issuer, an extraordinary corporate transaction involving the Issuer, and/or other changes in the board of directors or management of the Issuer."

17:41 EDT ComEd places moratorium on service disconnections amid COVID-19 outbreak - In coordination with work being led by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to protect Illinoisans, ComEd said it is taking action to help its customers with payment assistance programs and by imposing a moratorium on service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges through at least May 1, as many businesses and institutions are following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by taking temporary measures to shut down or limit operations to control the spread of COVID-19. ComEd is also taking steps to expand awareness of the programs in place to help customers through temporary or extended financial hardship and will be working with customers on a case-by-case basis to establish payment arrangements and identify energy assistance options. "We know this time is difficult for so many of our customers, who may be experiencing health or economic challenges, and we want to be there to help them navigate the support available to them," said ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez. "Through our own programs, as well as those offered by community and government partners, we're committed to working with every customer who contacts us."

17:37 EDT Dominion suspends all service disconnections for nonpayment - Dominion Energy provided the following statement regarding customer bills during the COVID-19 pandemic: "Our customers should not have to worry about losing service during this critical time. Therefore, Dominion Energy suspended all service disconnections for nonpayment earlier this week. We know the communities we serve rely on us to provide an essential service. We remain committed to providing reliable energy service 24-7."

17:33 EDT Churchill Downs announces all live races will run spectator-free - Churchill Downs announced that, amid public health concerns regarding COVID-19, all live races beginning immediately through the remainder of the racing meet ending March 29 will be conducted spectator-free with only essential staff, credentialed horsemen and media in attendance. The Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course will run as scheduled on Saturday, March 21 under the same spectator restrictions. Pari-mutuel wagering will also be closed to the public at Fair Grounds through the remainder of the meet. The on-site slot facility and off-site OTB and video poker operations will remain open to patrons as usual. Preparations to host Kentucky Derby 146 on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs are currently still moving forward. With the event still seven weeks away, a decision will be made closer to that date, with respect to postponing the event until later in the year, using the most recent information while working with and seeking guidance from public health experts and authorities.

17:25 EDT Trump says HHS has authority to waive, modify Medicare, Medicaid requirements - In a statement, U.S. President Donald Trump proclaimed the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. a national emergency and issued a number of declarations related to the outbreak. The Secretary of HHS may exercise the authority under section 1135 of the SSA to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children's Health Insurance programs and of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule throughout the duration of the public health emergency declared in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

17:13 EDT Drive Shack chairman buys 1.75M shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Drive Shack disclosed that its chairman Wesley Edens bought 1.75M shares of common stock for a total transaction size of $2.64M.

17:12 EDT Micron to draw down $2.5B through revolving credit line - In a regulatory 8-K filing, Micron stated: "As previously disclosed, Micron Technology and certain of its subsidiaries are party to a credit agreement dated July 3, 2018, as amended. The Credit Agreement provides the company two credit facilities: a $2.5B committed revolving credit facility and a $1.25B committed term loan facility. A copy of the Credit Agreement, as amended, was filed as an exhibit to the company's 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 17, 2019. On March 12, 2020, the company provided notice to the administrative agent under the Credit Agreement to draw down the entire available amount under the Revolving Credit Facility and as of March 13, 2020 a total of $2.5B was outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility are scheduled to mature on July 3, 2023, and the company may repay amounts borrowed any time without penalty."

17:04 EDT Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates steps down from board of directors - Microsoft announced that co-founder and technology advisor Bill Gates stepped down from the company's board to dedicate more time to his philanthropic priorities including global health, development, education, and his increasing engagement in tackling climate change. He will continue to serve as technology advisor to CEO Satya Nadella and other leaders in the company. With Gates' departure, the board will consist of 12 members.

17:01 EDT Aimmune says new PALFORZIA data shows patients tolerated more peanut protein - Aimmune Therapeutics announced new data from the clinical development program for PALFORZIA, the first peanut allergy treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. An analysis from ARC004, the open-label follow-on trial to the 52-week PALISADE trial, showed that patients tolerated more peanut protein, experienced fewer adverse events and continued immunomodulation - changes in the body's immune system - as evidenced by reductions in peanut-specific immunoglobulin blood levels after an additional 56 weeks of daily treatment with PALFORZIA. These data were accepted for presentation at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2020 Annual Meeting; due to the cancellation of the meeting, the Company will host a conference call Monday, March 16 at 12:15 p.m. ET to discuss the data, and posters will be available on Aimmune's website prior to the call. "We are excited to share new long-term PALFORZIA data, which indicate that as patients remain on treatment, the immune system appears to develop an increased tolerance to the allergen, as demonstrated by the reduced frequency and severity of side effects, along with the potential for continued desensitization over time," said Daniel Adelman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Aimmune Therapeutics. "Additional studies announced today further reinforce the daily burden of living with peanut allergy and suggest that treatment with PALFORZIA may improve its emotional and social impact on adolescents and caregivers alike. This, coupled with results from real-world surveys, suggests that most allergists who practice OIT for food allergy are seeing promising results and that patients with a wide range of baseline characteristics may benefit from treatment with PALFORZIA, is encouraging as we continue to advance our knowledge on the potential benefits of oral immunotherapy for food allergy."

16:52 EDT Air Lease comments on current liquidity position - Air Lease Corporation has noted a report by Bloomberg News regarding the planned utilization of its senior unsecured revolving credit facility. Air Lease Corporation currently has no utilization on its revolver, and as it has done in the past, it will utilize the revolver in the normal course of business. The company sees no current need to fully draw down on the revolver due to its strong liquidity position. The company has a substantial amount of liquidity including over $6.0B in unutilized lines of credit and cash, $20B in unencumbered assets and is below its debt to equity target of 2.5x. "Air Lease Corporation has maintained a strong balance sheet and robust liquidity, and we believe we are well positioned to manage the current market environment," said Gregory Willis, CFO of Air Lease Corporation.

16:41 EDT ARK Restaurants to defer payment of dividend - Ark Restaurants announced that, in light of the unprecedented circumstances and rapidly changing situation with respect to the coronavirus disease, as part of an overall plan to preserve cash flow, the Board of Directors has determined that it is appropriate for the company to defer payment of the dividend that was declared on March 2. Payment of such dividend, which was scheduled for April 6, to shareholders of record on March 16, will be deferred until such time as the Board of Directors determines that payment is appropriate. Management is taking all necessary and appropriate actions during this uncertain time to protect the ongoing operations of the business which includes significant reductions in operating expenses to reflect reduced sales levels as well as eliminating all non-essential spending.

