Stockwinners Market Radar for April 23, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:19 EDT Innovent Biologics, Eli Lilly announce NMPA of China accepts NDA for Tyvyt - Innovent Biologics jointly announced with Eli Lilly (LLY) that the National Medical Products Administration of China has accepted the supplemental New Drug Application for Tyvyt in combination with ALIMTA and platinum as first-line therapy in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, nsqNSCLC. Tyvyt was officially approved by the NMPA in December 2018 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin's lymphoma after at least two lines of systemic chemotherapy, and has been the only anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody included in the New Catalogue of the National Reimbursement Drug List since November 2019. The NDA was based on the pre-specified interim analysis of a randomized, double-blind, Phase 3 clinical trial - Tyvyt or placebo in combination with ALIMTA and platinum as first-line therapy for advanced or recurrent nsqNSCLC without sensitizing EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement. Based on the interim analysis conducted by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee. Tyvyt in combination with ALIMTA and platinum demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival compared with placebo in combination with ALIMTA(R) and platinum, which met the pre-defined efficacy criteria. After a median follow up of 8.9 months, the median PFS of the experimental group and the control group assessed by Independent Radiographic Review Committee was 8.9 months and 5.0 months respectively. The safety profile is consistent with previously reported sintilimab studies, and no new safety signals were identified. Detailed data will be released in an upcoming international academic conference and journal.

20:06 EDT GlaxoSmithKline presents GARNET study demonstrating potential of Dostarlimab - GlaxoSmithKline announced data from an updated analysis of the GARNET trial, which demonstrated that dostarlimab, an investigational anti-programmed death-1 monoclonal antibody, provided clinically meaningful results in women with recurrent or advanced mismatch repair-deficient endometrial cancer who progressed on or after a platinum-based regimen. This updated analysis included patients with dMMR endometrial cancer who had measurable disease at baseline and greater than or equal to6 months of follow-up by the data cutoff. Patients received 500 mg of dostarlimab once every three weeks for four doses, followed by 1,000 mg once every six weeks until disease progression. The primary endpoints were confirmed objective response rate and duration of response, as assessed against RECIST v 1.1 by blinded independent central review. GARNET is the largest dataset evaluating an anti-PD-1 in endometrial cancer. Results showed that dostarlimab was well tolerated with a low discontinuation rate (2%) due to treatment-related adverse events, consistent with the safety profiles of other anti-PD-1 therapies. The most commonly reported TRAEs were asthenia (15%), diarrhea (15%), fatigue (14%), and nausea (13%). No deaths associated with dostarlimab were reported in the study. Dostarlimab is not currently approved for use anywhere in the world.

19:06 EDT Watford Holdings sees $265M in Q1 losses due to investment market volatility - Watford Holdings announced that it estimates that its Q1 earnings will include a net investment loss of approximately $265 million due to investment market volatility caused by the economic shutdown mandated by governments around the world related to the COVID-19 virus. The net investment loss is predominantly comprised of unrealized mark-to-market losses to the Company's non-investment grade fixed-income portfolio. The impact of unrealized mark-to-market losses on net income is estimated to be approximately $290 million. Realized losses in the quarter are estimated to be approximately $6 million. In addition, the Company expects that its book value will be impacted by unrealized mark-to-market losses to its investment grade portfolio of approximately $38 million.

18:46 EDT Alaska Air accept $992M in funding under CARES Act - As previously announced, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air finalized agreements today with the U.S. Treasury Department and accepted full disbursement of funds through the Payroll Support Program (PSP) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, subject to terms that were previously disclosed. Alaska and Horizon have received $992 million in the form of a $725 million grant and $267 million loan, to be used exclusively toward continuing to pay employee salaries, wages and benefits. The funding will cover about 70% of budgeted payroll costs for both airlines through Sept. 30, 2020, and was based on similar costs reported by the airlines for the period of April through September 2019.

18:27 EDT Domino's Pizza CEO: Demand has been very strong - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Richard Allison said Domino's is currently hiring more than 10,000 team members. He added that the company has been open during the COVID-19 pandemic and demand has been brisk. Domino's is aiming to providing 10M slices of pizza to those in need during the crisis. Allison noted that things are going to be different for "quite a while." He thinks customers will be more price conscious going forward and there won't be any room to raise prices. He finished by saying Domino's does not intend to "slow down at all" with advertising.

17:28 EDT General Mills committing to 100% renewable electricity globally by 2030 - General Mills set a goal to source 100% renewable electricity by 2030 as part of the RE100 global corporate initiative. To achieve this, the company is investing in renewable energy efforts to support the company's environmental objectives. Examples include two large-scale wind farms which will produce renewable energy credits, and anaerobic digestion. Internationally, the company is investigating renewable projects where it has energy-intensive operations. Through 2019, General Mills has reduced the greenhouse gas emissions of its extended value chain by 14% compared to its 2010 baseline.

17:17 EDT Intel CEO says second half demand picture more uncertain - Says PC demand has increased due to work-from-home. Says planning to debut Tiger Lake CPU later this year. Says largely on track for 2020 product deliverables. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:10 EDT Archer Daniels reducing ethanol grind, idling two facilities - Archer Daniels is currently managing ethanol production throughout its U.S. corn processing network to focus on cash flows and to divert corn grind to other products that are in higher demand, such as alcohol for hand sanitizer, due to the challenging operating environment. As part of this process, Archer Daniels is temporarily idling ethanol production at the company's corn dry mill facilities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Columbus, Nebraska. Archer Daniels notified approximately 90 employees in each facility today that they will be furloughed in the coming weeks. During the furlough, employees will continue to receive medical benefits and will be eligible to apply for state and federal unemployment benefits. They will also have the option to apply for other open positions at Archer Daniels. The anticipated length of the furlough is currently four months, but the timeframe could change. ADM has also reduced the ethanol grind at its corn wet mill plants and rebalanced grind to produce more industrial alcohol for the sanitizer market and industrial starches for the containerboard market.

17:00 EDT Walmart releases 2020 annual report - Walmart issued its 2020 Annual Report and in preparation for the company's upcoming virtual annual shareholders' meeting on Wednesday, June 3. The 2020 Annual Report "illustrates the extraordinary efforts across the company in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and highlights Walmart's financial strength and positioning for ongoing success." In his annual letter to shareholders, associates and customers, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon recognized the work of associates. "Our associates are dedicated, resilient, creative and hard-working, and I'm honored to serve them. As I've visited our stores, clubs and distribution centers, I've heard them articulate and seen them demonstrate a 'we've got this' attitude. Times like these can be challenging financially, so we've supported them with a special cash bonus for all U.S. hourly associates, and we accelerated payment of the Q1 cash bonus. The physical, financial and emotional wellbeing of our associates are priorities for us." McMillon went on to highlight actions the company has taken to benefit stakeholders. "The work we've been doing over the last several years has positioned us to serve customers even more effectively through an omni-channel approach... We're in a strong financial position with substantial cash flows and a diversified asset base. We have the resources to grow the business and to make key investments in areas such as technology and eCommerce, even during times of uncertainty."

16:46 EDT DMC Global repays Paycheck Protection Program loan - DMC Global Inc. recently applied for a loan under the U.S. Government's Paycheck Protection Program. The application was vetted by the Small Business Administration, and on April 14, 2020, a loan of $6.7M was approved. DMC borrowed this money, as the PPP legislation intended, to provide its 306 U.S. employees with payroll and benefits protection as the company's primary energy market enters a sharp downturn and the global economy rapidly slows due to COVID-19, significantly reducing DMC's revenues. DMC believes that at the time it borrowed the money, it fully complied with the language of the PPP legislation. While the PPP program allows for loans of up to $10M for all companies with as many as 500 employees, subsequent guidance from the SBA made after DMC had received the proceeds of the loan states that public companies may not be eligible for the program. In view of these new guidelines and to avoid any further disputes at a time when the business environment is the most difficult it has seen, the company has repaid the loan.

16:39 EDT Medley Management receives noncompliance notification from NYSE - Medley Management announced that the Company received written notice from the NYSE that the company does not presently satisfy the NYSE's continued listing standards set forth in Section 802.01B of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, which prohibits the company's average global market capitalization over a consecutive 30 trading-day period from being less than $50M at the same time its stockholders' equity is less than $50M and Section 802.01C of the manual, which requires the average closing price of the company's common shares to be at least $1.00 per share over a consecutive 30 trading-day period.

16:35 EDT Genesis Healthcare gets continued listing standard notice from NYSE - Genesis HealthCare announced that it received written notification from the NYSE on April 17, 2020 that it is not in compliance with the NYSE continued listing standard that requires a minimum average closing price of Genesis' common stock of $1.00 per share over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. The company is, however, in compliance with the NYSE minimum market capitalization threshold of $50 million over a 30 trading-day period. Currently, Genesis' market capitalization is more than two times this threshold. On April 23, 2020, Genesis received an update from the NYSE notifying Genesis that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and related extraordinary market conditions, the compliance period for any company previously notified about noncompliance with the minimum share price requirement will be suspended and resume on July 1, 2020. Therefore, Genesis' compliance period has been extended until December 26, 2020. Genesis will notify the NYSE on or before May 1, 2020 that it intends to cure the continued listing standard deficiency.

16:31 EDT USD Partners cuts quarterly dividend 70% to 11.1c per share - The distribution is payable on May 15, 2020, to unitholders of record at the close of business on May 5, 2020.

16:30 EDT Chesapeake adopts shareholder rights plan - Chesapeake Energy adopted a shareholder rights plan designed to protect the availability of Chesapeake's net operating loss carryforwards under the Internal Revenue Code. As of December 31, 2019, Chesapeake had U.S. federal NOLs of approximately $7.6B available to offset its future federal taxable income. Chesapeake's ability to use these NOLs would be substantially limited if it experienced an "ownership change" if its "5-percent shareholders" increased their collective ownership of such company's stock by more than 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period.The Section 382 Rights Plan is designed to prevent any "ownership change" that could negatively impact the availability of its NOLs, and is intended to help ensure that the Board of Directors is in the best position to discharge its fiduciary duties.The rights will generally become exercisable only if a person acquires 4.9% or more of Chesapeake's outstanding common stock. If the rights become exercisable, all holders of rights will be entitled to acquire shares of common stock at a 50% discount or Chesapeake may exchange each right held by such holders for one share of common stock. The Rights Plan will expire on the close of business on the day following the certification of the voting results for the 2021 annual meeting.

16:26 EDT Robert Half suspends guidance amid COVID-19 uncertainty - In prepared remarks for its Q1 earnings call, Robert Half said that given the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on global economies, it is not offering overall guidance this quarter. The company also noted that, as a result of staffing trends and continued social distancing, it took actions in March and April to reduce its operating costs by roughly 20% compared to Q1 of 2020. Robert Half added that it is currently taking further action to reduce SG&A costs by an additional 10%. Such actions have been focused on eliminating non-essential costs as well as laying off its "less experienced and lower performing staff." The company said that impacted corporate staff were furlough with paid benefits. Given the timing of these actions, reported results for Q2 will only reflect savings of about 25% compared to Q1, Robert Half said.

16:20 EDT Empire State Realty names Christina Chiu as CFO - Empire State Realty announced the appointment of Christina Chiu as Executive Vice President and CFO. Ms. Chiu will join Empire State Realty Trust following an 18-year career at Morgan Stanley, where she had been a Managing Director since 2014.

16:17 EDT Hess Midstream Partners raises quarterly dividned 1.2% to 43.1c per share - The distribution will be payable on May 14, 2020 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 4, 2020.

16:15 EDT Terex has available liquidity of approximately $945M - Terex is providing a business update regarding health and safety, liquidity, and cost reduction actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are focused on successfully navigating through this unprecedented period and are implementing substantial cost saving and operational actions to enhance liquidity and maintain financial flexibility," stated Terex Corporation Chairman, President and CEO, John L. Garrison, Jr...The amendment provides the liquidity and flexibility to manage the Company during these challenging times," commented Terex Corporation Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, John D. Sheehan. As of March 31 , the Company had available liquidity of approximately $945 million, including over $500 million of cash and cash equivalents and approximately $430 million of available capacity under the Company's revolver. On April 23, 2020, the Company amended its revolver, extending the expiration term to January 31, 2023. The amendment also waived financial covenants through December 31, 2020, temporarily replacing them with a sliding scale minimum liquidity requirement during the waiver period, among other changes.

16:14 EDT eHealth raises FY20 adjusted EBITDA view to $125M-$140M from $120M-$135M

16:12 EDT Mellanox expects closing of Nvidia buyout on or about April 27 - The company said, "On April 16, 2020 NVIDIA Corporation announced that it has received approval from all necessary authorities to proceed with its planned acquisition of Mellanox. Closing of the acquisition is expected to occur on or about April 27, 2020. Due to the pending acquisition, Mellanox will not hold an earnings conference call and has suspended the practice of providing forward-looking guidance."

16:11 EDT WWE says unable to quantify potential impact of COVID-19 on business - The spread of COVID-19 and related government mandates have impacted WWE's business as the Company has been directed to cancel, postpone or relocate its live events beginning in mid-March. To-date, the company has been able to substantially offset the loss of ticket and merchandise sales at its live events by reducing its operating expenses across each area of business. These efforts were highlighted by the introduction of a new model for producing content. The Company believes, however, that the potential impact of COVID-19 may not be limited to the sale of live event tickets and merchandise and the adverse impacts on other areas of operation are not known at this time. To mitigate the potential risks to its performance, the Company evaluated its operations and developed extensive contingency plans, which resulted in the implementation of various short-term cost reductions and cash flow improvement actions. These precautionary measures included reducing executive and board member compensation, decreasing operating expenses, cutting third party staffing, consulting and talent expenses, and a reduction of headcount by way of furlough. The decision to furlough rather than permanently reduce headcount reflects the fact that the Company currently believes the reduction will be temporary in nature. Notably, the Company's reductions of employee compensation and headcount result in an estimated savings of $4 million per month. To enhance WWE's liquidity, management has deferred spending on the Company's new headquarters, directly reducing 2020 capital expenditures by approximately $140 million. For 2020, the Company now estimates total capital expenditures of $40 - $50 million (as compared to previous guidance of $180 - $220 million). As additional precautionary measures, management has also temporarily suspended the repurchase of stock under its $500 million program and drew $200 million from its revolving credit facility after quarter-end. As such, management believes the Company will have sufficient liquidity, which currently totals approximately $500 million, to manage the challenges ahead. The Company remains unable to quantify the potential impact of COVID-19 on its business, but the financial impact to the Company may be material. Accordingly, the Company previously withdrew its full year 2020 guidance and, based on sustained economic uncertainties, is not reinstating guidance at this time. Management continues to believe the Company's growth prospects remain strong and that WWE is well positioned to take full advantage of the changing media landscape and increasing value of live sports rights over the longer term.

