Stockwinners Market Radar for May 06, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:42 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 1,075.80MT from 1,076.39MT - This is the first decline in holdings since March 20th.

20:10 EDT CVR Energy cuts quarterly dividend to 40c from 80c per share - The dividend will be paid on May 26, 2020, to stockholders of record as of the close of market on May 18, 2020.

19:23 EDT Talos Energy cuts FY20 capital program by 40% - CEO Timothy Duncan says: ""First and foremost, we have kept our workforce safe with robust onboard screening and social distancing measures for our offshore workers while also having our corporate employees work from home. Second, we instituted cost cutting measures that provide material reductions from our initial 2020 guidance and our pro forma 2019 cost structure. We have reduced our 2020 capital program by approximately 40% and our operating and overhead cost structure by approximately 15% compared to pro forma 2019 levels, and we expect those levels to continue to improve throughout the year. We also increased the size of our hedge book, with approximately 80% of the mid-point of our updated 2020 oil production guidance hedged over the full year at a weighted average price for the remainder of the year of $47.29/bbl. The projects remaining in our capital program this year aim to utilize our infrastructure to continue to generate attractive economics even in the current commodity environment, continue to lower our unit operating cost structure and add collateral value as we move into the second half of the year. Although we expect the second quarter to be difficult for everyone in the oil and gas sector, we are positioning Talos to have a strong second half of 2020 and beyond. We will be prepared for whichever direction the commodity market turns, and we believe we will have positive free cash flow in 2020, inclusive of our hedges, in the current commodity price environment. I remain confident in our ability to create value during uncertain times."

18:35 EDT Beyond Meat CEO: I'm hopelessly focused on market share - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Ethan Brown said the world is reaching a tipping point with the livestock supply chain. A different model to produce meat is needed, he claimed. Brown intends to take "aggressive" pricing action over the summer to come closer to the cost of animal protein. The company will offer value packs, he noted. Brown said he is "very proud" of the company's production process.

18:19 EDT Pan American Silver provides operational update - Pan American suspended normal operations at its mines in Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Bolivia in the latter part of March to comply with mandatory national quarantines imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited production has continued at the open pit mines from circulation of process solutions on the heap leach pad. As well, the Timmins West and Bell Creek gold mines in Canada have continued to operate at 90% of throughput capacity. The company has deferred certain capital expenditures and exploration spending. The executive management team and board of directors have voluntarily agreed to a 20% reduction in remuneration until the situation normalizes. In April, the company increased its cash and cash equivalents holdings with an $80.0M draw on the Credit Facility. In Mexico, the government has permitted a restart of mining activities on May 18, if the mine is located in a municipality with no to few active COVID-19 cases. The La Colorada and Dolores operations meet this requirement at this time. In Argentina, the company is restarting the Manantial Espejo operation at reduced underground mining rates and redeploying personnel for the restart of the COSE and Joaquin operations. In Bolivia, Pan American is currently preparing for a restart of San Vicente operations following the government authorization that mining activities can resume on May 7. In Peru, discussions are advancing with government officials on restarting large scale open pit mining operations at reduced capacities, which could permit the restart of our La Arena and Shahuindo operations, potentially on May 11. The company expects a gradual resumption of activities with modifications.

18:01 EDT Intuitive Surgical awarded maximum $420M Defense Logistics Agency contract - Intuitive Surgical has been awarded a maximum $420M firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for surgical robots, instruments and their related accessories. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with 105 responses received. Location of performance is California, with a May 5, 2025, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is FY20 through FY25 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support.

17:53 EDT Franco-Nevada increases quarterly dividend 4% to 26c per share - Franco-Nevada has declared a quarterly dividend of 26c per share, a 4.0% increase from the previous 25c per share. The dividend will be paid on June 25 to shareholders of record on June 11.

17:50 EDT AxoGen repays $7.8M PPP loan due to new Treasury Department guidance - On April 23, Axogen announced that it had received a Small Business Administration, or SBA, loan under the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, in the amount of $7.8M. The loan was obtained pursuant to the original guidance of the SBA to preserve positions in the company by providing necessary economic relief during this period of reduced surgical volumes because of the negative business effects of COVID-19. The company believes that it correctly applied for the loan, meets the initial intent of the PPP program to preserve jobs, and that it complied with the representations provided in the loan documents. However, subsequent to obtaining the loan, the United States Treasury Department issued guidance that the company believes contradicts the original intent and language of the PPP, providing that public companies are unlikely to be able to meet the standards for receiving the loan. As a result of this change, the company repaid the loan on May 5. Because the company returned the loan, it may take additional cost reduction measures based upon the recovery of surgical volumes and explore other non-dilutive financing alternatives.

17:47 EDT Stoneridge says reduced global salaried workforce by approximately 5% - Jon DeGaynor, president and CEO, commented, "In the first quarter we drove improved adjusted gross margin as we significantly reduced our material and overhead costs leading to adjusted gross margin improvement of 170 basis points relative to the fourth quarter of last year. As a result of these actions and continued strong top-line performance, we were on track for a strong first quarter. Similar to other companies in our industry and around the world, we began experiencing the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic first in China in the beginning of the quarter, followed by North America and Europe in late-March. To ensure the continued safety of our employees, meet the changing needs of our customers, as well as adhere to federal, state and local laws, we have been working to adjust our facilities and operations, which has included reduced schedules, reduced plant utilization and suspending production in some cases. We have taken several actions to temporarily reduce costs to drive 2020 financial performance and preserve cash, such as reducing our workforce related costs at the facilities impacted." DeGaynor continued, "In addition to the temporary cost reduction measures taken, earlier this week we took more permanent actions and reduced our global salaried workforce by approximately five percent. We expect that these reductions will help right size our current cost structure, align our resources with forecasted market conditions and aid our pursuit of profitable growth. We will continue to invest the necessary capital and resources to ensure the successful launch of our strong backlog of new business and continue to build upon the technologies and platforms that will support future growth. Stoneridge remains well positioned to capitalize on the industry megatrends that will drive outperformance of our underlying markets going-forward."

17:43 EDT Peloton says gross margin grew to 46.8% in the quarter - According to Peloton, gross margin grew to 46.8%; connected fitness gross margin was 45.3%, subscription gross margin was 57.8%, and subscription contribution margin was 63.6%.

17:33 EDT Peloton sees 1.04M-1.05M ending Connected Fitness Subscribers in FY20 - Raising FY2020 guidance to 1.04M to 1.05M ending Connected Fitness Subscribers, growth of 104% at midpoint.

17:32 EDT Lyft surges 15.5% after Q1 results

17:26 EDT Capri Holdings to replace Acorda Therapeutics in S&P 600 at open on 5/12

17:23 EDT Salesforce to replace Allergan in S&P 100 at open on 5/12

17:22 EDT Salesforce to replace Allergan in S&P 100 at open on 5/12

17:21 EDT Salesforce to replace Allergan in S&P 100 at open on 5/6

17:19 EDT DexCom to replace Allergan in S&P 500 at open on 5/12 - AbbVie (ABBV) is acquiring Allergan (AGN) in a transaction expected to be completed soon pending final conditions.

17:13 EDT BioTelemetry withdraws previous financial guidance due to COVID-19 - In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, BioTelemetry is withdrawing its previous financial guidance issued on February 26, 2020. Given the uncertain scope and duration of the pandemic, BioTelemetry is unable to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on its operations and financial results.

17:11 EDT Marathon Oil expects to capture annualized cash cost reductions of $350M - Expects to capture annualized cash cost reductions of $350M, or 20%, relative to initial 2020 budget Implementing broad-based cost saving measures, including base salary reductions for CEO and other corporate officers, reduction of Board of Director compensation, and U.S. employee and contractor workforce reductions.

17:05 EDT Murphy Oil relocates corporate headquarters to Houston, Texas - In recognition of the extraordinary drop in crude oil prices, independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company, Murphy Oil Corporation, is closing its legacy headquarters office in El Dorado, Arkansas, home to approximately 80 employees, as well as its longstanding office in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, home to approximately 110 employees. Consequently, it will be consolidating all worldwide staff activities to its existing office location in Houston, Texas as the new corporate headquarters. "Over the past several months, we have taken several actions to significantly reduce costs, including cutting this year's capital expenditures by approximately 50 percent, or $700 million, lowering the company's dividend by 50 percent, or $76.5 million on an annualized basis, and lowering executive officers' salaries on average 22 percent, with the chief executive officer's reduced by 35 percent. We realize, reluctantly, that we need to consolidate our offices to capture additional cost savings to remain competitive in this unprecedented industry environment. We simply do not have a choice and came to this decision only after exhausting all other cost saving measures," stated Claiborne P. Deming, Chairman of the Board. Deming added, "The El Dorado office closure is particularly painful and difficult, because the company was founded here by C. H. Murphy, Jr. and has been an integral and important part of the community for many years." "This decision is one we take with sadness, but with the understanding that our only path forward is to consolidate into one office in Houston. The company recognizes the hardship this decision causes to many in El Dorado and Calgary, and we are committed to treating all those impacted consistent with past practices and plan to offer appropriate severance arrangements," according to Roger W. Jenkins, President and Chief Executive Officer. "These actions will not impact our field operations in the US and Canada, and we anticipate these office closures to be completed early in the third quarter 2020."

16:53 EDT PTC Therapeutics to acquire Censa Pharmaceuticals - PTC Therapeutics announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Censa Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of CNSA-001, a clinical-stage investigational therapy for orphan metabolic diseases, including phenylketonuria and other diseases associated with defects in the tetrahydrobiopterin biochemical pathways diagnosed at birth. The transaction was approved by the Boards of both companies. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter, pending successful fulfillment of closing conditions. PTC is not obligated to give full time employment to any Censa personnel or acquire any additional facilities in connection with the closing. Under the terms of the merger agreement, PTC will pay an upfront consideration of approximately $10M in cash and up to 850,000 shares of PTC common stock. In addition to the upfront payments, potential future consideration includes $217.5M in development and regulatory milestones for the two most advanced programs and receipt of a priority review voucher, including $30M to be paid in either cash or PTC common stock at our option for completing the enrollment of a Phase 3 clinical trial for CNSA-001 for PKU, $109M in development and regulatory milestones for each additional indication of CNSA-001, net sales milestones up to an aggregate amount of $160M and a contingent value payment of a percentage of annual net sales ranging from single to low double digits.

16:46 EDT Barnes & Noble Education reviewing expense, capital spending

16:45 EDT Barnes & Noble Education actively engaged with strategic review process - The Company announced that it continues to be actively engaged with its strategic review process. There can be no assurance that the review will result in a transaction or announcement of any kind. The Company does not currently intend to comment further on its strategic review process unless and until the Board has approved a specific course of action or otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required by law.

16:44 EDT Esco Technologies withdraws FY20 financial guidance - "While we are pleased with the operating performance, cash flow, entered orders and backlog of our businesses year-to-date through March 31, 2020, given the extent of the uncertainty presented by this pandemic, we are withdrawing our full-year 2020 financial guidance," said management.

16:40 EDT Rent-A-Center business reports Q1 SSS up 1.7%

16:39 EDT Hyatt says liquidity adequate to fund operations for at least 30 months - The company said, "We ended the first quarter of 2020 with a strong balance sheet, and have taken numerous actions to secure additional access to liquidity and maintain financial flexibility. We believe these actions provide us with adequate existing liquidity to fund our operations for at least the next 30 months assuming no improvement in operating conditions."

16:37 EDT Darling Ingredients targeting deferral of 15%-20% of CapEx - "We continue to execute our global strategy of creating sustainable ingredients for feed, food and fuel, from the waste streams of the food processing industry and being a leader in the production of green hydrocarbons to assist with global decarbonization. First and foremost, Darling has acted to ensure that we are providing a safe work environment for our employees across our network of 200+ locations around the world," added CEO Stuewe. "We are also taking the necessary steps to safeguard our balance sheet in the current environment. While we anticipate some disruption and potential lighter volumes of raw materials processed in the coming quarter, accordingly, we are committed to managing and reducing operating expenses across the business. Consistent with this approach, we are targeting a deferral of 15% to 20% in capital expenditures until the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak improves."

16:35 EDT Tivity Health exploring strategic alternatives for nutrition business - Tivity Health Chairman of the Board Anthony Sanfilippo stated "Since February 2020, the Board of Directors has been engaged in a comprehensive review of the Company's long-term strategy, including reviewing the company's core capabilities and ability to best deliver increased shareholder value through actions that would improve our balance sheet and best focus management on the creation of value. The Board has come to the conclusion to explore strategic alternatives with respect to the Nutrition business, including a possible transaction. We have engaged Lazard as the company's financial advisor. Tivity Health's CEO search is well underway," said Sanfilippo. "We've been pleased by the interest in leading our company from a group of highly qualified individuals. We expect the search will be successfully concluded in the near term."