16:35 EDT GCP Applied Technologies amends existing stockholder rights plan - GCP Applied Technologies announced that its board has approved an amendment of its stockholder rights plan. The current rights plan, adopted in March 2019, was scheduled to expire on March 14. The amendment approved by GCP's board extends the final expiration date of the Plan to March 14, 2023, subject to stockholder approval of the rights plan at GCP's 2020 annual meeting of stockholders. The amendment also raises the level of beneficial ownership for a person or group to become an "Acquiring Person" to 20% of GCP's outstanding shares of common stock. If a stockholder's beneficial ownership on March 15, 2019 was at or above 20%, that stockholder's existing ownership percentage would be grandfathered, but the rights would become exercisable if the stockholder increases its ownership percentage by 0.001% or more. The amendment of the rights plan is intended to enable all GCP stockholders to realize the full potential value of their investment in GCP and to protect GCP and its stockholders from efforts to obtain control of GCP that are inconsistent with the best interests of GCP and its stockholders. GCP's board adopted the rights plan in 2019 in response to a rapid and significant accumulation of GCP's outstanding common stock by 40 North Management, GCP's largest stockholder, and the possibility that 40 North would accumulate a potentially controlling position in GCP without paying a control premium to all stockholders. 40 North had previously received clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act allowing it to acquire up to almost 50% of GCP's common stock. GCP's board has determined that circumstances continue to warrant GCP maintaining the protections afforded by the 2019 rights plan. The rights plan also provides the GCP board with time to make informed decisions that are in the best interests of GCP and its stockholders and does not deter the GCP board of directors from considering any offer that is fair and otherwise in the best interests of GCP stockholders. The rights plan continues to provide several recognized stockholder-friendly features, including being subject to stockholder approval at GCP's 2020 annual meeting of stockholders and an exception for fully financed offers that are open for at least 60 business days, are made for all GCP shares and treat all stockholders equally. The amended rights plan is effective immediately and, if approved by stockholders at GCP's 2020 annual meeting, will expire on March 14, 2023. If stockholders do not approve the rights plan, it will expire following the 2020 annual meeting.

16:30 EDT Facebook's MSQRD app to shut down on April 13 - According to a Facebook post, Facebook's MSQRD app will be "going away" on April 13. "When Masquerade joined Facebook in 2016, photo filter technology was just beginning to emerge," the post from MSQRD's account reads. "MSQRD was fundamental to building early momentum for AR and providing insights to build the platform Facebook has today. Our focus is now on delivering you the best-possible AR experiences through Spark AR, the platform that allows anyone to create their own AR effects and share them across the Facebook family. You can still find AR effects directly within Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Portal. Huge thanks to our community for the support." Reference Link

16:24 EDT Hershey to close Hershey's Chocolate World locations in Pennsylvania, New York - The Hershey Company announced it will temporarily close its Hershey's Chocolate World locations in Hershey, Pa., and in Times Square, New York City, starting with usual closing time on Sunday evening, March 15, for two weeks. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution and in the best interests of guests, store associates and the communities in which these locations operate. Hershey's Chocolate World locations in Niagara, Canada, and Las Vegas, Nev., will remain open until further notice in line with the current situation in these local communities.

16:22 EDT HCI Group authosizes stock buyback of up to $20M - The board of directors of HCI Group has authorized a program to repurchase up to $20M of the company's common shares through December 31, 2020, subject to market conditions.

16:21 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance to provide access to government-run COVID-19 testing - Walgreens pledged, in a White House meeting, its commitment to aid the Administration in providing access to COVID-19 testing. Walgreens will dedicate temporary space at select locations, outside of the stores such as in parking lots, where non-Walgreens health personnel will administer COVID-19 testing. The testing locations and timing will be announced at a later date in collaboration with the Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The company will work closely with stakeholders at participating locations to ensure the health and safety of customers and team members.

16:19 EDT On cruiselines, Trump says 'we are with them all the way' - The cruise industry is one that President Trump has said previously could get assistance from the federal government.

16:17 EDT Tallgrass Energy announces supplemental open season - Tallgrass Energy, through its affiliate Tallgrass Pony Express Pipeline, announced that due to continued interest in its Carpenter Expansion it is launching a supplemental open season to solicit binding shipper commitments for crude oil transportation from a new origin near Carpenter, Wyo., to Pony Express destinations in Colorado. Based on commitments received in the original open season, Pony Express is building an approximately 25 mile 12-inch pipeline connecting the Hereford origin to the new origin point in Carpenter, Wyo., expanding capacity from Wyoming to Sterling, Colo., on the Pony Express system. Pony Express expects the new pipeline to be in-service in Q2. The supplemental open season is currently scheduled to run from March 16 to April 14.

16:13 EDT Lone Pine Capital reports 7.5% passive stake in Carvana - Lone Pine Capital disclosed a 7.5% stake in Carvana, which represents over 3.81M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:06 EDT Six Flags trading resumes

16:00 EDT Co-Diagnostics trading resumes

15:57 EDT PDC Energy trading halted, volatility trading pause

15:56 EDT Royal Caribbean suspends cruising in U.S. for 30 days - Royal Caribbean Cruises announced that it is suspending cruising in the United States for 30 days. "We understand the gravity of the public health crisis confronting the country," the company said. "And this is our part to play. So, beginning at midnight tonight, we are pausing the fleet's US sailings for 30 days. We are reaching out to our guests to help them work through this disruption to their vacations, and we are truly sorry for their inconvenience. We are also communicating with our crew to work out the issues this decision presents for them. We know this adds great stress to our guests, employees and crew, and we are working to minimize the disruption."

15:46 EDT Co-Diagnostics trading halted, volatility trading pause

15:43 EDT Quest, LabCorp thanked by State's Birx for help in developing coronavirus test - Dr. Deborah Birx of the State Department, who has been spearheading the administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak, is speaking from the White House.

15:41 EDT Teladoc trading resumes

15:39 EDT Trump thanks Google for help in developing site to fight coronavirus outbreak - "Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now," Trump says during press conference from the White House.

15:37 EDT Teladoc up 15% as President Trump discusses tele-health in coronavirus address

15:36 EDT Teladoc trading halted, volatility trading pause

15:32 EDT Pfizer engaged with BioNTech on potential mRNA coronavirus vaccine - Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer (PFE), made the following statement: "In this troubling time, Pfizer is committed to doing all we can to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many companies, including Pfizer, are working to develop antiviral therapies to help infected patients fight this emerging virus as well as new vaccines to prevent infection and halt the further spread of this disease. Pfizer is working to advance our own potential antiviral therapies and is engaged with BioNTech (BNTX) on a potential mRNA coronavirus vaccine. We are committed to work as one team across the industry to harness our scientific expertise, technical skills and manufacturing capabilities to combat this evolving crisis."

15:18 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line off earlier highs, up 13% after suspending voyages

15:06 EDT Brown-Forman temporarily closes distillery, winery visitor centers - The company said, "To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Brown-Forman is temporarily suspending tours, tastings, and retail shops at all of its cooperage, distillery, and winery locations. Our goal is to minimize the risk to employees and guests and help lower the probability of the spread of the virus to our employees, their families and the communities where we operate. These closures will remain in place until the health emergency subsides. Please note: All production continues uninterrupted at this time. Existing reservations that occur before these suspension dates will be honored. No walk-in tours. All tickets previously purchased during this time are refundable. We appreciate the understanding of all those who are impacted and encourage all to put their health and safety first."