16:07 EDT National Vision plans to reopen stores selectively starting April 27 - National Vision Holdings announced plans for the gradual re-opening of retail locations to the public with enhanced safety protocols and a focus on meeting the essential, urgent and emergency eye health needs of patients and customers. Beginning April 27th, the Company plans to open stores selectively over the coming weeks with a goal for all stores within its family of retail brands to be open to the public by early June. "As we continue to navigate this unprecedented pandemic, we are monitoring the recommendations of public health and government agencies. Our priority has been, and continues to be, the safety of our associates, optometrists, patients and customers," said Chief Executive Officer Reade Fahs. "During the temporary closure of our stores, we have heard from our customers and patients that they need the critical eye care services we offer. We have developed a phased approach to re-opening our stores to the public that we believe is not only safe and responsible, but also will allow us to continue serving those that need our eye care services the most during this time of lack of access." As part of the selective re-opening of retail stores, the Company developed and implemented policies and procedures designed to keep associates, optometrists, patients and customers as safe as possible. All policies and procedures align with recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Optometric Association as well as federal and state guidance on social distancing, cleaning procedures, use of personal protective equipment and other safety measures. Additionally, National Vision is implementing expanded health and safety training and procedures for all stores and optometrists practicing in its retail locations. Throughout the phased re-opening, retail locations that remain temporarily closed to the public will continue to provide services as associates remain available by phone for patients and customers in need.

16:07 EDT Capital One reports Q1 net interest margin 6.78%, down 17 bps - Reports Q1: Net charge-offs of $1.8B; Provision for credit losses increased 198 percent to $5.4B; Efficiency ratio of 51.44.

16:05 EDT Intel reports Q1 data-centric revenue growth of 34% - In the first quarter, Intel achieved 34% data-centric revenue growth and 14% PC-centric revenue growth YoY. Intel said: "The company maintained essential factory operations with greater than 90% on-time delivery while supporting employees, customers and communities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes a new Intel Pandemic Response Technology Initiative to combat the virus where we can uniquely make a difference with Intel technology, expertise, and resources. First-quarter data-centric results were led by strength in the Data Center Group - DCG - with revenue up 43% YoY driven by broad strength including 53% YoY growth in cloud service provider revenue. Intel's memory business - NSG - and Mobileye both set new revenue records in the first quarter...The PC-centric business - CCG - exceeded expectations, up 14% YoY in the first quarter on improved CPU supply and demand strength as consumers and businesses are relying on PCs for working and learning at home."

15:46 EDT Comcast's Universal Pictures, Lego Group announce five-year film partnership - Universal Pictures announced that the studio has entered into a five-year exclusive agreement with the LEGO Group to develop, produce and distribute theatrical releases based on its intellectual property and original ideas. The announcement was made by Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and Jill Wilfert, Head of Entertainment, the LEGO Group. Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios, which is part of NBCUniversal.

15:35 EDT Sigmatron update on international operations during COVID-19 outbreak - Earlier, SigmaTron said: "Our China operation was shut down for one week after Lunar New Year in February 2020. It resumed operations on February 11, 2020 and slowly added personnel such that by the end of February 2020 it was back to the same level of capacity it had prior to Lunar New Year. At this time, there are no issues affecting manufacturing capacity and operations. Our Vietnam operation has no mandates in place that have affected the operation. It has been in full production the entire period. Our international purchasing office in Taiwan has no mandates in place affecting it. There have been no disruptions in support of our manufacturing operations for the entire period. Regarding our operation in Union City, California, we were told on Monday, March 16, 2020 that under a Shelter-in-Place Order from Alameda County we were required to shut down operations that day. We were closed the next four days. In response to certifications by our customers that their products were essential and that they were Essential Businesses under applicable State and County Orders we resumed operations on Monday, March 23, 2020 with about 60% of our workforce. We are currently up to 80% of our workforce in place and waiting for an update regarding the current Shelter-in-Place Order at the State level that runs through April 30, 2020. Illinois issued its Shelter-in-Place Order on March 20, 2020. The vast majority of its customers qualified as Essential Businesses under the Illinois Order and for that reason the operation has remained open during the entire period, though not at full strength. Initially we had 60% of our workforce in place. We currently have approx. 80% of our workforce on the job and we are waiting for an update on the current Shelter-in-Place Order that expires on April 30, 2020. Our operation in Tijuana, Mexico was visited by Federal inspectors on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 who decided that our operation is not an Essential Business under the Mexican Decrees and was required to shut down that day. The initial Decree was set to expire on April 30, 2020. We just received notice that the initial Decree is now extended to May 30, 2020. We are appealing the mandatory shutdown decision but we have had no feedback from the government to date. We are also supporting various organizations working with the U.S. and Mexican administrations regarding the definition of Essential Businesses. In Acuna, Mexico we had a similar experience as Tijuana with the operation shut down on April 21, 2020. With the extension of the Decrees, Acuna will be allowed to reopen on either May 18, 2020 or May 30, 2020. We continue to appeal this decision and also like Tijuana, we are supporting groups working to achieve reciprocity between the two countries in terms of defining what an Essential Business is. Regarding our Chihuahua, Mexico operation, the Federal inspectors determined that our operation is an Essential Business and it remains in production. We had a significant number of employees that the government mandated be sent home because of age or underlying conditions but production continues."

15:27 EDT Kroger expands free drive-thru COVID-19 testing to additional states - Kroger Health, the healthcare division of Kroger Company, announced the expansion of free COVID-19 testing sites to Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, joining existing sites in Kentucky and Tennessee, for all priority groups, including healthcare workers, first responders and symptomatic groups. Additionally, the company will begin piloting site-specific testing for Kroger associates in Michigan and Colorado, while also empowering its own pharmacists to initiate the lab order and observe self-administered testing where allowable by applicable law.

15:17 EDT TiVo says ITC reaffirms second patent infringement victory over Comcast - TiVo (TIVO) announced that it was the beneficiary of a final determination issued today by the International Trade Commission, reaffirming that Comcast's (CMCSA) X1 platform once again infringes Rovi's patents. Rovi is a subsidiary of TiVo. Arvin Patel, executive vice president and chief intellectual property officer at Rovi, said, "This is yet another win for TiVo - our second victory against Comcast this year. The Federal Circuit's decision on March 2 affirmed the ITC's final determination in our first ITC case against Comcast to ban the importation of Comcast's set-top boxes that infringe Rovi's patents. Today's final determination in our second ITC case against Comcast reaffirms that Comcast's X1 entertainment experience continues to violate TiVo's patent rights. These rulings confirm that Comcast is subject to the ITC's jurisdiction and cannot avoid liability for infringing TiVo's patents."

15:04 EDT Redfin says home-buying demand down 19% April 13-19, improved from early month - Redfin announced that it is introducing a new measure for home-buying demand to get a clearer picture of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The new measure compares the daily number of homebuyer inquiries, regardless of whether the homebuyer is served by a Redfin agent or one of its partners, to the average daily number of inquiries in January and February, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the company explained. For the seven days ended on Sunday, April 19, home-buying demand was down 19% on a seasonally-adjusted basis from pre-coronavirus levels after dropping as much as 34% at the beginning of April, Redfin reported. A lack of inventory is one of the leading causes for a lack of sales, along with tighter lending standards and buyer concerns over the economy. Pending sales for the same period are down almost 50% compared to the same time last year, the company added.

14:52 EDT Immutep patent for cancer treatment posted by USPTO - A post to the USPTO website, dated April 23, describes a patent for combined preparations, and pharmaceutical compositions, comprising: (a) LAG-3 protein, or a derivative thereof that is able to bind to MHC class II molecules; and (b) a programmed cell death protein-1 pathway inhibitor, and the use of the combined preparations and compositions as medicaments, in particular for the treatment of cancer or infection, and to methods for the treatment of cancer or infection. The listed patent applicant and assignee is Immutep. Reference Link

14:34 EDT Baxter obtains EUA from FDA for filter for COVID-19 treatment - Baxter International announced it has received emergency use authorization, or EUA, from the FDA for the company's Oxiris filter set to treat patients who have confirmed COVID-19 and have been admitted to the intensive care unit with confirmed or imminent respiratory failure in need of blood purification therapy to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, including use in continuous renal replacement therapy, or CRRT. A small initial shipment of Oxiris will be available in the U.S. immediately, with more significant production ramping up throughout the coming weeks and months.

14:31 EDT Baxter obtains FDA EUA for Oxiris filter for COVID-19 treatment - Baxter International announced it has received emergency use authorization from the U.S. FDA for the company's Oxiris filter set to treat patients who have confirmed COVID-19 and have been admitted to the intensive care unit with confirmed or imminent respiratory failure in need of blood purification therapy to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, including use in continuous renal replacement therapy. "We are doing whatever it takes to support healthcare providers as they care for patients during extraordinary circumstances. Oxiris offers a new tool in the COVID-19 fight while supplementing our overall supply of filters for blood purification therapies," said Jose (Joe) E. Almeida, chairman and chief executive officer. "We are grateful for the FDA's collaboration and support to make Oxiris available as quickly as possible to the influx of patients who are critically ill from COVID-19."

14:05 EDT Honda extends North American production suspension through May 8 - Honda said that it continues to evaluate business conditions and make temporary adjustments to its production and business operations in North America. In addition to the impact of COVID-19 on the marketplace, stay-at-home orders remain in many cities and states, impeding the ability of consumers to purchase new vehicles. As a result, Honda must continue to take steps that align product supply and business expenses with market demand. Honda is extending the production suspension for its automobile, engine and transmission plants in North America by one week through May 8. Honda began its automobile production suspension in North America on March 23. As previously announced, Honda of South Carolina Mfg., Inc., which produces powersports products including ATVs and side-by-side vehicles, has suspended production through May 1. HSC is scheduled to resume production May 4. HSC originally suspended production on March 26. The majority of salaried and support associates at Honda operations in the U.S. will be furloughed for an additional week and will return to work on May 8 or 11 depending on location. This is an extension of the current two-week furlough period that started in late April. Reference Link

13:32 EDT Tyson Fresh Meats testing Pasco team members for COVID-19, pausing production - Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods, will temporarily halt production at its Pasco, Wash., beef facility while team members undergo testing. Health officials in Walla Walla, Benton, and Franklin Counties will work with the company to test its more than 1,400 team members for COVID-19 as soon as possible. The facility produces enough beef in one day to feed four million people. While the plant is temporarily closed for testing, team members will continue to be compensated and asked to self-isolate at home until results return. "We've taken both of our responsibilities to continue feeding the nation and keeping our team members safe and healthy seriously," said Steve Stouffer, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats. "That's why we've been focused on COVID-19 since January when we first formed a company coronavirus task force. We've since implemented numerous measures to protect workers and, at times, have gone beyond CDC guidance. We've also worked with the local health department on more mitigation efforts and have accommodated all its recommendations for protective measures, which exceeded CDC guidelines. Despite these efforts, the combination of worker absenteeism, COVID-19 case and community concerns has resulted in a collective decision to close and test all team members." Tyson Foods announced recently its plans to indefinitely suspend operations at Tyson Fresh Meats' Waterloo, Iowa, pork plant this week. Tyson Fresh Meats will also voluntarily close its pork facility in Logansport, Ind., while team members undergo testing. The company's other meat and poultry plants currently continue to operate, but some are running at reduced levels of production either due to the planned implementation of additional worker safety precautions or worker absenteeism.

13:05 EDT TOP Ships announces extension of Nasdaq minimum bid price compliance period - TOP Ships announced today that it has received written notification from The Nasdaq Stock Market dated April 17, 2020, granting an extension to the grace period for regaining compliance with the minimum $1.00 per share bid price requirement from June 23, 2020 to September 7, 2020. The above extension was granted as part of Nasdaq's determination to toll the compliance periods for all public companies, not meeting the continued listing requirements, such as the bid price requirement, due to the extraordinary market conditions and unprecedented turmoil in U.S. financial markets. The Company intends to monitor the closing bid price of its common stock between now and September 7, 2020 and is considering its options, in order to regain compliance with the Nasdaq bid price requirement. This deficiency can be cured, if the closing bid price of its common stock is $1.00 per share or higher for a minimum of ten consecutive business days during the grace period.

13:01 EDT Gilead, markets fall after report of disappointing COVID-19 trial - Both Gilead Sciences (GILD) and the markets in general moved lower after the Financial Times reported that Gilead's potential antiviral drug for the coronavirus disappointed in its first randomized clinical trial, FT reported, citing draft documents published accidentally by the World Health Organization. The Chinese trial showed remdesivir did not improve patients' condition or reduce the pathogen's presence in the bloodstream, according to the FT's Paolo Mancini and Hannah Kuchler. Gilead, however, told STAT and the Financial Times, that the "post included inappropriate characterization of the study." Because the study was stopped early because it had too few patients, a company spokesperson said, it cannot "enable statistically meaningful conclusions." Shares of Gilead are well off their lows but remain down 3.5% to $78.46 in afternoon trading. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) shares fell 12% to $3.05 following the report.

12:48 EDT Markets move lower after FT report of failed Gilead COVID-19 trial

12:46 EDT Gilead trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:31 EDT IntercontinentalExchange appoints David Clifton as interim CEO of Bakkt - Intercontinental Exchange has appointed David Clifton as interim CEO of Bakkt, the digital assets trading and payments platform that is majority-owned by ICE. Clifton replaces Mike Blandina, who is leaving the company to pursue a new opportunity. Adam White, who was appointed President of Bakkt earlier this year, will continue in his role. Clifton, currently ICE's Vice President, M&A and Integration, joined ICE in 2008, serving previously as Associate General Counsel, M&A.

