Stockwinners Market Radar for May 01, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:34 EDT Estee Lauder CEO: We have amazing consumer demand - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Fabrizio Freda said skin care products are driving growth. People on Zoom want to look good, Freda added. In China, the recovery has been "pretty fast."

17:55 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise to 1,067.90MT from 1,056.50MT - This is the highest level of holdings since May of 2013.

17:15 EDT Mondelez announces voluntary recall of certain RITZ Cheese Cracker Sandwiches - Mondelez announced a voluntary recall of a limited quantity of RITZ Cheese Cracker Sandwiches Family Size (21.6 oz. carton) product in the United States. This recall is being conducted because the outer packaging indicates that the product is Cheese variety, while the individually-wrapped product contained in the package is Peanut Butter variety. The outer carton does, however, provide an allergen advisory statement indicating that the product "May contain peanuts." In addition, the inner package contains 16, 1.35oz. individually-wrapped six-cracker sandwiches that are properly labeled as RITZ Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches and declare peanut as an ingredient. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanut may risk serious or life-threatening allergic reactions by consuming this product.

17:09 EDT Cummins increases revolver capacity by $2B - Cummins entered into an agreement providing for an additional $2B revolving credit facility that terminates on April 30, 2021. "The company ended the first quarter with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $2 billion and committed borrowing capacity of $1.9 billion," said CFO Mark Smith. "The agreement we entered into today boosts our already strong liquidity by $2 billion."

17:05 EDT Ocean Power receives $900,000 in funding from New Jersey tax certificate program - Ocean Power announced that it recently received $900,000 of non-dilutive funding through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority's Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Program. The program enables companies to raise funding to finance their growth and operations and is administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, or NJEDA, and the New Jersey Department of the Treasury's Division of Taxation. Under the program, New Jersey-based technology and biotechnology companies with fewer than 225 U.S. employees may be eligible to sell net operating losses, or NOLs, and research and development tax credits to unaffiliated corporations up to a maximum lifetime benefit of $15M per business.

17:02 EDT Playa Hotels & Resorts to sell Jewel Dunn's Beach Resort, Jewel Runaway resort - Playa Hotels & Resorts announced that it has entered into a binding agreement with a third party to sell the Jewel Dunn's River Beach Resort & Spa and the Jewel Runaway Bay Beach Resort & Waterpark for a total consideration of $60M in cash. "We are extremely proud of the team and the performance of these two spectacular resorts and the ability to execute this sale during such unprecedented times is a testament to their hard work and the attractiveness of the Jamaican market," said Bruce Wardinski, Chairman and CEO of Playa Hotels & Resorts. "The sale of these two resorts will enhance our liquidity at a superb cost of capital for our shareholders. The Company will continue to maintain a significant presence in Jamaica and we remain committed to being a leader in the Jamaican community as we move beyond this pandemic." The sale of the two resorts is subject to customary closing conditions, and the Company offers no assurances that this sale will be completed. The Company expects the transaction to close in the second quarter of 2020 and will provide an update on its liquidity position on its upcoming Q1 2020 earnings conference call.

16:40 EDT Zosano Pharma names Christine Matthews as CFO - Zosano Pharma announced the appointment of Christine Matthews as the company's chief financial officer. Ms. Matthews, who previously served as interim CFO, will be responsible for leading the finance and accounting departments.

16:35 EDT Canopy Growth jumps 13% after Constellation Brands raises stake to 38.6% - In after-hours trading, shares are up 13% to $17.24.

16:33 EDT Williams-Sonoma extends temporary U.S., Canada store closures until May 17 - Williams-Sonoma announced that it will extend its temporary closure of U.S. and Canada stores through May 17 in locations where retail restrictions have not been lifted. The company will begin to re-open stores in specific locations consistent with government guidelines. "We are closely following government guidelines and taking a careful approach to re-opening our stores. The health and safety of our associates, customers and communities remain our top priority. We will implement strict safety protocols based on CDC and government recommendations in stores that we re-open, including regular sanitization, limitation on number of customers and associates in-store, appointment shopping, and a supply of protective equipment such as masks and gloves for associates. For the stores that remain closed, we will continue to provide pay and benefits during this extended period for associates who had been regularly working more than 12 hours weekly. Our people are at the heart of who we are as a company. We will continue to take action to support and protect the health and safety of our associates and customers through this difficult time, while strengthening our business for the long-term," said Laura Alber, president and CEO.

16:24 EDT Gilead aims for production of at least 500K remdesivir courses by October - The company states: "Gilead has implemented a multipronged approach to scale up production and rapidly build supply of the investigational antiviral remdesivir. The company has invested significant capital, at risk, to meet the supply needs for clinical trials and emergency treatment programs, and to prepare for even greater demand following regulatory authorizations, should these occur. Through process refinements, Gilead has substantially shortened the manufacturing lead time from raw materials through to finished product. Gilead has also supplemented internal manufacturing with significant additional capacity from multiple partners in North America, Europe and Asia. The company has set a goal of producing at least 500,000 treatment courses by October, 1 million treatment courses by December 2020 and millions more in 2021, if required. These goals were based on a 10-day treatment course. Gilead now anticipates being able to cover significantly more patients based on the SIMPLE study results, which demonstrated similar efficacy with 5-day and 10-day dosing durations in patients with severe disease. Looking ahead, Gilead is building a geographically diverse consortium of leading pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing companies to help reach and exceed manufacturing goals, and go above and beyond what any company could do individually."

16:22 EDT Gilead confirms Remdesivir received FDA EUA in COVID-19 treatment - Gilead announced that the FDA has granted emergency use authorization, or EUA, for the investigational antiviral remdesivir to treat COVID-19. The EUA will facilitate broader use of remdesivir to treat hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 disease, enabling access to remdesivir at additional hospitals across the country. Allocation of the currently limited available supply of remdesivir will be made based on guiding principles that aim to maximize access for appropriate patients in urgent need of treatment, with direction from and in collaboration with the government. emdesivir is authorized for the treatment of hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 disease. The optimal duration of treatment is still being studied in ongoing clinical trials. Under the EUA, both 5-day and 10-day treatment durations are suggested, based on the severity of disease. The authorization is temporary and does not take the place of the formal new drug application submission, review and approval process. The EUA allows for the distribution and emergency use of remdesivir only for the treatment of COVID-19; remdesivir remains an investigational drug and has not been approved by FDA. The U.S. government will coordinate the donation and distribution of remdesivir to hospitals in cities most heavily impacted by COVID-19. Given the severity of illness of patients appropriate for remdesivir treatment and the limited availability of drug supply, hospitals with intensive care units and other hospitals that the government deems most in need will receive priority in the distribution of remdesivir. Gilead is working with the U.S. government on the logistics of remdesivir distribution and will provide more information when the company begins shipping the drug under the EUA. The EUA is based on available data from two global clinical trials - the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases' placebo-controlled Phase 3 study in patients with moderate to severe symptoms of COVID-19, including those who were critically ill, and Gilead's global Phase 3 study evaluating 5-day and 10-day dosing durations of remdesivir in patients with severe disease. Multiple additional clinical trials are ongoing to generate more data on the safety and efficacy of remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19. Remdesivir must be administered intravenously. The optimal dosing and duration of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 is still unknown. Under this EUA, the 10-day dosing duration is suggested for patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and the 5-day dosing duration is suggested for patients not requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and/or ECMO. If a patient on the 5-day dosing duration does not demonstrate clinical improvement after five days, treatment may be extended for up to five additional days.

16:18 EDT Constellation Brands exercises warrants to acquire shares in Canopy Growth - Constellation Brands (STZ, STZ.B) and Canopy Growth (CGC) announced the exercise by Greenstar Canada Investment Limited Partnership, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Constellation Brands, of an aggregate of 18,876,901 warrants to purchase common shares of Canopy Growth. The warrants, which were originally issued on November 2, 2017, were exercised at an exercise price of C$12.9783 per common share for an aggregate of approximately C$245M. Upon issuance, the common shares represented approximately 5.1% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Canopy Growth. As a result of the acquisition of new common shares, Constellation Brands now indirectly holds, in the aggregate, 142,253,802 common shares, 139,745,453 warrants to purchase common shares and C$200M principal amount of senior notes. Collectively, the common shares increase Constellation Brands' ownership of Canopy Growth to 38.6% of the issued and outstanding common shares. Assuming full exercise of all remaining warrants and full conversion of the notes (but for these purposes excluding any effect from a Canopy Growth exercise of its right to acquire Acreage Holdings, Inc. pursuant to its option under the plan of arrangement previously announced on June 27, 2019) Constellation Brands would own approximately 55.8% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Canopy Growth.