14:53 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line announces voluntary suspension of voyages - Norwegian Cruise Line announced a voluntary suspension of all cruise voyages embarking between March 13 and April 11, 2020 for its three cruise brands. "The temporary suspension is aimed at contributing to efforts around the globe to contain the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. This measure is taken in an abundance of caution and the Company has not experienced any confirmed cases of COVID-19 across its 28-ship fleet," the company said. Guests on voyages that are underway will conclude and guests will be disembarked as soon as possible and assisted with travel arrangements. Guests who are currently booked on voyages with embarkation dates from March 13 to April 11, 2020 on Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises or Regent Seven Seas Cruises are asked to contact their travel agent or the cruise line for more information. All guests on impacted voyages will receive a 125% refund of the fare paid in the form of a future cruise credit, which can be applied toward any future cruise through December 31, 2022. For guests who wish to not avail themselves of the 125% future cruise credit, a 100% refund of the fare paid will be reimbursed to the original form of payment within 90 days of guests' request. Travel partner commissions on canceled cruises will be protected as per normal policy. "The safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew is our highest priority. With the COVID-19 coronavirus impacting communities around the globe, we have enacted a voluntary temporary suspension of cruise voyages across our brands effective immediately," said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. "We understand the inconvenience that this disruption may cause our guests and travel partners during these quickly evolving and challenging times, and we appreciate their understanding as we partner with local, state, federal and global agencies to combat the spread of COVID-19."

14:47 EDT Teamsters at Sysco facility in Michigan end strike, ratify contract - Teamsters who work at Sysco's Sygma distribution facility in Monroe, Mich. ended their unfair labor practice strike on Thursday, March 12 and ratified a first contract that significantly reduces the cost of their health insurance, among other improvements, the labor union announced.

14:25 EDT SeaWorld temporarily closing all its theme parks, effective March 16 - SeaWorld Entertainment announced that "as part of its continued commitment to the safety of its guests and Ambassadors, and out of an abundance of caution," that it will be temporarily closing all of its theme parks, effective March 16, 2020 through the end of the month. "The company is closely monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation closely and coordinating with public health officials," SeaWorld said.

14:18 EDT Aaon announces $20M buyback program given 'attractive' opportunity - Aaon announced that its board has authorized the company to make up to $20M in purchases of common stock at prevailing market prices from time to time through open market purchases, or privately negotiated transactions. The payment for shares repurchased under the stock buyback program will be funded through the company's cash on hand. Norman Asbjornson, CEO, stated, "We are pleased our strong capital position enables us to announce this stock buyback program and continue to return value to our stockholders, all while maintaining our significant 2020 capital expenditure program." Added Gary Fields, President, "Given recent market conditions, we believe this stock buyback program provides an attractive investment opportunity for the Company and also underscores our confidence in the quality of our business and ability to continue generating free cash flow."

14:03 EDT Justice Department announces civil settlement with Plains All American - The Justice Department announced a civil settlement with Plains All American Pipeline L.P. and Plains Pipeline L.P. arising out of Plains' violations of the federal pipeline safety laws and liability for the May 19, 2015, discharge of approximately 2,934 barrels of crude oil from Plains' Line 901 immediately north of Refugio State Beach, located near Santa Barbara, California. The settlement requires Plains to implement injunctive relief to improve its nationwide pipeline system and bring it into compliance with the federal pipeline safety laws, in addition to addressing "unique threats and modifying operations" that caused the Line 901 oil spill; pay $24M in penalties; pay $22.325M in natural resource damages, and $10M for reimbursed natural resource damage assessment costs; and pay $4.26M for reimbursed Coast Guard clean-up costs. Excluding the value of the required injunctive relief changes to Plains' national operations, the settlement in conjunction with reimbursed costs is valued in excess of $60M. Reference Link

13:23 EDT Peloton shares will sink 80% with Apple entering space, says Citron Research - Andrew Left's Citron Research issued another short report on Peloton Interactive (PTON), claiming the shares will drop 80% in next 52 weeks. The firm has a $5 price target on the stock. Peloton in afternoon trading is down 6% to $18.42. Apple's (AAPL) new operating system, according to media reports, will contain Apple-produced guided workout videos from "cycling to yoga," Citron writes in a report on its website. The workouts can integrate with iPads, Apple watch, or Apple TV, Citron notes. The "dream of Peloton becoming the official platform of home health will soon be a distant memory like when GoPro (GPRO) was going to be our platform for 'life logging,'" the short selling firm argues. "With a potential recession on the horizon, selling $2k bikes with a $39 a month subscription might not be the best business model," it adds.

13:12 EDT Wells Fargo names Ellen Patterson general counsel, effective March 23 - Wells Fargo (WFC) announced that Ellen Patterson will join the company as its senior executive vice president and general counsel, effective March 23. Reporting to CEO Charlie Scharf, Patterson will be responsible for all legal affairs at the company and will serve on the company's Operating Committee. "Ellen is a seasoned lawyer with extensive experience in the financial services industry, where she has had responsibilities for managing and advising on global legal and regulatory compliance risks," Scharf said. "She will play a critical leadership role on our Operating Committee as we continue to work on our company's top priority of meeting regulatory expectations." Patterson joins Wells Fargo after more than seven years at TD Bank Group (TD), where she most recently served as group head and general counsel responsible for leading the bank's global Legal, Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering, Corporate Secretary, Global Security & Investigations, and Fraud Risk Management teams.

13:11 EDT Gogo says Delta may be looking to use multiple suppliers in the future - Gogo (GOGO), on its Q4 earnings conference call, said that Delta (DAL), which had exclusively used Gogo as its Wi-Fi supplier, may be seeking to use multiple suppliers in the future. The company noted that nothing is decided yet.

12:59 EDT MetroCity Bankshares Inc trading resumes

12:54 EDT MetroCity Bankshares Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:53 EDT Icahn says Caesars, Eldorado deal should happen, has 'great' synergies - Carl Icahn is speaking on CNBC.

12:51 EDT Icahn says he didn't make any bid for acquire HP Inc. - Carl Icahn is speaking on CNBC.

12:46 EDT Magenta Therapeutics trading resumes

12:42 EDT NexPoint Residential boost share repurchase authorization to $100M - NexPoint Residential Trust announced that its Board of Directors authorized an increase in its previously announced share repurchase program from $40M to $100M of its common stock. There is approximately $75M available to repurchase shares of its common stock. The repurchase program was first announced on June 15, 2016 and originally authorized the repurchase of $30M of common stock. As a result of the update, the authorization now expires on March 12, 2023. NXRT may utilize various methods to affect the repurchases, and the timing and extent of the repurchases will depend upon several factors, including market and business conditions, regulatory requirements and other corporate considerations, including whether NXRT's common stock is trading at a significant discount to net asset value per share. Repurchases under this program may be discontinued at any time. NXRT also announced that it entered into interest rate swaps with a notional value of $500M at a weighted average rate of 0.8832% on one-month LIBOR. $400M of notional value were forward swaps as they do not become effective until June 1, 2021 and mature on September 1, 2026 and $100M of notional value was effective March 4, 2020 and matures on June 1, 2026. As of March 13, 2020, NXRT has entered into interest rate swaps with a notional value of $1.568B, and a weighted average rate on one-month LIBOR of 1.2869% and weighted average maturity of 4.4 years and has no significant near-term maturities until 2024.

12:36 EDT Icahn says biggest position is short commercial mortgage-backed securities - Carl Icahn is speaking on CNBC.