12:06 EDT Motorola back in flagship phone market with Moto Edge and Moto Edge+ - Motorola (MSI) announced its newest high-end devices for 2020 the Motorola Edge and Edge+ with the Snapdragon 865. The company said in part, in an earlier blog posting: "To stand apart in the market, we wanted to build a family of new devices that nails everything consumers care about most...motorola edge+ was built for speed, power, and the ultimate 5G performance. We started with the most advanced mobile platform on the market. Qualcomm's (QCOM) Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform provides the fastest performance1, 25% faster than previous generations, and nearly instant responsiveness for browsing, watching videos, or playing games. 12 GB of Micron DDR5 memory keeps your device running smoothly with 30% increased max bandwidth and lower battery drain, so you can take full advantage of the experiences enabled by 5G.2 An innovative 5G antenna array connects you with both mmWave and sub-6GHz frequencies for global 5G compatibility and future speeds over 4 Gbps.3 And connect to Wi-Fi 6, the new blazing-fast standard for Wi-Fi, for even outstanding internet speeds while using less power.With motorola edge+, we are bending the display like never before." Other companies that may be impacted by this news include Google (GOOG, GOOGL) Samsung (SSNLF) and Apple (AAPL). Reference Link

12:00 EDT SilverBow Resources falls -15.4% - SilverBow Resources is down -15.4%, or -93c to $5.12.

12:00 EDT Scor ADR falls -20.0% - Scor ADR is down -20.0%, or -$9.51 to $38.06.

12:00 EDT Mistras rises 22.1% - Mistras is up 22.1%, or 75c to $4.14.

11:46 EDT Google to require advertisers to verify their identities - Google said in a blog post that it is working to bring additional transparency into the advertiser behind the ads people see. "In 2018, we announced a new identity verification policy for political advertisers," the company said. "The policy requires all advertisers that want to run election ads on our platforms go through a verification program to confirm their identity. We display that identity in the ad unit so that users can learn more about the election ads they see on Google's platforms. Since introducing this program, we've verified political advertisers in 30 countries. And now, to provide greater transparency and equip users with more information about who is advertising to them, we are extending identity verification to all advertisers on our platforms. As part of this initiative, advertisers will be required to complete a verification program in order to buy ads on our network. Advertisers will need to submit personal identification, business incorporation documents or other information that proves who they are and the country in which they operate. Beginning this summer, users will start to see disclosures that list this information about the advertiser behind the ads they see. This change will make it easier for people to understand who the advertiser is behind the ads they see from Google and help them make more informed decisions when using our advertising controls. It will also help support the health of the digital advertising ecosystem by detecting bad actors and limiting their attempts to misrepresent themselves. We will start by verifying advertisers in phases in the U.S. and continue to expand globally. Because we are working closely with our advertising partners to scale the program while continuing to ensure we are surfacing helpful information to our users, we expect that this process will take a few years to complete." Reference Link

11:05 EDT Stratasys enters partnership with Origin for 3D-printed NP swabs for COVID tests - In response to the pressing need for more COVID-19 testing, Stratasys and Origin have signed an agreement in which Stratasys will market and promote Origin 3D-printed nasopharyngeal, or NP, swabs to healthcare providers and other testing centers in the U.S. "As widely reported, widespread testing of millions of people is currently hampered by a shortage of testing supplies. Each Origin One 3D printer has the ability to produce batches of 1,500 Origin NP O1 Swabs at a time, multiple times daily. Origin is moving towards a streamlined process allowing the production of approximately 190,000 per day, or 1.3 million per week. Origin swabs were tested in a clinical trial with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an academic medical center affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Origin reports that results show Origin swabs performed the highest with regard to concordance to control swabs compared to two other 3D printed swabs. In addition, in subjective feedback, Origin swabs were preferred over the other 3D printed swabs."

10:22 EDT Duos Technologies Group awarded $1.8M contract for new rail inspection portal - Duos Technologies Group, through its operating subsidiary Duos Technologies, Inc., a provider of intelligent analytical technology solutions, has been awarded a contract for a turn-key Rail Inspection Portal for a total value of $1.8M. Installation is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter this year. The company believes this order is indicative of an increasing trend in the railroad industry of automating railcar mechanical inspections, which have historically been conducted manually.

10:00 EDT Arch Coal falls -10.9% - Arch Coal is down -10.9%, or -$3.23 to $26.31.

10:00 EDT Magnolia Oil & Gas rises 12.8% - Magnolia Oil & Gas is up 12.8%, or 57c to $5.02.

10:00 EDT Universal Compression rises 15.9% - Universal Compression is up 15.9%, or $2.49 to $18.15.

09:47 EDT Boston Beer falls -5.9% - Boston Beer is down -5.9%, or -$25.27 to $401.06.

09:47 EDT Scor ADR falls -14.1% - Scor ADR is down -14.1%, or -$6.72 to $40.85.

09:47 EDT Universal Compression rises 14.6% - Universal Compression is up 14.6%, or $2.28 to $17.94.

09:46 EDT Nabors Industries trading resumes

09:38 EDT QAD Inc trading resumes

09:33 EDT QAD Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:27 EDT Churchill Downs announces Virtual Kentucky Derby for charity - Churchill Downs announced to plans to celebrate the first Saturday in May, the traditional date of the annual Kentucky Derby, by hosting a day-long at-home Kentucky Derby party to raise $2 million for COVID-19 emergency relief efforts. Though the 146th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve was postponed until Sept. 5 this year due to public health concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, Churchill Downs invites fans to honor the annual tradition while staying "Healthy at Home." Fans can tune in to a special broadcast on NBC on May 2, from 3 to 6 p.m. EST, which will feature the 2015 Kentucky Derby that began the legendary American Pharaoh's historic Triple Crown run. In addition, the NBC broadcast will highlight Churchill Downs' first ever virtual horse race-The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown, a computer-simulated version of a race under the historic Twin Spires of Churchill Downs. The virtual race, created by Inspired Entertainment, will feature the 13 past Triple Crown winners and use data algorithms including historical handicapping information about each horse, which helps to determine the probability of their potential finishing positions. Beginning on April 30, fans will be able to visit www.KentuckyDerby.com to choose their favorite horse to win the virtual race and also join Churchill Downs in making a charitable donation to COVID-19 emergency relief efforts. All participants who select the winning horse will be entered to win the ultimate Kentucky Derby 146 VIP Experience. Churchill Downs has pledged to match up to $1 million of donations with funds to be directed to the Team Kentucky Fund and Direct Relief. A small percentage will be earmarked for the R.E.I.N. Fund (Relief for Equine Industry Needs), a program managed by Churchill Downs Foundation designed to benefit workers of the backside whose livelihood has been impacted by COVID-19 and also to help ensure essential care for horses throughout the pandemic. A full day of online festivities is planned on May 2, designed to encourage the perfect interactive Kentucky Derby party at home. Churchill Downs will join the Kentucky Derby Museum and other partners to offer virtual tours, Derby cocktail and fascinator-making instructions, ideas for party decorations, kids' crafts, Derby-inspired recipes, an at-home Derby fashion contest and much more.

09:26 EDT ReWalk Robotics' exoskeleton covered by two German health insurers - ReWalk Robotics has finalized national agreements with German Statutory Health Insurers Techniker Krankenkasse and DAK-Gesundheit. These new policies will allow any eligible beneficiary with a spinal cord injury to seek procurement of a ReWalk 6.0 exoskeleton system. TK and DAK, representing 10.6 million and 5.6 million beneficiaries in Germany, respectively, are two of the largest SHIs in the country. To date, the Company has 20 cases in the TK and DAK pipeline that are being reviewed as a direct result of these agreements.

09:24 EDT Takeda Pharmaceutical, ProThera Biologics enter global licensing agreement - ProThera Biologics and Takeda Pharmaceutical announced that they have entered into a global licensing agreement to develop a novel plasma-derived Inter-alpha Inhibitor Proteins therapy for the treatment of acute inflammatory conditions. As part of the agreement, ProThera and Takeda will work together on IND-enabling activities, with development led by Takeda's dedicated Plasma Derived Therapies R&D organization. The broad collaboration will also explore the development of companion diagnostics with the goal of personalizing patient treatment and maximizing real-world outcomes. Takeda will assume responsibility for funding all development and commercialization activities. The financial terms of the licensing agreement are not being disclosed.

09:21 EDT Borqs Technologies launches mobile smart tracking cloud solution - Borqs Technologies announced that it has launched a mobile smart tracking solution, BeSmartTrack. The solution provides a comprehensive set of features for location tracking, user safety, voice & text messaging, and customizable alerts. This solution is being deployed with leading mobile carrier network operators in the world and a multinational conglomerate in India which is one of the largest mobile operators in that country, and also with private enterprises. BeSmartTrack includes end-user devices, servers deployable on public cloud infrastructure or within enterprises, web portals and companion applications for Android and iOS smartphones. The end-user devices support multiple cellular technologies including LTE IoT, and LTE, and incorporate Borqs' proprietary technologies for power-efficient and accurate location tracking.

09:19 EDT UPS launches smart warehouse technology - UPS Supply Chain Solutions announced warehouse network technology designed to make distribution centers smarter and more efficient. The new Warehouse Execution System will enable faster order intake and fulfillment to ensure that customers, especially those with fluctuating order patterns, receive their products on time. UPS and supply chain solutions provider Softeon created the WES which allows UPS to define specific customer requirements to ensure highest priority orders are worked first without manual intervention, resulting in more than 50% productivity gains for some customers. To meet the growing and ever-changing demands, supply chain operators are leveraging more sophisticated and complex warehouse technologies that can handle higher volumes with greater fluctuations. The WES's real-time monitoring of capacity, fulfillment requirements, backlogs, and labor status allows UPS to identify and resolve potential disruptions before they arise. With companies experiencing labor scarcity and ecommerce-driven pressure for faster fulfillment, UPS is making outsourced fulfillment a competitive advantage for customers. The WES implementation is part of UPS's ongoing efforts to modernize warehouse operations by leveraging autonomous capabilities. UPS is deploying Autonomous Mobile Robots in several of its facilities and piloting AMR from Locus Robotics, which receive instruction from the WES to pick up and transport goods for order consolidation and pack out by UPS employees. The system dynamically dispatches order fulfillment activity and continuously balances inventory flow which allows UPS engineers and operators to efficiently synchronize the use of labor and equipment. Other investments in warehouse technology include autonomous guided vehicles, automated sorting systems, and other automation technologies. UPS also plans to launch a new visibility and reporting platform that will enable customers to monitor and track end-to-end supply chain activity and performance, from transportation to warehouse inventory to order volume all in one platform.

09:17 EDT Chicken Soup for the Soul announces donations amid COVID-19 crisis - Chicken Soup for the Soul announced the company-wide initiatives it has undertaken to provide comfort and support to people and animals alike, during the COVID-19 crisis. The company has been giving back to the community in a variety of ways, such as providing extensive pet food donations across the country, making several of its e-books downloadable for free, and creating a free educational channel for families with young children. This help has taken many forms, including in the book, pet food, and entertainment parts of the business. Chicken Soup for the Soul has made two of its books free to download on all e-book platforms. These include Chicken Soup for the Soul's 20th Anniversary Edition and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses. Since the pandemic first landed in the U.S., Chicken Soup for the Soul has donated and/or delivered approximately 21,000 pounds of its cat and dog food to animal shelters and rescues, providing approximately 100,000 meals to pets in need. For parents and caregivers who suddenly find themselves in the unexpected role of teacher, Crackle Plus, one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand networks, has begun offering a free "Homeschool Channel" for children up to the age of eight. This new free streaming channel is offering 100 hours of quality educational programming from trusted series like Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment's Animal Tales, Alphabet Safari, and Baby Einstein. In addition, each series begins with a public service ad produced by the Ad Council to educate children on healthy habits. Beloved Sesame Street characters, including Elmo, star in these PSAs and talk to kids about the importance of washing their hands and sneezing properly to help slow the spread of the virus.

09:13 EDT Cooper Tire to begin reopening plants in the U.S., Serbia - Cooper Tire announced that its manufacturing plants in the United States and Serbia will begin the process of reopening and ramping up production next week. The facilities have been temporarily closed for approximately five weeks due to coronavirus and its impacts. U.S. plant locations include Findlay, Ohio; Clarksdale and Tupelo, Mississippi and Texarkana, Arkansas. Cooper's plant in Serbia is located in Krusevac. The company's plant in Melksham, England remains temporarily closed. To help safeguard the health and safety of employees, the company has put in place a set of return to work procedures that include required employee disclosures, increased cleaning and disinfecting of equipment, social distancing and physical barriers, visitor restrictions, and other measures. Similar procedures have been effective at Cooper's two plants in China, which reopened and began ramping up production in mid-February. The company also announced that the federal government in Mexico has now determined that Cooper's manufacturing plant there is a non-essential business, and is requiring Cooper to temporarily close the plant beginning April 28. Cooper had successfully reopened its Mexico plant April 13 after it had been temporarily closed due to coronavirus and its impacts. The company will continue to monitor the situation and prepare to reopen as soon as appropriate.

09:10 EDT INmune Bio announces publication highlighting soluble TNF's impact - INmune Bio announced publication of an invited review in Frontiers in Oncology: Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha Blockade: an Opportunity to Tackle Breast Cancer, by Dr. Roxana Schillaci, in the Lab of Molecular Mechanisms, Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental-CONICET, Argentina. This publication is part of the evolving body of work by Dr. Schillaci and her team in the role of soluble TNF in resistance to oncology immunotherapies including trastuzumab and other therapies. Trastuzumab is the leading therapy for women with HER2+ breast cancer. Dr. Schillaci's has previously reported that women with MUC4 expressing HER2+ breast cancers are resistant to trastuzumab. Dr. Schillaci's work in MUC4 induced resistance to trastuzumab in women with HER2+ breast cancer is the basis for INMB's planned Phase II trial in women with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer. The article is part of a three article Research Topic in this issue of Frontiers in Oncology entitled, The Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily: an Increasing Role in Breast Cancer.

09:08 EDT Huntington Bancshares: Visibility limited to next few months

09:07 EDT Scientific Games awarded new contract by District of Columbia - Scientific Games was awarded a new contract to provide instant Scratchers games to the Office of Lottery and Gaming of the District of Columbia. The one-year contract may be extended by the Lottery for up to four years. In FY19, the DC Lottery's Scratchers retail sales totaled $51.9M.