16:04 EDT IMPAC Mortgage's Paul Licon assumes position of CFO - Impac Mortgage Holdings announced that Paul Licon, the company's current Chief Accounting Officer / Controller has assumed the position of Chief Financial Officer as part of a planned transition. Licon became a Certified Public Accountant in 2008 and has been with Impac since April 2016. Prior to that, he served as a Senior Manager and as a Principal with the accounting firms KPMG and Squar Milner, respectively. Licon holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California-Marshall School of Business. Chief Financial Officer Brian Kuelbs has stepped down effective April 30, 2020, in advance of the May 14, 2020 expiration of his contract term, to pursue other professional opportunities.

16:01 EDT NorthWestern to issue RFP for renewably energy projects in Montana - NorthWestern Corporation d/b/a NorthWestern Energy has issued a Community Renewable Energy Projects Request for Proposals to seek additional small renewable generation owned or developed by Montana residents or Montana companies. NorthWestern will run this RFP with an extended timeline to prepare and submit proposals in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the renewable development community. The Community Renewable Energy Project requirement was established as part of the Montana Renewable Portfolio to promote the development of small renewable projects by in-state owners. NorthWestern estimates its CREP need to be between 25 and 30 MW of additional installed capacity. This RFP preferentially seeks proposals with targeted Commercial Operation Dates of 2021, although projects with later CODs are welcome and will be considered.

15:59 EDT Pfizer director sells 58K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Pfizer discloses that its EVP Douglas Lankler sold 58K shares of common stock on April 29th. The total transaction size was $2.46M.

15:46 EDT Gilead trades back above $80 per share after report of EUA from FDA

15:43 EDT FDA grants Emergency Use Authorization for remdesivir for COVID-19

15:20 EDT Halozyme announces FDA approval of DARZALEX FASPRO for Janssen Biotech - Halozyme Therapeutic announced that its collaborator Janssen Biotech has received approval from the FDA for DARZALEX FASPRO, or daratumumab hyaluronidase human- fihj. DARZALEX FASPRO is approved in four regimens across five indications in multiple myeloma patients, including newly diagnosed, transplant-ineligible patients as well as relapsed or refractory patients. DARZALEX FASPRO is approved for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma: in combination with bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant; in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for ASCT and in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy; in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients who have received at least one prior therapy; and as monotherapy, in patients who have received at least three prior lines of therapy including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent or who are double-refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent.

14:33 EDT Ageagle Aerial Systems names J. Michael Drozd CEO - AgEagle Aerial Systems has appointed J. Michael Drozd as the Company's new Chief Executive Officer, who shall commence employment on or before June 1, 2020. Drozd will replace current CEO Barrett Mooney, who will soon become Executive Chairman of the Board. Commenting on the appointment, Mooney stated, "After a thorough and extensive nationwide search, we are very pleased to welcome Michael as AgEagle's new CEO. He brings to our Company a powerful combination of executive business operations, manufacturing and entrepreneurial experiences, matched by an extraordinary track record of success in Agriculture and Software, among other high growth industries. We are thrilled to have him aboard and fully expect him to play a pivotal role in taking AgEagle to its full and promising growth potential."

14:12 EDT Virgin Galactic says SpaceShipTwo completes first flight from Spaceport America - Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company announced the successful completion of its first SpaceShipTwo test flight from Spaceport America. "This glide flight marks the inaugural solo flight of VSS Unity in New Mexico and as such is an important flight test milestone in preparation for commercial service...This flight milestone represents a major achievement which has been in the planning since SpaceShipTwo relocated to Virgin Galactic's New Mexico commercial headquarters in February. Virgin Galactic also fully concluded the relocation of its spaceline operations team and their families to New Mexico," the company said.

14:07 EDT Clorox announces suspension of buyback program on earnings call

13:50 EDT GSX Techedu down 10% after Citron compares to 'fraud' Luckin - Shares of GSX Techedu (GSX) are down after Andrew Left's Citron Research said the Chinese education company is the next Luckin Coffee (LK), a company that has been halted for weeks after admitting to inflating its sales. Citron, known for shorting the names it covers, continued its attacks on GSX Techedu today by tweeting, "The feedback from China on $GSX has been amazing. There are many honest Chinese people who want to see this gone. Everyone knows it is a fraud- besides the SEC...not for long. Citron is getting more info by the hour that proves this is the next $LK." GSX Techedu in afternoon trading is down 10%, or $3.80, to $35.76.

13:09 EDT Fentura Financial announces $5M stock repurchase program - Fentura Financial announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program under which the company can repurchase up to $5M of the currently outstanding shares through open market purchases or privately-negotiated transactions.

13:01 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count down 57 to 408 rigs

12:51 EDT Booking Holdings' OpenTable to waive subscription fees through end of 2020 - To help restaurants reopen and adhere to new norms, OpenTable is rolling out two new initiatives: an enhanced restaurant management platform and price cuts for 2020. OpenTable said: "OpenTable's technology has always enabled restaurants to connect with diners to manage reservations, prepare for shifts, and maximize table availability, but enhancements to the platform will provide added support for restaurants so they can adhere to social distancing guidelines while providing updated health and safety information to diners for when it is safe to eat out again. These advanced features are now paired with discounted pricing to reduce the reopening costs of our customers and to encourage new restaurants to join OpenTable. Beginning in May, restaurants that sign up for our 'Open Door' pricing program will enjoy: no OpenTable subscription fees through the end of 2020, no cover fees through September 30, 2020 and a 50% discount on cover fees through 2020. OpenTable's standard subscription and cover pricing will resume only in January 2021." "Restaurants need help to reopen quickly, safely, and successfully as local restrictions lift. We're doing our part to help them by waiving fees and updating features with the post-COVID-19 dining experience in mind," said Andrea Johnston, COO, OpenTable.

12:35 EDT Interactive Brokers reports April DARTs up 121% y/y - Interactive Brokers Group reported its Electronic Brokerage monthly performance metrics for April. Brokerage highlights for the month included: 1,720 thousand Daily Average Revenue Trades, 121% higher than prior year and 12% lower than prior month. Ending client equity of $179.8B, 19% higher than prior year and 12% higher than prior month. Ending client margin loan balances of $20.6B, 23% lower than prior year and 4% higher than prior month. Ending client credit balances of $69.3B, including $3.0 billion in insured bank deposit sweeps, 30% higher than prior year and 7% higher than prior month. 806 thousand client accounts, 28% higher than prior year and 6% higher than prior month. 498 annualized average cleared DARTs per client account. Average commission per cleared Commissionable Order of $2.77 including exchange, clearing and regulatory fees.

12:35 EDT FDA shares guideline for emergency use of Fresenius system in COVID-19 patients - This FDA has posted a Fact Sheet on "the significant known and potential risks and benefits of the emergency use of the Fresenius multiFiltrate PRO System and multiBic/multiPlus Solutions to provide continuous renal replacement therapy to treat patients in an acute care environment during the COVID-19 pandemic." The fact sheet is dated April 30. Reference Link

12:28 EDT House Committee opens inquiry into Carnival virus outbreaks

12:23 EDT Discovery Communications trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:01 EDT Tesla extends selloff, down 11% to $697.92 after Musk 'too high' tweet

12:00 EDT SM Energy falls -17.0% - SM Energy is down -17.0%, or -69c to $3.36.

12:00 EDT Unifi rises 12.4% - Unifi is up 12.4%, or $1.28 to $11.63.

12:00 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 14.0% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 14.0%, or $5.85 to $47.78.

11:35 EDT Trump accuses Comcast's NBC, AT&T's CNN of being 'Chinese puppets' - President Trump tweeted: "Concast (@NBCNews) and Fake News @CNN are going out of their way to say GREAT things about China. They are Chinese puppets who want to do business there. They use USA airwaves to help China. The Enemy of the People!" Reference Link

11:22 EDT Greenlight exits from GM, Tempur Sealy, starts 'large' long in Change Healthcare - In its quarterly letter to investors, David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital reported that its funds sold its holdings in General Motors (GM) after the investment was "a disappointment." The funds used the strength in Tempur Sealy (TPX) shares when the stock made an all-time high in the quarter to "exit near the top," the letter noted. The "melt-up" in Tesla (TSLA) shares "caused only a moderate loss" for Greenlight as much of the firm's short position was structured in put spreads, the letter stated. The firm also exited The Medicines Co. (MDCO) in the quarter "with a large gain" upon its sale to Novartis (NVS) and exited DXC Technology (DXC) and Scientific Games (SGMS) with small losses, the letter noted. Greenlight covered its Dexcom (DXCM) short after three years, the letter said. Greenlight initiated "a large long position" in Change Healthcare (CHNG), the firm disclosed, noting that it was able to acquire the stake for $11.40 per share. Athenahealth, which Greenlight was short for years, had previously promoted itself as the "backbone of the healthcare internet," but that "label is more aptly applied" to Change Healthcare, Einhorn contends in the letter to investors.