12:35 EDT Nomad Foods announces $300M share repurchase plan - Nomad Foods Limited announced that its board has approved a new share repurchase authorization of up to $300M which, based on yesterdays closing price of $15.58, represents approximately 9% of the companys market capitalization.

12:34 EDT PSEG temporarily suspends shut-offs due to coronavirus outbreak - As PSE&G continues to monitor developments regarding the coronavirus, it recognizes that some of its customers may be negatively affected by issues related to the pandemic. In the interest of protecting public health, PSE&G is temporarily suspending shut-offs of electric or gas service to residential customers for non-payment. This policy is effective immediately. The company recognizes that customers may experience financial difficulty as a result of the outbreak, whether they or a family member fall ill, are required to quarantine, or because their income is otherwise affected.

12:32 EDT Icahn says not as bearish as he was, but market still likely to go down - Carl Icahn is speaking on CNBC.

12:22 EDT Adobe offers students free Creative Cloud access through May 31 - Adobe announced on its website, "With many schools facing physical campus closures and moving to online learning due to COVID-19, we're announcing that we're giving greater access to Adobe Creative Cloud desktop apps to facilitate distance learning. We believe that doing so will make it possible to keep coursework, teamwork, and student progress on track through at-home access to Creative Cloud for students and educators. Starting today, we're giving our higher education and K-12 institutional customers globally - who currently make Creative Cloud apps available to students who login through on-campus labs - the ability to request temporary 'at-home' access for their students and educators. This will be granted through May 31, 2020 at no additional cost."

12:01 EDT Apple to host WWDC in June with an online format - Apple announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Now in its 31st year, WWDC 2020 will take on an entirely new online format packed with content for consumers, press and developers alike. The online event will be an opportunity for millions of creative and innovative developers to get early access to the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS, and engage with Apple engineers as they work to build app experiences that enrich the lives of Apple customers around the globe. "We are delivering WWDC 2020 this June in an innovative way to millions of developers around the world, bringing the entire developer community together with a new experience," said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "The current health situation has required that we create a new WWDC 2020 format that delivers a full program with an online keynote and sessions, offering a great learning experience for our entire developer community, all around the world. We will be sharing all of the details in the weeks ahead." Apple also announced it will commit $1 million to local San Jose organizations to offset associated revenue loss as a result of WWDC 2020's new online format.

11:57 EDT Satsuma Pharmaceuticals Inc trading resumes

11:52 EDT Satsuma Pharmaceuticals Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:11 EDT Trump to hold news conference at 3pm on COVID-19 - President Donald Trump said via Twitter: "I will be having a news conference today at 3:00 P.M., The White House. Topic: CoronaVirus!" Reference Link

11:08 EDT GrubHub announces economic relief partnerships for independent restaurants - In collaboration with the mayors of large cities across the United States who are "on the front lines of the COVID-19 response efforts," Grubhub announced it is temporarily suspending collection of up to $100M in commission payments from impacted independent restaurants nationwide. "Grubhub's initiative will provide immediate and substantial cash flow relief to qualified independent restaurants -- restaurants that make up the majority of Grubhub's 350,000+ restaurant community and drive more than 80% of the company's orders...Grubhub has also created a fund that will enable proceeds from its Donate the Change program to go toward charitable organizations that support restaurants and drivers impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis. The program will allow diners to round up the change from every order and donate it to the Grubhub Community Relief Fund -- with donations from Grubhub+ and Seamless+ members matched by the company. Grubhub has been raising more than $1 million dollars per month through Donate the Change. Grubhub will work with local city officials to identify the organizations that can utilize the funds and to consider other support programs during the pandemic," the company said.

10:59 EDT American National Bankshares trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:48 EDT Vuzix announces development pact with 'major U.S. defense contractor' - Vuzix announces that the company has signed an agreement with "a new major U.S. defense contractor" to build a customized waveguide-based optics engine. "Under the terms of the first phase of the agreement, Vuzix and our new customer have agreed upon an upfront payment and phase-gated development milestones and payments. Phase 1 is expected to generate initial non-recurring engineering revenue over the next 6 months for Vuzix with potentially greater NREs in subsequent phases before an accepted final product design is expected to lead to a volume production order," the company stated.

10:08 EDT PGA postpones 2020 Masters Tournament on COVID-19 risks - Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, said in a statement, "On Wednesday, March 4, we issued a memo stating that our plans to host the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women's Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals had not changed. Unfortunately, the ever-increasing risks associated with the widespread Coronavirus COVID-19 have led us to a decision that undoubtedly will be disappointing to many, although I am confident is appropriate under these unique circumstances. Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women's Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date." Publicaly traded companies in the golf space include Callaway Golf (ELY) and Acushnet Holdings (GOLF).

10:07 EDT Seneca Foods trading resumes

10:00 EDT Ranger Energy rises 31.5% - Ranger Energy is up 31.5%, or $1.35 to $5.64.

10:00 EDT Navios Acquisition rises 38.0% - Navios Acquisition is up 38.0%, or $1.25 to $4.54.

09:55 EDT Carvana trading resumes

09:50 EDT Carvana trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:49 EDT Covetrus trading resumes

09:47 EDT EPR Properties trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:47 EDT Direxion Financial Bear 3x falls -21.4% - Direxion Financial Bear 3x is down -21.4%, or -$12.83 to $47.05.

09:47 EDT General Finance Corp trading resumes

09:47 EDT Natura rises 26.5% - Natura is up 26.5%, or $3.22 to $15.37.

09:47 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line rises 39.1% - Norwegian Cruise Line is up 39.1%, or $3.77 to $13.42.

09:46 EDT Universal Logistics trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:45 EDT New Residential trading resumes

09:44 EDT Scholar Rock Holdings Corporation trading resumes

09:42 EDT ARAMARK trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:42 EDT Live Nation trading resumes

09:41 EDT Neoleukin Therapeutics trading resumes

09:40 EDT Adverum Biotechnologies trading resumes

09:40 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line trading resumes

09:40 EDT Prevail Therapeutics Inc trading resumes

09:39 EDT Covetrus trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:38 EDT PBF Energy trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:37 EDT Fulcrum Therapeutics Inc trading resumes

09:37 EDT AMERCO trading resumes

09:36 EDT Galera Therapeutics Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:35 EDT Formula Systems Ltd trading resumes

09:35 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:35 EDT Dow Chemical trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:32 EDT Fulcrum Therapeutics Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:31 EDT AMERCO trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EDT Adverum Biotechnologies trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EDT Rattler Midstream trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EDT Golden Entertainment trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EDT Landmark Infrastructure trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:27 EDT Five Prime says bemarituzumab 'well tolerated' in Phase 1 study - Five Prime announced the publication of results from the phase 1 escalation and expansion study of bemarituzumab in patients with advanced solid tumors and FGFR2b-selected gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma in the digital edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The purpose of the phase 1 trial was to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary activity of single-agent bemarituzumab in patients with FGFR2b-overexpressing GEA. Seventy-nine patients were enrolled in the trial and no dose-limiting toxicities were reported. Bemarituzumab was well tolerated and the most frequent treatment-related adverse events were fatigue, nausea, and dry eye. The overall response rate observed in this study of advanced-stage patients with high FGFR2b-overexpressing GEA was 17.9% with five of 28 patients achieving a confirmed partial response.