09:06 EDT TPI Composites to collaborate with State of Iowa on COVID-19 testing - TPI Composites announced that it will be collaborating with the State of Iowa on COVID-19 testing for its Newton, Iowa associates. As a result of the increase in COVID-19 levels in Jasper, Marshall, and Polk Counties, as well as 28 confirmed new cases during the last week among TPI Newton associates, TPI proactively reached out to the office of Iowa Governor, Kim Reynolds to discuss establishing an enhanced COVID-19 testing plan. TPI plans to voluntarily pause production at its Newton, Iowa manufacturing facility until the middle of next week in order to do another deep clean of the facility and to implement this more rigorous testing plan, which will include testing all Newton associates. TPI's associates will be paid during the production pause and TPI also plans to provide protective masks to its associates' family members for use at home.

09:05 EDT Resideo withdraws 2020 guidance - Resideo expects Q1 and adjusted EBITDA to generally be in line with the expectations on its earnings call held on February 26. However, the company is withdrawing its previously issued 2020 guidance.

09:05 EDT NVR says 'unable to predict the extent' of COVID-19 impact - The company said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all facets of our business. Our primary focus as we face this challenge is to do everything we can to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, customers and trade partners. While residential construction has been deemed an essential business in each of the markets we operate except Pennsylvania and New York, the state government in every market where we operate has instituted social distancing and other restrictions, which have resulted in significant changes to the way we conduct business. In all markets where we are permitted to operate, we are operating in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state and local guidelines. There is uncertainty regarding the extent and timing of disruption to our business that may result from COVID-19 and related governmental actions. There is also uncertainty as to the effects of economic relief efforts on the U.S. economy, unemployment, consumer confidence, demand for our homes and the mortgage market, including lending standards and secondary mortgage markets. We are unable to predict the extent to which this will impact our operational and financial performance including the impact of future developments such as the duration and spread of COVID-19, corresponding governmental actions, and the impact of such on our employees, customers and trade partners."

09:03 EDT Revive says FDA recommends proceeding into Phase 3 confirmatory trial - Revive Therapeutics announced that it has received positive feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in response to the Company's Pre-Investigational New Drug meeting that was announced on April 3, 2020. The FDA recommended that the Company proceed directly into a Phase 3 confirmatory clinical trial to evaluate Bucillamine for the treatment of patients with mild-moderate COVID-19 due to the SARS-CoV-2 infection in order to ensure expeditious evaluation of the safety and efficacy of Bucillamine. In addition to its recommendation, the FDA provided valuable guidance on study design and outcome measures for the Phase 3 study. Importantly, the FDA agreed that Revive could rely on its data included in its previous IND with Bucillamine for gout to support the COVID-19 Phase 3 study and, therefore, the Company did not have to perform any Phase 1 or Phase 2 clinical studies. The Company, along with its Contract Research Organization, Pharm-Olam, LLC, and its clinical development team led by Dr. Kelly McKee, Jr., MD, MPH, Chief Scientific Officer consultant and Dr. Onesmo Mpanju, PhD, Regulatory Affairs consultant, are actively incorporating the pre-IND meeting guidance and preparing the package for submission to the FDA. The Company expects to file the final IND within the next 60 days and will plan to initiate the Phase 3 study thereafter. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that reactive oxygen species contribute to the destruction and programmed cell death of pulmonary epithelial cells.1 N-acetyl-cysteine has been shown to significantly attenuate clinical symptoms in respiratory viral infections in animals and humans, primarily via donation of thiols to restore antioxidant and to reduce the activity of cellular glutathione 2,3,4,5. Bucillamine has a well-known safety profile and is prescribed in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Japan and South Korea for over 30 years. Bucillamine, a cysteine derivative with two thiol groups, has been shown to be 16 times more potent as a thiol donor in vivo than NAC 6. The drug is non-toxic with high cellular permeability. The basis of the clinical study will analyze if Bucillamine has the potential, via restoration of glutathione activity and other anti-inflammatory activity, to lessen the negative consequences of SARS-CoV2 infection in the lungs and to help treat COVID-19 manifestations. The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain the COVID-19 at this time. The Company will continue to announce its Phase 3 study initiatives as they unfold.

08:59 EDT Celestica manufactures ventilator components for Medtronic - Celestica (CLS) announced it is collaborating with Medtronic (MDT) to produce subassemblies for Medtronic Puritan Bennett 980 ventilators. High-performance ventilators like the PB980 are primarily designed for critically ill patients in high acuity settings and play a crucial role in the management of patients with severe respiratory illness, such as COVID-19, who require assistance because they cannot breathe effectively. Production will begin this month. Over nearly two decades of working with customers to enable high-reliability medical devices, Celestica has focused on quality and regulatory compliance, underpinned by its ISO 13485 certified network. Celestica's collaboration with Medtronic is just one example of how the company is enabling its customers to increase production of critical medical devices and equipment to help improve the outcome for COVID-19 patients.

08:56 EDT OU Medicine, OU, OMRF file for EUA for test using Fluidigm technology - Fluidigm Corporation announced that OU Medicine, the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation intend to utilize Fluidigm microfluidics technology and certain reagents to test individuals for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. The spread of this disease has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. The test, developed by OMRF and OU Health Sciences Center scientists and utilizing Fluidigm products, is intended for large-scale testing of patients across the OU Medicine health care system. OU Medicine has applied for Emergency Use Authorization for the test from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. High-complexity labs certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments in the United States are eligible under new FDA guidance to create their own diagnostic test kits for COVID-19. OU Medicine, the University of Oklahoma and OMRF are among academic and government organizations utilizing Fluidigm microfluidics technology and reagents in COVID-19 testing. The institutions validated a workflow designed to be run on the Fluidigm Biomark HD system. In a separate program, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a group of other U.S. medical schools are developing a new epigenetic test for early COVID-19 detection designed for the Biomark HD, with the intent to seek EUA from the FDA.

08:50 EDT OSI Systems receives $14M order to provide service, parts support - OSI Systems announced that its Security division was awarded an order valued at approximately $14M to provide comprehensive service and maintenance support for Rapiscan baggage and parcel inspection, or BPI, systems.

08:50 EDT Celsion receives $2.5M in non-dilutive funding from sale of NJ NOLs, grant - Celsion Corporation announced it has received $1.82 million of net cash proceeds from the sale of approximately $1.9 million of its unused New Jersey net operating losses and $632,220 in funding under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the federal government's main initiative to help small businesses disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NOL sales cover the tax years 2017 and 2018 and are administered through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority's (NJEDA) Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Program. With this new $2.5 million funding, coupled with the $4.4 million in net proceeds from the recent registered direct equity offer completed on March 3, 2020, the Company has strengthened its balance sheet at a time of stock market uncertainty. An additional sale of $2.0 million of unused New Jersey NOLs anticipated in the second half of 2020 will further increase Celsion's cash reserves on a non-dilutive basis. In addition, the Company has initiated several cost containment measures to ensure that it has sufficient cash to fund operations and clinical development programs through the second quarter of 2021 and all major Phase III OPTIMA Study readouts. The competitive New Jersey NOL Program enables approved companies to sell their unused New Jersey NOLs and R&D tax credits to unaffiliated, profit-generating corporate taxpayers in the state of New Jersey, up to a maximum lifetime benefit of $15 million per company. This allows technology and biotechnology companies with NOLs to turn their tax losses and credits into cash proceeds to fund more research and development, expand its workforce or cover other allowable expenditures.Loans made under the Paycheck Protection Program have two-year terms and charge 1% interest. If borrowers follow guidelines and use at least 75% of the money for eligible payroll costs, some or all of the loan may be forgiven. Celsion anticipates meeting these guidelines for full forgiveness of its PPP loan.

08:45 EDT Cassava Sciences announces $2.5M research grant award from NIH - Cassava Sciences announced that it has been awarded a new $2.5M research grant award from the National Institutes of Health. This new research grant will support the on-going clinical evaluation of PTI-125, the Company's lead investigational drug. PTI-125 has a unique mechanism of action that seeks to improve both neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The NIH's National Institute on Aging awarded Cassava Sciences this research grant award following an in-depth, peer review of PTI-125. Peer review, one of the gold standards of science, is a process where independent, outside scientists evaluate the merits of new research. NIH research grants are paid out in increments based on milestone-based technical progress. In March 2020, Cassava Sciences announced the initiation of an open-label, multi-center clinical study of PTI-125 at 100 mg twice-daily for 12 months. The target enrollment is approximately 100 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. In March 2020, Cassava Sciences announced the completion of a Phase 2b study of PTI-125 in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's patients. In this blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center, multi-dose study, 64 study participants received PTI-125 100 mg, 50 mg or matching placebo, twice-daily, for 28 continuous days. The primary endpoint is improvement in levels of biomarkers of disease. Biomarker analysis is on-going. Cassava Sciences expects to announce top-line results for its completed Phase 2b study approximately mid-year 2020.

08:42 EDT Mobivity Holdings announces results of SONIC Drive-In's pilot campaign - Mobivity Holdings announced the results of SONIC Drive-In's pilot campaign using Google's RCS Business Messaging. Using Mobivity's Mobile Messaging, the SONIC pilot broadcasted interactive and engaging messaging through RCS about its restaurant app, targeting customers across more than 3,500 locations. The record-setting results with RCS did not leverage offers, discounts or other incentives and: Resulted in five times as many app downloads versus previous MMS mobile messaging; Demonstrated a three times higher app registration rate versus typical downloads from MMS recipients; and Showed a 50 percent purchase rate from people who registered on the app. As the next generation of SMS, providing rich media features found in apps, Google's RCS Business Messaging delivers the simplicity of messaging while allowing customers to find the nearest restaurant, get special offers, order and pay via mobile. Mobivity joined Google's Early Access Program in 2017 and works with QSRs to implement RCS programs that deliver richer customer experiences.

08:40 EDT InPlay Oil announces 20% reduction to companywide salaries - InPlay Oil provides an operations and corporate update in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said, 1"The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented decrease in oil prices as a result of world oil demand destruction. Accordingly, InPlay has acted prudently in March and April in order to stabilize our financial position and to preserve the value of our crude oil reserves for an eventual price recovery. As previously announced, the Company immediately responded to this decline in prices with the suspension of our capital program in March. In addition, InPlay has implemented several operating and corporate cost reduction initiatives which we estimate will lead to approximately $7.0 million in savings for the remainder of the year. The key cost saving initiatives include: 20% reduction to Company wide salaries including office and field employees; Deferral of well workovers until oil prices support a six to nine month payout with careful consideration of fixed costs; and Supplier and vendor cost reductions in all areas of operations. We value and respect our vendors and service providers and are appreciative of their collective response to this challenging environment. InPlay and the entire industry are in a period of austerity and we are pleased that most of our vendors have chosen to partner with us with an attitude of "we are in this unprecedented environment together".With the current economic environment being so severe, it is likely that most Exploration and Production companies in Canada would not conform to the standard reserve based lending structures at the current future pricing scenarios. We are encouraged that the Federal Government has acknowledged the challenges facing the oil and gas industry and has announced a support program intended to provide a liquidity backstop to RBL credit facilities which will be administered through the Export Development Bank of Canada ("EDC") and the Business Development Bank of Canada. In working directly with the primary banking financial institutions, additional lending and credit capacity is expected to be provided to qualifying oil and gas producers that (based on certain criteria) were deemed financially viable prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the information provided to date, InPlay believes it would meet the criteria for liquidity support under the announced program. InPlay's capital expenditure requirement in 2020 for annual production to remain flat at the 2019 annual average of 5,000 boe/d was estimated at $25 million. Based on pre COVID-19 pricing assumptions from our original 2020 forecast released January 21, 2020, which has since been withdrawn, this flat production profile would have resulted in $29-32 million of Adjusted Funds Flow approximately 25% above the $25 million capital spending requirement. InPlay's low decline rate, top tier capital efficiencies and a strong net debt to AFF ratio leads us to believe that we will be well positioned to meet the requirements of the EDC and BDC's liquidity support programs. The Company has completed a detailed analysis of its operating areas down to an individual well level to evaluate their economics at low commodity prices. InPlay has divided its operations into three tiers based on their cost structure, as well as ensuring operations continue to be conducted safely and efficiently. These tiers, based on recent months' operating costs and production profiles, will be used to determine temporary production curtailments or shut-ins. The first tier has current production of approximately 1,000 boe/d and associated operating costs of approximately $9.40 per boe, excluding fixed costs, and will be the first area curtailed or shut in with curtailments having commenced in March. The third tier has current production of 750 boe/d and operating costs of $6.95 per boe, excluding fixed costs, and will be the last area potentially curtailed or shut in. The process for placing nominations for sales volumes on pipelines is complex and difficult in a volatile pricing environment as producers are required to provide nominations five weeks prior to the actual month of production without knowing the final price of WTI or the MSW light oil differential. Our March field estimated production was approximately 5,000 boe/d which included production from recently drilled and completed wells that were produced at restricted rates. Based on a baseline production capacity of 5,000 boe/d, we have started curtailments and only nominated to sales of approximately 75% of our oil capacity in April which would result in estimated production of approximately 4,000 boe/d with a reasonable MSW differential of US$3.02/bbl discount to WTI. We have nominated May oil sales of approximately 35% of our oil capacity which would result in estimated production of approximately 2,500 boe/d of production. The Company has approximately 32,000 bbls of oil storage capacity that is currently 45% full allowing the Company to store oil for future sale into a better pricing environment. This is a complex process with the potential to nominate little to possibly no volumes in June and potentially longer until oil demand improves and oil prices strengthen. InPlay also promptly entered into various near-term crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts in order to take advantage of the near-term contango that has occurred and reduce the Company's exposure to these unprecedented low and volatile oil prices."

08:36 EDT Inter Parfums announces temporary dividend suspension - As part of its Q1 sales update yesterday, Inter Parfums also suspended its dividend payout. CEO Jean Madar stated: "We entered the second quarter with over $200 million of net cash and $47 million in untapped credit facilities, but due to lack of visibility at this time, our Board of Directors has authorized a temporary suspension of our quarterly cash dividend. Philippe Benacin and I, the co-founders of Inter Parfums, Inc. and owners of approximately 45% of the outstanding shares, fully support the Board's decision to preserve cash to assure our readiness when retail markets reopen. We will revisit this issue with an eye towards reinstitution of the dividend when the business environment is more favorable."