16:32 EDT Copa Holdings expects to re-start a scaled-down operation on June 1 - Due to air travel restrictions implemented in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the company was forced to temporarily suspend all commercial flights on March 22. The company currently expects to re-start a scaled-down operation on June 1, although this date could be delayed as a result of further travel restrictions.

16:30 EDT Costco reports April total comparable sales down 4.7%, down 0.5% excluding fuel - Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $11.39B for the retail month of April, the four weeks ended May 3, a decrease of 1.8% from $11.6B last year. For the thirty-five weeks ended May 3, the company reported net sales of $107.64B, an increase of 7.8% from $99.89B during the similar period last year.

16:29 EDT PayPal reports Q1 cash flow from operations $1.5B, free cash flow $1.3B

16:25 EDT Noodles & Company reports Q1 comparable store sales down 7.2% system-wide - Q1 comparable restaurant sales decreased 7.2% system-wide, comprised of a 7.0% decrease at company-owned restaurants and an 8.9% decrease at franchise restaurants. Comparable sales growth system-wide increased 5.5% during the first ten weeks of the year through March 10. Comparable sales were negatively impacted by COVID-19 during the last three weeks of the fiscal quarter, resulting in a system-wide comparable sales decline of 46.3% from March 11 to March 31.

16:22 EDT Waste Connections provides Q2 business outlook - The company stated that in April, revenue on a reported basis declined 6.0% year-over-year, or approximately 9.3% excluding acquisitions completed since the year ago period. Adjusted EBITDA margin in April declined an estimated 200 basis points year-over-year primarily due to incremental costs related to COVID-19 and, to a lesser extent, a reduction in E&P waste activity. Solid waste collection, transfer and disposal revenue was down 6.9% year-over-year on a same store basis, or down 3.2% excluding Canada and the Northeast U.S., which were hardest hit, and recent trends suggest that such comparisons in subsequent months should show sequential improvement. In late April, there were mid to high single digit percentage upticks off of weekly lows in solid waste landfill volumes and roll-off activity, with over 70% of locations showing improvement. Additionally, about 12% of solid waste commercial customers and 9% of associated revenue in competitive markets that had suspended or reduced service due to COVID-19, have since reached out for either a resumption of service or an increase in frequency. E&P waste revenue in April was $14.2M, down 33% from the prior year.

16:20 EDT WPX Energy expects to generate $150M in free cash flow in 2020 - After deterioration in oil pricing, WPX now expects to generate approximately $150 million in free cash flow in 2020. This estimate does not include savings for potential service price deflation. For 2021, WPX has 190,000 MMBtu/d of natural gas hedged with fixed price swaps at a weighted average price of $2.60 per MMBtu and 9,959 bbl/d of oil hedged with a weighted average price of $39.81 per barrel.

16:20 EDT WPX Energy suspending guidance for production, other metrics

16:18 EDT PayPal reports 20.2M net new active accounts added in Q1 - 20.2M net new active accounts added, including a one-time addition of 10.2M in January from the acquisition of Honey; 10M net new actives added-a Q1 record.

16:14 EDT SilverBow Resources lowers 2020 capital budget to $80M-$95M - The company said, "For the full year 2020, SilverBow is guiding to a revised 2020 capital budget of $80-$95 million. The timing of bringing curtailed production back online and turning the eight wells to sales will be optimized to align with higher prices. For the full year, the Company is guiding for estimated production of 164-185 MMcfe/d, with natural gas volumes expecting to comprise 130-145 MMcf/d. Based on current strip pricing, SilverBow is targeting FCF of $40-50 million for the full year, or greater than 75% free cash flow yield using the Company's trailing 30-day weighted average market capitalization. The revised plan provides SilverBow the ability to pivot to gas development in late 2020 and early 2021, with production hedged at prices above the Company's return threshold. This has the potential to generate a meaningful amount of Adjusted EBITDA and FCF for SilverBow in 2021. Regardless of commodity prices, the Company carefully balances the production economics and the net benefit to its borrowing base and its financial covenants before committing to a development program.

16:13 EDT Central Garden & Pet Co. suspends providing guidance for FY20 - Going into March, at the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US, the Company was on course to deliver its full year expectations; and, despite the outbreak, underlying business momentum was solid, as evidenced by second quarter results. In March, as the COVID-19 pandemic became more pronounced in the US, our business experienced the practical realities of navigating the pandemic - including the impact of retail location closures as well as in-store curtailments or redirections of foot traffic and limited access to specialty areas, such as outdoor garden or live animals. This impact was largely mitigated in Q2 by the favorable effect of evolving consumer spending patterns, including a rise in demand related to increases in pet ownership, temporary consumables stockpiling, and a pronounced shift from a mix of channels to e-commerce. Given the unprecedented uncertainty of the global COVID-19 crisis, including the lack of clarity into the future and the rapid pace of change, the Company is suspending providing guidance for fiscal 2020 until the COVID-19 situation in the US stabilizes.

16:12 EDT Ameriprise raises quarterly dividend 7% to 7c per share - The Board of Directors of Ameriprise Financial increased the company's quarterly cash dividend by 7 percent, or $0.07 per diluted share, to $1.04 per diluted share payable on May 29, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 18, 2020.

16:11 EDT Enanta announces ph. 2 INTREPID study results of EDP-305 - Enanta announced topline results from its INTREPID Phase 2 study of EDP-305, a Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), in subjects with primary biliary cholangitis. The INTREPID study was a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of EDP-305 in subjects with PBC, with or without an inadequate response to ursodeoxycholic acid. The primary endpoint of the study was to evaluate the proportion of subjects with at least 20% reduction in alkaline phosphatase from pre-treatment value (ALP response), or normalization of ALP, at week 12. Overall, EDP-305 was generally safe in subjects with PBC, with the majority of treatment-emergent adverse events being mild to moderate. Five patients in the 2.5 mg arm experienced severe pruritus. The most common TEAEs included pruritus, gastrointestinal-related symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, gastro-esophageal reflux), headache and insomnia. These TEAEs are consistent with the safety profile observed across more than 400 subjects exposed to EDP-305 for up to 12 weeks. The incidence of treatment discontinuation due to pruritus in INTREPID was approximately 3% for the 1 mg EDP-305 treatment group and 18% for the 2.5 mg EDP-305 treatment group. Treatment with EDP-305 had no apparent effect on lipids, including cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, high-density lipoproteins and triglycerides.

16:09 EDT GrubHub could begin generating meaningful adjusted EBITDA in Q2 - "COVID-19 has driven a significant uptick in new diners and orders from existing users as most restaurant dining rooms have been temporarily closed nationwide," said Adam DeWitt, Grubhub president and CFO. "At current volume trends, we could be generating meaningful Adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter. But as Matt highlighted, we believe the absolute best use of our cash is to support our restaurants, their employees, our drivers and the entire takeout ecosystem through this crisis, by generating as many orders as possible while funding extra safety measures for restaurants, drivers and diners. We hope that these additional sales help make a difference to our partners in this time of crisis."

16:08 EDT T-Mobile sees Q2 adj. EBITDA $6.2B-$6.5B - The company states: "We expect postpaid net customer additions between 0 and 150,000 in Q2 2020. This reflects the ongoing impact of COVID-19 including retail store closures and lower gross adds, partially offset by lower churn."

16:07 EDT T-Mobile reports Q1 adj. EBITDA $3.7B, up 12% from last year - Reports Q1: Branded postpaid phone Average Revenue per User (ARPU) decreased 1% year-over-year to $45.80 in Q1 2020. Branded postpaid Average Revenue per Account (ARPA) was essentially flat year-over-year. Branded prepaid ARPU increased 1% year-over-year to $38.11 in Q1 2020 primarily due the removal of certain branded prepaid customers associated with products now offered and distributed by a current MVNO partner, partially offset by dilution from our promotional activities, a reduction in certain non-recurring charges and growth in our Amazon Prime offering.

16:07 EDT Fox Corp. says COVID-19 could have 'material adverse effect' on business - The company said, "The impact of COVID-19 and measures to prevent its spread are affecting the macroeconomic environment, as well as the business of the Company, in a number of ways. For example, while the Company's national news ratings remain strong, sporting events for which the Company has broadcast rights have been cancelled or postponed, the production of certain entertainment content the Company acquires has been suspended and demand in local advertising markets has declined. The magnitude of the impacts will depend on the duration and extent of COVID-19 and the effect of governmental actions, consumer behavior and actions taken by the Company's business partners in response to the pandemic and such governmental actions. The evolving and uncertain nature of this situation makes it challenging for the Company to estimate the future performance of its businesses, particularly over the near to medium term, including the supply and demand for its services, its cash flows and its current and future advertising revenue. However, the impact of COVID-19 could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations over the near to medium term. A significant decline in estimated advertising revenue or the expected popularity of the Company's programming could lead to a downward revision in the fair value of, among other things, the Company's reporting units, indefinite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets and result in an impairment and a non-cash charge that is material to the Company's reported net earnings."

16:04 EDT Ligand sees royalty, contract revenue lower than originally forecasted - Ligand said: "We have a large portfolio of more than 200 programs fully funded by more than 125 different pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. We recently surveyed all our partners and found that the majority of them are generally in a relatively strong capital and operating condition with limited expected long-term impact on our partnered programs. Looking ahead to the remainder of the year and after thoroughly analyzing our business, we anticipate royalty and contract revenue will be lower than originally forecasted. We believe that patient access to certain medicines around the world will be disrupted over several months, which may decrease revenue for products from which we earn royalties. In addition, we anticipate that some partners will delay trial initiations or experience a slowdown in patient enrollment. These delays and slowdowns will likely reduce milestone payments for contract revenue due to Ligand. In addition, some smaller partners may face cash constraints or difficulty raising new capital, which could impact their ability to make payments to Ligand. Nonetheless, as the economy begins to reopen we expect our partners will resume important clinical and regulatory work on a wide array of partnered programs. Additionally, to date the increase in sales of Captisol has more than offset our projected decline in royalty and contract revenues. While the mix of revenue will be different than our original outlook, we anticipate total revenue and earnings to be higher in 2020 compared to our previous guidance. "

16:02 EDT OMA reports April traffic down 92.8% - OMAreports that terminal passenger traffic at its 13 airports decreased 92.8% in April, as compared to April 2019. Domestic traffic decreased 92.2%, and international traffic decreased 96.9%.

15:25 EDT Discovery: April ad sales down 20%, May and June look 'slightly better' - Earlier, during the company's earnings conference call, Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels said: "The number of Discovery's largest advertising categories are holding up nicely, such as certain CPG verticals like food and cleaning products, pharmaceuticals, insurance, financials and e-commerce companies, while travel, movie studios and some autos and retailers understandably cut back significantly. We have predictably seen higher cancellations and deferrals in Q2. And based on preliminary results, April is down around 20% year-over-year. And based on business booked for the remainder of the quarter, both May and June are looking slightly better than April. But we remind you that this is a very fluid marketplace at the moment with a lot of cancellations rolling month-to-month. And where appropriate, we're accommodative as best as we can to our partners' needs."

15:17 EDT Shopify gains push market cap to top among Canadian stocks - Shopify (SHOP) currently has a market cap near $86B, according to data from Yahoo Finance, while Royal Bank of Canada (RY) has a market cap of about $85.75B.

14:41 EDT Novartis announces FDA approval of MET inhibitor Tabrecta - Novartis announced that the US Food and Drug Administration approved Tabrecta, an oral MET inhibitor for adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have a mutation that leads to MET exon 14 skipping as detected by an FDA-approved test. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s), the company noted. The FDA also approved FoundationOne CDx as the companion diagnostic for Tabrecta, to aid in detecting mutations that lead to MET exon 14 skipping in tumor tissue.

14:13 EDT Mesoblast jumps 15% after 1st patients dosed in remestemcel trial for COVID-19 - Earlier on Wednesday, Mesoblast announced that the first patients have been dosed in the 300-patient randomized placebo-controlled Phase 2/3 trial in the United States of Mesoblast's allogeneic cellular medicine remestemcel-L in COVID-19 infected patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on ventilator support. Mesoblast holds an Investigational New Drug (IND) application cleared by the FDA for use of remestemcel-L in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 ARDS. The clinical protocol for the Phase 2/3 trial is based on initial promising results from use of remestemcel-L in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 ARDS under an emergency IND application or expanded access protocol at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The trial will randomize up to 300 ventilator-dependent patients in intensive care units to either remestemcel-L or placebo (1:1) on top of maximal care, in line with specific guidance provided by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for robust statistical analysis. The primary endpoint is all-cause mortality within 30 days of randomization, with the key secondary endpoint being the number of days alive and off mechanical support. Shares of Mesoblast are off earlier highs, up 9.05% or 99c to $11.97 per share in afternoon trading.