09:17 EDT Mnuchin says airlines 'next priority on my list' to help out - Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is speaking on CNBC. Publicly traded companies in the airlines space include Alaska Air (ALK), American Airlines (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), JetBlue (JBLU), Southwest (LUV), Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and United Airlines (UAL).

09:15 EDT Cincinnati Bell to be acquired by Macquarie Infrastructure in $2.9B transaction - Cincinnati Bell (CBB), together with Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, announced an agreement through which a MIP-controlled subsidiary will acquire all outstanding shares of Cincinnati Bell for $15.50 per share in a cash transaction valued at approximately $2.9B, including debt. MIP is a fund managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets. Certain Special Opportunities funds managed by the Private Equity Group of Ares Management (ARES) have agreed to provide equity financing for the Transaction. Pursuant to the agreement, each issued and outstanding share of Cincinnati Bell common stock will be converted into the right to receive $15.50 in cash at closing of the Transaction. The Transaction price of $15.50 per share of Cincinnati Bell common stock represents a 101% premium to the closing per share price of $7.72 on December 20, 2019, the last trading day prior to the date when Cincinnati Bell's original merger agreement with Brookfield Infrastructure (BIP) was executed, a 172% premium to the 60-day volume weighted average price up to and including December 20, 2019 and a 7% premium to Brookfield's prior binding agreement to acquire the company. The Transaction follows the determination by Cincinnati Bell's Board of Directors, after consultation with its legal and financial advisors, that the MIP proposal constituted a "Superior Proposal" as defined in Cincinnati Bell's previously announced merger agreement with Brookfield. Consistent with that determination and following the expiration of the negotiation period during which Brookfield declined to propose an amendment to the merger agreement, Cincinnati Bell terminated that agreement. In connection with the termination, Cincinnati Bell has paid Brookfield a $24.8M break-up fee. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2021.

09:08 EDT Lakeland Industries adds capacity to meet demand from COVID-19 - Lakeland Industries addressed the impact on its operations from organic growth and demand relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lakeland's manufacturing facilities in China, Vietnam and India produce disposable personal protective equipment apparel that are the most commonly requested type of garments for use amid viral outbreaks such as coronavirus and the company is experiencing heightened demand for these products. Charles Roberson, President and CEO of Lakeland Industries, said, "As a substantial and diversified manufacturer of PPE apparel, we are pleased to announce that Lakeland is accelerating previously planned expansion of our sealed seam manufacturing capacity by 30%. In the last two years, Lakeland has invested $6 million to expand its global manufacturing footprint into Vietnam and India, update and add IT systems, improve efficiencies, and increase margins. In our most recent quarterly financial results, we reported an increase in cash and a reduction of debt, with a net cash position of approximately $8 million, $77 million of working capital, and access to available borrowings under our $20 million of untapped credit facilities. We have ample liquidity to advance our ongoing organic business initiatives while aiding in the exigent circumstances relating the coronavirus outbreak by moving up our previously planned expansion by approximately 9 months to mid-April and May FY20."

09:05 EDT NetEase Cloud Music signs digital music distribution pact with Studio Ghibli - NetEase Cloud Music, owned by NetEase (NTES), announced that it has signed a digital music distribution agreement with Studio Ghibli. Under this agreement, NetEase Cloud Music will be the digital music distributor for Studio Ghibli's music catalog, including albums and soundtracks from its sought-after animated feature films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, in Chinese mainland.

09:05 EDT Qiagen receives BARDA funding to develop QIAstat-Dx test for coronavirus - Qiagen announced it will develop a new QIAstat-Dx test kit to differentiate the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from 21 other serious respiratory infections and will receive advanced development support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, or ASPR. Accelerated development of the QIAstat-Dx test kit further expands Qiagen 's global mobilization for the emergency, which already includes a dramatic increase in production of components for a full range of U.S. and international testing protocols. Qiagen's QIAstat-Dx solution to help in the response to COVID-19 disease becomes the first syndromic testing product selected for development through ASPR's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, selection process, known as an easy broad agency announcement. BARDA will contribute $598,000 to accelerate Qiagen's evaluation of the testing cartridge that detects the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The QIAstat-Dx kit will be a molecular testing panel designed to aid in the diagnosis of patients with respiratory syndromes, in about one hour, by differentiating the novel coronavirus from 21 other bacterial and viral respiratory pathogens. Qiagen's panel will include assays targeting two genes used to detect the pathogen behind the disease, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2.

09:02 EDT Expedia withdraws FY20 adjusted EBITDA guidance due to coronavirus impact - The company said, "Expedia Group announced today that it is withdrawing its full-year 2020 Adjusted EBITDA guidance due to the growing impact from the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting uncertainty on travel trends. With the outbreak spreading significantly since Expedia's fourth quarter earnings call on February 13, 2020, we now expect the negative impact in the first quarter related to COVID-19 to be in excess of the $30-$40 million range provided at that time." "As COVID-19 has rapidly spread from Asia to Europe and North America over the past few weeks, travel trends have continued to worsen. It remains difficult to predict how long this pandemic will persist, and given the lack of visibility on our trends we've decided to withdraw our 2020 guidance," said Chairman Barry Diller and Vice Chairman Peter Kern. Diller and Kern added, "During this time, we continue to focus on operating efficiently and remain on track to reach run-rate cost savings of $300-$500 million by the end of the year. We're also prudently managing our strong balance sheet and have suspended share repurchases to provide additional flexibility as we navigate this situation. Additionally, we are focused on ensuring the health and safety of our customers and employees, and working closely with our partners to manage through these unfortunate circumstances."

08:54 EDT Charles Schwab reports February core new assets $24.4B - Charles Schwab released its monthly activity report. Company highlights for the month of February include: Core net new assets brought to the company by new and existing clients in February totaled $24.4B. Net new assets excluding mutual fund clearing totaled $24B. Total client assets were $3.86T as of month-end February, up 9% from February 2019 and down 5% compared to January. Client cash as a percentage of assets was 12% as of month-end February, compared with 11.5% in February 2019 and 11.3% in January.

08:39 EDT Philip Morris names Silke Muenster as chief diversity officer - Philip Morris (PM) named Silke Muenster as its first chief diversity officer. Transitioning from her current role as VP, market research at PMI, Muenster's new position will be effective March 15, and based in the company's operating center in Lausanne, Switzerland. Focused on leading an industry-wide transformation to deliver a smoke-free future, PMI strives to be environmentally and socially responsible while maintaining operational excellence. Muenster joined PMI in 2011, where she was director, market and consumer research until 2012 when she became VP, Market Research. At PMI, she is known for being proactive regarding I&D-she is a coach and mentor to other women, has built a women's network at the company and has been working closely with SVP, people and culture, Charles Bendotti and Whiting on strategies and tactics to increase diversity and inclusion. Prior to her time at PMI, she spent 12 years in leading research roles at Coca-Cola (KO).