08:36 EDT Alimera Sciences receives $1.8M loan under PPP - Alimera Sciences announces it received on April 22, 2020 approximately $1.8 million in support from the federal government under the Paycheck Protection Program. The PPP, established as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, provides for loans to qualifying businesses for amounts up to 2.5 times the average monthly U.S. payroll costs of the qualifying business, calculated as provided under the PPP. The PPP also provides a mechanism for forgiveness of up to the full amount borrowed as long as the borrower uses the loan proceeds during the eight-week period after the loan origination for eligible purposes, including payroll costs, certain benefits costs, rent and utilities costs, and maintains its employment and compensation levels, subject to certain other requirements and limitations. The amount of loan forgiveness is subject to reduction, among other reasons, if the borrower terminates employees or reduces salaries or wages during the eight-week period. Alimera currently has no intention to reduce staffing levels, salaries or wages. The PPP loan is unsecured and is evidenced by a note dated April 21, 2020 in favor of HSBC Bank USA, National Association as the lender. The interest rate on the note is 1.0% per annum. Payments of principal and interest are deferred for 180 days from the date of the note. Any unforgiven portion of the PPP loan is payable over a two-year term, with payments deferred during the deferral period. Alimera is permitted to prepay the note at any time without premium.

08:34 EDT Immersion announces new active sensing license agreement with Alps Alpine - Immersion announced a new license agreement with Alps Alpine for the use of Immersion's active sensing technology in Alps Alpine's touch feedback devices. The new active sensing technology-enabled product solutions deliver high-fidelity and quick-to-respond tactile effects for improved user experiences in automotive human-machine interfaces. Active sensing technology is an advancement beyond standard haptic software technologies. It provides real-time control over actuator vibrations enabling instant responses to a user's interaction. It uses a algorithm to react to the actuator's current state, making command decisions every sub-millisecond to produce high-fidelity haptic effects. This licensing agreement builds upon a collaboration between Immersion and Alps Alpine to jointly develop and co-market new haptic solutions.

08:32 EDT Tabula Rasa HealthCare, Strategic Solution Networks partner for webinar - Tabula Rasa HealthCare Corporation and Strategic Solutions Network will present a free webinar entitled Important Medication Safety Considerations for COVID-19 Treatment on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 1 p.m. EDT. Participants may register here. The webinar will discuss the importance of understanding the risks associated with COVID-19 treatment risks, particularly with vulnerable individuals who have several chronic diseases and take multiple medications.

08:30 EDT Fidelity D & D Bancorp gets shareholder approval of MNB Corporation acquisition - Fidelity D & D Bancorp announced that shareholders of Fidelity and MNB Corporation have approved the previously announced proposed acquisition of MNB Corporation by Fidelity. As previously disclosed, all requisite regulatory approvals have been received by the parties. The mergers of MNB Corporation with and into Fidelity and Merchants Bank of Bangor with and into Fidelity Bank are expected to be completed on May 1, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

08:28 EDT PacWest Bancorp to hold Annual Meeting virtually - PacWest Bancorp announced that due to the public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to support the health and well-being of stockholders and other stakeholders, PacWest has changed the location of its Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 12, 2020 at 1:30 pm Pacific Time.

08:26 EDT FactSet to provide fundamental, ESG data to GPIFof Japan - FactSet announced that it will provide financial, non-financial, and benchmark data to the Government Pension Investment Fund of Japan. This content will support GPIF's stated goal of improving the sophistication of its passive investment management through increased analysis of and engagement with index providers. FactSet will deliver over 20 content sets as part of GPIF's introduction of its new Index Posting System. The Index Posting System will enhance GPIF's overall fund management by efficiently collecting a range of information to facilitate more extensive and effective index analysis.

08:25 EDT Veracyte, Yale announces exclusive license to advance genomic monitoring test - Veracyte and Yale University today announced an exclusive licensing agreement to advance the first genomic test for predicting disease progression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. The agreement gives Veracyte rights to a 52-gene signature developed by Yale researchers, for use on the nCounter FLEX Analysis System - Veracyte's exclusively licensed diagnostics platform. Veracyte plans to make the non-invasive, blood-based test available as a complement to its Envisia Genomic Classifier, as part of a comprehensive offering to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with IPF. Veracyte and Yale University also announced a research agreement with Dr. Kaminski's lab aimed at further elucidating the genomic underpinning of interstitial lung diseases, with the potential to further inform diagnosis and treatment decisions for patients with ILDs, including IPF.

08:23 EDT OncoCyte announces distribution agreement with CORE Diagnostics - Oncocyte Corporation announced that it has entered a distribution agreement with CORE Diagnostics, expanding the commercial availability of DetermaRx to India, the Middle East and Africa. DetermaRx is Oncocyte's treatment stratification test that identifies patients at high risk for lung cancer recurrence, who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy post-surgery. CORE Diagnostics is one of the fastest-growing clinical laboratories in India, focused on bringing the most advanced testing techniques and expertise to the country. Under the terms of the agreement, tissue samples needed for the test will be run in the United States by Oncocyte, while CORE Diagnostics will generate test orders and provide customer service to patients. DetermaRx was launched in the United States through an Early Access Program in late January 2020 with two sites. Since then it has continued to gain traction, rapidly expanding to eighteen sites in just the first three months of launch. These targeted sites are located across the country including multiple community cancer centers where early stage cancer is managed including physicians from large community-based systems, such as Dignity Health and Northshore Oncology. The Company has onboarded eight sites in the past month despite COVID-19 challenges throughout the country. Oncocyte will begin serving physicians in these sites once surgeries for early stage lung cancer ramp back up over the coming months.

08:21 EDT Sunrun appoints Tom vonReichbauer as CFO - Sunrun (RUN) announced that Tom vonReichbauer will be joining the company as its new CFO. Most recently he was a Vice President at Google (GOOG, GOOGL) after serving as Chief Business Officer of Nest from 2015 to 2018, leading the company's go-to-market operations. Tom vonReichbauer will be responsible for the overall finance, accounting, and technology activities of the company. He assumes the role on May 11th, replacing Bob Komin, who decided after more than 5 years to leave to spend additional time with his extended family and support his interest in higher education. Mr. Komin will help ensure a smooth transition over the coming months and will serve as a senior consultant to Sunrun through the end of the year.

08:19 EDT Menlo, Cutia enter license agreement for AMZEEQ, minocycline products - Menlo Therapeutics Inc. (MNLO) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Foamix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (FOMX), has entered into a licensing agreement with specialty pharmaceutical company Cutia Therapeutics Limited, an affiliate of Cutia Therapeutics for AMZEEQ topical foam, 4% as well as its other topical minocycline product candidates, once approved, on an exclusive basis in Greater China. Under the terms of the agreement, Cutia will have an exclusive license to obtain regulatory approval of and commercialize AMZEEQ and, if approved in the U.S., FMX103 and FCD105 in the Greater China territory. Foamix will supply the finished licensed products to Cutia for clinical and commercial use. Foamix will receive an upfront cash payment of $10 million and will be eligible to receive an additional $1 million payment upon the receipt of marketing approval in China of the first licensed product. Foamix will also receive royalties on net sales of any licensed products. In October 2019, Foamix received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for AMZEEQ, a minocycline topical foam, 4%, for the treatment of non-nodular inflammatory moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris in adults and pediatric patients 9 years of age and older. In addition to AMZEEQ, the Company is working to develop and commercialize in the U.S. a topical minocycline foam, 1.5% for the potential treatment of inflammatory lesions (papules and pustules) of rosacea in adults, which is currently being reviewed by the FDA with a PDUFA action date of June 2, 2020, and FCD105, a topical foam combination of minocycline and adapalene therapy for the potential treatment of acne vulgaris, which is currently in Phase 2 clinical development with top line results expected in the second quarter of 2020.

08:17 EDT H2O Innovation says Genesys launches water treatment product range for mining - H2O Innovation announced a new product range from its independent subsidiary, Genesys, dedicated to the mining industry. The manufacturer of specialty chemicals for water treatment systems, Genesys, launched the Genmine range following three and a half years of exhaustive research and product development. The range includes antiscalants and cleaners designed to tackle issues specific to the treatment of minewater. There is also a software package to help plant operators work out which antiscalant to use and gauge the appropriate dosage level and frequency. The use of membranes to treat water in the mining industry has exploded in the last five years. Genesys has identified over 400 membrane plants being used around the world to treat waste minewater for reuse or discharge into the environment as well as to enhance the recovery of precious metals. These plants tend to operate outside the membrane manufacturers' usage guidelines, due to the extreme chemistry of minewater, which contains excessive levels of sulphates, suspended solids and soluble metals. These characteristics can lead to challenging scaling and fouling of membranes - challenges Genesys was keen to address. Already well positioned, the Genesys team is supplying over 20 mines worldwide with its other products and estimates that the potential market is between $30-40M. The Genmine range should give Genesys a significant advantage in penetrating this new but fast-growing market. Genmine will now be available through the Corporation's large specialty chemicals distribution network, which includes 100 distributors active in more than 70 countries.

08:16 EDT Beazley to introduce product recall insurance policy - Beazley is introducing a new product recall insurance policy for private enterprises in the United States, with a planned launch in the second quarter of 2020. The company has appointed a new underwriting team specifically to support the offering. The team is based in Farmington, Connecticut, and includes:Florian Beerli - product lead; Angela Ives - underwriter; Jae Pak - underwriter; Alex Marti - underwriter. Beazley Product Recall will be available to US-domiciled companies and cover a range of risks from the small to large, with a primary focus on risks with up to $100 million in revenue.

08:14 EDT Northern Technologies suspends quarterly cash dividend - Northern Technologies announced the temporary suspension of its quarterly cash dividend pending clarity on the COVID-19 crisis.

08:14 EDT Gap withdraws FY20 guidance, suspending share repurchases, reducing CapEx - Additional measures to address the ongoing impacts and uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, beyond store closures, include: "the draw-down of the entire $500 million available on our Revolving Credit Facility; withdrawing the full-year fiscal 2020 guidance issued on March 12, 2020; deferring the record and payment dates for our previously announced first quarter fiscal year 2020 dividend, and suspending our regular quarterly cash dividend for the remainder of fiscal year 2020; suspending stock repurchases; reducing planned capital expenditures by approximately $300 million in fiscal 2020; reviewing all operating expenses for opportunities to reduce spending; realigning inventory to expected sales trends based upon timing of stores reopening; furloughing the majority of our store teams in the United States and Canada, pausing pay but continuing to offer applicable benefits until stores are able to reopen; reducing headcount across our corporate functions around the world; temporarily reducing pay for the entire Gap Inc. leadership team along with the Board of Directors; and suspending rent payments for our stores that have been closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of February 1, 2020, cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $1.7 billion. At the end of the fiscal quarter ending May 2, 2020, we currently expect to have $750-$850 million of cash and cash equivalents inclusive of short-term investments. The majority of the use of cash over the first quarter of fiscal 2020 has related to ordinary course changes in operating assets and liabilities, with additional impact from store closures and the first fiscal quarter typically being the lowest revenue quarter."

08:12 EDT Gap facing period of uncertainty regarding ongoing impact of COVID-19 pandemic - In a regulatory filing, Gap announced updates of the impact on its business relating to the coronavirus disease pandemic. "We are facing a period of uncertainty regarding the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both our projected customer demand and supply chain. At this time, many of our Company-owned and franchise stores globally have had to close or are operating with reduced store hours due to COVID-19 mitigation efforts. We expect material impacts from the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, including further spread in other regions, meaningful deterioration from current trends, and potential disruption from any supply chain impacts. During this challenging economic environment, we are focused on taking the necessary steps to strengthen our financial flexibility in the face of the unprecedented and continuing impact of COVID-19. In addition, we continue to be focused on the following strategic priorities: ffering product that is consistently brand-appropriate and on-trend with high customer acceptance and appropriate value perception; restructuring the Gap brand, with emphasis on the specialty fleet globally, to create a healthier, more profitable business; attracting and retaining strong talent in our businesses and functions; increasing the focus on improving operational discipline and efficiency by streamlining operations and processes throughout the organization and leveraging our scale; managing inventory to support a healthy merchandise margin; growing and operating our global digital ecommerce business; andcontinuing to integrate social and environmental sustainability into business practices to support long-term growth."

08:10 EDT Aytu BioScience announces exclusive distribution agreement for COVID-19 test - Aytu BioScience announced the signing of a definitive agreement with Singapore-based Biolidics to exclusively distribute Biolidics' COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test in the United States. Under the terms of the Agreement, Aytu will exclusively distribute Biolidics' COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid antibody test in the United States. Aytu has committed to purchase 500,000 tests within one business day from the date of signing of the Agreement. As an additional component of Aytu's exclusivity, the company has committed to purchase a minimum of 1,250,000 tests within the first three months of the Agreement. Biolidics' COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test has been issued Provisional Authorization for distribution by Singapore's Health Science's Authority, or HSA, and the product has been authorized for export from Singapore. Biolidics' COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test will be supplied from Biolidics' facility in Singapore. Aytu will collaborate with Biolidics and lead the U.S. clinical trials processes and plans to complete and obtain FDA 510k regulatory filing clearance of the COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid test kits.

08:09 EDT Cigna, Parkview Health extend contract - Parkview Health and Cigna announced they have extended their contract and will provide in-network access at a reduced cost for Cigna customers at Parkview hospitals. Parkview's nearly 900 health care providers across northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio will also remain in-network with Cigna.