13:19 EDT Dr. Reddy's receives approval for ELYXYB NDA - Dr. Reddy's Laboratorie announced approval of ELYXYB by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ELYXYB is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. ELYXYB is the latest product emerging from Dr. Reddy's portfolio of successful acute migraine treatments. The company is working to commercialize this product through partners.

12:22 EDT Phio rallies after European Patent Register shows intended patent grant - Shares of Phio Pharmaceuticals moved higher upon the circulation of a European Patent Register webpage showing that the company is expected to be granted a patent for its reduced size self-delivering RNAI compounds. The stock in midday trading is up 12% to $2.46. Reference Link

12:01 EDT Nautilus falls -17.4% - Nautilus is down -17.4%, or -$1.15 to $5.49.

12:00 EDT Carlisle maintains quarterly dividend at 50c per share - Carlisle Companies said its board has declared a dividend of 50c per share, payable on June 1, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 15. The dividend rate is unchanged.

12:00 EDT Medifast rises 18.0% - Medifast is up 18.0%, or $13.56 to $88.89.

12:00 EDT Cars.com rises 39.4% - Cars.com is up 39.4%, or $1.78 to $6.30.

11:54 EDT Virgin Galactic CEO says customers not seeking refunds during pandemic - George Whitesides CEO is speaking on CNBC.

11:32 EDT Net Element to explore strategic alternatives 'to unlock shareholder value' - Net Element announces that its Board of Directors has authorized the company to explore strategic alternatives for its business in order to unlock shareholder value. "Net Element has optimized operations company-wide and implemented efficiencies, achieving cost savings. At the same time, it appears that the public markets do not appropriately recognize the value of our business. As a result, our Board of Directors has decided to explore strategic alternatives to further unlock value for its shareholders," commented Oleg Firer, Executive Chairman of Net Element. As part of this process, the Company will evaluate all potential options for its business, including sale, licensing of technology, spin-offs or business combinations. There can be no assurance regarding the timing or outcome of the strategic alternatives review process. The Company does not intend to comment further unless and until the Company's Board of Directors has approved a specific course of action or the Company has otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required by law.

11:09 EDT Occidental Petroleum sees Q2 total company production 1,340-1,400 Mboed - Sees Q2 Permian Resources production 432-442 Mboed. Sees Q2 additional domestic production 622 Mboed. Sees Q2 international production 286-296 Mboed. Sees Q2 production costs $6.25/boe. Comments taken from Q1 earnings presentation slides.

10:42 EDT Progress expands Microsoft collaboration to further integrate Azure services - Progress (PRGS) announced it has expanded collaboration with Microsoft (MSFT) to further integrate Microsoft Azure services into the Progress Sitefinity digital experience management platform. "As a full Platform-as-a-Service hosted on Azure, Progress Sitefinity Cloud is the first to integrate Azure's state-of-the art DevOps services into its platform to drive developer productivity and enable easier, faster implementation of digital experiences," the company stated.

10:33 EDT Sinovac Biotech reports publication of animal study results for COVID vaccine - Sinovac Biotech announced the publication of the preclinical study on animals for its vaccine candidate against COVID-19. "This is the first challenge study of its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate on animals to prove that the vaccine candidate is safe and provides protection to rhesus macaques," the company said. "Our study shows that our inactivated vaccine candidate induced SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies in mice, rats, and non-human primates, specifically the rhesus macaque. In fact, the results showed that our vaccine candidate offered safe and complete protection in rhesus macaques against SARS- CoV-2 strains. Our preclinical results suggest a path forward for the clinical development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for use in humans. As we begin our phase I trials, we will also accelerate the progress of our research in order to support the worldwide fight against COVID-19. Sinovac remains committed to developing vaccines for global use," said Weidong Yin, Chairman, President, and CEO of Sinovac. The paper, "Rapid development of an inactivated vaccine for SARS-CoV-2," is currently available online at Science magazine's [website.]:[https://science.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abc1932]

10:30 EDT General Motors starting to see signs of recovery in China

10:18 EDT General Motors: Pandemic to affect overall 2020 results

10:15 EDT GM CEO: Working to add features, capabilities to Shop, Click, Drive

10:12 EDT General Motors sees greater impact on Q2 EBIT adjusted from pandemic

10:05 EDT 3M, Ford begin shipping newly designed powered air-purifying respirators - Newly designed powered air-purifying respirators, or PAPRs, developed by Ford (F) in close collaboration with 3M (MMM), are on the way to health care workers fighting COVID-19, the companies announced. "Since late March, the companies have been working rapidly to design and deliver urgently needed PAPRs, drawing on 3M's expertise in personal safety equipment, technology and regulatory requirements. Through the collaboration, 3M and Ford brought the new PAPR from idea to product in 40 days. Now, more than 10,000 of the newly designed PAPRs are ready to be shipped from Ford's Vreeland facility near Flat Rock, Michigan," 3M reported in a press release.

10:01 EDT Royal Caribbean extending cancellation policy to sailings through April 2022 - Royal Caribbean Group is extending its "Cruise with Confidence" cancellation policy to sailings through April 2022. For new and existing bookings created by August 1, 2020, guests have the flexibility to cancel their cruise up to 48 hours prior to sailing and receive a full credit of the cruise fare for a future cruise through April 2022. The cruise company has also enhanced "Cruise with Confidence" with new rebooking options. The updates now available to travelers and their travel advisors include: "Best Price Guarantee": Guests can choose to change the price and promotional offer on their reservation up to 48 hours before their cruise. "Lift and Shift": For ease and as close as 48 hours prior to sailing, travelers have the option to simply "lift and shift" their cruise to the same itinerary departing on a future date. The original price and promotional offer on the reservation will be protected, along with the length of the cruise and stateroom category. For new and existing bookings created by August 1, 2020, guests have the flexibility to cancel their cruise up to 48 hours prior to sailing and receive a full credit of the cruise fare for a future cruise through April 2022. The cruise company has also enhanced "Cruise with Confidence" with new rebooking options. The updates now available to travelers and their travel advisors include: "Guests are reacting positively to our Cruise with Confidence policy," says RCL chairman and CEO Richard Fain, "because it enables them to make informed decisions and to better manage complicated travel plans during this unprecedented time of uncertainty."

10:00 EDT Pinterest falls -14.0% - Pinterest is down -14.0%, or -$2.92 to $17.89.

10:00 EDT Clearwater Paper rises 15.6% - Clearwater Paper is up 15.6%, or $3.83 to $28.39.

10:00 EDT Vapotherm rises 23.3% - Vapotherm is up 23.3%, or $5.20 to $27.50.

09:47 EDT Sculptor Capital falls -12.5% - Sculptor Capital is down -12.5%, or -$1.76 to $12.34.

09:47 EDT Pinterest falls -17.3% - Pinterest is down -17.3%, or -$3.59 to $17.22.

09:47 EDT Clearwater Paper rises 20.2% - Clearwater Paper is up 20.2%, or $4.95 to $29.50.

09:44 EDT FTC approves AbbVie acquisition of Allergan with conditions - Pharmaceutical companies AbbVie (ABBV) and Allergan plc (AGN) have agreed to divest assets to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that AbbVie's proposed $63B acquisition of Allergan would violate federal antitrust law, the Commission announced. Under the proposed consent agreement, AbbVie and Allergan are required to divest to Nestle (NSRGY) Allergan's assets related to EPI drugs Zenpep and Viokace. AbbVie and Allergan also are required to transfer to AstraZeneca (AZN) Allergan's rights and assets related to brazikumab-an IL-23 inhibitor that is in development to treat moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The Commission vote to issue the complaint and accept the proposed consent order for public comment was 3-2. Reference Link

09:37 EDT LivaNova reports resignation of Chief Accounting Officer - In a regulatory filing, LivaNova disclosed that on May 1, Doug Manko notified the company of his intention to resign as Chief Accounting Officer, effective May 15, in order to pursue another opportunity. "Manko's resignation was not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company's finances, accounting, operations, practices or policies," the filing added.

09:34 EDT MacroGenics trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:32 EDT Marriott Vacations has 'significantly reduced cash spend' - The company has significantly reduced cash spend across the entire organization including: Closing all sales centers and branded resorts for rental guests with stays at branded resorts through the end of May; Reducing executive leadership team salaries by 50%; Furloughing 65% of associates and reducing work weeks by roughly 25%, on average, for its remaining associates; Deferring 2020 merit increases and 2019 401(k) match contributions; Reducing inventory and other investments by up to $260M; and Temporarily suspending share repurchases and dividend payments.

09:30 EDT Marriott Vacations sees Q1 adjusted EBITDA $138M, down 17%

09:27 EDT Genius Brands to launch 'Kartoon Channel' Digital Network - Following the recent dramatic increase of viewership on Kid Genius Cartoon Channel and Baby Genius TV digital platforms, Genius Brands International announced that it will merge the two channels under one new network brand, Kartoon Channel, which will launch on June 15, 2020. The newly rebranded channel will significantly expand the distribution, which currently reaches over 100M U.S. television households and over 200M users via OTT and mobile devices. Kartoon Channel is a digital channel for kids 2-11-years-old to access over 4,000 episodes of premium entertaining, enriching and educational content anytime, anywhere in a safe environment.Genius Brands has also newly-acquired over 3,000 episodes of programming to feature on Kartoon Channel, including hit programs form key content suppliers around the world. Kartoon Channel is now working with Dooya TV, a leader in ad monetization and content optimization technology, to rapidly grow ad sales among major cable providers such as Comcast, Cox, DISH, and Sling TV. The channel will be distributed across Genius Brands-owned and operated APPs, multiple TV providers and over-the-top (OTT) platforms as both ad-supported video-on-demand and subscriber video-on-demand services. Genius Brands' current platforms include DISH, Amazon Prime, Sling TV, Comcast's Xfinity on Demand, Roku, Apple TV and Apple iOS, Android, Cox, Tubi, and Xumo, with all transitioning into carrying Kartoon Channel. New platforms launching Kartoon Channel content include SelectTV, RedBox, Plex, and Canela Media.

09:25 EDT Firsthand Technology Value Fund announces postponement of Annual Meeting - Firsthand Technology Value Fund announced that it has postponed its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was scheduled to be held at 2:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Santa Clara County, California, in conjunction with other local counties, recently extended its COVID-19-related shelter-in-place order, which restricts non-essential business operations, through May 31, 2020. The rescheduled Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, July 2, at 2:00 p.m., Pacific Time, at the San Jose Marriott hotel, 301 S. Market Street, San Jose, CA 95113. As part of the Fund's precautions regarding COVID-19, the Fund reserves the right to convert the Annual Meeting from an in-person meeting to one that is held solely by means of remote communication. If the Fund takes this step, the Fund will announce the decision to do so in advance, and details on how to participate will be set forth in a press release issued by the Fund and available at www.firsthandtvf.com.

09:22 EDT TransUnion accelerates expansion of global fraud business - TransUnion announced the creation of its Global Fraud & Identity Solutions Group, a move focused on uniting all aspects of the company's fraud risk offerings, and the hiring of industry veteran, Shai Cohen, to lead the group. The 21st Century has brought profound shifts in consumer purchasing patterns to digital channels which have been accelerated recently by the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of this, the group will accelerate the global go-to-market of TransUnion's long-standing IDVision fraud prevention product suite with solutions from recently acquired companies; most notably iovation and Callcredit Information Group. Cohen, senior vice president of global fraud solutions at TransUnion, joins the company from RSA where he was the general manager of its Fraud and Risk Intelligence business. Previously he served in leadership roles at EMC and Intel.

09:20 EDT Zoom Video adds H.R. McMaster to board of directors - Zoom Video Communications announced that it has appointed Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond "H.R." McMaster as an independent director on Zoom's Board of Directors, effective May 6, 2020, and hired Jonathan "Josh" Kallmer as its Head of Global Public Policy and Government Relations, effective May 26, 2020. McMaster was the 26th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. He served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for 34 years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018. McMaster currently serves at Stanford University as the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, the Susan and Bernard Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute, and a lecturer at the Graduate School of Business. Kallmer was most recently Executive Vice President for Policy at the Information Technology Industry Council, leading efforts to influence policy development around the globe. Before joining ITI, Kallmer acted as counsel for Crowell & Moring LLP and Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Investment.

09:18 EDT Verizon gives customers free video game bonuses - Verizon customers have enjoyed multiple ways to watch and learn with More at Home on Us, the program that gives customers access to premium TV channels and new learning tools at no additional cost. As communities continue to ask residents to spend time indoors to aid public safety efforts, Verizon now offers customers more entertaining ways to virtually connect with others or play popular games and platforms like Pokemon GO, Roblox and Sago Mini World. Since consumers began spending more time indoors in March, gaming has increased as much as 75% on Verizon networks. More at Home on Us now offers Verizon customers boosts to enhance gameplay in titles like Pokemon GO, which recently updated its format to support players who can't venture outside but wish to continue connecting with others at a time of social distancing. On Roblox, a global platform where millions of people gather daily to imagine, create, and share experiences in immersive, user-generated 3D worlds, Verizon customers can enjoy free Robux to upgrade their avatars and more. Parents can use Sago Mini World to offer younger children access to a platform for preschoolers that develops creativity and other skills through guided play.