11:19 EDT Chevron sees FY20 Upstream net production roughly flat with 2019 - Sees FY20 Upstream TCO co-lending ~$2.5B. Sees FY20 Upstream Permian production exit rate 125 MBOED below SAM guidance. Sees FY20 distributions less affiliate income less than ($1B). Sees FY20 B/T asset sales proceeds ~$2B.

11:16 EDT Old Dominion Freight Line board approves $700M stock repurchase program - Old Dominion Freight Line announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new two-year stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $700M of its outstanding common stock. This new repurchase program will commence upon the completion, expiration or termination of the current two-year repurchase program, which was announced on May 16, 2019. The Company repurchased $403M of its common stock over the twelve-month period ended April 30, 2020, and has consistently repurchased its common stock through Board-authorized programs since 2014. The remaining authorization under the current repurchase program was $39.2M as of April 30, 2020.

11:05 EDT Southwest announces modified boarding procedures, mask policies - Southwest Airlines announced additional cleaning practices across the fleet and throughout the day; said it has implemented modified procedures to support distancing and contact-free interaction; and it announced how it is equiping employees with additional protection and policies to bolster their ability to safely transport Southwest customers and each other. Beginning May 3, Southwest is requiring customer-facing employees to wear face masks or coverings when interacting with travelers, especially when distancing recommendations cannot be met. Southwest encourages customers to bring their own face mask or covering, along with hand sanitizer, while traveling. Additionally, customers will be required to wear face coverings or a mask starting May 11. If a customer forgets their mask, Southwest will have one available for them, the company stated. Beginning May 2, to allow customers to spread out in comfortable distances, the total number of passengers seated in the cabin will be reduced temporarily. Customers may still pick their own seat, and Southwest will not be blocking seats or directing seating. In our open seating environment, families or those traveling together may sit together. Beginning May 2, smaller groups of 10 people at a time will be welcomed to board sequentially by boarding position. Flight Attendants also will provide guidance during deplaning to maintain distancing. Plexiglas shields are being installed at ticket counters and gate podiums, and starting this month, the company will be posting airport signage and floor markers to encourage distancing in gate areas.

10:42 EDT BioSig Technologies to resume clinical activities with PURE EP system - BioSig Technologies announced that it plans to resume its clinical activities following the gradual return to elective procedures across the nation. The company's clinical team is due to resume patient cases at Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center in Austin, TX, as of May 4, and "is in active discussions with a number of other centers of excellence regarding the continuation of its clinical activities and initiation of new installations of PURE EP System," the company reported.

10:10 EDT Mazda Motor reports North American April sales down 44.5% to 10,940 vehicles - Mazda North American Operations reported total April sales of 10,940 vehicles, a decrease of 44.5% compared to April 2019. With 26 selling days in April, compared to 25 the year prior, the company posted a decrease of 46.6% on a Daily Selling Rate, or DSR, basis.

09:55 EDT Phathom Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

09:48 EDT FangDD Network Group Ltd (ADS) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:47 EDT Unifi rises 11.1% - Unifi is up 11.1%, or $1.15 to $11.50.

09:45 EDT Phathom Pharmaceuticals trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:37 EDT Range Resources trading resumes

09:35 EDT Huron trading resumes

09:34 EDT Veon announces Chairman Ursula Burns to step down - VEON announces that its Board of Directors has set the date for the company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders for June1 . The record date for the 2020 Annual General Meeting has been set for May 1. Ursula Burns, who has been Chairman of the Board of Directors for nearly three years, has decided to step down and will not stand for re-election at the 2020 Annual General Meeting. Guillaume Bacuvier, Sir Julian Horn-Smith and Guy Laurence have also opted to not stand for re-election.

09:32 EDT Honeywell 'not sacrificing the future to cut CapEx' - Management said there might be some modest reduction in CapEx but growth will continue to be funded.

09:30 EDT Akazoo SA trading halted, news dissemination

09:30 EDT Huron trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:29 EDT Western Digital suspends dividend to strengthen investment in growth - As part of its Q3 earnings announcement yesterday, the company stated: "Going forward, we are suspending our dividend to strengthen our reinvestment in growth and innovation and to support our ongoing deleveraging efforts. We will reevaluate our dividend policy as leverage ratios improve."

09:26 EDT XBiotech identifies 'super bloods' for True Human COVID-19 therapy development - XBiotech announced that human immune donors have now been identified that can support the Company's development of a True Human antibody therapy for COVID-19. XBiotech recently developed and transferred screening technology to South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, a blood donor organization, that enables blood donors that have COVID-19 immunity to be identified. In collaboration with STBTC, XBiotech scientists have been searching for ideal blood donors with strong natural immunity to COVID-19 to begin its True Human antibody discovery process. XBiotech scientists have focused their search to find blood donors that have both very high levels of antibodies against COVID-19 and at the same time do not have a history of a serious illness from the virus. XBiotech believes that individuals with evidence of a vigorous antibody response against COVID-19 in the absence of a history of serious illness are ideal for identifying antibodies that could serve as a powerful therapy against the virus. XBiotech scientists are now receiving these exclusive blood samples from STBTC and have begun its proprietary discovery process to isolate the unique genetic information or genes responsible for producing the antibodies in the donors.

09:18 EDT AbbVie sees COVID-19 impact as 'transient' - Expects COVID-19 impacts to be most pronounced in Q2.

09:09 EDT Jerash Holdings announces factories in Jordan have resumed production - Jerash Holdings announced that its factories have resumed production in the country of Jordan. Jordan previously announced a nationwide shutdown of non-essential activities as part of its proactive national efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. The country is now advancing controlled re-opening plans within certain industries. In addition to resuming the production of garments for its existing customers, Jerash announced that it is coordinating efforts with both existing and prospective new customers to produce face masks, protective clothing, and other personal protective equipment, such as hospital gowns. These initial production runs may result in larger or longer-term order activity. Prior to the nationwide shutdown, Jerash produced face masks for the Jordanian government to support the medical community.Jerash's main factories in the Qualified Industrial Zone in Amman have resumed operations, as has the satellite sewing factory south of the city. These factories are producing orders to major global brand customers worldwide across a growing range of garment categories.

09:05 EDT Flexion announces publication of abstracts on patients treated with ZILRETTA - Flexion Therapeutics announced the publication of data from two new analyses of patients treated with ZILRETTA, including an analysis of 305 patients in the Phase 3 and Phase 3b trials that showed treatment with ZILRETTA resulted in no deleterious impact on joint structure. A separate analysis indicated that patients treated with ZILRETTA demonstrated greater mobility and walked more steps per day following treatment. The findings were accepted as abstracts at Osteoarthritis Research Society International OARSI 2020 and published in the Osteoarthritis & Cartilage journal. Prospective Radiographic Analysis of the Effect of Single and Repeat Administrations of Intra-Articular Corticosteroids in Knee Osteoarthritis: An analysis of prospective radiographic data from the pivotal Phase 3 and the Phase 3b repeat administration trials assessed the effect of ZILRETTA and immediate-release triamcinolone acetonide in crystalline suspension injections in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Key findings show: No subchondral bone change, osteonecrosis, or radiographically documented rapidly progressive OA was identified in the 305 patients treated with ZILRETTA; and in 450 patients with knee OA who were treated with single or repeated doses of intra-articular corticosteroids there were no signs of osteonecrosis or chondrolysis observed over 6-12 months, and only one patient treated with TAcs showed evidence suggesting subchondral insufficiency fracture.Fitbit-Derived Evidence of Enhanced Mobility of Patients with Knee OA Treated with ZILRETTA: Results from a Phase 3b, Single-Arm, Open-Label: An analysis of 208 patients enrolled in the ZILRETTA Phase 3b, single-arm, open-label repeat administration study assessed the clinical benefit of treatment based on patient mobility defined as numbers of steps per day. The evaluation was conducted using a Fitbit, worn at least seven days prior to the first injection on Day 1 and through the end of Week 12 to measure step values. Key findings show: Patients treated with ZILRETTA exhibited improvement in mobility as shown by increases in weekly mean steps per day from Weeks 1-3 and change from baseline in weekly mean steps per day through Week 11; Patients treated with ZILRETTA exhibited a decrease in pain, with mean changes from baseline in WOMAC-A scores of -1.4, -1.2, and -0.8 at Weeks 4, 8, and 12, respectively; and Greater change in step count from baseline was observed in association with larger decreases in WOMAC pain scores. A Thousand Patient Voices: Knowledge, Impact, and Experiences of Living with OA of the Knee: An online survey of 1,041 patients with physician diagnosed OAK was conducted by Harris Poll to examine patient attitudes and understanding of OAK, the effect it has on their overall health, limitations in function and social participation caused by OAK, and treatment experiences. Key survey findings include: Nearly all patients reported that OAK had a negative impact on their quality of life; Most patients felt that OAK had forced them to give up or negatively impacted one or more physical activities; particularly exercise or sport activities; Patients acknowledged social and emotional consequences of OAK: 31% noted their self-esteem worsened, 29% reported feeling confined to their home, 24% noted feeling isolated from friends and family, and 21% responded that OAK made it difficult for them to maintain healthy relationships; Approximately 67% of patients indicated that they were concerned about their health, and 37% reported that OAK made it difficult for them to manage other health issues; and One third of survey respondents reported using opioids in the past to manage OAK pain, and 73% of those continued opioid use in the year before the survey. These findings reveal opportunities for patient education about self-management and other treatment approaches.