08:08 EDT Watsco aggressively leveraging technology platforms - The company said, "Given its leadership position and scale, Watsco is aggressively leveraging its technology platforms to better serve and protect customers and employees in the current environment, with the longer-term goal of further separating itself from the competition. Within days, Watsco responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with the launch of "contactless" sales and servicing capabilities, which have been well-received. Progress toward driving more widespread adoption of the Company's technologies has been achieved and Watsco's most active technology users continue to outperform non-users. Watsco has sold over $1.4 billion of products through its e-commerce platform over the prior 12 months ended March 31, 2020 and the usage of e-commerce and contractor-facing mobile apps has accelerated in recent weeks. Watsco's present run-rate for e-commerce is 36% of total sales compared to 29% at the end of 2019. Average-weekly users of its mobile apps have grown by 94% to more than 25,000 since a year ago. Several other innovations to support and benefit our customers, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, have been launched and are gaining traction. Examples include, telephonic and digital customer outreach, digital customer training, a rapid customer onboarding process for e-commerce platforms, customized credit terms for qualifying customers, unique consumer financing through Watsco's Credit-for-Comfort platform, and aggressive promotion of OnCallAir, Watsco's digital sales platform that enables contractors to remotely generate proposals and close orders with homeowners."

08:07 EDT Agilent announces FDA approval of PD-L1 companion diagnostic - Agilent announced that the FDA has approved the company's PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx as a companion diagnostic, or CDx, to identify patients with non-small cell lung cancer who are appropriate for first-line monotherapy with Keytruda on the Dako Omnis platform. Dako Omnis is Agilent's fully automated solution for staining tumor samples that provides a diagnostic service integrated into the core of the laboratory workflow.

08:05 EDT Adtran announces new Smart Home services collaboration with Plume - Adtran and Plume announced a new collaboration designed to improve, personalize and secure the home network and streamline connectivity within the Smart Home market. As a result, service providers will have a mechanism to monetize Smart Home services while elevating the in-home subscriber experience. Plume's suite of consumer and ISP services combined with Adtran's scale and portfolio of broadband gateways, ONTs and cloud management tools will enable service providers to deliver new Smart Home services, such as Plume Adaptive WiFi, advanced parental controls, AI Security and Wi-Fi motion detection. As part of the collaboration, Adtran will integrate Plume's customer experience management platform via its Mosaic Subscriber Suite, offering ISPs a single pane view of their access and smart home network.

08:04 EDT CNS Pharma files FDA Orphan Drug Designation for brain cancer drug berubicin - CNS Pharmaceuticals has filed an application with the FDA to receive Orphan Drug Designation for its lead product Berubicin. Under a prior developer, Berubicin, then known as RTA 744, was granted ODD by the FDA for the treatment of malignant gliomas. In the prior developer's Phase 1 trial of Berubicin, 44% of the patients demonstrated a significant improvement in progression free survival. Additionally, one patient in this study experienced a complete response to his treatment with Berubicin. CNS plans to initiate a Phase II trial evaluating the effect of Berubicin on patients with glioblastoma later this year.

08:03 EDT Enzo Biochem launches proprietary COVID-19 test under FDA EUA - Enzo Biochem announced its Comprehensive COVID-19 Program incorporating its molecular diagnostic virus screening products, detection for immunity through IgG/IgM serological ELISA products, detection of inflammation on Enzo's ELISA platform, and a promising proprietary drug candidate, or SK1-I. Enzo is utilizing its technological and research and development capabilities, manufacturing infrastructure strength and clinical diagnostic capabilities to provide products that address gaps in performance, cost, supply obtainability and safety. Most diagnostic platforms offered by others are 'closed' systems and have no flexibility with regards to adoptability for other infectious agents, have limited supplier relationships, and have no direct connection with the patient or the event. These underlying problems have manifested themselves in the current COVID-19 crisis. Enzo's Comprehensive COVID-19 Program showcases Enzo's ability to respond to the current challenges plaguing the healthcare market. Enzo's Diagnostics division is currently offering next-generation COVID-19 test kits under the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization, or EUA, authority. The tests, which use Enzo's proprietary GENFLEX open diagnostic platform, include a collection system, sample processing and molecular analytic products that address and circumvent the supply shortfalls throughout the diagnostic market.

08:02 EDT Union Pacific sees Q2 carload volumes down about 25% y/y - Union Pacific expects second quarter 2020 carload volumes to be down around 25%, compared to the second quarter 2019. Although the situation is fluid and highly uncertain, the company fully expects to maintain sufficient liquidity to sustain an extended period of lower volumes. "Our first priority is the health and safety of our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they perform the work necessary to move the goods communities need during this national emergency," CEO Fritz said. "The eighteen month implementation of Unified Plan 2020 has put our company in a position of strength, with a strong balance sheet and ample liquidity, as we face today's fluid and uncertain situation. We remain focused on providing a highly consistent, reliable and efficient service product for our customers."

07:59 EDT GCP Applied Technologies presents Sustainability Vision - GCP Applied Technologies is pleased to present its 2020 Vision for a Sustainable Future. "All of us at GCP are committed to environmental and social stewardship, and we are pleased to share our vision for a sustainable future," said GCP's President and CEO Randy Dearth. "As a leading manufacturer of construction technology products, we have a responsibility to make the building process more sustainable. This mission is driving us to develop and deliver products that help our customers reduce their carbon footprint, decrease waste, and improve the durability of the structures they create. In addition to the societal and environmental reasons to do so, there is profound financial value to placing sustainability at the center of how we work." From new homes to major infrastructure projects, construction has a significant impact on our environment. GCP's 2020 Vision for a Sustainable Future includes three core sections: Products: GCP product development, which uses technology and chemistry to develop solutions to reduce waste and increase efficiency; People: GCP employees, who are working to build better communities across the globe; Processes: GCP's efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its manufacturing plants. Highlights from GCP's sustainability initiatives include: GCP's TAVERO and OPTEVA additives save approximately 3,000 MWh of electricity per day and reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 15 million tons annually, equivalent to taking more than three million cars off the road every day. GCP's VERIFI in-transit concrete management system enables customers to optimize mix designs and reduce the amount of cement in the mixes, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of each load of concrete. GCP's CLARENA RC admixture, which has the potential to keep millions of cubic yards of concrete out of landfills. Company established in 2019 a formal GCP Diversity & Inclusion Council to further its commitment to ensuring an inclusive workplace for all employees. GCP's investments in projects focused on increasing efficiency in three primary areas: improving operations, reducing waste, and implementing a process for tracking our use of natural resources. The Company's 2019 investments included installing more energy efficient heating and cooling units and replacing fossil fuel-powered equipment with electric equipment.

07:57 EDT HBT Financial to hold Annual Meeting of Stockholders virtually - HBT Financial announced that, due to the public health impact of COVID-19 pandemic, the Company will hold its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders over the web in a virtual meeting format only. The date and time of the meeting and the proposals to be presented to stockholders at the meeting are unchanged. The meeting webcast will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time.

07:54 EDT Opera seeing decreased near-term user monetization - The company said, "Through February, the impact of COVID-19 on Opera's core markets and financial performance was minimal. Beginning in March, restrictions were put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 across Europe, Africa and South Asia, which have impacted our results. Provided below is additional information on recent performance, trends, and our actions across our business: Fintech: Prior to March, our fintech business was on track to deliver approximately $100 million in first-quarter revenue, compared to $72 million in the fourth quarter, with credit losses continuing to decline in relative terms. As several of our key markets experienced lock-downs, we elected to proactively and meaningfully reduce the issuance of new microloans as of mid-March, as we aimed to reduce our exposure during this period of economic uncertainty and expected slowdown. As a consequence, we expect first quarter fintech revenue to be about $93 million. Importantly, given the nature of our business, we are well positioned to rapidly re-accelerate new microloan issuances once conditions become more favorable. Due to COVID-19, we are booking an additional one-time loan loss provision of $27 million in the first quarter, in addition to our normalized credit loss provisions. While ultimate loss provisions may prove to be lower, we believe it is prudent to take a conservative view of potential losses given the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of March 31, our net loan book stood at $43 million and since then we have collected $35 million with $8 million now remaining. This compares to a net loan book of microloans outstanding on December 31, 2019 of $93 million. Our browser and news businesses have seen strong incremental growth in users and engagement as COVID-19 has escalated, including record monthly active users in March for Opera News, Opera for Android, Opera for PC and Opera GX. Specifically, Opera News MAUs exceeded 190 million in March, up 20% compared to the fourth quarter average MAUs, and our PC users exceeded 73 million in the month. In addition, based on preliminary observations, we continue to see user growth in April. While engagement grew, we have experienced decline in monetization across both search and advertising due to COVID-19, with certain segments like travel and sports are most affected; others like gaming and streaming are expanding. Prior to March, advertising and search revenue was growing at year-over-year rates similar to the fourth quarter. As we look forward, we believe that the increase in overall users as well as user engagement which we are currently experiencing may have a lasting benefit. We believe that users who are experiencing our products for the first time, or forming daily usage habits, may choose to continue using our products even after the effects of the pandemic have receded, enabling us to grow our overall business, once monetization levels improve. Looking forward, we remain committed to maintaining our strong operating and cost discipline, while also continuing to invest in new initiatives that will help us grow our business. Specifically, we remain committed to scaling OList, launching our European fintech products, expanding our emerging markets fintech offerings with more products and to new markets, and launching Opera News Hub in additional African countries. We will also take advantage of the increased engagement and product adoption for longer term strategic benefit, and believe we are positioned for strong, sustainable growth in the years to come."

07:50 EDT CareDx, John Hopkins partner on AlloSure lung surveillance - CareDx and Johns Hopkins University, announced the launch of the ALARM Partnership. With the COVID 19 pandemic, there has been an emergent need to implement patient home isolation to reduce the risk of community spread and exposure to the dangerous virus. For high-risk populations who need close medical monitoring, Johns Hopkins has adopted CareDx's RemoTraC for their kidney, heart, and lung transplant patients. RemoTraC provides home blood draws for routine transplant surveillance tests for their immunosuppressed transplant patients. For lung transplant patients, RemoTraC and AlloSure provide a potential alternative to clinical diagnostics such as bronchoscopic biopsies that have to be performed in the hospital setting. This avoids exposure to a group setting that can be associated with health care facility waiting rooms and invasive procedure rooms. CareDx has offered AlloSure for lung transplant patients under compassionate use since February 2019. During the COVID-19, crisis Johns Hopkins will partner with CareDx to launch the ALARM Partnership to measure the impact of AlloSure and RemoTraC on their lung transplant patients.

07:49 EDT Imara appoints Edward Conner to board of directors - Imara announced the appointment of Edward R. Conner, M.D., to its Board of Directors. Dr. Conner will replace James McArthur, Ph.D., who is stepping down from the Board of Directors. Dr. Conner currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Audentes Therapeutics.

07:46 EDT Sandy Spring Bancorp waives ATM fees, certain penalties - The company said, "The Company has taken significant steps to protect the health and well-being of its employees and clients and to assist clients who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We began implementing our business continuity plan in early March, which led to us taking the following actions to address the health and safety of employees and clients. In mid-March, we suspended all business-related travel, limited in-person meetings with outside parties, requested that employees postpone non-essential personal travel, and began transitioning employees to working remotely. We established an enhanced personal leave benefit that provides additional paid time off to employees who are unable to work for reasons related to COVID-19 - including having to care for children whose school has been closed - and who cannot work from home. We implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures for our facilities. On March 18, we closed our branch lobbies to the public, established procedures for clients to schedule appointments in our branches for critical needs, such as safe deposit box access, and enhanced procedures to permit a wider range of transactions to be conducted through our drive-thru facilities. We notified our clients of reduced access to our facilities, promoted the use of online and mobile banking, and increased the staff in our customer service center to assist clients over the telephone. We established regular communications to employees to keep them apprised of the steps we are taking to support employee and client safety and the benefits available to them. We successfully transitioned approximately 85% of our non-branch personnel to working remotely. We developed comprehensive guidance for responding to any COVID-19 diagnoses or exposures in our operations. On March 30, we closed the majority of our branches that do not have drive-thru facilities. We are providing branch personnel and support staff whose responsibilities do not permit them to work remotely with a bonus of up to $1,200. With these measures in place, we have continued to effectively serve the needs of our clients. We have taken several steps to ease the financial burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on our clients: We have waived Sandy Spring Bank fees for clients using an ATM, regardless of location. We are waiving certain penalties for early certificate of deposit withdrawals less than $10,000. We have eliminated fees for remote check deposits by our business clients. We are working with clients who are experiencing financial hardship to provide fee waivers and structure loan payment deferrals or other accommodations. We are participating in the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program, which provides forgivable loans to small businesses to enable them to maintain payroll, hire back employees who have been laid off, and cover applicable overhead. After the program was announced, we quickly mobilized resources to maximize the ability of our clients to access this program. We have involved over 150 employees in our participation in the program, while simultaneously working with our technology vendors to implement software solutions to speed the intake of client applications and submission to the SBA. As of April 16, 2020, when the SBA announced that all of the funds appropriated for the program had been allocated, we have processed over 2,800 loans for a total of $923.5 million to businesses with more than an estimated 88,000 employees."

07:42 EDT SL Green Realty signs 12 leases totaling 107,325 feet to begin Q2 - SL Green Realty announced the company has signed 12 leases totaling 107,325 square feet of office space in the first three weeks of Q2. This includes 34,013 square feet at One Vanderbilt Avenue, bringing the skyline-defining tower to more than 67% leased. To date, the company has leased 423,479 square feet in 2020.

07:41 EDT SL Green Realty forms Food1st non-profit foundation - SL Green Realty announced the formation and launch of "Food1st", a non-profit foundation to be organized as a 501, to deliver thousands of meals daily to front-line, first responders and medical personnel, elderly New Yorkers and food insecure families. In addition to addressing the increasing demand for food assistance across New York City, Food1st will also help revitalize New York City's food and beverage industry by re-activating restaurant kitchens, to serve the city and bring restaurant staff safely back to work. SL Green has contributed $1M as a down-payment to the independent organization in the hope that other companies, organizations and individuals will join the effort to address this crisis. The initiative will work in partnership with Chef Boulud, who will open a new restaurant at SL Green's One Vanderbilt later this year, and add other restaurants and non-profit organizations to ensure the widest possible preparation and distribution of food. The effort will launch this morning from Boulud's downtown prep kitchen and initially provide up to 1,600 meals per day to New York City's frontline medical workers as the City continues to battle COVID-19. A second phase, scheduled for next week, will include additional SL Green tenants and partners to reach New York's most food insecure populations. In turn, this will re-activate the kitchens of some of SL Green's food and beverage tenants, with the goal of preparing and delivering more than 150,000 meals funded by SL Green's initial grant. Heightened safety precautions and protocols will be in place at all participating kitchens to ensure the health of all involved.