09:16 EDT LogMeln announces new edition of GoToMeeting - LogMeIn announced a new addition to its GoTo Unified Communications & Collaboration portfolio with a new version of GoToMeeting designed with the needs of telehealth professionals in mind. GoToMeeting for Healthcare is an easy-to-use video conferencing platform that comes pre-configured with robust technical, organizational, and physical security measures so that telehealth professionals can safely and securely transmit patient data and continue to meet their own HIPAA compliance obligations. GoToMeeting for Healthcare is designed to easily connect providers across a wide range of healthcare organizations such as hospitals, assisted living centers, urgent care and general medical facilities, behavioral health offices, social workers, dental practices, and more with their patients, faculty and staff during the stay-at-home mandate caused by COVID-19. GoToMeeting for Healthcare allows organizations to continue to provide valuable services remotely while protecting patient information and helping keep users safe by eliminating unnecessary in-person contact and travel.

09:13 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line secures over $2B of additional liquidity - Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced it successfully secured over $2 billion of additional liquidity in response to impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the Company and the cruise industry, including the temporary suspension of voyages, and to safeguard against a further downside scenario. Yesterday, the Company announced the launch of a series of capital markets transactions, led by Goldman Sachs, to raise approximately $2 billion. The transaction has since been upsized to gross proceeds of $2.225 billion due to significant oversubscription and demand across all three offerings. The transactions consisted of $400 million public offering of common equity, $750 million exchangeable senior notes offering, $675 million senior secured notes offering and $400 million private investment from global consumer-focused private equity firm L Catterton. Contingent on completion of the transactions, the Company expects to have approximately $3.5 billion of liquidity. This significantly strengthens the Company's financial position and liquidity runway and it now expects to be positioned to withstand well over 12 months of voyage suspensions in a potential downside scenario. While this is not the Company's base case expectation, the Company has taken a swift and proactive approach to protect its future given the significant uncertainty and unknown duration of the COVID-19 global pandemic. When the transactions are completed, the additional liquidity alleviates management's concern about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern for the next 12 months.

09:11 EDT CorMedix hosting KOL call on antimicrobial resistance, CRBSIs - CorMedix will host a call with Key Opinion Leaders on the potential of Neutrolin for addressing antimicrobial resistance and catheter-related bloodstream infections on Tuesday, May 19th at 12pm Eastern Time. The call will feature presentations by KOLs Bruce Polsky, MD, MACP, FIDUSA, Bruce Reidenberg, MD, FAAP, FCP, and Nelson P. Kopyt, DO who will discuss antimicrobial resistance, the current CRBSI landscape in patients with hemodialysis catheters, and Neutrolin's potential for preventing CRBSIs in these patients. Drs Polsky, Reidenberg, and Kopyt will be available to answer questions at the conclusion of the call. Neutrolin is a novel non-antibiotic antimicrobial solution being developed for the prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infections in patients with end-stage renal disease receiving hemodialysis through a central venous catheter. It has not yet been approved by FDA. The Company has begun NDA submission under rolling review with potential approval in hemodialysis in 2H20.

09:09 EDT CVS Health 'very pleased' with underlying business performance

09:08 EDT Predictive Oncology, Daniel Carter collaborating to develop COVID-19 vaccine - Predictive Oncology has, with the announced acquisition of Soluble Therapeutics, Inc. and the subsequent partnership and licensing of a novel nanoparticle vaccine platform recently developed by Dr. Daniel Carter, entered the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. The groundbreaking vaccine technology being developed by Dr. Carter is based on a self-assembling nanoparticle called NSP-10 which follows a foundational vaccine platform developed earlier by Dr. Carter and his team, using another self-assembling protein called ferritin, an iron storage protein found in all living things. The ferritin platform is currently exploited by NIH in its exploration of the universal flu vaccine which completed phase I clinical trials earlier this year and is currently recruiting for a second Phase 1 trial on a modified version of the ferritin self-assembly universal vaccine POAI has entered into an agreement with Dr. Carter under which POAI is licensing this technology, subject to certain conditions including additional documentation. NSP-10 is a newly patented self-assembling nanoparticle technology sometimes referred to as virus-like particles or VL. Called a nanoparticle because of its small size, typically 10-12 nanometers in diameter and self-assembling because a single small subunit has the built-in "self-assembly" instructions to form engineered complex Virus Like Particle assemblies. They can be thought of as "smart-Legos", so that when a large number are thrown together, they automatically self-assemble into the same large complex structures - in this case the vaccine. In the case of a DNA vaccine, the DNA instructs the body's cells to make the Legos in mass which assemble into numerous vaccine particles.

09:07 EDT Yield10 Bioscience to hold Annual Meeting of Stockholders virtually - Yield10 Bioscience announced a change in the format of its Annual Meeting of Shareholders from an in-person to a virtual-only meeting, via webcast, due to the emerging public health impact of the coronavirus pandemic and to support the health and well-being of the Company's shareholders, employees and their families. As previously announced, the Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. EDT.

09:05 EDT Heron Therapeutics sees 2020 net product sales for CINV $70M-$80M

09:05 EDT First Solar, Geronimo Energy sign 415MW series 6 framework supply agreement - First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) announced that it has entered into a framework supply agreement with Geronimo Energy, a National Grid (NGG) company. Under the agreement, First Solar will supply 415 megawatts DC of its high-performance, eco-efficient Series 6 photovoltaic modules in 2022. This latest transaction has grown the relationship between the two companies to over 1.4 gigawatts DC of both systems and module technology sales.

09:03 EDT Cassava Sciences 'on track' to achieve 2020 major strategic objectives - The company said, "In these times of pandemic, Cassava Sciences' top priorities are to protect the health, well-being, and safety of its employees and partners, while still focusing on the key drivers of its business. The company believes it remains on-track to achieve its major strategic objectives for 2020. The Company has not experienced major disruptions across its drug manufacturing operations or supply of materials. Its broad spectrum of technical consultants, scientific advisors and service providers continue to provide timely services. The Company has adapted flexible business practices, such as remote work arrangements and temporary travel restrictions, to insure it continues to operate safety and cautiously while meeting its public health responsibilities. Cassava Sciences recognizes the on-going pandemic has created an unstable and uncertain situation in the national economy. The Company continues to closely monitor the latest information to make timely, informed business decisions and public disclosures regarding the potential impact of pandemic on its operations. However, the scope of this pandemic is unprecedented and its long-term impact on the Company's operations and financial condition cannot be reasonably estimated at this time."

08:59 EDT Aeterna Zentaris announces upcoming anticipated program milestones - Upcoming Anticipated Program Milestones: Commence CGHD safety and efficacy study, Study P02; and Advance business development efforts to secure a marketing partner for macimorelin for the diagnosis of AGHD in Europe and other key markets.The Company is closely monitoring the evolving situation with coronavirus, or COVID-19, and is following guidance from health authorities. COVID-19 is affecting the global community and is adversely affecting our business operations, in a manner which at this time cannot be fully determined or quantified. The situation with COVID-19 is rapidly evolving and the impact of COVID-19, including travel and business restrictions, and other impediments to undertaking clinical studies, may significantly affect the Company's business, operations, results, projected timelines and market price for Aeterna's common shares. Aeterna has developed protocols and procedures should they be required to deal with any potential epidemics and pandemics and has implemented these protocols and procedures to address the current COVID-19 pandemic. Despite appropriate steps being taken to mitigate such risks, there can be no assurance that existing policies and procedures will ensure that the Company's operations will not be further adversely affected.

08:59 EDT Aeterna Zentaris provides macimorelin clinical program update - The Company's lead product, macimorelin, is the only United States Food and Drug Administration approved oral drug indicated for the diagnosis of AGHD and is currently marketed in the United States under the tradename Macrilen, by Novo Nordisk. Aeterna is currently developing macimorelin for the diagnosis of CGHD, an area of significant unmet need, in collaboration with Novo Nordisk. The Company recently announced positive results for the first pediatric study of macimorelin as a growth hormone stimulation test for the evaluation of CGHD. The dose-finding results from Study P01 provides the clinical framework to advance the Company's pediatric investigation plan for macimorelin as a growth hormone deficiency diagnostic. The completed study included 24 subjects aged 4 to 15 years. In the subjects who completed the study in accordance with the protocol, macimorelin demonstrated an excellent safety and tolerability profile. There were 88 adverse events reported in 23 subjects, none of which were assessed by the investigator as related to macimorelin. The majority of AEs were expected side effects related to the hypoglycemia introduced by the Insulin Tolerance Test. No significant changes in electrocardiogram parameters and safety laboratory values were noted in any of the three dosing cohorts. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of macimorelin proved to be in the expected range and in general comparable to data in adults.

08:56 EDT Discovery: Unscripted TV 'the new sports" during coronavirus pandemic

08:54 EDT AB Science granted authorization to initiate Phase 2 study of masitinib - AB Science announces initiation of a Phase 2 study evaluating masitinib in combination with isoquercetin for the treatment of COVID-19, following rapid review and acceptance received from the French Medicine Agency, ANSM. This study is a randomized, open-label Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of masitinib combined with isoquercetin in hospitalized patients with moderate and severe COVID-19. The study will enroll 200 patients at medical centers in France and other countries. The primary objective is to improve the clinical status of patients after 15 days of treatment. A webcast call will be held on Monday May 11, 2020 at 5.30pm CET to present the detailed study design and further explain the scientific rationale for combining masitinib with isoquercetin. Many patients with moderate and severe COVID-19, develop a "cytokine storm" that leads to severe pulmonary inflammation and various thrombotic events associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome and potentially death. The combination of masitinib and isoquercetin may prevent the development of these two complications. masitinib is a potent blocker of mast cells and macrophages that are contributors to the cytokine storm isoquercetin inhibits disulfide isomerase, an enzyme directly involved in the formation of clots and decreases D-Dimer, a predictor of COVID-19 thrombosis severity. the combination of masitinib and isoquercetin has a synergistic effect against senescent cells, a potential target of the virus that could explain the higher mortality rates in the elderly. The 7-point ordinal scale for clinical status is: 1. Not hospitalized, no limitations on activities; 2.Not hospitalized, limitation on activities; 3. Hospitalized, not requiring supplemental oxygen; 4. Hospitalized, requiring supplemental oxygen; 5. Hospitalized, on non-invasive ventilation or high flow oxygen devices; 6. Hospitalized, on invasive mechanical ventilation or ECMO; 7. Death.

08:52 EDT Celldex announces acceptance of CDX-0159 late-breaking poster presentation - Celldex Therapeutics announced that results from the Phase 1 study of CDX-0159 have been accepted as a late-breaking poster presentation with voice over at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Annual Congress 2020, which this year will be held digitally June 6-8, 2020. The study will be presented by Dr. Marcus Maurer, Professor of Dermatology and Allergy and Director of Research at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy at the Allergie-Centrum-Charite of the Charite - Universitatsmedizin in Berlin. Dr. Maurer is also head of the Specialty Clinics for Urticaria, Mastocytosis, Pruritus and Angioedema and the Dermatological Allergology Lab. Dr. Maurer is a leading medical expert in urticaria and his research focuses on the physiological and pathological functions of mast cells. Presentation #1829: CDX-0159, an anti-KIT monoclonal antibody, demonstrates dose-dependent reductions in serum tryptase and a favorable safety profile in a phase 1a healthy volunteer study. CDX-0159 is a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds the KIT receptor and potently inhibits its activity. The KIT receptor tyrosine kinase is expressed in a variety of cells, including mast cells. In certain inflammatory diseases, such as chronic urticarias, mast cell degranulation plays a central role in the onset and progression of the disease. Enrollment and treatment of healthy subjects was recently completed in the ongoing Phase 1 single ascending dose escalation study of CDX-0159 in healthy subjects. This study is designed to evaluate the safety profile, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of CDX-0159 and to select a dose for further study in mast cell driven diseases. The Phase 1 study also evaluates plasma tryptase levels in healthy subjects. Tryptase is an enzyme synthesized and secreted by mast cells and decreases in plasma tryptase levels reflect a systemic reduction in mast cell burden, even in healthy volunteers. If CDX-0159 is able to decrease systemic mast cell load in healthy volunteers, Celldex believes the drug candidate could have significant potential in mast cell driven diseases. Based on promising results observed to date, Celldex is expanding development of CDX-0159 into Phase 1b studies in both chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and chronic inducible urticaria.