09:01 EDT Hanmi Financial reduces quarterly dividend to 12c per share - Hanmi Financial Corporation announced that in response to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, its Board of Directors has decided to reduce its quarterly cash dividend on its common shares for the second quarter to $0.12 per share. The dividend will be paid on May 29, 2020, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 11, 2020. Hanmi believes the dividend reduction is the most prudent course of action as it continues to monitor the Bank's financial performance and expects to reevaluate the level of any subsequent regular quarterly dividends on a quarterly basis.

09:00 EDT AgeX Therapeutics to lay off 12 employees - AgeX Therapeutics announced that based on a strategic review of its operations, giving consideration to the status of its product development programs, human resources, capital needs and resources, and current conditions in the capital markets resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is initiating staff layoffs, anticipated to affect 12 employees, primarily research and development personnel. The layoffs are expected to be completed on or around May 1. AgeX expects to pay approximately $105,000 in accrued payroll and unused paid time off and other benefits and expects to recognize approximately $194,800 in restructuring charges in connection with the reduction in staffing, consisting of contractual severance and other employee termination benefits, substantially all of which are expected to be settled in cash. AgeX plans to continue to pursue its licensing and collaboration strategy for its two primary technology platforms, UniverCyte immunotolerance technology, and PureStem cell derivation and manufacturing technology. Since the launch of its licensing and collaboration strategy in January, AgeX delivered a research collaboration in Japan focused on developing universally transplantable cells for therapeutic use based on UniverCyte and entered into a neural stem cell therapy research collaboration for neurological disorders utilizing PureStem at a California state university. AgeX's budgetary and personnel adjustments will result in the deferral of in-house work on the development of AgeX therapy product candidates, including AGEX-VASC1 and AGEX-BAT1, and its induced tissue regeneration technology, and may also lead to outsourcing of some of that work, until further funding can be obtained to rebuild a research and development staff for one or more of those programs. Development of AgeX's iTR technology may be done at AgeX's subsidiary Reverse Bioengineering, subject to successful financing of the subsidiary.

08:52 EDT Honeywell sees Q2 aerospace sales down more than 25% - Sees Q2 Performance Materials and Technologies sales down more than 15%. Sees Q2 Honeywell Building Technologies sales down more than 10%. Sees Q2 Safety and Productivity Solutions sales down more than 5%. Sees orders to decline significantly in Q2.

08:36 EDT Revance continues Botox program discussions with Mylan - Revance (RVNC) announced that it is continuing discussions with Mylan (MYL) regarding whether or not Mylan plans to move forward with the biosimilar to Botox program. As previously disclosed, the expected decision date for Mylan is the later of April 30 or thirty days from the date that Revance provides Mylan with certain deliverables regarding the program. Revance will issue an update on the path forward for the program once Mylan's decision has been reached. Mylan and Revance originally signed a collaboration and license agreement in February 2018 for the development and regulatory approval of a biosimilar to Botox, to be followed with commercialization by Mylan in the U.S., Europe and applicable markets throughout the rest of the world. The agreement included an upfront payment of $25M to Revance. In September 2019, the companies amended their agreement to include an additional one-time payment of $5M to Revance in exchange for an extended decision period for Mylan to agree to move forward with a development program.

08:34 EDT BRP Group acquires Southern Protective Group, terms not disclosed - BRP Group announced that Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners, LLC, the middle market subsidiary of BRP Group, has acquired substantially all assets of Atlanta-based Southern Protective Group, an independent insurance firm specializing in medical malpractice solutions. SPG generated annual revenues of approximately $2M SPG advises clients throughout the U.S., distributing its risk management offerings to a broad range of physician groups and associations. Through its deep expertise in healthcare, SPG has developed high-quality and long-term client relationships, as well as strong revenue growth in recent years. Following this Partnership, SPG will be rebranded under the BKS-Partners banner.

08:32 EDT ATIF Holdings to launch 'The Moment of Victory' with expected revenue over $2M - ATIF Holdings announced its majority-owned subsidiary, Leaping Group Co., has signed a contract with Liaoning Maitian Picture, a production and distribution company for video dramas, feature films, micro-films, and network dramas, to launch a movie "The Moment of Victory". ATIF expected $2M revenue from contract fee, as estimated from Maitian. The Movie was invested by LGC and will be released online in June 2020 through iQIYI, Inc's platform. The Movie invited well-known domestic and Hong Kong actors such as Zhao Yanguo Zhang, Zeng Jiang, and Du Yuming. Based on the true story of Mr. Ma Honggang, a well-known Chinese gambler, the Movie will become the first anti-gambling movie in China.

08:19 EDT Teva announces new Ajovy, Austedo data published - Teva announced that new data for Ajovy injection and Austedo tablets have appeared in an online supplement to Neurology. The data includes 23 abstracts that highlight a diverse set of data evaluating the efficacy and safety of Ajovy and Austedo. The abstracts were originally planned for presentation at the recently cancelled 2020 American Academy of Neurology, or AAN, annual meeting. In addition to the online supplement, the abstracts are also available through the AAN online abstracts website. The featured abstracts include new Ajovy and Austedo data, including results from an open-label extension of the FOCUS study, a Phase IIIb study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of quarterly and monthly treatment with Ajovy compared to placebo in adult patients with migraine and documented inadequate response to two to four classes of prior preventive treatments. Another analysis using the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System, or FAERS, provides patient and healthcare professional insight into the real-world experience with CGRP pathway-targeted therapies. In addition, new data is available from a long-term, open-label extension study which examined the safety of Austedo at higher doses beyond the approved maximum dose to treat chorea associated with Huntington's disease, as well as the long-term experience with Austedo in both younger and older patients with tardive dyskinesia.

08:14 EDT So-Young appoints Chao He, Harry Jiannan Wang to board of directors - So-Young International announced that its board of directors has appointed each Prof. Chao He and Prof. Harry Jiannan Wang as an independent director, effective May 1, 2020. Prof. He will also serve as a member of the audit committee of the Board, a member of the compensation committee of the Board, and a member and the chairman of the nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board. Prof. Wang will also serve as a member of the audit committee of the Board, a member and the chairman of the compensation committee of the Board, and a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board. Also effective May 1, 2020, Mr. Jay Wenjie Xiao resigned as a director of the Company for personal reasons, and Mr. Xing Jin stepped down as a member of the audit committee of the Board, a member and the chairman of the compensation committee of the Board, and a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board. Mr. Xing Jin will continue serving as the chairman of the Board. The resignation of Mr. Xiao did not result from any dispute or disagreement with the Company or the Board on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices. The Board's audit committee, compensation committee, and nominating and corporate governance committee now each consists of three members, all of whom are independent directors. The audit committee of the Board consists of Mr. Charles Zhaoxuan Yang, Prof. Chao He, and Prof. Harry Jiannan Wang, and Mr. Charles Zhaoxuan Yang will continue serving as the chairman of this committee. The compensation committee of the Board consists of Prof. Harry Jiannan Wang, Prof. Chao He, and Mr. Charles Zhaoxuan Yang, and Prof. Harry Jiannan Wang will serve as the chairman of this committee. The nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board consists of Prof. Chao He, Prof. Harry Jiannan Wang, and Mr. Charles Zhaoxuan Yang, and Prof. Chao He will serve as the chairman of this committee. Chao He is currently a professor of surgical oncology in the Medical School of Zhejiang University and has over 20 years of clinical practice experience. Prof. Harry Jiannan Wang is currently a professor of management information systems in the University of Delaware and has been a member of faculty since 2006.