07:40 EDT Alliance Data suspends share repurchase program - CEO Andretta said, "The company entered this crisis in a position of strength and is focused on remaining liquid and well capitalized. We are proactively managing all aspects of our business to further strengthen our financial position and reduce risk. At the end of the first quarter, we had over $1 billion of immediate liquidity between cash on hand and our revolver at the parent level. Our FDIC-insured banks had $2.5 billion of equity capital and total risk-based capital of approximately 17%. Like many public companies, we have taken the prudent steps of suspending our share repurchase program and reducing our dividend payments during this time of uncertainty. At the same time, we have tightened our credit standards and continue to actively identify and implement cost-reduction measures that will significantly lower our expense levels over the near-term. We continually stress test our business and have intensified that process in light of the current business environment. While it is difficult to predict how the economy will evolve, Alliance Data is projected to remain EBT and cash flow positive with sufficient liquidity through an assumed period of very significant stress."

07:37 EDT FirstService expects 'meaningful decline' in Q2 y-o-y results - The company said, "During the first quarter of 2020, our businesses had strong momentum as indicated by our financial results for the period. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in North America during March had a swift impact on our operations across the board. Our highest priority is maintaining the health and safety of our associates and employees, customers and communities, and we have implemented operating practices and procedures to address work-place challenges in this environment. All of our businesses have been designated essential services in at least some of their geographic regions. Despite these exempted designations, the various "stay-at-home" and social distancing measures are negatively impacting our ability to do work on the premises of our residential and commercial customers. It is also challenging to predict our financial performance in upcoming reporting periods with reasonable accuracy due to the lack of visibility around the duration and ensuing severity of the crisis and its dynamic changes. We do expect, however, to see a meaningful decline in our second quarter year-over-year financial results, both in terms of top-line growth and operating margins, with a more pronounced effect in our Brands division. To mitigate the financial impact from the coronavirus, we have proactively engaged in cost containment measures across all of our businesses primarily in the form of personnel furloughs and salary cuts, and other discretionary operating and capital expenditure reductions. Currently, our balance sheet and liquidity remain strong and upon return to normal macroeconomic market conditions, we believe our businesses will emerge even better-positioned to capitalize on their growth opportunities."

07:31 EDT Conformis to return furloughed employees to work - Conformis announced that, due in large part to a loan made available to the Company under the Paycheck Protection Program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration to qualified small businesses in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the economic harm done to the Company's business, the Company has accelerated its plan to return to full-time employment the vast majority of those employees who were furloughed on March 23, 2020. With the exception of a few employees who have separated from the Company in the normal course of business, the Company expects most of the furloughed employees to return to active employment as early as April 27, 2020. "A month ago, we announced the difficult decision to furlough a significant portion of our direct workforce in response to mandated government shutdowns of elective surgery across the globe and especially in the United States. I am very pleased to report that, because of the federal government's CARES Act and, specifically, the PPP Loan we received, we are able to return our employees to work," said Mark Augusti, President and Chief Executive Officer. "In addition, we have started to receive indications that elective surgeries in the United States may return slightly sooner than expected, especially in ambulatory surgical or outpatient centers, as noted by the government's Phase 1 guidelines for 'Opening Up America Again.' We believe that our proprietary approach to total joint replacement is uniquely suited for efficiently handling these outpatient cases. We would note that our approach also provides for a best-in-class approach to limiting infection and reducing the exposure and burden to medical staff. The ongoing and future effects of the coronavirus pandemic are unpredictable and continue to evolve, but we believe that the actions we are taking are necessary and appropriate both for our employees and for preparing to serve our customers and patients as America gets back to business."

07:26 EDT Anavex announces publication of data for ANAVEX 2-73 in Alzheimer's - Anavex Life Sciences announced the publication in the peer-reviewed journal, Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, entitled, "A precision medicine framework using Artificial Intelligence for the identification and confirmation of genomic biomarkers of response to an Alzheimer's disease therapy: Analysis of the Blarcamesine Phase 2a clinical study." Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, multi-factorial disease and the most common cause of primary neurodegenerative dementias. AD incidence in U.S. is approximately 5,700,000. It is estimated that 50 million people live with dementia worldwide. The current annual cost of dementia is estimated at $1 trillion, a figure set to double by 20302 and the expected burden on the healthcare systems is dramatic. Today, there are no commercially available therapies to address the underlying biological cause of Alzheimer's progressive cognitive decline.

07:25 EDT Trevena announces publication of review of oliceridine data - Trevena announced the publication of a review of the clinical and nonclinical data for oliceridine in Drugs of Today. The publication is titled "Oliceridine, a G protein-selective ligand at the mu-opioid receptor, for the management of moderate to severe acute pain", with lead author Tong J. Gan, M.D., Department of Anesthesiology at Stony Brook Medicine. Novel, biased mechanism of action; robust efficacy in animal models with less associated constipation, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and respiratory depression. Novel pharmacology with a half-life that allows for adequate drug concentrations to provide efficacy without drug accumulation or development of active metabolites. No dosage adjustments needed when administering oliceridine to patients with renal impairment, mild to moderate hepatic impairment, or the elderly. Rapid analgesia in hard- and soft-tissue surgeries in patients with moderate-to-severe acute pain. Safe and well-tolerated in a large, open-label, "real world" safety study, including in high-risk patients with advanced age, obesity, and diabetes and across a variety of surgical procedures and settings of care.

07:22 EDT EQT Corporation provides preliminary Q1 highlights - "We have experienced limited operational impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; Sales volumes of 380 - 385 Bcfe, exceeding high-end of the guidance range of 360 - 370 Bcfe; Average differential of ($0.20) - ($0.15) per Mcf, in-line with midpoint of the guidance range of ($0.25) - ($0.05) per Mcf; Capital expenditures of $250M-$270M, approximately 25% lower than fourth quarter 2019; Well costs of $740 - $750 per lateral foot in the Pennsylvania Marcellus, accelerating path towards target well costs; Total cash operating costs of $1.34 - $1.37 per Mcfe; Increased 2021 hedge position to approximately 40% of expected production at an average realized floor price of $2.50 per Dth; 2020 cash tax refunds now expected to be approximately $390M, accelerated in part by the CARES Act; In advanced discussions to divest certain non-strategic assets for approximately $125M."

07:21 EDT Tractor Supply does not expect to suspend or reduce quarterly divident - The company said, "Tractor Supply's strong balance sheet, coupled with its robust operating cash flow, provide the Company with significant financial flexibility. Preemptive actions to strengthen its liquidity and preserve cash while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic include: Suspending its share repurchase program effective March 12, 2020, Borrowing $200 million on March 12, 2020 under the accordion feature of the Company's existing credit facility, and Entering into an amendment to the Company's credit facility on April 22, 2020, under which the Company borrowed an additional $350 million. At this time, the Company does not expect to suspend or reduce its quarterly cash dividend."

07:19 EDT Tractor Supply reports Q1 SSS up 4.3%

07:16 EDT Pool Corp. says sales growth began to level off in middle of March - CEO Peter Arvan said, ""At POOLCORP, the majority of our North American operations are and have been continuously open for business as we are designated 'essential' in almost all of our markets. In Europe, our operations closed for a short period in France, Spain and Italy, in order to comply with local authorities' orders. Very early on, we organized an internal task force to collaboratively guide our efforts to ensure business continuity and employee and customer well-being. We are working hard to care for our employees, so they are safe as they serve our customers. We have provided our employees with enhanced personal protective equipment, augmented our employee benefits and altered our standard operating procedures to minimize contact while serving our customers. For customers, we are helping them navigate this unprecedented period by providing them with numerous options to interact and transact with us remotely in a safe and efficient manner, including through our Pool360 and Horizon 24/7 platforms and our BlueStreak mobile kiosks. But, most of all, we are proud of our people as they continue to show extraordinary dedication and creativity in working through new challenges and uncertainties in order to serve our customers. Thanks to them, we believe POOLCORP is weathering the COVID-19 pandemic well. As evidenced by our first quarter results, we started the year with robust growth as underlying demand for our products has been strong. Beginning in the middle of March when stay-at-home orders were being issued, sales growth began to level off. Our products and services are used to maintain and protect outdoor commercial, residential and municipal environments, including chemically-balanced, virus and bacteria-free swimming pool water and in the prevention of runoff, flood, fire and other natural disasters, and are 'essential' to the health and safety of the general public. As a result, our supply chain remains relatively intact, and with some exceptions, our customers are continuing to meet end-user needs. Stay-at-home orders of varying degrees are now in place in almost all jurisdictions in which we operate, resulting in year-over-year sales declines for the month of April to date of five to ten percent as these orders impact our business unevenly throughout our network. It is unclear how long these conditions will last and what the continuing social and economic impact will be on our business after these restrictions are lifted. We have taken steps to preserve capital and reduce costs where warranted, while retaining options for further business adjustments as conditions evolve and we gain more clarity. We are working closely with our suppliers to maintain the flow of essential products to provide customers with the materials they need to serve their communities. Given the seasonality of our business, our warehouses were already stocked with inventory in preparation for the upcoming peak season prior to the implementation of most stay-at-home orders. As a result, the limited vendor supply interruptions experienced to date have had a minimal impact on our business, although that could change depending on the duration and severity of social distancing conditions."

07:12 EDT Capital City Bank announces SBA PPP loan approvals of $145M - The company said, "Implemented business continuity plans to help ensure that clients have adequate access to banking services while at the same time working to protect clients through heightened safety procedures; SBA PPP loan approvals of $145M in first phase of funding - will continue to actively assist clients under this program; Implemented loan extension program to support eligible clients and communities throughout this period of uncertainty; Announced temporary closure of banking office lobbies- focused on the enhanced digital banking experience; Heightened safety procedures, including social-distancing for essential associates and work-at-home arrangements for nonessential associates; Increased hourly wage for non-exempt associates for a period of time; Increased paid time off for affected associates for a period of time; Enhanced medical benefits in the short-term."

07:11 EDT Citrix reports Q1 subscription ARR up 50% year-over-year - Reports Q1 SaaS ARR up 48% year-over-year. Reports Q1 subscription bookings as a percentage of total product bookings was 55%, up from 50% in Q1 of 2019.

07:08 EDT AxoGen expects pandemic to negatively impact Q2 revenue - On April 1, 2020, the Company suspended its 2020 annual financial guidance as previously provided on February 24, 2020, due to uncertainty associated with COVID-19. At this date, management cannot predict the extent or duration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its financial results but believes the current environment will continue to negatively impact its revenue in the second quarter of 2020 and potentially beyond.

07:08 EDT Blackstone cuts dividend to 39c per share - Blackstone has declared a quarterly dividend of 39c per share to record holders of Class A common stock at the close of business on May 4, 2020. This dividend will be paid on May 11, 2020. Its previous dividend was 61c per share.

07:05 EDT Neptune Wellness set to deliver over 1M units of hand sanitizer weekly - Neptune Wellness and its subsidiary, Biodroga, are successfully accelerating production of hand sanitizers to over 1M units weekly. Neptune's hand sanitizer gel kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria and is available in 2 oz, 4 oz, 6oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, 1 liter and 1 gallon formats. Neptune has executed on scaling up hand sanitizer production ahead of schedule to rapidly increase critical supply and meet market demand driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. This scale up will allow Neptune to meet strong demand from its North American retail and government customers, and begin shipping product next week, including fulfilling a purchase order from a large North American retailer.

07:03 EDT Dish enters multi-year agreement with Mavenir to deliver OpenRAN software - As DISH Network continues its buildout of the nation's first software-defined 5G wireless broadband network, the company has entered into a multi-year agreement with leading network software provider Mavenir to deliver cloud-native OpenRAN software.

07:01 EDT Cango declares special cash dividend of 12.5c per share - Cango has approved and declared a special cash dividend of 12.5c per ordinary share or 25c per ADS on its outstanding shares, to be paid on May 18 to shareholders of record as of the close of trading on May 4.

06:49 EDT Merck resubmits sBLAs for KEYTRUDA six-week dosing schedule - Merck announced the resubmission of its supplemental Biologics License Applications to the U.S. FDA to update the dosing frequency for KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, to include a 400 mg dose infused over 30 minutes every six weeks, in addition to the currently approved dose of 200 mg every three weeks. sBLAs were filed across all adult indications for KEYTRUDA, including monotherapy and combination therapy. Merck has filed the resubmissions to address the Complete Response Letter issued in February 2020.

06:46 EDT PulteGroup CEO says 'material slowdown' in traffic, sales starting in mid-March - "The U.S. housing industry carried tremendous momentum into 2020, until the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting the country," said Ryan Marshall, PulteGroup President and CEO. "As the coronavirus spread and state and local governments implemented various restrictions and stay-in-place orders, we experienced a material slowdown in consumer traffic and sales activity beginning in mid-March." Marshall added, "In response to the pandemic's impact, we have altered our operating processes and short-term objectives to help protect the health and safety of our customers and employees, while working to properly position our business for the current economic crisis and ultimate business recovery. As part of this effort, we are maximizing the use of technology to enable the virtual selling, design and closing of our homes. Where in-person interactions are required, we have implemented appropriate social-distancing practices and enhanced on-site cleaning and disinfecting processes. Within those markets where residential construction has been deemed an essential service, we have also refined our building practices to help ensure our trades can operate safely and with appropriate distancing within our homes. We are also working closely with our trade partners to maintain building and cost efficiencies during this period of volatility. Benefitting from our success in running a highly profitable and high returning business, we entered this period of economic weakness in an extremely strong financial position. Still, given the severity of the slowdown and the general uncertainty about the speed of recovery in the U.S. economy, we have taken steps to closely manage our cash flows and overall liquidity. Broadly, our focus is on minimizing future cash outflows associated with home construction, land development, land acquisition and general operating costs, while maximizing cash inflows through home closings."