08:47 EDT Meridian Bioscience partners with QuantuMDx on COVID-19 assay - Meridian Bioscience announced its collaboration with QuantuMDx on its newly launched SARS-CoV-2 assay for laboratory use. The QuantuMDx assay incorporates and takes advantage of Meridian's proprietary Lyo-Ready 1-Step RT-qPCR master mix, allowing for a fast and highly reproducible assay that is stable at ambient temperature. Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Meridian has enabled the manufacture of millions of COVID-19 assays through its partnerships with over 35 diagnostic companies around the globe. In the last few months, Meridian has multiplied its production capabilities to meet the demand of its customers including QuantuMDx.

08:45 EDT Discovery sees core costs down mid to high single digits

08:43 EDT Enthusiast Gaming, G FUEL announce multi-year partnership - Enthusiast Gaming Holdings announced a new partnership with leading gaming energy drink brand G FUEL, to build an integrated marketing campaign that leverages the full Enthusiast Gaming platform and its reach of over 200 million gamers. The multi-year partnership will utilize Enthusiast Gaming's platform to help increase G FUEL's brand awareness and continue to drive market share. This partnership is also monumental for Enthusiast Gaming and its esports organization, Luminosity Gaming, as it continues to validate its dominance within the gaming space. Because of the size and scale of its platform, Enthusiast Gaming and G FUEL will create a fully customized marketing campaign that will communicate G FUEL's key messaging strategy and engage specifically with its target market. Enthusiast Gaming will leverage its platform of gaming and esports communities to promote G FUEL by providing user generated content, influencer marketing, online entertainment and advertising across its entire media network. G FUEL will be a key sponsor of Luminosity Gaming, a significant alliance between two leaders in the industry. Luminosity Gaming is one of the world's top esports organizations, the owners of seven professional esports teams and home to many of the most influential content creators and elite esports athletes. G FUEL will tap into Luminosity's influencer and content creator network to reach its combined social following of over 60 million fans. As a sponsor, the G FUEL logo will be placed on Luminosity's jerseys.

08:41 EDT Muscle Maker breaks ground on two delivery-only ghost kitchens in Chicago - Muscle Maker Grill announced that it has begun the construction phase at two of its five new delivery-only ghost kitchens to open in the downtown Chicago market. Both of the new delivery-only ghost kitchens are slated to open in early summer with the remaining three Chicago locations to follow soon after. The kitchens will feature menu items from both Muscle Maker Grill and Healthy Joe's, a new brand that showcases oven toasted subs, hot topped salads and bowls. Healthy Joe's fast-casual restaurant launched in Tribeca in November of 2019. Food delivery has grown into a significant industry and management expects the growth to continue as restaurants pivot in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the popularity of delivery-only ghost kitchens. Muscle Maker Grill signed a ten-location agreement with a major delivery-only kitchen provider earlier this year, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Company intends to increase its delivery-only ghost kitchen footprint in key major metropolitan markets as part of its non-traditional growth plans. The low cost of entry, reduced overhead, and quick buildouts are key factors in Muscle Maker's strategy to open these non-traditional locations. In addition to ghost kitchens, non-traditional opportunities for the brand include colleges, military bases, airports and medical centers. Muscle Maker recently opened its sixth military location at Camp Elmore in March.

08:39 EDT Brainsway appoints Judith Huber as CFO - BrainsWay announced that Hadar Levy has been promoted to Senior Vice President and General Manager of North America, and Judith Huber has been appointed the Company's Senior Vice President and CFO, effective May 11, 2020. Levy will oversee BrainsWay's North American business, including sales, operations, customer service, field engineering, and customer training. He is the Company's current CFO and COO. Huber served as CFO of NinePoint Medical, Inc., a privately-held, advanced image guidance company, where she led multiple financings.

08:37 EDT Cortexyme publishes data on P. gingivalis ability to infect neurons - Cortexyme announced the publication of research further documenting the ability of the pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis to invade neurons and trigger Alzheimer's-like neuropathology. The findings are to be published in the June 2020 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease; an early online version of the paper is available now so that the important findings can be rapidly disseminated to the research community. "P. gingivalis is best known for its role as a primary driver of chronic periodontal disease, but researchers at Cortexyme and independent labs around the world have assembled a compelling body of data on its ability to infiltrate the brain and cause pathology characteristic of Alzheimer's disease," said Stephen Dominy, M.D., Cortexyme's chief scientific officer and co-founder, and co-author on the paper. "This latest research strengthens the connection between P. gingivalis and Alzheimer's, and underscores the importance both of studying the pathogen and targeting it with potential therapeutics, such as COR388." As a Gram-negative, asaccharolytic bacterium, P. gingivalis breaks down proteins for its primary source of energy by utilizing toxic virulence factor proteases known as gingipains. Previous research led by the team at Cortexyme has demonstrated the presence of gingipains in greater than 90% of post-mortem brains of patients with AD. Cortexyme and others have also shown in animal models that P. gingivalis results in brain infection and classic AD pathology, including neurodegeneration, inflammation, beta-amyloid and tau pathology.

08:36 EDT Yamana Gold provides update on Phase 2 expansion of Jacobina mine - YAMANA GOLD provides an update on the Phase 2 expansion of its Jacobina mine. The Phase 2 expansion strategically positions Jacobina to generate further value bringing forward cash flows and increasing its leverage to gold prices, while taking advantage of its exceptional geological potential, both near mine and regionally, supported by the operation's impressive track record of discovery and conversion of mineral resources to mineral reserves, which continue to show positive results in 2020. The Phase 2 pre-feasibility study case is based on the mine's current mineral reserves and includes a life of mine of 11.5-years from the beginning of 2020. It outlines an after-tax net present value of $777 million, assuming a $1,250 per ounce gold price, and an NPV of $1.23 billion at $1,550 per ounce gold. An extended mine plan has been developed that considers the addition of 9.5 million tonnes of plant feed with an average grade of 2.40 grams of gold per tonne, assuming the successful conversion of mineral resources. In this Extended Case scenario, the Phase 2 mine life increases to 14.5 years and outlines an NPV of $993 million, assuming a $1,250 per ounce gold price, and an NPV of $1.54 billion at $1,550 per ounce gold. The low-risk Phase 2 expansion is expected to generate cash flows in the first 10 years after completion of $1.42 billion in the PFS Case at a gold price of $1,550 per ounce, and $1.78 billion in the Extended Case scenario at a $1,550 gold price. Assumes a conservative Brazilian Real to US dollar exchange rate of 4.0:1. Average gold production increases to 230,000 ounces per year at an average feed grade of 2.40 g/t of gold, representing a 31% production increase compared to the Phase 1 running rate of 175,000 ounces per year. At the new production rate, the cost structure improves as fixed costs are spread over more units, delivering an average LOM unit operating cost of $37.50 per tonne fed, average LOM cash costs of $532 per ounce, and all-in sustaining costs of $727 per ounce, cementing Jacobina's position as a low-cost underground mining operation. Assumes a conservative BRL/USD exchange rate of 4.0:1. Modest capital cost estimated at $57 million using the same exchange rate of 4.0:1, which would not begin until 2021, and largely consists of modifications to the processing plant as well as underground development acceleration. Plant modifications include the replacement of the existing tertiary crusher with a larger capacity crusher, the addition of a third ball mill, and the addition of a new silo. Assuming a BRL/USD exchange rate of 5.0:1, average LOM cash costs improve by 18% to $438 per ounce and LOM AISC improve by 16% to $609 per ounce, and the project capital cost declines 19% to $46 million. Further optimization opportunities are advancing in parallel, aimed at improving mining recovery, reducing costs, and converting mineral resources to mineral reserves. Immediate value increases are delivered by the spot foreign exchange rate of BRL/USD of 5.6:1 compared to 4.0:1 assumed in the PFS, and current spot gold prices. Phase 2 completion would occur in early 2023 with the timeline dependent on the feasibility study. The completion of the feasibility study is currently planned for mid-2021, with the permitting process already ongoing and expected to be approved by late 2021. The feasibility study will look to further improve operating costs and also take into account the actual realized potential under the Phase 1 optimization to determine the true potential of Phase 2. The Company may choose to normalize operations under Phase 1 for a period of time to determine the true realizable throughput under this phase before proceeding with Phase 2. Exploration at Jacobina is focused on identifying areas of higher grade mineralization and converting those areas to measured and indicated mineral resources both near the mine infrastructure and in the district. The results to date underline the potential of the Jacobina mine to both expand the total mineral reserve base and to potentially provide higher grade mill feed in the early years of the Phase 2 expansion. The Company is planning an exploration update for Jacobina and El Penon later in May.

08:35 EDT DarioHealth's self-test blood glucose meters approved by FDA for use in pandemic - DarioHealth's home-use blood glucose meters including Dario's smartphone-connected metering device has been approved by the FDA to be used by patients with diabetes who are hospitalized due to COVID-19 to check their own blood glucose levels and provide the readings to the health care personnel caring for them, in an effort to reduce contact between healthcare providers and patients in hospital settings, limit COVID-19 exposure, and preserve personal protective equipment. As a result of these recently updated guidelines, hospitals can now allow patients to self-test using their Dario blood glucose testing strips and smartphone-connected device or the hospital can issue patients a Dario device upon admission to the hospital for COVID-19 related conditions. Irregularities in blood glucose levels are suspected as a factor in the increased severity of potentially deadly COVID-19 complications, driving a high priority placed on stabilization of patients' blood glucose levels.

08:33 EDT Centennial Resource Development announces extension of early tender date - Centennial Resource Development announced that its operating subsidiary, Centennial Resource Production has extended the date by which early tenders must be received for its previously announced offers to exchange its outstanding 5.375% Senior Notes due 2026 and its outstanding 6.875% Senior Notes due 2027 for up to $250 million aggregate principal amount of newly issued 8.00% Second Lien Senior Secured Notes due 2025 and up to $200 million aggregate principal amount of newly issued 8.00% Third Lien Senior Secured Notes due 2027, in each case upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the confidential offering memorandum and consent solicitation statement, dated April 22, 2020, as supplemented by supplement no. 1 thereto, dated May 4, 2020. As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 5, 2020, $110.4 million in aggregate principal amount of Old 2026 Notes and $143.5 million in aggregate principal amount of Old 2027 Notes had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the terms of the Exchange Offers and related consent solicitations.

08:32 EDT Genuine Parts not providing guidance until macro-economic conditions improve - Genuine Parts said, "On April 6, 2020, the company withdrew its full-year 2020 guidance. Due to the economic uncertainty as a result of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the limited visibility on the impacts to our businesses, we cannot reasonably estimate the company's full year financial and operating results at this time. Therefore, we will not be providing annual guidance updates until macro-economic conditions improve."

08:28 EDT VBL Therapeutics presents data on MOSPD2 antibodies - VBL Therapeutics announced new data implicating the potential of its anti-MOSPD2 antibodies for treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and colitis. Treatment with anti-MOSPD2 antibodies was shown to decrease inflammation and fibrosis in a NASH model and significantly reduce disease activity in a colitis model. VBL's ePoster entitled "MOSPD2: A novel therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory digestive disorders," was presented at the Digestive Disease Week 2020 virtual meeting. VBL's study was rated in the top 10% of all abstracts in this category and was selected as Poster of Distinction. Studies have emphasized the crucial role of infiltrating monocytes/macrophages for the progression of liver inflammation and fibrosis in experimental mouse models and in patients with liver cirrhosis. Peripheral monocytes are also involved in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis, as circulating monocytes were shown to accumulate in the inflamed gut of IBD patients and promote the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. VBL's data demonstrate that MOSPD2 plays a role in the pathogenesis of NASH and colitis, by inhibiting the accumulation of monocytes in the affected tissue. Targeting of MOSPD2 using specific monoclonal antibodies, such as the proprietary ones developed by VBL, may offer a novel and distinct treatment for chronic immune-inflammatory indications including colitis and NASH. In the NASH landscape, VBL's differentiated approach opens a possibility for treatment of patients with established disease, whose liver has advanced to stages of inflammation and fibrosis.

08:26 EDT CVS Health: Q2 will reflect 'significant increase' in operating expenses vs. Q1

08:22 EDT Discovery: April ad sales down 20%; May and June 'look good'

08:22 EDT Capstone Turbine receives order for 400 kilowatt C400 microturbine - Capstone Turbine announced that it received an order for a three-bay, 400 kilowatt, C400 Signature Series microturbine based energy system to modernize a water pollution facility in upstate New York. The microturbine will be utilized in a combined heat and power application and will run on biogas, or "green waste," produced on-site from municipal solid waste.

08:21 EDT Endra Life Sciences issued additional patents for Thermoacoustic Imaging Probe - Endra Life Sciences has recently been issued design patents D883487 and D883488 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its "Thermoacoustic Imaging Probe" and "Thermoacoustic Imaging Probe With Outdents." CEO Francois Michelon said, "ENDRA's goal is to develop applications for our proprietary TAEUS technology in areas of high unmet clinical need, such as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease which affects over 1 billion people globally, and for which there are no practical diagnostic tools. The recently-issued '487 and 488' patents provide more robust intellectual property protection for our TAEUS platform in a key global market. In particular, the '487 patent protects the basic appearance of the FLIP probe, including the relevant combination of shapes and surface markings, while the '488 patent protects a user-friendly embodiment of the '487 patent. Our IP portfolio continues to grow and currently stands at 68 defined, filed, issued, and/or licensed assets, which will provide significant market protection as we enter the commercialization phase for our technology."