08:12 EDT MG Capital announces Egan-Jones endorsement to replace HC2 Holdings board - MG Capital announced that Egan-Jones has endorsed its case for wholesale change at HC2 Holdings. Egan-Jones recommends that stockholders vote to consent to all actions on the green consent card, including the election of all six of MG Capital's independent nominees - George Brokaw, Kenneth Courtis, Michael Gorzynski, Robin Greenwood, Liesl Hickey and Jay Newman - to HC2's board. Egan-Jones' endorsement to remove each and every individual on the Board comes after Glass, Lewis announced its unanimous support of the entire slate, in addition to support for our case for change from ISS last week. Michael Gorzynski, MG Capital's founder and managing partner, commented: "We are very pleased that MG Capital's case for change at HC2 enjoys the unanimous support of all three independent proxy advisory firms. We appreciate that Egan-Jones has joined Glass Lewis and ISS in recommending that HC2 stockholders consent on the GREEN Consent card for our highly-qualified and independent nominees. It is our hope that all stockholders will take note of the fact that Egan-Jones sees significant value in our six nominees' comprehensive plan of action, which was a product of 'well-thought process and intelligence' that 'will unlock stockholder value in the long run.' Our nominees encourage stockholders to judge our slate based on our qualifications and strategy developed with a single end-goal in mind: return value to HC2 stockholders who have suffered at the helm of Mr. Falcone and his Board of cronies for far too long. We agree with Egan-Jones, Glass Lewis and ISS that fresh perspectives and a well-articulated strategy for value-creation are required in the boardroom to address HC2's poor financials, concerning related party transactions and dismal corporate governance. If elected to the Board, our nominees will continue to maintain an active, collaborative and productive dialogue with fellow directors and all stockholders - acting with integrity, accountability and stockholder-friendly governance policies. We are confident that our slate has the right vision to unlock the tremendous value trapped in HC2's assets and we will not rest until we deliver a better HC2 for all stockholders."

08:11 EDT Conifex Timber to extend COVID-19 curtailment - Conifex Timber announced that, in response to continued weakened global demand for forest products amid sustained uncertainty from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is extending its temporary production curtailment at its Mackenzie, British Columbia sawmill for four weeks to June 1, 2020. The curtailment is not expected to have any adverse consequence on bioenergy operations. Conifex will continue to closely monitor the evolving market conditions, customer demand and the global COVID-19 response while prioritizing employee health and safety considerations.

08:09 EDT ISS urges Correvio shareholders vote for arrangement with ADVANZ PHARMA - Correvio Pharma announced that Institutional Shareholder Services released a report recommending that Correvio shareholders vote in favor of the proposed plan of arrangement with ADVANZ PHARMA Corp. The Arrangement will be executed through a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADVANZ PHARMA. The ISS report states, in addition to other things, "The proposed arrangement offers to the company's shareholders certainty of value due to its all-cash structure and provides significant premium to the unaffected price of the company's share and immediate liquidity to shareholders. The transaction also makes strategic sense given the substantial debt burden and going concern risk facing the company (as indicated by the auditor) and the comprehensive sale process undertaken by the company." The ISS report goes on to conclude, "On balanced view, a vote FOR this resolution is warranted." Correvio encourages shareholders to review the ISS report in its entirety for the full scope of ISS' recommendations.

08:08 EDT CHF Solutions ships Aquadex product to COVID-19 specialty center in Minnesota - CHF Solutions announced that it has shipped Aquadex product to a specialty care center designated for the most severe COVID-19 patients in Minnesota. Several hospitals across the country have included a simplified ultrafiltration system, such as Aquadex therapy, into their treatment protocol for fluid management for COVID-19 patients, especially when dialysis equipment and staff are limited. This simple, flexible and smart system allows for a 4:1 patient to nurse ratio, versus a 1:1 ratio required by dialysis equipment. This means that the nurse does not have to remain by the bedside for the entire treatment, thereby preserving vital staff and equipment for patients that do require dialysis.

08:07 EDT Primoris announces solar awards valued $50M - Primoris Services announced two new solar awards with a total combined value of approximately $50M. The contracts were secured by Primoris Renewable Energy, part of the Power, Industrial, and Engineering segment. The awards are for the engineering, procurement, and construction of two solar facilities in southeast Texas.The scope of work includes constructing the foundations, electrical, mechanical, and civil scopes of work. Other work includes all engineering, some procurement, and site control. Primoris Renewable Energy is partnering with Primoris I&M to perform the civil work. Limited Notices to Proceed were signed in the first quarter of 2020 for the projects, and approximately $16 million of the $50 million contract value was booked as backlog related to the LNTPs in the first quarter. Historically, Primoris' LNTPs for solar projects have resulted in contracts for the execution of the entire project. The contract value in excess of the initial LNTP value will be booked as backlog in the second quarter. The initial phase of work commenced in the first quarter of 2020. It is anticipated that construction on the entire project will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2020.

08:05 EDT Arch Coal changes name to 'Arch Resources,' effective May 15 - Arch Coal announced that it is changing its name to Arch Resources, effective May 15. The name change underscores the company's ongoing transition to a premier producer of metallurgical products for the global steel industry. At the time of the name change on May 15, Arch plans to launch a new corporate website highlighting its steel-focused value proposition. The new website will include a robust discussion of the company's commitment to environmental, social and governance principles. The company's NYSE ticker symbol will remain "ARCH."

08:04 EDT OncoCyte announces publication of long-term follow up data for DetermaRx - Oncocyte Corporation announced the publication of two abstracts in the American Journal of Respiratory and Clinical Care Medicine, one detailing new data on DetermaRx, and the other highlighting the IRENE clinical study being used for the development of DetermaDx. Both abstracts were accepted as oral presentations at the American Thoracic Society 2020 International Conference, which has been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first abstract, entitled "Everybody Must Get Scanned? Molecular Risk Stratification May Limit the Need for CT Surveillance Following Surgical Resection of Early-Stage Non-Squamous, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer," was accepted as part of a mini symposium session, "Advancing Risk Assessment for Pulmonary Nodules" and highlights long term follow-up data from a 195-patient study of DetermaRx. One in three patients identified as high risk through testing with DetermaRx experienced a recurrence of their cancer, and 70% of these patients experienced a recurrence within two years of surgery. Further, 96% of patients identified as low risk through DetermaRx testing did not recur but continued to undergo frequent scans, which are associated with patient stress and can be an inefficient use of healthcare resources. The data also showed that limiting the follow up of those low risk patients to annual surveillance scans would have reduced overall scan frequency by 50%, while having little impact on detection of cancer recurrence. The second abstract, entitled "Diagnostic Evaluation of Pulmonary Nodules in the Irene Cohort: A Comparison of Practice Settings," included in the Abstract Poster Discussion Session, "Novel Insights in Lung Cancer Diagnosis, Staging, and Prognosis," discusses practice patterns from the IRENE Biobank, which includes 2,903 patient samples from 62 sites across the United states, with comprehensive clinical data and patient follow up. The data highlight the unprecedented scale of the biobank, which can be used for development of blood-based diagnostics to aid in the management of radiologically-identified lung nodules. Significant differences in the management of pulmonary nodules between settings were identified, including differences in the rate of invasive procedures resulting in a benign diagnosis across the academic, community and Veterans Affairs settings. These findings bring attention to the clinical decision challenge that DetermaDx, which is designed to help more judiciously manage the use of invasive biopsy procedures for diagnosis of lung nodules, has the potential to address.

08:03 EDT Alaska Air to require face masks for frontline employees, flyers - To align with the Centers for Disease Control recommendations and to keep employees and guests safe, face masks will be mandatory for guests starting May 11 and for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air employees who cannot maintain six feet of social distance from guests or co-workers, starting May 4. This includes pilots, flight attendants and customer service agents. Guests will be expected a to bring their own mask and will be required to wear it throughout the airport and flight experience. Additional supplies will be available for anyone who forgets a face mask. Specific details about the face mask requirements will be shared with guests later next week and in pre-trip communications before their date of travel. The temporary policy will be reevaluated periodically as guidance evolves.

07:50 EDT AbbVie CEO says 'our business continues to perform well' - "During this challenging time, we are doing everything possible to ensure our employees remain safe, our patients receive their medicines and assistance is available to help those most deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Richard Gonzalez, chairman and CEO, AbbVie. "Our business continues to perform well and remains strong, which speaks volumes as to the robustness of our portfolio and the commitment from our many dedicated employees across the organization."