08:36 EDT Cleveland-Cliffs completes acquisition of AK Steel - Cleveland-Cliffs announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of AK Steel Holding Corporation, "integrating North America's largest producer of iron ore pellets downstream into the production of value-added steel and specialty manufactured parts for the automotive industry." The combined company will be led by Chairman, President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves. "This is a new era for Cleveland-Cliffs as a producer of differentiated, high quality iron ore, metallics and steel in North America. The new Cliffs will begin from a unique position of strength in our industry, with a dynamic combination of assets including two efficient integrated blast furnace steel mills, two electric arc furnace plants, a new state-of-the-art HBI plant and several other highly technologically developed facilities. We will be catering to a desirable customer base and primarily doing business in the United States, the most resilient manufacturing economy in the world," said Mr. Goncalves. "I am honored to be leading a Company that is built on such a rich history, and now combines mining, pelletizing, direct-reduction, EAF steelmaking, BF/BOF steelmaking, highly technologically developed finishing mills and automated manufacturing of auto-parts." Mr. Goncalves concluded: "I am also very pleased to welcome the AK Steel employees and the unions representing the workforce throughout the country to the Cleveland-Cliffs family. From now on, we are a single, united and very strong team."

08:35 EDT SAIC, Unisys announce expiration of HSR Act waiting period - SAIC (SAIC) and Unisys (UIS) announced the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, or HSR Act, as of March 12 with respect to SAIC's previously announced acquisition of Unisys Federal, an operating unit of Unisys which provides services to U.S. federal civilian agencies and the Department of Defense. The waiting period expired without the issuance of a "second request" by the Premerger Notification Office of the Federal Trade Commission or the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division. All of the conditions to the closing of the pending Transaction have now been satisfied. SAIC and Unisys are working together to close the transaction promptly.

08:32 EDT Atossa Genetics announces FDA meeting on April 30 to discuss endoxifen - Atossa Therapeutics announced that it will meet with the U.S. FDA on April 30, 2020. The objective of this meeting is to discuss the clinical development of oral Endoxifen to reduce mammographic breast density. Atossa's offices are located in Seattle, Washington and ongoing or planned clinical trials of Atossa's Endoxifen are located in Australia and Sweden. Despite the well-publicized impacts of the current COVID-19 outbreak, Atossa's operations, including clinical studies and the supply of Endoxifen, have not been negatively impacted. Sufficient quantities of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, Endoxifen, for the currently ongoing and planned clinical trials have been previously manufactured and are in secure storage. Management instituted a temporary policy of working from home, which has been in place since February 26, 2020, and of limited business travel. Finally, the Company has not been notified of any employee illness, as would be required by policy.

08:28 EDT Buffett says Berkshire annual meeting taking place without shareholders - In a letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffett said, "Events have moved very fast since Berkshire issued its annual report on February 22. The annual meeting will be held at 3:45 p.m. on May 2nd as scheduled. However, we will not be able to allow shareholders to physically attend the meeting, and all special events are canceled. I very much regret this action; for many decades the annual meeting has been a high point of the year for me and my partner, Charlie Munger. It is now clear, however, that large gatherings can pose a health threat to the participants and the greater community. We won't ask this of our employees and we won't expose Omaha to the possibility of becoming a "hot spot" in the current pandemic. Therefore, we will limit attendance to me, possibly Charlie, and several Berkshire employees who will deliver proxy votes. It's possible that one or more of the journalists that we listed on page A-2 of the 2019 annual report will be present to ask some of the questions submitted to them. We are deferring a decision on this matter, but encourage you to continue to send your questions to them. Yahoo has confirmed that it will stream the meeting. They have provided great coverage in the past, and you can watch what takes place in Omaha from your armchair. Charlie and I will miss you, but we will see many thousands of you next year."

08:23 EDT BRP Group upsizes senior revolving credit facility to $300M - BRP Group announced that its subsidiary Baldwin Risk Partners has amended its senior revolving credit facility, effective immediately, to increase the committed line under the credit facility to $300 million, up $75 million from its previous amount of $225 million. Borrowings under the amended credit facility continue to accrue interest on amounts drawn at LIBOR plus 200 basis points. Interest rates are based on BRP LLC's total net leverage ratio, but are capped at LIBOR plus 300 bps. JPMorgan acted as sole bookrunner and lead arranger and will continue to serve as administrative agent and lender under the revolving credit facility, while Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Cadence Bank and Wintrust Financial will continue to serve as additional lenders.

08:15 EDT Athenex says operational plans 'remain on track' amid coronavirus pandemic - Athenex provides an update on the Company's operations in light of the recent declaration of the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. Athenex's operational plans continue to remain on track and the Company's current assessment is that the NDA submission for Oral Paclitaxel and pre-launch preparations for Oral Paclitaxel and tirbanibulin ointment should not be impacted. In addition, the Company's interactions with the U.S. FDA and other regulatory authorities currently remain on schedule. While Athenex's China operations in Chongqing were impacted by the coronavirus situation, the Company is delighted to report that such operations have resumed in the first week of March in accordance with the recommendations by the local authorities. The Company's Taihao plant is continuing to produce API for clinical and registration needs, and the construction of the new API plant continues to remain on schedule. Athenex puts the well-being of its employees globally at the highest priority and is diligently following the recommendations of the relevant local authorities with regards to precautions, including policies with respect to travel, working from home, and limiting participation in large gatherings. The Company will continue to be a global citizen and work closely to support the various global public health authorities, and is continuing to monitor the evolving situation.

08:13 EDT E-Trade reports February DARTs up 105% y/y - Daily average revenue trades, or DARTs, for February were a record 587,000, up 27% from January and 105% year-over-year, with revenue trades peaking on February 28 at 961,000, a single-day record. DARTs volume has continued to increase in March, with DARTs of 748,000 through March 11. E-TRADE has facilitated all of its top 15 trading days in firm history during the months of February and March.

08:11 EDT I-MAB announces TJM2 development to treat cytokine release syndrome - I-Mab Biopharma announced that it is initiating the development of TJM2 to treat cytokine storm in severe and critically ill patients caused by the coronavirus disease. TJM2 is an I-Mab-discovered neutralizing antibody against human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, an important cytokine that plays a critical role in acute and chronic inflammation. The development will start following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's acceptance of I-Mab's Investigational New Drug application, and the study will commence initially in the United States with plans to expand into other hardest-hit countries. The Company has successfully completed a Phase I single ascending dose study of TJM2 in the United States, in which TJM2 has exhibited favorable safety, tolerability, PK/PD, and immunogenicity profiles. TJM2 also received IND clearance from China's National Medical Products Administration for a multiple-dose Phase 1b study in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results from the planned COVID-19 study will also be used to further evaluate the potential therapeutic role of TJM2 in reducing or preventing cytokine storm and neurotoxicity associated with CAR-T therapy.

08:08 EDT Aerojet Rocketdyne board approves $100M share repurchase program - Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings announced that its Board of Directors authorized and approved a new share repurchase program allowing the Company to repurchase its outstanding common stock with an aggregate market value of up to $100M, from time to time, over a period of up to 18 months.

08:06 EDT Hurco Companies board authorizes $7M share repurchase program - Hurco announced that its Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program in an aggregate amount of up to $7M. Repurchases under the program may be made in the open market or through privately-negotiated transactions from time to time through March 11, 2022, subject to applicable laws and regulations. The program may be amended, suspended or discontinued at any time and does not commit Hurco to repurchase any shares of its common stock.