08:19 EDT RLH Corporation releases hotel cleanliness standards - RLH Corporation announced enhanced cleanliness recommendations for its 1,000+ independently owned and operated hotels. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has released guidelines and resources to franchisees and licensees urging them to adopt vigilant cleanliness and sanitation practices to ensure positive guest experiences at any of their 8 brands. Hotel cleanliness recommendations are based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control, World Health Organization, leading hospitality trade associations such as the American Hotel and Lodging Association and Asian American Hotel Owners Association, and highly-respected commercial cleaning and sanitation companies like Ecolab, Proctor & Gamble and Diversey. Hotels following The Company's guidelines should be deploying several cleanliness measures including: Physical distancing including the use of physical distancing markers, protocols for space between hotel staff and hotel guests, plexiglass shields at front desks and credit card terminals to limit physical contact, where possible. Only opening as many rooms as needed as occupancy begins to increase - when reserving rooms, locate bookings in one section of the building or in every other room, when possible. Increased public space sanitation including making hand sanitizer available to guests and employees throughout public spaces and hourly disinfection of public and back of house areas, as well as the surfaces within them. Increased guestroom sanitation including removing all reusable collateral and reading material from rooms, removing extra pillows and blankets stored in closets and focusing housekeeping attention on disinfecting every surface within a guestroom such as desks, counters, phones, TV remotes, thermostats, cabinets, doors, restroom hardware, windows, lighting controls and closet hangers. Food and beverage service modifications such as serving condiments in single use containers, suspending self-serve food options, and prohibiting the re-use of cups at self-serve beverage stations. Technological advancements such as mobile check-in and digital keys, where available.

08:18 EDT Trovagene changing company name to Cardiff Oncology, appoints Mark Erlander CEO - Trovagene is changing its company name to Cardiff Oncology and Mark Erlander will assume the role of CEO. In connection with the new corporate name, the company's Nasdaq ticker symbol will change to 'CRDF' and will be effective at the open of the market on Friday, May 8. The new website will be https://cardiffoncology.com. The new name, Cardiff Oncology, aims to reflect the company's mission to turning the tide on cancer with its development of onvansertib, a first-in-class, third-generation, oral and highly-selective Polo-like Kinase 1 inhibitor, for the treatment of cancers. Erlander has served as Chief Scientific Officer since joining the Company in 2013. Thomas Adams, Chairman of the Board since 2009, and CEO since June of 2018, will transition his role to Executive Chairman, and continue to provide his strategic guidance and drug development expertise to the company.

08:16 EDT LAIX appoints Bing Sun as CFO - LAIX announced the appointment of Mr. Bing Sun, as the company's new CFO, effective May 6. He most recently served as CFO and deputy general manager at Wanxiang A123 Systems.

08:14 EDT Twist Bioscience identifies competitive antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 - Twist Bioscience reported it has identified competitive antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, which could potentially be used for diagnostic tests or therapeutic treatments. Twist's unique monoclonal antibody candidates bind with high affinity to the receptor binding domain, or RBD, on the S1 spike protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 viral molecules. Twist has also found antibody candidates that bind with high affinity to the human ACE2 cellular receptor, the binding site of SARS-CoV-2 in the human body.

08:12 EDT Capital Product expects material reduction in market charter rates - While it is still too early to fully assess the impact of COVID-19 on the Partnership's financial condition and operations and on the container industry in general, we have identified the following adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Partnership: Significant delays and increased costs associated with the two vessels that had scrubbers retrofitted during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Both vessels have now completed the scrubber retrofits and commenced their respective employment. The Partnership does not have any other scrubber retrofit commitments at the moment. The previously announced refinancing with ICBC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. of our three 9,000 TEU container vessels for an amount up to $155.4 million has been delayed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in China and we now expect to close the transaction in May 2020. The transaction is expected to generate an additional liquidity of up to $38.8 million (based on the current principal amount outstanding under our 2017 credit facility and vessel charter free market values as of March 31, 2020) and reduce the pro rata annual amortization cost for these three vessels by $3.4 million. In addition, the ICBC lease carries a reduced interest margin compared to our existing credit facility. Expected material reduction in market charter rates, as a result of the decreased demand for container capacity and the uncertainty with regard to the timing of a return to more normalized global trade patterns, potentially adversely affecting the re-chartering prospects of certain of our vessels and the financial position of our counterparties. The Partnership has four vessels coming off their present employment in the next 12 months, with the next vessel coming up for renewal after that period in February 2024. Potential adverse impact on asset values reflecting the weaker chartering environment and lack of liquidity in the second hand market. The Partnership is fully compliant with all its financial covenants as of end of the first quarter of 2020 and with its net leverage as defined in the Partnership's loan agreements at 46.8% compared to an upper limit of 75.0%. Increased operating costs and potential for operational disruption and idle time for our vessels as crew rotation, supplying our vessels with spares or other supplies and overhauling or maintenance by attending engineers has been adversely affected by COVID-19 due to travel restrictions and quarantine rules. Both our managers, Capital Executive Ship Management Corp. and Capital Ship Management Corp. have adopted comprehensive COVID-19 policies to protect the physical and mental health of crews onboard our vessels and to minimize operational impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The actual impact of these effects and the efficacy of any measures we take in response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 will depend on how the outbreak will develop, the duration and extent of the restrictive measures that are associated with COVID-19 and their impact on global economy and trade.

08:12 EDT Alnylam cuts FY20 ONPATTRO revenue view to $270M-$300M from $285M-$315M

08:09 EDT Zai Lab granted priority review for omadacycline NDA from China's NMPA - Zai Lab Limited announced that the Center for Drug Evaluation of China's National Medical Products Administration has granted priority review status to the New Drug Application (NDA) for omadacycline for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

08:09 EDT Quotient Technology announces partnership with Shipt to launch digital coupons - Quotient announced a partnership with Shipt, the same-day delivery marketplace, to launch digital coupons for groceries and household essentials to customers through the Shipt website and app. The partnership comes at an unprecedented time when online grocery delivery services have seen a dramatic increase in use as hundreds of millions of Americans are social distancing at home due to COVID-19. A recent survey showed 31% of U.S. households have used an online grocery delivery or pickup service in March alone. Shipt has seen a significant increase in app downloads and has added 80,000 new Shipt Shoppers to its community during the pandemic. With the partnership, Quotient will enable Shipt for the first time to provide national manufacturers' coupons from such well-known consumer-packaged goods brands. For Shipt, the partnership provides customers the opportunity to save money through national digital coupons as Shipt continues to grow its network of 90+ retailers across more than 5,000 U.S. cities.

08:07 EDT Discovery CEO David Zaslav: Business 'has not missed a beat' amid pandemic - Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:05 EDT Allogene Therapeutics expects 2020 net losses $260M-$280M - Allogene continues to expect full year GAAP net losses to be between $260 million and $280 million including estimated non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $70 million to $75 million and excluding any impact from potential business development activities.

08:04 EDT Allogene Therapeutics continues pre-clinical work on ALLO-316 - The Company has continued to progress pre-clinical work on ALLO-316, its anti-CD70 AlloCAR T clinical candidate. ALLO-316 has potential application in both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The initial focus for this investigational therapy will be renal cell carcinoma. The Company plans to submit an IND by the end of 2020.

08:02 EDT China Rapid Finance enters into agreements to acquire YBT - China Rapid Finance announced the execution of a set of agreements on May 5, with Yong Bao Two, or YBT, the parent company of SOS Information Technology, or SOS, via a variable interest entity, or VIE, the shareholders of YBT, eight sophisticated investors introduced by YBT and True North Financial. The Agreements will allow the Investors to acquire share amounts previously issued to True North as well as certain additional shares in exchange for the repayment of the Senior Secured Promissory Note issued by True North Financial. YBT shareholders will be contributing the YBT business into XRF. The purchasers will make certain cash investments. The per share purchase price for the transaction is $1.36 which reflects an approximate 25% premium to the 30-day average closing price at signing. Under the terms of the Agreements, True North will transfer 37,985,293 Class A shares and the company will issue 3,465,574 Class B ordinary shares to the Investors. To compensate for the price difference between the True North financing and the current market price, true-up shares of about 8,066,241 Class A and 9,806,331 Class B ordinary shares shall be issued to the Investors. All of the Class B Shares previously issued to True North will be canceled. Upon closing, the company will have 131,039,056 total shares outstanding. The Agreements are subject to a number of closing conditions and there is no assurance that such conditions will be met or satisfied. Upon the closing, YBT will become a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. YBT, through its consolidated subsidiaries, is a significant player in the emergency rescue business providing emergency healthcare services, emergency roadside assistance, emergency living assistance, and other rescue services in China.

07:59 EDT Wingstop says domestic SSS increased over 30% for April - The CEO said, "I would like to provide more clarity on our performance and a preliminary update on domestic same-store sales for the first four weeks of the second quarter of 2020. As a reminder, our domestic same-store sales experienced a slight uptick as we closed out the first quarter with an 8.9% increase from March 15 to March 28. The first four weeks of April were even stronger. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, our off-premise sales accounted for 80% of our domestic system sales, and digital sales consisted of just over 40% of our sales. Since closing our dining rooms on March 16, 2020, 100% of sales are off premise and digital orders account for nearly 65% of our sales. We believe the investments made over the past few years to build a world-class digital and delivery foundation for our brand positioned us for the success we have seen during this time. To quantify that, our domestic same-store sales increased more than 30% in the month of April, far exceeding our own expectations. However, our brand partners, supplier partners, and our delivery partner Doordash have not missed a beat with this strong increase. We are humbled by our performance and remain confident in the solid positioning of our brand in life during the COVID-19 outbreak and after the pandemic subsides. Our international business, which consists of 160 restaurants, has not fared as well during this time. Our international brand partners rely more heavily on the availability of dining rooms for locations in large malls as well as a market like Mexico, where our business is more of a casual dining model. Internationally, we have been more adversely impacted due to the closure of these dining rooms in response to COVID-19, but have seen the teams react well to this change by leveraging our domestic experience to provide access to take-out and delivery in all markets. We continue working closely with our international brand partners by providing support to help mitigate the impact financially so they can re-emerge stronger and ready for continued growth"

07:54 EDT Strongbridge lowers FY20 KEVEYIS revenue view $22M-$26M from $26M-$27M - Revenue consensus $26.06M. The Company achieved KEVEYIS net product sales of $6.7 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020, in-line with its original expectations, and representing a 54 percent increase over first quarter 2019 revenue of $4.3 million. The Company also met its budget for KEVEYIS revenue for April 2020 and this represents the highest month of revenue in KEVEYIS history. First quarter and April 2020 performance is attributed to the growth in patients on drug, which was at an all-time high in the first quarter of 2020, combined with recent low discontinuation rates for existing patients on therapy. Our patient services team is working closely with existing patients to minimize any interruptions or unnecessary discontinuations with therapy. The Company has observed a recent reduction in new patient starts, which it believes has been driven by decreased interactions among patients and the medical community as a consequence of social distancing measures required due to COVID-19, and reduced in-person interaction between the Company's field team and the medical community since our field team is working remotely. Due to uncertainties related to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, the Company has adjusted KEVEYIS full-year revenue guidance for 2020 to $22 million to $26 million. The Company has an adequate supply of KEVEYIS on-hand to cover existing patients for approximately two and a half years and does not anticipate any disruption in the manufacturing process related to the COVID-19 global pandemic

07:48 EDT Accenture acquires Kates Kesler, terms not disclosed - Accenture has acquired Kates Kesler, "an organization design consultancy headquartered in New York City that helps many of the world's largest companies execute their growth strategies. Kates Kesler joins Accenture's Talent & Organization / Human Potential practice, adding new methodologies and organizational design solutions that will expand existing C-suite offerings including: People Experience, Organization, Leadership & Culture, Work & Workforce, Digital Core, Business & Change Agility, Intelligent Operating Model and Living Systems." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

07:46 EDT CVS Health reports April retail SSS up 1.4% y/y - Reports April: Pharmacy sales up 5.3%; Pharmacy adjusted prescription volume (0.6%), Front store sales (10.9%); Pharmacy Services total claims processed 0.6%; HCB decreases in utilization across an array of services (~30%). Comments taken from Q1 investor presentation slides.

07:45 EDT Barrick Gold reports Q1 production 1.25M ounces of gold, 115M pounds of copper

07:41 EDT BioCryst on track to report data from Phase 1 trial of BCX9250 in 2H20 - The company remains on track to report data in 2H 2020 from its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of BCX9250, an oral ALK-2 kinase inhibitor for treatment of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, in healthy subjects.