07:48 EDT AbbVie reports Q1 global SKYRIZI net revenue $300M

07:46 EDT Exxon Mobil down 2.4% after reporting Q1 results

07:45 EDT AbbVie reports Q1 U.S. HUMIRA sales of $3.656B up 13.7% - Internationally, HUMIRA net revenues were $1.047B, a decrease of 14.9% on a reported basis, or 12.8% operationally, due to biosimilar competition.

07:43 EDT Aemetis begins deliveries of carbon dioxide under supply agreement - Aemetis announced that it has commenced deliveries under a long-term agreement with Messer to supply carbon dioxide to a newly-constructed CO2 plant located adjacent to the Aemetis ethanol plant. This week, the Aemetis 65 million gallon per year ethanol plant began supplying CO2 to Messer for processing into liquid CO2 - a key product in the food freezing and chilling, carbonated beverage, and electronics sectors. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the supply of liquid CO2 has been significantly disrupted in California and throughout the United States as ethanol production plants have decreased production rates. The Messer plant will serve existing and new customers in Northern California and surrounding states via truck and rail. Aemetis anticipates selling Messer approximately 450 tons of CO2 daily from the company's ethanol fermentation process. Messer will then purify and convert the supplied CO2 into liquid form, which it sells to a variety of customers.

07:42 EDT Exxon Mobil reports Q1 Upstream production 4,046 koebd - Reports Q1 Downstream Petroleum Product sales 5,287 kbd. Reports Q1 Chemical Prime Product sales 6,237 kt.

07:37 EDT Primoris announces $22M new utility award secured by ARB Underground - Primoris Services announced a new utility award valued over $22M. The contract was secured by ARB Underground, part of the Utilities & Distribution segment. The award is for the inspection of electrical transmission and distribution poles and towers at over 225,000 locations across Northern California. Work is scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2020, and completion is expected in the fourth quarter of 2020.

07:36 EDT Berry Global backs FY20 cash flow from operations view of $1.4B - While certain markets have been impacted by COVID-19 and related restrictions, we are fortunate to have such a diversified portfolio with strong, stable end markets. Our guidance has assumed COVID-19 related restrictions, such as shelter-in-place orders, continue for the remainder of our fiscal year. We believe approximately 65 percent of our portfolio is advantaged to neutral with about 35 percent disadvantaged related to COVID-19. We expect the coronavirus to negatively impact our volumes with a low-single digit decline, but believe that we will still generate growth in EBITDA for the back half of our fiscal year driven by cost synergies and improved cost productivity. The net negative impact we are anticipating related to COVID-19 on volumes and earnings are transitory. As the restrictions are lifted, we anticipate all our segments will return to positive organic growth, as demonstrated in the most recent fiscal quarter from the pre-COVID-19 volumes and earnings levels. We are pleased to report that we expect our fiscal year 2020 free cash flow will be in excess of $800 million, which includes at least $1.4 billion of cash flow from operations partially offset by capital expenditures of $600 million. Cash taxes are expected to be $150 million, and cash interest costs are projected at $430 million assuming interest rates at the end of the March quarter. Additionally, we expect working capital, restructuring and other costs to be $50 million. We believe the acquisition of RPC is truly a transformational and complementary opportunity for our company and we are off to a solid start with respect to our synergy realization and integration activities. We intend to realize approximately $150 million of annual cost synergies of which an estimated $75 million is expected to be realized in fiscal 2020.

07:36 EDT Lindblad Expeditions experiences 'substantial impact' from COVID-19 - The company was off to a strong start to the year with Lindblad segment bookings at the end of February up 25% for the full year 2020 as compared to the same point a year ago for 2019 and we had sold 88% of our original projected guest ticket revenues for the year. Since that point, the company has experienced a substantial impact from the COVID-19 virus including elevated cancellations and softness in near-term demand. Lindblad segment bookings for travel in 2020 are now 27% below the same point a year ago for 2019 due primarily to the cancelled and rescheduled voyages, as well as cancellations for travel later this year. The company does still have substantial advanced bookings for future travel in 2020, including 8% more bookings for the second half of 2020 as compared with the second half of 2019 as of the same date a year ago. Additionally, the Company continues to see new bookings for travel in 2020, 2021 and 2022, including over $15M since March 1, and we are receiving deposits and final payments for future travel. For 2020 voyages that have been cancelled or rescheduled, the company is offering future travel credits with incremental value or full refunds to its fully paid guests. As of April 24th, the majority of guests have opted for future travel credits.

07:22 EDT 3M files legal actions to fight fraud, defendants had no connection to 3M - 3M has filed five legal actions in federal courts in Florida, Wisconsin and Indiana as part of its global effort to protect the public and combat fraud and counterfeiting. The lawsuits involve separate defendants who attempted to target government officials with fraudulent offers to sell N95 respirators-in one case claiming to have up to five billion respirators-at inflated prices, all while falsely affiliating themselves with 3M. "We are grateful that in each of these cases, the false offers were reported to 3M, and the attempts to deceive public officials did not succeed," said Ivan Fong, 3M Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary. "We will continue to take legal action in cases like these and are working closely with national and international law enforcement to help stop the perpetrators of these unlawful and unethical schemes." In the following four cases filed late Thursday, and the Wisconsin lawsuit filed on Tuesday, 3M is seeking injunctive relief to require the companies to cease illegal activities. 3M will donate any damages recovered to COVID-19-related nonprofit organizations. In federal court in Tallahassee, Florida 3M sued Atlanta, Georgia-based 1 Ignite Capital LLC, Institutional Financial Sales LLC, and Auta Lopes for attempting to sell 10 million N95 respirators to the Florida Division of Emergency Management at nearly 460% percent over list prices, falsely claiming that they were working with 3M. In federal court in Tampa, Florida 3M sued St. Petersburg, Florida-based TAC2 Global LLC for claiming to be a 3M distributor and for trying to sell the Florida Department of Management Services State Emergency Operations Center 5-10 million N95 respirators and hand sanitizer at highly inflated prices. TAC2 falsely claimed to be a 3M supplier. In federal court in Orlando, Florida 3M sued King Law Center, Chartered for twice pretending to be affiliated with 3M as a vendor and escrow agent and for trying to sell the Florida Department of Management Services State Emergency Operation Center 5 million N95 respirators at 460% over list prices. In federal court in Indianapolis, Indiana, 3M sued Zachary Puznak and two related entities, Zenger LLC and ZeroAqua, after Puznak claimed to be working with 3M and purported to be able to sell up to 5 billion 3M respirators to the state of Indiana at more than double the list price. Puznak accused Indiana's state employees of "paranoid irrationality" for asking for confirmation of any connection to 3M and falsely claimed 3M executives had told him to abandon the deal, according to 3M's complaint. In fact, Puznak has no connection whatsoever to 3M. On April 28, 3M filed a lawsuit in federal court in Madison, Wisconsin against Hulomil LLC for trying to sell 250,000 N95 respirators to state officials at inflated prices, while trying to force Wisconsin to sign a nondisclosure agreement about the deal and falsely claiming to have "direct access from 3M." 3M has not changed the prices it charges for respirators as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. 3M is working with national and international law enforcement agencies, state Attorneys General, and the largest online retail and tech companies in the world to identify illegal activity and help pursue and stop these schemes. The goal is to prevent fraud before it starts and stop it where it is happening. 3M has filed a total of 10 lawsuits in April in its effort to combat fraud. 3M has deployed its internal litigation team, working closely with volunteers from its network of outside counsel and resources, across the country in its ongoing efforts to investigate and take action against unlawful and unethical attempts to take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis.

07:19 EDT Continental Materials files Form 25 in connection with plan to delist - Continental Materials announces that, on May 1, 2020, the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Form 25 Notification of Removal from Listing in connection with its previously announced plan to voluntarily delist its Common Stock, $0.25 par value per share, from the NYSE American Stock Exchange. The Company expects the delisting to be effective May 11, 2020, at which time the Common Stock will no longer be traded on the Exchange. As previously announced, the Company plans to file with the SEC a Form 15 on or about May 11, 2020, to deregister its Common Stock under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and to suspend its reporting obligations under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as the Common Stock is held by less than 300 stockholders of record. The Company is taking these steps in order to reduce legal, accounting and administrative costs associated with being an SEC reporting company, to reduce the specificity of the financial information which the Company is required to disclose publicly in connection with its business segments, which disclosure the Company believes has, at times in the past, been competitively disadvantageous to the Company, and to allow the Company's management to increase its focus on executing the Company's strategic and business plan by reducing time spent in complying with applicable SEC reporting requirements. In addition, the number of shares of Common Stock which are publicly held is less than 200,000 as a result the tender offer made by Bee Street Holdings LLC which was completed at midnight at the end of April 17, 2020, and the Common Stock may consequently no longer be eligible for listing on the Exchange.