08:04 EDT Aytu BioScience establishes COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test inquiry procedure - Aytu BioScience announced the establishment of a COVID-19 inquiry procedure to ensure the company adequately responds to inbound inquiries from professionals and the public. In order to streamline and effectively capture the significant number of inbound inquiries related to the COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test, the company requests healthcare professionals, institutions, and other interested parties to send email inquiries to a COVID-19-dedicated email address. Inquiries should be directed via email to COVID-19@aytubio.com.

08:03 EDT QEP Resources plans to suspend 2c dividend following March 20 payment

08:03 EDT Circor appoints Abhishek Khandelwal as CFO - Circor (CIR) announced the appointment of Abhishek Khandelwal as Senior Vice President and CFO, effective April 6. Since 2010, he has held a number of senior finance roles at IDEX (IEX), most recently serving as VP, Corporate Finance and Operations CFO.

07:49 EDT Neos Therapeutics plans commercial launch of ADHD portfolio in Puerto Rico in Q2 - Neos recently entered into an agreement with a third-party to commercialize Neos' ADHD portfolio in Puerto Rico. The commercial launch is anticipated to occur in the second quarter of 2020.

07:43 EDT Noble Midstream reduces FY20 organic capital view to $120M-$150M - Noble Midstream announced that the partnership has reduced its 2020 organic capital guidance to a range of $120M-$150M to reflect updated producer forecasts in the DJ and Delaware basins. With increasing capital efficiency and a 2020 organic capital program focused mainly on well connections, Noble Midstream anticipates the additional capital savings will essentially offset the cash flow loss from reduced activity. Noble Midstream will continue to communicate with its customer base and is well positioned to further adjust its capital program. Noble Midstream will update detailed guidance for 2020 in association with its Q1 conference call. "Following recent volatility and announced changes to customer activity plans, Noble Midstream has reduced its expected organic capital spend. We are also nearing full service on several pipeline investments, which are expected to contribute meaningfully to our 2020 EBITDA. Noble Midstream will prioritize free cash flow and protect our balance sheet in the current market environment," stated Brent Smolik, CEO of the general partner of Noble Midstream.

07:37 EDT Luminex to submit EUA for an ARIES SARS-CoV-2 Assay next month - "As part of our broader work to make a difference in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, Luminex is supporting laboratories in their efforts to detect and diagnose cases of COVID-19," said Nachum "Homi" Shamir, President and CEO of Luminex. "Independent validation of LDTs on our ARIES System will help labs to quickly meet the high demand for testing around the world. We are honored that these clinical labs have chosen to develop their coronavirus tests using our ARIES platform and are pleased that this work can be easily reproduced at the hundreds of labs currently using the ARIES System." Along with these validation studies, labs across Europe and the United States are in the process of going live with their LDTs using the ARIES System, and Luminex intends to submit an EUA for an ARIES SARS-CoV-2 Assay next month. The platform uses real-time PCR technology that, when combined with its ability to run LDTs, is ideally suited for facilities that need to develop their own lab-specific testing for which there is no commercially available, FDA-cleared assay. The system provides the flexibility to handle STAT or batch testing and is capable of running different assays simultaneously.

07:35 EDT Luminex provides update on efforts to address coronavirus - Luminex announced that four independent clinical laboratories have validated laboratory developed tests for automated, rapid detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus using the sample-to-answer ARIES System. These LDTs demonstrate that high complexity laboratories using the ARIES System can immediately add novel coronavirus diagnostics to their testing menu. This will be important for helping to address soaring demand for coronavirus tests and will allow laboratories to produce results in approximately two hours. Studies to verify the test parameters with contrived samples on the ARIES System were conducted by Baylor Scott and White Health (Temple, TX), Montefiore Medical Center (Bronx, NY), Geisinger (Danville, PA), and the University of Louisville (Louisville, KY). Luminex has also launched and begun shipping its NxTAG CoV Extended Panel (RUO), a unique multiplex panel that addresses the coronavirus pandemic using its existing bead-based NxTAG Technology. A number of labs in the Far East, Europe and North America have already validated this panel and are planning to go live with it this week. In addition, Luminex is planning to submit an EUA for this panel to the FDA by the end of this month.

07:22 EDT Roche COVID-19 swab test receives emergency approval from FDA - Roche announced that the Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test. It is intended for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples from patients who meet COVID-19 clinical and/or epidemiological criteria for testing, the company said in a statement. Hospitals and reference laboratories can run the test on Roche's fully automated cobas 6800 and cobas 8800 Systems, which the company says are widely available in the U.S. and around the world. The CE-IVD test is also available in markets accepting the CE mark for patients with signs and symptoms of COVID-19 disease and living in affected areas where the SARS-CoV-2 virus is known to be present, Roche added. "We are increasing the speed definitely by a factor of 10," Thomas Schinecker, head of Roche's diagnostics unit, told Bloomberg in an interview.

07:19 EDT Legacy Acquisition Corp announces amendment to share exchange agreement - Legacy Acquisition Corp. announced today that, in response to the recent dislocation in the equity markets, Legacy has agreed to an amendment to the terms of the previously announced Amended and Restated Share Exchange Agreement with Blue Valor Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlueFocus Intelligent Communications Group, pursuant to which Legacy will purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of a newly formed and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Seller that at closing will hold the Blue Impact group business. The effectiveness of the Amendment is conditioned upon the approval of BFICG's board of directors. Under the terms of the Amendment and the warrant agreement amendment described below, among other things, Legacy will substantially reduce outstanding dilutive securities and simplify its capital structure and certain outstanding shares of Legacy's common stock held by Legacy's sponsor, Legacy Acquisition Sponsor I LLC, will be transferred back to the Company and cease to be outstanding. Separately, Legacy received today an update on operations of Blue Impact's China-based Madhouse business. To facilitate the business combination, the Sponsor will transfer 3,500,000 outstanding shares of Legacy's common stock back to Legacy which shares will be cancelled and cease to be outstanding. In consideration for such shares, the Sponsor was granted the right to receive up to 2,000,000 shares of common stock after the closing of the business combination as follows: 1,000,000 shares, if post-Closing Legacy stock has a volume weighted average trading price of at least $15 per share for any 30 day period or if post-Closing Legacy is sold for a share price of at least $15 per share and 1,000,000 shares, if post-Closing Legacy stock has a volume weighted average trading price of at least $20 per share for any 30 day period or if post-Closing Legacy is sold for a share price of at least $20 per share; provided, that the maximum number of shares that the Sponsor can receive is 2,000,000. In addition, the shares of Legacy's common stock payable to the Seller at the Closing will be reduced from 30,000,000 to 27,000,000 shares. The foregoing represents a reduction of 3,000,000 shares of Legacy's common stock which would have been outstanding immediately following the Closing under the terms of the previously announced business combination. The Seller will be granted the right to receive such 3,000,000 shares of Legacy's common stock following the Closing if post-Closing Legacy's stock has a volume weighted average trading price of at least $20 per share for any 30 day period or if Legacy is sold for a share price of at least $20 per share post-Closing, or upon the 10th anniversary of the Closing. The amount of Post-Closing Shares which may be received and the conditions for receiving the same are subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the Amendment. To facilitate the business combination, Legacy is considering a private placement exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended pursuant to Rule 506(c) of shares of common stock for up to $75 million in proceedssolely to eligible accredited investors or qualified institutional buyers.