07:39 EDT BioCryst expects data from BCX9930 in Q3 - Low dose cohort data in three treatment-naive paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria patients who completed 28 days of therapy shows BCX9930 inhibited complement and was safe and generally well tolerated. Patients were severely ill with pre-treatment LDH from 3.7 to 11 the upper limit of normal and low hemoglobin of 6.0 to 8.2 g/dL. All patients had dose-dependent reductions in LDH and increases in hemoglobin. No drug-related serious adverse events were observed. No PNH patients experienced rash. Based on the investigators' assessment of clinical benefit, all three patients continued on therapy with BCX9930 following the 28-day study window. With the recent enrollment of a fourth patient with PNH, enrollment is now complete in treatment-naive cohort 1 Treatment-naive cohort 2 is expected to begin enrollment upon completion of cohort 1, with data expected in Q3 2020. The company plans to begin enrolling PNH patients resistant to C5 inhibitors in Q3 2020 and expects to report data from these treatment-resistant patients by the end of 2020. Data from the 200 mg and 400 mg twice-daily multiple ascending dose cohorts in healthy volunteers shows greater than98 percent suppression of the alternative pathway beyond 12 hours and no dose-limiting adverse events. Given these data, the company expects to achieve its goal of monotherapy for PNH patients in cohort 2.

07:37 EDT BioCryst says timelines remain on track for berotralstat regulatory approvals - BioCryst expects three regulatory approvals for berotralstat in 2020 and early 2021. These timelines remain on track. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing a new drug application for berotralstat and has set an action date of December 3, 2020, under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. In Japan, the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency is reviewing a new drug application for berotralstat under the Sakigake timeline, and the company expects approval in Japan in the second half of 2020. On March 30, 2020, the company announced that the European Medicines Agency had validated its marketing authorization application submission for berotralstat and begun their formal review of the MAA under the centralized procedure. An opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use is expected within approximately 12 months from MAA validation. Ongoing commercial launch preparations are on track in the U.S., EU and Japan. The company does not expect delays due to COVID-19. On May 5, 2020, the company announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a notice of allowance for a new composition of matter patent which extends patent protection for berotralstat in the U.S. market by four years through October 2039.

07:35 EDT Magenta Therapeutics, Avrobio announce MGTA-117 collaboration agreement - Magenta Therapeutics (MGTA) and Avrobio (AVRO) announced a research and clinical collaboration agreement to evaluate the potential utility of MGTA-117, Magenta's novel targeted antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC, for conditioning patients before they receive one of Avrobio's investigational lentiviral gene therapies. The collaboration will combine Magenta's expertise in ADC-based conditioning with Avrobio's expertise in lentiviral gene therapies and is expected to further the two companies' shared mission to enable patients to live free from disease. Under the collaboration, Magenta and Avrobio will jointly evaluate MGTA-117 in conjunction with one or more of Avrobio's investigational gene therapies. Magenta will retain all commercial rights to MGTA-117. Avrobio will retain all commercial rights to its gene therapies and will be responsible for the clinical trial costs related to the evaluation of MGTA-117 with Avrobio's gene therapies.

07:34 EDT Astec suspends all hiring, will reduce workforce as appropriate - The company said, "On April 1, 2020, Astec Industries issued a COVID-19 Business Update. In that update, we provided the measures we are taking to ensure the health and wellbeing of our employees, their families and communities in which we operate, while continuing to serve our customers' critical needs. Below is a COVID-related update by category: The Company remains focused on liquidity and cash preservation. We ended the quarter with a net cash position of $43.9 million with total debt of $1.2 million. The Company has available liquidity in excess of $186.0 million as of March 31, 2020. As of May 6, 2020, all but one of our facilities, Omagh, Northern Ireland, are operational and able to meet current demand levels. We continue to manufacture our products, as they are deemed essential to building and maintaining the infrastructure used to move goods to market, facilitate the transportation needs of communities and for public health and safety. During the first quarter of 2020, we experienced a temporary suspension of operations at two of our facilities, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Omagh, Northern Ireland, in observance of government mandates. These two facilities were closed for approximately one month. South Africa resumed operations on May 4, 2020 and our Omagh plans to resume operations by mid-May, 2020. We have not experienced any interruption to our supply chain and are able to source the necessary materials needed to meet our customers' needs. We are closely monitoring our supply chain and are ready to take proactive actions as needed to mitigate any potential disruptions. We have increased the frequency of communications with our suppliers and customers to ensure business continuity, anticipate, and prepare for any new developments. We have implemented additional actions to help mitigate the financial and operations impacts of COVID-19, including reducing expenses and conserving cash. These actions include: Suspension of all hiring, except for critical positions; Discretionary spending reductions; Working capital management to ensure efficient accounts receivable processing with our customers; Reductions in force as appropriate."

07:33 EDT General Motors focused on preserving liquidity - "We are focused on preserving liquidity and taking the right actions today to make the company stronger and more competitive in the long term as we navigate through these unprecedented times," CFO Dhivya Suryadevara said in a statement.

07:32 EDT General Motors reports Q1 EBIT adjusted $1.2B

07:30 EDT Voyager Therapeutics announces anticipated upcoming milestones - Anticipated Upcoming Milestones: VY-AADC for Parkinson's Disease: Report 3-year results from PD-1101 trial 2H 2020; Report 2-year results from PD-1102 trial 2H 2020; Initiate RESTORE-2 registration trial 2H 2020. VY-HTT01 for Huntington's Disease: Provide update on program and clinical plans mid-2020; Present additional results from preclinical studies 2H 2020; Provide progress updates on Friedreich's ataxia program, new discovery programs, as well as vectorized antibody and novel capsid efforts 2020.

07:23 EDT InMode sees FY20 revenue "not significantly lower" than FY19, consensus $168.86M - InMode decided not to give an updated detailed guidance for 2020. Currently, FY20 revenue outlook will not be significantly lower than revenue in 2019, and a gross margin of 84%-86%. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a temporary halt in elective aesthetic surgical procedures, InMode believes that this standstill will gradually end within the coming month or two, based on the fact that the pandemic has reached the controlled phase. InMode believes that starting the month of June 2020 and throughout Q3 - InMode's business will gradually return to normal. Therefore, InMode has decided not to downsize the company or lay off any of its employees. In addition, Inmode decided to leave the PPP money to stimulate the U.S economy. The company has also developed a sales program, which it will initiate after COVID-19 subsides.

07:23 EDT Bow Street files proxy for election of nominees to Mack-Cali Realty board - Bow Street announced that it has filed a definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the election of its director nominees to the Mack-Cali Realty board in connection with the company's 2020 annual meeting of shareholders to be held June 10. Bow Street's nominees include Tammy Jones, Akiva Katz, Mahbod Nia and Howard Stern as well as the four directors shareholders elected at the 2019 annual meeting - Alan Batkin, Frederic Cumenal, MaryAnne Gilmartin, and Nori Gerardo Lietz. Additionally, Bow Street said it is sending a letter to its fellow Mack-Cali shareholders outlining the company's "urgent need for new leadership at the Board and management levels following years of prolonged underperformance and blatant disregard for accountability and oversight."

07:21 EDT Waste Management: Pandemic had negative revenue impact of about $40M - The Company had the following COVID-19-related business impacts in the first quarter, beginning in March 2020: A reduction in landfill and industrial collection volumes. While volume-driven revenue in the commercial collection business held up relatively well in March, service decreases accelerated late in the month and into the second quarter. An increase in container weights in the residential line of business, which increased our cost to service these customers. A negative revenue impact of approximately $40 million. A $6 million increase in SG&A expenses, driven by technology costs incurred to accelerate work-from-home capabilities. A decline in operating EBITDA margin of approximately 40 basis points, which the Company attributes to volume declines in our higher-margin lines of business and cost pressures in the residential line of business. In its higher-margin lines of business, the Company effectively flexed operating costs with volume changes, particularly labor and fleet costs, mitigating margin pressure.

07:19 EDT Constellation expects cash to fund operations in 2H22 - Constellation expects that its current cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities will enable it to fund operations into the second half of 2022.

07:19 EDT Constellation Pharmaceuticals announces 2020 milestones - The Company anticipates achieving the following milestones during 2020: CPI-0610 - Provide MANIFEST program update at EHA in June; CPI-0610 - Initiate Phase 3 clinical trial in second half of 2020; CPI-0610 - Provide additional MANIFEST program update by end of year; CPI-1205 - Provide ProSTAR program update and determine next steps mid-year; CPI-0209 - Provide program update, including recommended Phase 2 dose, by end of year.

07:18 EDT Horizon Therapeutics announces two new Tepezza pipeline programs - The company is planning to initiate a single-arm, open-label trial of Tepezza in patients with fibrotic TED. In fibrotic TED, the disease is no longer progressive or inflammatory; however, significant disease manifestations such as proptosis and diplopia remain. As part of its evaluation of additional indications for Tepezza, the company is planning to initiate an exploratory trial in dcSSc. The company expects to initiate the trial by the end of 2020.

07:17 EDT Constellation says COVID-19 may impact start of Phase 3 trial for CPI-0610 - The company said, "Conditions at clinical trial sites caused by COVID-19 may impact the timing of the start of our Phase 3 clinical trial for CPI-0610. However, we still aim to begin this trial in the second half of 2020."

07:16 EDT Constellation says Phase 1 trial for CP1-0209 proceeding as planned - The company said, "The ProSTAR trial is fully enrolled and we plan to determine next steps for CPI-1205 after taking a mid-year data cut. As we previously discussed, our plans for any potential Phase 3 program for CPI-1205 will depend on our assessment of these data on duration of effect, as well as other considerations. The Phase 1 clinical trial for CPI-0209 is proceeding as planned, and we expect to determine a recommended Phase 2 dose in the second half of 2020. Once we have established the Phase 2 dose we plan to start a broad-based expansion study in solid tumors."

07:15 EDT Constellation Pharmaceuticals expects to start CPI-0610 trial in 2H20 - The company said, "On May 14, we expect three abstracts to publish in association with the European Hematology Association. We will provide an update with 12-week data from 29 JAK-inhibitor-naive patients, 24-week data from 15 JAK-inhibitor-naive patients, and 24-week data from 48 JAK-inhibitor-experienced patients. Data will include preliminary evidence of disease modification, including bone marrow fibrosis, hemoglobin changes, and conversion from transfusion dependence to transfusion independence, in addition to spleen and symptom improvement. In mid-June, we expect to present a further update in conjunction with the EHA meeting, including 12-week data from approximately 50 first-line patients, and 24-week data from 25-30 first-line patients and 70-80 second-line patients. We aim to start a global clinical trial for CPI-0610 in the first-line setting during the second half of 2020. We continue to plan to meet with the FDA in mid-2020 to discuss the future development of CPI-0610."

07:12 EDT EyePoint expects cash to fund operating plan into 2021 - The company said, "We expect that the Company's cash and cash equivalents combined with projected cash inflows from anticipated YUTIQ and DEXYCU product sales can fund the Company's operating plan into 2021 under current assumptions for the duration of the COVID-19-related closures across the U.S. The Company continues to assess additional cash conservation measures to support its operation through the COVID-19 pandemic."

07:11 EDT Allergan says High Court of Ireland approved deal with AbbVie - Allergan (AGN) announced that the High Court of Ireland has approved the previously announced proposed acquisition of Allergan by AbbVie (ABBV) by means of a scheme of arrangement under Chapter 1 of Part 9 of the Irish Companies Act 2014. The Court sanction hearing in relation to the Scheme was held earlier today at which the Court sanctioned the Scheme and confirmed the related reduction of capital. Completion of the acquisition remains subject to the delivery to, and registration by, the Registrar of Companies in Ireland of copies of (i) the order of the Court sanctioning the Scheme and confirming the related reduction of capital; and (ii) the minute required by Section 86 of the Act in respect of the reduction of capital, each of which is expected to occur on May 8. Accordingly, the Scheme is expected to take effect on May 8.

07:11 EDT EyePoint expects to file IND for EYP-1901 in Q4 - In March, the Company initiated GLP toxicology studies for EYP-1901, an anti-VEGF, TKI six-month sustained release product candidate using our bioerodible Durasert technology. EYP-1901 is being developed as a potential treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration, with the potential for future indications in diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion, all of which are diseases representing attractive market opportunities in need of long-lasting treatments to improve treatment compliance. The Company expects to file an IND with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the fourth quarter of 2020 with a Phase 1 clinical trial to commence shortly thereafter.

07:10 EDT New York Times sees FY20 CapEx approx. $50M - The company expects the following on a pre-tax basis in 2020: Depreciation and amortization: approximately $60 million, Interest income and other, net: $18 million to $22 million, and Capital expenditures: approximately $50 million.