07:14 EDT Fannie Mae says no back-end credit-risk transfer transactions near-term - Fannie Mae expects the impact of the COVID-19 national emergency to continue to negatively affect its financial results and contribute to lower net income in 2020 than in 2019. Due to disruptions in the market and economic uncertainty, the company does not anticipate engaging in back-end credit-risk transfer transactions in the near term.

07:10 EDT MiX Telematics renews contract with UK retailer Post Office - MiX Telematics announced that Post Office, a UK retailer, has renewed its contract with the company. Post Office offers over 170 different products and services, including postal services, financial services, broadband and home phone, foreign currency and travel insurance. The contract renewal comprises an additional two years across 268 vehicles.

07:09 EDT Citi appointed successor depositary bank for ANGLE ADR program - Citi, acting through Citibank N.A., has been appointed by ANGLE to act as successor depositary bank for its American Depositary Receipt, or ADR, program. ANGLE's American Depositary Shares trade on the OTCQX market under the symbol "ANPCY". Each ADS represents 10 ordinary shares of the company. ANGLE's underlying ordinary shares are listed and trade on London Stock Exchange AIM market under the symbol "AGL".

07:08 EDT Charter says Q1 total residential and SMB customer relationships up 486,000 - First quarter total residential and SMB customer relationships increased by 486,000, compared to 351,000 during the first quarter of 2019. First quarter total residential and SMB Internet customers increased by 582,000, compared to 428,000 during the first quarter of 2019. Charter added 290,000 Spectrum Mobile lines in the first quarter and as of March 31, Charter served a total of 1.4M mobile lines.

07:06 EDT KPS Capital Partners to acquire Lufkin rod lift solutions from Baker Hughes - KPS Capital Partners announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Lufkin rod lift solutions business from Baker Hughes. Lufkin was founded in 1902 and acquired in 2013 by General Electric's Oil & Gas division. The division subsequently merged with Baker Hughes in 2017. Lufkin, headquartered in Missouri City, Texas, is a leading global provider of rod lift products, technologies, services and solutions, including automated control and optimization equipment and software for rod lift equipment to the oil and gas industry. With over 100 years of industry leadership, Lufkin manufactures a complete line of surface pumping units, downhole sucker rod pumps and automation systems in six manufacturing and assembly facilities worldwide. Lufkin has an extensive global service footprint that operates in every critical rod lift market in the world. Upon close, the transaction will transfer assets of the Lufkin rod lift business to an affiliate of KPS, including brand rights, facilities, intellectual property and personnel. Lufkin's power transmission business will remain part of the Baker Hughes portfolio and is not included in the transaction with KPS. Completion of the transaction is expected mid-year 2020 and is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals.

07:05 EDT Hill-Rom announces initiatives in response to COVID-19 pandemic - The company said, "Hillrom is committed to mobilizing its resources and supporting customers, caregivers and patients with decisive actions in the global response to COVID-19, including the following initiatives: Pivoting R&D efforts to introduce several innovative solutions in response to the surge in COVID-19 treatment challenges. Accomplishments include: Receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization for a new closed-circuit design using a bacterial-viral filter for oscillation and lung expansion therapy with the MetaNeb(R) System to reduce cross contamination from escaped aerosolized particles. Adding a new feature to the Connex(R) Vital Signs Monitor to digitally capture a patient's respiratory rate; and including a remote monitoring platform to simplify connectivity to the recently launched Welch Allyn(R) Spot(R) 4400 Vital Signs Monitor, allowing clinicians to remotely receive a complete set of vitals, including SPO2, temperature and blood pressure. Launching a remote mobile software solution, Voalte Extend(TM), to respond to customers' emergent needs to connect patients and caregivers from a mobile device in makeshift care areas while limiting unnecessary exposure. Partnering with AgileMD, a developer of EHR-integrated web and mobile applications for point-of-care use, to offer a digital COVID-19 solution, including clinical pathways and predictive analytics through an EHR-integrated software platform. Adapting Hillrom patient positioning equipment for use in the ICU and med-surg environments to offer clinically proven prone movement and positioning capabilities for both ventilated and non-ventilated patients. Prone positioning is emerging as an important strategy in the treatment and survival rates of COVID-19 patients. Ramping up production with the goal of increasing capacity of the Life2000 non-invasive ventilator five-fold on an annualized basis, and more than doubling production of other critical care products, including ICU and med-surg hospital beds, patient monitoring devices, and physical assessment tools and consumables to meet increased demand. With these efforts, Hillrom is adding more than 300 permanent and temporary positions to its global workforce. Working collaboratively with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency to supply at least 3,400 Life2000 non-invasive ventilators. Executing business continuity plans and working with global supply chain partners to successfully meet customer demand, while minimizing the potential for manufacturing or supply chain disruption. Implementing a comprehensive global action plan, including proactive measures to protect employees' health and safety while providing front-line support to healthcare providers and ensuring products are available when and where customers and patients need them. Supporting global COVID-19 relief efforts by contributing approximately $6 million through both monetary and critical medical product donations."

06:59 EDT Chubb appoints Annmarie Hagan as Chief Accounting Officer - Chubb Limited announced that Annmarie Hagan has been appointed Vice President, Chubb Group and Chief Accounting Officer effective immediately. Currently, she serves as Global Controller. In her new role, Ms. Hagan will be responsible for the company's corporate and regulatory accounting matters; managerial and external financial reporting; group-wide financial planning and analysis; statutory and GAAP accounting policy; and financial oversight for the company's global information technology and operations area. She will also have direct oversight of corporate and subsidiary controllers. Hagan succeeds Paul Medini, who is retiring from the company. Mr. Medini, a Chubb Group Senior Vice President who has served as Chief Accounting Officer since 2003, will remain with the company until August 2020 to assist with the transition and related matters.

06:52 EDT Fluor suspends dividend as of April 29 - Fluor provided an update on certain corporate matters. For the first four months of 2020, the company's cash balance has ranged between $1.7B-$2B. The company continues to have adequate liquidity to meet all operational and project needs and its revolving credit facilities remain undrawn. However, with the preservation of liquidity as a top consideration, and in light of the current economic disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and weak commodity prices, Fluor has made the decision to suspend its dividend as of April 29. Furthermore, the company is continuing its cost reduction efforts. The company continues to pursue the divestiture of its equipment rental company business, P3 assets and excess real estate. Although the timing of these transactions has slowed as a result of the pandemic, the company continues to believe that it will realize the full value of these divestitures.

06:51 EDT Chevron worldwide net oil-equivalent production up 6% to 3.24M barrels per day - Worldwide net oil-equivalent production was 3.24 million barrels per day in first quarter 2020, an increase of over 6% from a year ago, and a new quarterly record, Chevron reported. In U.S. upstream, the company's average sales price per barrel of crude oil and natural gas liquids was $37 in first quarter 2020, down from $48 a year earlier. The average sales price of natural gas was $0.60 per thousand cubic feet in first quarter 2020, down from $1.64 in last year's first quarter. In International upstream operations, the average sales price for crude oil and natural gas liquids in first quarter 2020 was $43 per barrel, down from $58 a year earlier. The average sales price of natural gas was $5.66 per thousand cubic feet in the quarter, compared with $6.57 in last year's first quarter.

06:50 EDT Estee Lauder expects to reduce FY20 CapEx by ~$250M-$300M - In response to the impacts from COVID-19, the company started to implement strict cost controls in January to help mitigate the expected loss of sales in mainland China and travel retail. In the fiscal 2020 third quarter, the Company took immediate actions to reduce expenses, including advertising and promotion activities, travel, meetings, consulting, and certain employee costs, including implementing a hiring freeze. Combined, these resulted in approximately $250M of savings in the period. As the COVID-19 impacts rapidly spread throughout Europe and the Americas, the corresponding impact on sales resulted in an operating margin decline. The cost controls put in place during the third quarter are expected to deliver an even larger benefit starting in the fiscal 2020 fourth quarter. Additionally, the Company announced new cost saving actions on April 15, 2020, that are expected to have a greater impact beginning in May 2020. These include furloughs and similar unpaid temporary leaves of absence for many point of sale employees, temporary salary reductions for senior executives and other management employees, and a temporary elimination of cash retainers for the Board of Directors. Together, the Company estimates that these actions, combined with those implemented in the fiscal 2020 third quarter, will reduce operating expenses by approximately $500 million to $600 million in the fiscal 2020 fourth quarter. The Company expects to reduce capital investments by approximately $250 million to $300 million for fiscal 2020. It has temporarily suspended repurchases of the Company's Class A Common Stock and has suspended the quarterly cash dividend that would have been paid in June 2020. The Company also raised an additional $2.2 billion of cash, as of April 2020, by borrowing the full amount under its $1.5 billion revolving credit facility and issued $700 million of Senior Unsecured Notes. The Company will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and adjust its action plans accordingly as the situation progresses. The Company stands ready to facilitate the recovery as soon as the market dynamics support it.