07:10 EDT RedHill Biopharma: Express Scripts adds Talicia to National Preferred Formulary - RedHill Biopharma (RDHL) announced that Express Scripts (ESRX) has added Talicia to its National Preferred Formulary as a preferred brand. RedHill recently launched Talicia in the U.S., making Talicia available through pharmacies nationwide. Talicia is a rifabutin-based therapy approved for the treatment of H. pylori infection and is designed to address the high resistance of H. pylori bacteria to clarithromycin-based standard-of-care therapies. The high rates of H. pylori resistance to clarithromycin have led to significant rates of treatment failure with clarithromycin-based standard-of-care therapy and are a strong public health concern. Minimal to zero resistance to rifabutin, a key component of Talicia, was detected in RedHill's pivotal Phase 3 study.

07:08 EDT GW Pharmaceuticals submits Type II Variation application to expand EPIDYOLEX use - GW Pharmaceuticals announced the submission of a Type II Variation Application to the European Medicines Agency seeking approval of EPIDYOLEX, oral solution, for the treatment of seizures associated with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, a rare genetic condition and a leading cause of genetic epilepsy. If approved, this will be the third licensed indication for GW's cannabidiol oral solution in Europe. TSC is a condition that causes mostly benign tumours to grow in vital organs of the body including the brain, skin, heart, eyes, kidneys and lungs, and in which epilepsy is the most common neurological feature. TSC is typically diagnosed in childhood. The Type II Variation Application is based on data from a positive Phase 3 safety and efficacy study. The study met its primary endpoint with patients treated with GW's cannabidiol oral solution 25 mg/kg/day experiencing a significantly greater reduction from baseline in TSC-associated seizures compared to placebo. Results for the 50 mg/kg/day dose group were similar, with seizure reductions of 48% from baseline vs 26.5% for placebo. All key secondary endpoints were supportive of the effects on the primary endpoint. The safety profile observed was consistent with findings from previous studies, with no new safety risks identified.

07:06 EDT Applied Therapeutics expects topline data from ARISE-HF trial in 2021 - The company said, "In December 2019, we presented the study design and rationale for our ongoing ARISE-HF study at CVCT in Washington, D.C. ARISE-HF is a Phase 3 pivotal study examining effects of AT-001 on functional capacity in patients with Diabetic Cardiomyopathy at high risk of progression. We expect to announce topline data from the ARISE-HF trial in 2021."

07:05 EDT Applied Therapeutics expects to file for regulatory approval of AT-007 in 2H20 - The company said, "In January 2020, we announced positive topline results from the Pivotal Phase 2 portion of the ACTION-Galactosemia study of AT-007, a central nervous system penetrant Aldose Reductase inhibitor, in adult Galactosemia patients. AT-007 treatment resulted in a statistically significant and robust reduction in plasma galactitol vs placebo in adult Galactosemia patients, and AT-007 was well tolerated, with no drug-related adverse events noted. We plan to utilize recent FDA guidance permitting biomarker-based development in low prevalence, slowly progressing rare metabolic diseases, such as Galactosemia, and expect to file for regulatory approval in the second half of 2020. We plan to present the full data from the ACTION-Galactosemia trial at the Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders Annual Meeting, being held April 26 - 29 in Austin, Texas."

07:04 EDT Enanta initiates program to discover antiviral drug candidates for COVID-19 - Enanta announced that it has initiated a program to discover direct-acting antiviral drug candidates for the treatment of patients infected with the novel coronavirus COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2. The company is leveraging its discovery work on two approved protease inhibitors - paritaprevir and glecaprevir - for use against hepatitis C virus, or HCV, its development of a candidate for hepatitis B virus, or HBV, and most importantly, its development of candidates for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and human metapneumovirus, or hMPV, to explore approaches against this pandemic health threat. Enanta is taking a two-pronged approach to its COVID-19 discovery efforts. It is testing compounds from its antiviral compound library for potential activity against COVID-19. It is also initiating a drug discovery program using its expertise in direct-acting antiviral mechanisms to discover new candidates to treat COVID-19. Enanta's decision to initiate a program for COVID-19 comes only a few months after the company initiated "RSVP," a Phase 2b study in adult outpatients with community-acquired RSV. The company also plans to initiate a Phase 2 dose ranging study in pediatric RSV patients and a Phase 2 study in adult transplant patients with RSV. Similar to the emerging patient profile of COVID-19, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for RSV, which is an illness that also affects children and for which there are no safe and effective treatments.

06:57 EDT TransEnterix receives 510(k) clearance for machine vision system - TransEnterix announced the company received 510(k) clearance for the Intelligent Surgical Unit that enables machine vision capabilities on the Senhance Surgical System. The ISU enables machine vision driven control of the camera for a surgeon by responding to commands and recognizing certain objects and locations in the surgical field. The ISU hardware is also designed to be compatible with planned future augmented intelligence features such as scene cognition and surgical image analytics that are expected to continue to drive meaningful innovations in digital laparoscopy with Senhance.

06:41 EDT Chimera announces $150M share repurchase program - Chimera announced its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $150M of its outstanding common shares. The share repurchase program is expected to be funded through the company's existing capital. This repurchase program replaces the company's previously disclosed share repurchase program, of which approximately $85M was available.

06:26 EDT SoftBank to spend up to Y500B to buy back up to 7% of its shares - SoftBank said in a statement that it will spend up to Y500B to buy back up to 7% of its own shares. The repurchase period will be from March 16, 2020 through March 15, 2021. Reference Link

06:00 EDT BrightView acquires 4 Seasons Landscape Group, terms not disclosed - BrightView announced the acquisition of 4 Seasons Landscape Group, a commercial landscaping company headquartered in Norcross, Ga. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

05:19 EDT PG&E issues moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment due to COVID-19 - Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has voluntarily implemented a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment, effective immediately. This suspension will apply to both residential and commercial customers and will remain in effect until further notice. To further support customers who may be impacted by the pandemic, PG&E will offer its most flexible pay plans to customers who indicate either an impact or hardship as a result of COVID-19. PG&E will continue to monitor current events and identify opportunities to support our customers and communities. In addition to the moratorium on service shut-offs, PG&E's response to the COVID-19 pandemic is focused on efforts to protect the health and safety of its customers, employees, contractors and the communities it serves. Actions the company has taken include providing guidance for employees who have direct customer contact to take social distancing precautionary measures, such as avoiding handshakes and wearing disposable nitrile gloves while in customers' homes. Customers who visit local offices to pay bills and are sick or experiencing symptoms are being asked to use other payment options such as online or by phone. Internally, the company is taking advanced cleaning measures, communicating best practices frequently with employees, and is asking its leaders to let employees work remotely if their job allows, while avoiding critical business disruption. PG&E has activated an enterprise-wide incident response team and is vigilantly monitoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization for updates related to the virus. The company is committed to continue addressing customer service needs and does not expect any disruption in gas or electric service due to the public health crisis.