07:10 EDT New York Times sees Q2 total subscription rev. up in mid to high single digits - Total subscription revenues in the second quarter of 2020 are expected to increase in the mid- to high-single digits compared with the second quarter of 2019, with digital-only subscription revenue expected to increase in the high-twenties. Total advertising revenues in the second quarter of 2020 are expected to decline approximately 50 percent to 55 percent compared with the second quarter of 2019, with digital advertising revenue expected to decrease approximately 40 percent to 45 percent, largely due to the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Other revenues in the second quarter of 2020 are expected to decrease approximately 10 percent compared with the second quarter of 2019. Operating costs and adjusted operating costs in the second quarter of 2020 are expected to be flat or to decrease in the low-single digits compared with the second quarter of 2019 as the Company defers non-essential spending while continuing to invest in the drivers of digital subscription growth.

07:09 EDT Wendy's reports Q1 U.S. systemwide sales growth of 1% - Reports Q1 International systemwide sales growth of 1%; Global 1%.

07:07 EDT Wendy's reports Q1 U.S. same-restaurant sales growth 0% - Reports Q1 global same-restaurant sales growth (0.2%); International (1.6%).

07:06 EDT Shopify: COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated shift of purchase habits to ecommerce - Shopify said: "While the COVID-19 pandemic has subdued commerce globally and especially strained small and medium-sized businesses, it has accelerated the shift of purchase habits to ecommerce. Shopify is uniquely positioned to help businesses of all sizes during this time, helping entrepreneurs start online businesses, adapt to an evolving commerce landscape, and manage through a challenging macroeconomic environment. We introduced a number of initiatives to support our merchants and protect our stakeholders during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including: An extended 90-day free trial for all new standard plan signups. Availability of gift card capabilities to merchants on all plans. Introduction of local in-store/curbside pickup and delivery. "

07:05 EDT Shopify closely monitoring external factors - Shopify said in a statement: "On April 1, 2020, Shopify suspended the financial expectations it had provided on February 12, 2020 for the full year 2020, as our financial results for the rest of the year are contingent on the duration and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic impact of actions taken in response, all of which are unknown. Given the increased uncertainty in the macroeconomic environment, including the greater likelihood of an extended global recession, Shopify is closely monitoring the following external factors: The impact rising unemployment has on new shop creation on our platform and consumer spending. The rate at which consumer spending habits transition to online shopping for both discretionary and non-discretionary goods. The ability of brick-and-mortar retail merchants to shift sales online. Shopify is leveraging our merchant-first business model and strong balance sheet to adjust our 2020 plans to address these changes. This includes redirecting spend from certain areas, such as brand and marketing, to product initiatives that directly support our merchants' ability to adapt to an emerging environment, one where we believe multi-channel selling and direct-to-consumer fulfillment are more important than ever. Given our existing focus on these areas, the recent acceleration in the shift of retail spending toward ecommerce, and the central role our software plays in merchants' businesses, which enables us to rapidly read and respond to trends on their behalf, we believe Shopify has a unique opportunity to improve the economic lives of merchants and their buyers in this difficult environment and position our company for the future of commerce. "

07:00 EDT GrafTech reduces 2020 CapEx view by 50% to $30M-$35M, reduces dividend - Given the extent and duration of the impact of the pandemic on the macro environment, the quarterly dividend is being reduced to 1c per share. The Board will revisit the dividend level as conditions improve and the business environment becomes clearer.

06:56 EDT Global Payments sees incremental $400M of savings over the next 12 months - "We continue to prioritize the health and well-being of our team members, while also supporting our customers and safeguarding our business during this challenging time. With the vast majority of our nearly 24,000 people worldwide working from home since mid-March, I am pleased our business has continued to operate normally," stated Cameron Bready, President and COO. "We delivered significant new competitive wins in the quarter, and we remain on track to achieve at least $125 million in annual run-rate revenue synergies and at least $350 million in annual run-rate expense synergies from our transformational merger with TSYS, providing further evidence that the execution of our pure play payments strategy remains strong." Bready continued, "In addition to our existing expense synergy plan related to the merger, we have implemented cost initiatives that we expect to deliver at least an incremental $400 million of savings over the next 12 months. While we saw early signs of economic stabilization in April, these additional efforts are intended to best position Global Payments to emerge from this crisis in the same strong position with which we entered it."

06:51 EDT Trimble sells HarvestMark business to iFoodDS, terms undisclosed - Trimble announced that iFoodDecisionSciences, or iFoodDS, has acquired Trimble's HarvestMark business, a provider of food traceability and quality inspection solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed. iFoodDS has worked closely with Trimble's HarvestMark business. In 2018, the companies partnered to deliver an integrated supply chain solution for food safety, traceability and quality management. This collaboration was demonstrated in the Western Growers Food Safety Risk Management Program, which was announced in 2019. The acquisition of HarvestMark lays a foundation for iFoodDS to maximize the effectiveness of a combined solution for current and potential customers.

06:48 EDT Sally Beauty reports Q2 SSS down 7.1% - Consolidated Same Store Sales Increased 4.7% for Pre-COVID Period (Prior to March 12); Declined 7.1% for Full Quarter. Sally Beauty Supply Same Store Sales Increased 4.8% for Pre-COVID Period; Declined 7.0 % for Full Quarter. Beauty Systems Group Same Store Sales Increased 4.5% for Pre-COVID Period; Declined 7.4% for Full Quarter.

06:41 EDT Wyndham Destinations suspends share repurchase activity due to COVID-19 - During Q1, the company repurchased 3.1M shares of common stock for $125M at a weighted average price of $40.79 per share. The company has suspended share repurchase activity due to the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

06:39 EDT CVS Health up 2.6% after reporting Q1 results, affirming FY20 guidance

06:36 EDT CVS reports Q1 Health Care Benefits segment revenue $19.2B vs. $17.87B last year - Total revenues increased 7.4% for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily driven by membership growth in the Health Care Benefits segment's Government products and the favorable impact of the reinstatement of the HIF for 2020. These increases were partially offset by the absence of the financial results of Aetna's standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, which the Company retained through 2019, membership declines in the segment's Commercial insured products, as well as a decline in net investment income due to lower interest rates and the capital markets volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating income and adjusted operating income decreased 5.2% and 4.5%, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to the prior year. The decrease was primarily driven by membership declines in the segment's Commercial insured products including the migration of Commercial customers from insured to ASC products, higher Medicaid benefit costs in certain states and incremental operating expenses to onboard additional Medicaid members. This decrease was partially offset by membership growth in the segment's Government products and increased integration synergies. The COVID-19 pandemic had a modest impact on operating income and adjusted operating income in the three months ended March 31, 2020, as the reduction in benefit costs primarily related to the deferral of elective procedures and other discretionary utilization was largely offset by lower net investment income due to lower interest rates and the capital markets volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Health Care Benefits segment's MBR decreased 160 basis points for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily due to the reinstatement of the HIF for 2020. Medical membership as of March 31, 2020 of 23.5 million increased compared with December 31, 2019, primarily reflecting increases in Medicare and Medicaid products, partially offset by a decline in Commercial insured products. The Health Care Benefits segment experienced favorable development of prior-years' health care cost estimates in its Commercial and Government businesses during the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily attributable to fourth quarter 2019 performance. Prior years' health care costs payable estimates developed favorably by $464 million during the three months ended March 31, 2020. This development is reported on a basis consistent with the prior years' development reported in the health care costs payable table in the company's annual audited financial statements and does not directly correspond to an increase in 2020 operating results.

06:31 EDT Linde plc starts up high-purity nitrogen generator in Shanghai - Linde announced it has started up the first of two new high-purity nitrogen generators in Shanghai, China, as part of a 20-year contract to supply ultra-high purity industrial gases to GTA Semiconductor. The second generator is expected to come on stream by 2022. Installed and operated by Linde's joint venture Linde LienHwa, the new plant is located in the Shanghai Lingang Industrial Zone, one of the largest industrial parks in Shanghai. Linde will supply GTA Semiconductor's $5.1B wafer fabrication plant with ultra-high purity gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, as well as compressed dry air.

06:28 EDT Clear Channel Outdoor provides business update amid COVID-19 pandemic - The company said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented worldwide lock-downs, a significant reduction in time spent out-of-home by consumers, reductions in consumer spending, anticipated large declines in GDP and volatile economic conditions, and business disruptions across markets globally. We anticipate significant adverse effects on our results of operations throughout our business during the second quarter as more customers defer advertising buying decisions and reduce marketing spend. In particular: Shelter in place protocols have limited the behavior and movement of consumers and target audiences, making it difficult to predict and plan advertising campaigns. We are receiving an unprecedented level of requests to defer or cancel current contracts as customers seek to conserve cash. Our customers are deferring buying decisions and reducing their marketing spend. Since the onset of the crisis in March, we have been experiencing a sharp decline in bookings, particularly in our European businesses. We are closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on our global business, and we have taken and will continue to take steps to ensure the continuity of our platform and operations to serve our customers, as local conditions permit. As a result of these unprecedented challenges, we have taken measures to increase our liquidity and preserve our financial flexibility, including aggressive cost cutting initiatives, including: Negotiations with landlords to align fixed site lease expenses with revenue during the economic downturn; Savings from lower variable compensation expense, temporary salary reductions, reduced hours for hourly employees, hiring freezes and furloughs; Reducing discretionary expenses; Deferring discretionary capital expenditures and exploring options to defer our committed capital expenditures. Our goal is to achieve operating cost savings in excess of $100 million and capital expenditure savings in excess of $25 million during the second quarter of 2020.We are seeking to optimize cost savings to align with expected substantial decreases in revenues as circumstances continue to evolve in this challenging environment. These anticipated cost savings assume the current economic conditions persist and marketing spend does not resume in the second quarter. In addition, we made a cautionary draw of $150 million under our Senior Credit Facility."

06:10 EDT Enable Midstream sees 2020 net income $195M-$235M - Sees 2020 adjusted EBITDA $900M-$960M, DCF $585M-$645M, total expansion capital $105M-$145M.

06:08 EDT Genesis Energy sees FY20 adjusted EBITDA at 'bottom end' of prior guidance - The company said, "Looking forward for the remainder of 2020, and assuming a challenging operating environment for the second and third quarters, we would reasonably expect to finish the year at the bottom end of our previous guidance for Adjusted EBITDA, if not below, primarily due to the mitigation efforts and demand impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, given the action we took on our distribution in late March, it is important to point out that our annual fixed obligations are now approximately $410-$420 million, before growth capital and ARO. Given our de minimis growth capital requirements for the foreseeable future, outside of the Granger expansion which can be funded through our agreements with GSO Capital Partners, we have no need to access the capital markets and expect to be a net payer of debt in 2020 and beyond."

06:02 EDT 111, Inc. appoints Anfeng Guo as Chief Innovation Officer - 111, Inc. (YI) announced that Mr. Anfeng Guo, a former Vice President of Oncology Business Unit at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), is appointed as Chief Innovation Officer of 111, effective May 1st. In his new position, Mr. Guo will oversee operation and innovation of internet medical platform across the company. He will also manage Hanhong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of 111, to further pursue the endeavors of the company in the commercialization of innovative drugs, especially cancer drugs and relevant consumables and equipment.

05:59 EDT NIO Inc. delivered 3,155 vehicles in April - NIO Inc. provided its April delivery results. NIO delivered 3,155 vehicles in April, representing a strong consecutive growth of 105.8% month over month and a 180.7% growth year over year. The deliveries consisted of 2,907 ES6s, the company's 5-seater high-performance premium smart electric SUV, and 248 ES8s, the company's 7-seater high-performance premium smart electric SUV and its 6-seater variant. The company commenced deliveries of the all-new ES8 with more than 180 improvements on April 19. As of April 30, cumulative deliveries of the ES8 and the ES6 reached 38,906 vehicles, of which 6,993 were delivered in 2020.

05:53 EDT Dr. Reddy's launches Desmopressin Acetate Injection USP, 4 mcg/mL in U.S. market - Dr. Reddy's Laboratories announced the launch of Desmopressin Acetate Injection USP, 4 mcg/mL Single-dose Ampules, a therapeutic equivalent generic version of DDAVP (desmopressin acetate) Injection , 4 mcg/mL, approved by the FDA.

05:21 EDT Q&K International Chief Strategy Officer Jackie Qiang You resigns - Q&K International announced that Ms. Jackie Qiang You has resigned as Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President of Qingke for personal reasons, effective May 6.

05:17 EDT Altice USA issues statement on sale of shares by CPP Investments - Altice USA makes the following statement following the sale of a portion of Altice USA shares by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, referred to as CPP Investments: After the market closed, CPP Investments elected to sell 11.2 million Altice USA Class A shares to a broker dealer pursuant to Rule 144, representing substantially all of their remaining stake in the company. Consistent with Altice USA's share repurchase program, the company elected to purchase approximately 2.2 million of these shares directly from the broker dealer, for a total consideration of approximately $52 million.