06:41 EDT Clorox up 3.3% after reporting Q3 results, raising FY20 guidance

06:40 EDT Ecolab launches split-off exchange offer for Upstream Energy business - Ecolab is commencing an exchange offer related to the split-off of its Upstream Energy business, ChampionX. The split-off transaction is in connection with the combination of the ChampionX Business with Apergy in a Reverse Morris Trust transaction. Ecolab stockholders have the option to exchange some, all or none of their shares of Ecolab common stock for shares of common stock of ChampionX Holding, an Ecolab subsidiary formed to hold the ChampionX Business, subject to proration. In the combination, shares of ChampionX common stock will convert automatically into the right to receive shares of Apergy common stock. Tendering Ecolab stockholders are expected to receive approximately $111.11 of Apergy common stock for every $100 of Ecolab common stock tendered. Ecolab currently expects approximately 122 million shares of ChampionX common stock will be available in the exchange offer. The exchange offer and withdrawal rights are scheduled to expire at 12:01 a.m., New York City time, on June 3. The exchange offer is designed to permit Ecolab stockholders to exchange all or a portion of their shares of Ecolab common stock for shares of ChampionX common stock, which will convert into shares of Apergy common stock, at a discount of 10% to the per-share value of Apergy common stock. The aggregate number of shares of Apergy common stock issued in the combination is expected to result in holders of shares of ChampionX common stock before the combination and ChampionX employees collectively owning approximately 62% of the issued and outstanding shares of Apergy common stock on a fully diluted basis after the combination. The exchange offer will expire on June 3, unless terminated or extended.

06:38 EDT Nano Dimension announces partnership with Accelonix - Nano Dimension announced the partnership with Accelonix as the company's new agent for the French market. Accelonix, headquartered in France, has been introducing, selling and supporting products in the French electronics market since 1984. Internationally, the Accelonix group has installed more than 2000 test systems in the maintenance/repair sector. It's most notable success to date is in the market of in-circuit test systems. As pioneers in "flying probe" fixtureless test, the Accelonix group is recognized as leaders in educating industry and promoting this valuable test technique. The Accelonix group is responsible for over 150 installations throughout France, Benelux and Spain.

06:36 EDT Mobile Mini sees WillScot merger closing in Q3 - The company said, "On March 2, 2020, we announced that we have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with WillScot. The pending merger with WillScot is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals and stockholder approvals from the company's and WillScot's stockholders. We are working collaboratively with our counterparts at WillScot to satisfy these closing conditions and plan the integration of the two businesses with the expectation of closing in the third quarter of 2020. We believe that the merger will result in strategic and financial benefits by combining the two industry leaders in the complementary modular space and portable storage solutions markets."

06:28 EDT RBS won't undertake dividend payments or share buybacks - RBS said: "We remain committed to the strategic objectives and priorities we announced as part of our full year 2019 results. Whilst we are closely monitoring events and assessing potential scenarios and outcomes, reflecting the significant deterioration in economic outlook and unprecedented levels of uncertainty it would be inappropriate toprovide an update on medium term outlook at this time. As previously announced, we will not undertake interim dividend payments or share buybacks, take charges in CET1 for foreseeable dividends and will defer decisions on any future shareholder distributions until the end of 2020."

06:27 EDT U.S. Silica sees Q2 Oil & Gas segment sales down 'sharply' - Due to the sharp decline in crude oil prices and the expected reduction in well completions, the company expects its Oil & Gas segment sales next quarter to decline sharply. However, the company's costs in this segment are highly variable and the company will continue to right-size its operations accordingly. In response to these challenging conditions, the company has idled or curtailed production at several facilities, reducing its staffed annual Oil & Gas production capacity from 24 million tons to 6 million tons. The company expects a limited impact to its Industrial & Specialty Products segment, with sales volumes generally tracking GDP trends. The company expects a decline in the segment's second-quarter sales as a result of temporary shutdowns by some customers in April and May related to COVID-19 and a slowing demand environment for some end markets like building products and automotive. However, the company expects demand for other products, including diatomaceous earth and specialty clays used for the filtration of food and beverages, to remain relatively strong.

06:23 EDT Macau reports April casino revenue down 96.8% to 754M patacas - Macau's gaming bureau reported April gross revenue from games of fortune in the region decreased 96.8% year-over-year to 754M patacas. Publicly traded companies in the Macau gaming space include Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and Melco Resorts (MLCO).

06:06 EDT Huntsman reducing capital spending by 30%, suspending share repurchases

06:01 EDT Baker Hughes announces April international rig count of 915, down 144 - Baker Hughes announced that the Baker Hughes international rig count for April 2020 was 915 down 144 from the 1,059 counted in March 2020, and down 147 from the 1,062 counted in April 2019. The international offshore rig count for April 2020 was 228, down 16 from the 244 counted in March 2020, and down 23 from the 251 counted in April 2019. The average U.S. rig count for April 2020 was 566, down 206 from the 772 counted in March 2020, and down 446 from the 1,012 counted in April 2019. The average Canadian rig count for April 2020 was 33, down 100 from the 133 counted in March 2020, and down 33 from the 66 counted in April 2019. The worldwide rig count for April 2020 was 1,514, down 450 from the 1,964 counted in March 2020, and down 626 from the 2,140 counted in April 2019.

05:54 EDT Weyerhaeuser temporarily suspending quarterly dividend - On March 30, Weyerhaeuser announced actions to enhance financial flexibility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company also announced that the board of directors would continue to review the company's capital allocation plans in light of rapidly evolving market conditions. During the second quarter, macroeconomic fundamentals have continued to erode. In light of continued significant uncertainty regarding the duration and magnitude of an economic slowdown and its effect on the company's business conditions, the board of directors is temporarily suspending the quarterly cash dividend to preserve liquidity and financial flexibility. Additionally, members of the company's senior management team and board of directors have elected to reduce their compensation for the remainder of 2020. This includes a base salary reduction of 30 percent for the company's CEO and base salary reductions of 10 percent for the remainder of the senior management team, as well as a 20 percent reduction in fees for the board of directors. Weyerhaeuser is also providing updates on its previously announced actions: Reducing capital expenditures: The company will reduce 2020 capital expenditures by approximately $90 million, or 25 percent, by deferring discretionary projects. Weyerhaeuser now expects full year capital expenditures of approximately $270 million; Reducing non-essential operating expenses: The company will reduce 2020 operating expenses by approximately $55 million. In addition, approximately $25 million of federal payroll tax payments will be deferred until 2021; Refinancing 2021 maturities: During the first quarter, Weyerhaeuser issued $750 million of 4.0% notes through a public bond offering, with net proceeds to be used to repay the company's outstanding 2021 maturities. The company subsequently submitted notice that it will redeem in May 2020 its $569 million of notes due March 2021; Enhancing liquidity: The company increased cash on hand by $550 million through a precautionary draw on its revolving credit facility, which expires in January 2025; Excluding cash received from the bond offering, the company had approximately $700 million of cash on hand at the end of the first quarter and $950 million of available revolver capacity. The company maintains investment grade credit ratings and remains well in compliance with its financial covenants. Weyerhaeuser's 11 million acres of high-quality timberlands also provide strong asset coverage. The company expects to remain compliant with REIT taxable income distribution requirements.

05:36 EDT Vertex receives CHMP positive opinion for KALYDECO as CF treatment - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, adopted a positive opinion for the label extension of KALYDECO, to include the treatment of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis, or CF, ages 6 months and older weighing at least 5 kg who have the R117H mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene.

05:21 EDT Maui Land & Pineapple appoints Michael Hotta as CFO - On April 30, the board of Maui Land & Pineapple appointed Michael Hotta as CFO, effective May 26. Hotta will also serve as the company's Principal Financial Officer. Prior to joining Maui Land & Pineapple, he served as COO of DK Restaurants in Honolulu, Hawaii.