06:40 EDT Target reports quarter-to-date comparable sales up 7%, provides financial update - Quarter-to-date, total company comparable sales have grown more than 7%, reflecting a slight decline in stores and more than 100% growth in digital channels. Across the company's core merchandise categories, comparable sales have grown more than 20% in essentials and food & beverage, more than 16% in Hardlines, increased slightly in home and declined more than 20% in apparel & accessories. During the quarter, there have been significant changes in shopping patterns, as guests have reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this period, Target has seen broad market-share gains across its core merchandising categories. As previously disclosed in the company's March 25 press release, for the month of February, total company comparable sales increased 3.8% with strength across its entire multi-category portfolio. Late in the month, Target saw an increase in traffic and comparable sales in both its stores and digital channels as consumers began stock-up shopping. Around the middle of March, there was an even stronger surge in traffic and sales, while category mix became heavily concentrated in the essentials and food & beverage categories. Later in the month, as guests across the country began to shelter in place, sales trends in stores softened significantly while digital sales accelerated dramatically. For the month in total, comparable sales increased in the low double digits, reflecting mid-single digit growth in stores and more than 100% in Target's digital channels. Across the company's merchandise assortment, March comparable sales increased approximately 40% in both essentials and food & beverage, and by approximately 20% in Hardlines. For the month, comparable sales declined in the low single digits in home and more than 30% in apparel & accessories. In early April, sales trends were similar to late March, but improved meaningfully beginning April 15. Month-to-date in April, comparable sales have increased more than 5%, as store comparable sales have declined in the mid-teens while digital comparable sales have increased by more than 275%. Across core categories, month-to-date comparable sales have grown more than 12% in both essentials and food & beverage, more than 30% in Hardlines and in the high teens in Home, while declining more than 40% in apparel & accessories. While the company withdrew its Q1 guidance on March 25, it provided additional detail on a number of factors that will reduce its first quarter profitability, including investments in pay and benefits to support team members during the COVID-19 crisis, the shift in category mix towards lower-margin categories, the shift in channel mix towards digital fulfillment, and inventory write-downs in Apparel & Accessories to reflect the rapid deceleration in sales trends. Together, these factors are expected to reduce the company's first-quarter operating margin rate by more than 5 percentage points.

06:35 EDT PulteGroup suspends all stock repurchase activities - "While our strong business results have allowed us to maintain an elevated cash position, we elected to draw on our revolving credit agreement in an abundance of caution due to the dramatic impact and broad economic uncertainties the COVID-19 pandemic has created," said Bob O'Shaughnessy, Executive Vice President and CFO. "Further, given the economic uncertainties, we have also elected to suspend all stock repurchase activities."

06:34 EDT Helix Energy expects to generate positive free cash flow in 2020

06:34 EDT Helix Energy cuts FY20 CapEx view to approximately $38M from $50M - Sees tax refunds of approximately $16M during 2020 and 2021 related to the CARES Act. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call presentation slides.

06:32 EDT Eli Lilly sees U.S. revenue in Q1 up 15%, volume up 19% - Revenue in the U.S. increased 15%, to $3.329 billion, as increased volume of 19 percent was partially offset by lower realized prices. Increased U.S. volume for key growth products, including Trulicity, Taltz, Verzenio(R), Emgality, Basaglar(R), Jardiance(R), and BaqsimiTM, as well as for Humalog(R), was partially offset by decreased volume for Cialis(R) due to loss of patent exclusivity. The company estimates that U.S. volume growth in the first quarter of 2020 was favorably impacted by increased customer buying patterns and patient prescription trends resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic that increased U.S. revenue by approximately $200 million.

06:31 EDT Credit Suisse: Impact of coronavirus 'still difficult to assess' - Credit Suisse said: "The scale of the adverse economic impact of the COVID19 crisis is still difficult to assess and we would caution that we may also see further reserve build and impairments in the coming quarters, particularly in our Corporate Bank and other loans, outside Switzerland, as well as from our investments in Asset Management. Additionally, we would caution that the recovery in advisory and underwriting fees might be limited, at least in the short term until the COVID-19 pandemic eases and the global economy begins to recover. Credit Suisse, however, has entered this crisis with a number of key advantages. First, we have profitable and resilient operations in our Swiss home market that has historically had a low credit loss experience. Second, we have a stable Private Banking franchise, contributing significantly to our revenues and pre-tax income for the Group. Third, we have significantly reduced our cost base and decreased our risk exposure following our 2015 to 2018 restructuring program, including our oil & gas and leveraged finance exposure. Fourth, we have one of the highest LCRs among international peers and a strong capital position. We are well prepared to continue to serve our clients and we believe we can maintain a resilient financial performance through this crisis."

06:30 EDT Credit Suisse: Further buybacks are on hold until at least Q3

06:28 EDT Eli Lilly sees Q1 revenue boosted by $250M in COVID-19 related sales - The company states: "Strong underlying demand for key growth products was augmented by approximately $250 million of additional revenue due to increased customer buying patterns and patient prescription trends due to the COVID-19 pandemic." CFO Josh Smiley says: "Lilly exited 2019 with strong revenue growth and margin expansion, driven by the uptake of our newer medicines. That momentum continued in Q1 2020 and was augmented by higher patient and supply chain purchasing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our revenue and operating margin outlook for 2020 is unchanged, but the economic and healthcare consequences of this pandemic are uncertain and could negatively affect our financial results later in 2020 and beyond, due to reduced non-COVID healthcare activities and global economic challenges. We are therefore widening the range of our 2020 EPS guidance to reflect both our underlying strong performance as well as future uncertainty; however, the long-term fundamentals of our business remain strong, as does our financial outlook for the mid-2020s and beyond."

06:27 EDT Linde plc signs new contract with Indian Oil, to operate ASU - Linde announced that it has leveraged its technology portfolio to sign a new contract with Indian Oil, the largest refiner in India. Praxair India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Linde, will build, own and operate an air separation unit, or ASU, to supply oxygen and nitrogen to its incumbent customer for its refinery at Paradip, Orissa. The project will help support the expansion of the existing refinery into an integrated petrochemical complex. Following planned completion of the ASU in October 2021, the plant will have a combined total gas capacity of 660 tons per day. Praxair India currently supplies hydrogen and nitrogen to the IOCL refinery at Paradip.

06:15 EDT Zoom users exceed 300M, CEO Eric Yuan says - Zoom Video's user base grew by another 50% to 300M in the last three weeks, CEO Eric Yuan said in an update on the company's 90-day security plan. Reference Link

06:12 EDT United Therapeutics announces publication of Orenitram data - United Therapeutics detailed recent publications on Orenitram Extended-Release Tablets, which provide additional evidence of the beneficial treatment effect in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH. Orenitram was originally approved by FDA in 2013, with a label indicating that it improves PAH patients' exercise capacity when used as a monotherapy. As a result of the FREEDOM-EV clinical study, the labeling was updated by the FDA in October 2019 to indicate that Orenitram delays disease progression when used in conjunction with an oral background PAH therapy. The recent publications add further to the evidence showing the benefits of treatments with Orenitram in PAH patients: Data from the FREEDOM-EV hemodynamic sub-study showing that Orenitram significantly improved key hemodynamic parameters, including pulmonary vascular resistance, cardiac output and cardiac index, at a median week 24 dose of 5.5 mg three times daily were recently presented at the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute. Analyses of the FREEDOM-EV study showing that Orenitram improved patient risk status assessed by two different methodologies, which can be predictor of clinical worsening and survival, were accepted for presentation at the American Thoracic Society. A retrospective database analysis of U.S. health insurance claims concluding that treatment with selexipag was associated with 67% higher PAH-related patient healthcare costs compared to Orenitram despite similar adherence, persistence, and rate of PAH-related hospitalizations was recently published in the journal Drugs - Real World Outcomes.

06:12 EDT Insmed to provide funding and clinical drug supply for STOP-COVID19 trial - Insmed announced that it will provide funding and clinical drug supply for the STOP-COVID19 (Superiority Trial of Protease inhibition in COVID-19) trial, an investigator-initiated study of brensocatib (formerly known as INS1007) in up to 300 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 sponsored by the University of Dundee. The study, which has been prioritized and designated an Urgent Public Health trial by the UK's National Institute for Health Research, is expected to begin enrollment in May. Brensocatib is a novel oral, reversible inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase 1, or DPP1, currently being developed by Insmed for the treatment of bronchiectasis and other inflammatory diseases. DPP1 is an enzyme that catalyzes the activation of neutrophil serine proteases, or NSPs, in neutrophils when they are formed in the bone marrow. Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell and play an essential role in pathogen destruction and inflammatory mediation. By inhibiting the activation of NSPs, brensocatib may offer applicability in a range of neutrophil-mediated diseases. Neutrophil influx into the lungs is a defining characteristic of acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, a severe outcome of COVID-19 that is associated with high mortality. Reduction of neutrophil proteases may reduce the progression of lung injury and the need for ventilation in these patients.

06:07 EDT Patterson-UTI adopts limited duration shareholder rights agreement - Patterson-UTI announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously adopted a limited duration shareholder rights agreement to protect shareholder interests and preserve shareholders' investment in Patterson-UTI. In light of the significant market disruption caused by the rapid and sharp decline in oil prices, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and other macroeconomic factors, and the resulting decline in the market price of Patterson-UTI common stock, the Board believes that adopting the Rights Agreement will help promote the fair and equal treatment of all Patterson-UTI shareholders. The Rights Agreement is intended to reduce the likelihood that someone is able to gain control of Patterson-UTI through open market accumulation without paying all shareholders an appropriate control premium or providing the Board sufficient opportunity to make informed judgments and take actions that are in the best interests of all shareholders. Furthermore, the Rights Agreement is expected to help protect against a possible limitation on Patterson-UTI's ability to use its U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards to reduce potential future U.S. federal income tax obligations. The adoption of the Rights Agreement is not in response to any specific effort to acquire or influence control of Patterson-UTI. The adoption of the Rights Agreement is not in response to any specific effort to acquire or influence control of Patterson-UTI. Under the Rights Agreement, the rights generally become exercisable only if a person or group or persons acting together acquires beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the outstanding shares of Patterson-UTI common stock.

06:04 EDT Chart Industries suspends share buyback program - The company said, "While we think it is prudent holding off on issuing new guidance until the situation stabilizes, we can provide the following data points for 2020: Venture Global's Calcasieu Pass project remains on schedule, with $100 million of expected revenue in our E&C Cryo segment in 2020. We are seeing a short-term increase in demand in our medical related products. Products that we manufacture that can be used in these applications were 21% of total Chart revenue for the full year 2019. We continue to expect strong free cash flow generation in the year, and we have suspended our share buyback program. We continue to prioritize debt paydown. Year-to-date, we have taken cost reductions totaling $48.8 million of annualized savings. This is in addition to the $38 million of savings from cost reductions taken in 2019. Our expected effective tax rate remains unchanged at 20% for the full year 2020. Our capital expenditures are flexible, and we will continue to assess the spend as the year progresses. At this time, we anticipate capex spend will be in the $25 million to $30 million range. We expect the full year basic weighted average shares outstanding to be 35.45 million, based on our March 2020 share buyback of approximately 750,000 shares."

05:58 EDT TransGlobe receives Nasdaq letter of non-compliance - TransGlobe Energy was notified on April 20, 2020 by the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market that the closing bid price of the company's common stock for the last 30 consecutive business days from March 6 to April 17 did not meet the minimum bid price of $1.00 per share as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) required for continued listing on Nasdaq. Pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the company has been provided with a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of notification in which to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement. Additionally, due to the ongoing volatility in the world financial markets, Nasdaq has determined to toll the compliance period for the Minimum Bid Requirement through June 30, and as a result, the company has until December 28 to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement. If at any time prior to December 28 the closing bid price of the company's common stock is at least $1.00 for a minimum of ten consecutive business days, the company will be considered by Nasdaq to have regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement. Additionally, if the company does not regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement by December 28, the company may be eligible for an additional period of 180 days during which to achieve compliance, provided that the company otherwise meets the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for Nasdaq other than the Minimum Bid Requirement, and provides written notice to Nasdaq of the company's intention to remedy the non-compliance during this second compliance period, by effecting a reverse stock split if necessary. Nasdaq has the right not to grant the additional cure period if it appears to it that the company will not be able to cure the deficiency or is not otherwise eligible.TransGlobe will actively monitor its closing bid price during the compliance period and intends to take appropriate measures to remedy the deficiency and regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement.

05:52 EDT Hudson sees 30-60 day delay in reporting Q1 results - As the COVID-19 pandemic is complex and evolving rapidly, Hudson is continuing to closely monitor ongoing developments and respond accordingly, and will provide a further business update as part of its first quarter earnings announcement. The company anticipates a 30 to 60 day delay in reporting its first quarter results in order to allow additional time to prepare its financial statements, due to the need to conduct supplementary financial procedures and clarify certain accounting treatment related to the significant change in business conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

05:14 EDT Sanofi brain-penetrant BTK inhibitor met primary, secondary endpoints - Sanofi's investigational Bruton's tyrosine kinase, or BTK, inhibitor, an oral, brain-penetrant, selective small molecule achieved both the primary and secondary endpoints in a Phase 2b trial evaluating efficacy and safety in participants with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. The BTK inhibitor, SAR442168, significantly reduced disease activity associated with multiple sclerosis, or MS, as measured by MRI. The Phase 2 study was designed to assess the dose-response relationship after 12 weeks of treatment with SAR442168, by measuring the number of new brain lesions on MRI. The study evaluated four doses ranging from 5mg - 60mg after 12 weeks and used placebo data obtained at four weeks. In the primary objective measuring the number of new Gd-enhancing T1 hyperintense lesions, a multiple comparison procedure with modeling was applied to the dose-response data, revealing the exponential model provided the best fit. The treatment effect of SAR442168 at the 60mg dose was 85% relative reduction of new Gd-enhancing T1 hyperintense lesions. For the secondary objective measuring the number of new or enlarging T2 hyperintense lesions, the linear model was the best fit, and compared to placebo, treatment with SAR442168 60mg resulted in an 89% relative reduction. The BTK inhibitor modulates both adaptive and innate immune cells thought to be linked to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the brain and spinal cord, the clinical significance of which is under investigation. In the Phase 2b trial, no new safety signals were identified, with only a single serious adverse event (MS relapse) reported, in a patient treated with SAR442168, over 12 weeks. The most frequent adverse events were headache, upper respiratory tract infection and nasopharyngitis.