Stockwinners Market Radar for May 27, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:53 EDT Logitech announces new $250M stock buyback, raises dividend 10% - Logitech board of directors has approved a new, three-year share buyback program, which authorizes the company to use up to $250M to repurchase its shares. The new program is expected to begin following approval from the Swiss Takeover Board and replaces the company's prior buyback program that expired in April 2020. Logitech's board of directors has also approved a proposal for a FY20 dividend, which would be approximately a 10% annual increase versus last year's dividend.

18:40 EDT Jazz Pharmaceuticals board member buys 50K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Jazz Pharmaceuticals disclosed that its board member Seamus Mulligan bought 50K shares of common stock on May 25th-26th in a total transaction size of $5.55M.

18:26 EDT Arizona AG files consumer fraud lawsuit against Google - Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said via Twitter: "Today we filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against Google for deceptive and unfair practices used to obtain users' location data, which Google then exploits for its lucrative advertising business." Reference Link

18:23 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise to 1,119.05MT from 1,116.71MT - This is the highest level of holdings since April of 2013.

17:55 EDT Moleculin Biotech says common stock to resume trading on Nasdaq on May 28 - Moleculin Biotech, Inc announced that it has received notification from Nasdaq that trading in the company's common stock will resume on Thursday, May 28, 2020.

17:51 EDT S&P announces changes to S&P MidCap 400, S&P SmallCap 600 indices - S&P Dow Jones Indices will make the following changes to the S&P MidCap 400 and S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, June 1: Hudson Pacific Properties (HPP) will replace Diversified Healthcare Trust (DHC) in the S&P MidCap 400, and Diversified Healthcare Trust will replace FGL Holdings (FG) in the S&P SmallCap 600. Fidelity National Financial (FNF) is acquiring FGL Holdings in a transaction expected to be completed soon pending final conditions. Diversified Healthcare Trust is more representative of the small-cap market space. Simulations Plus (SLP) will replace TiVo (TIVO) in the S&P SmallCap 600. S&P SmallCap 600 constituent Xperi (XPER) is acquiring TiVo in a transaction expected to be completed soon pending final approvals. Post-acquisition, Xperi will remain in the S&P SmallCap 600. It will change its name to Xperi Holdings Corp. and its GICS Sub-Industry to Systems Software. Palomar Holdings (PLMR) will replace LSB Industries (LXU) in the S&P SmallCap 600. LSB Industries is no longer representative of the small-cap market space.

17:23 EDT Palomar to replace LSB Industries in S&P 600 at open on 6/1

17:20 EDT Diversified Healthcare Trust to replace FGL Holdings in S&P 600 at open on 6/1 - Fidelity National Financial (FNF) is acquiring FGL Holdings (FG) in a transaction expected to be completed soon pending final conditions. Diversified Healthcare Trust is more representative of the small-cap market space.

17:19 EDT Hudson Pacific to replace Diversified Healthcare Trust in S&P 400 at open on 6/1

17:14 EDT Boeing jumps over 5% after resuming 737 Max production - Shares of Boeing are up over 5% or almost $8.00 per share in after-hours trading to $157.20 per share, after announcing resumption of production of the 737 MAX at the company's Renton, Washington factory.

17:09 EDT Toll Brothers up 9% to $36.10 after reporting Q2 results

17:03 EDT Pool Corp. provides business update - Pool provided a business update based on current market trends. CEO Peter Arvan stated, "(...) While the impact of COVID-19 on the economy is severe, we are pleased to see positive trends in our business. As people are spending more time at home, homeowners are choosing to invest in swimming pools and outdoor living products, opting for the relaxation and enjoyment those investments can provide. Based on our results to date in our seasonally important second quarter, we believe the increased use of residential swimming pools during stay-at-home restrictions and the more recent easing of restrictions, allowing more contractors to return to work on existing and new projects, have continued to drive greater pool usage and strong industry demand. Our operations remain open, and we continue to safely serve our customers in the current environment." The company has observed Q2 trends that included a year-over-year sales declines during the month-to-date period in April of 5%-10% compared to the prior year period although sales trends improved through the latter part of April. May month-to-date sales are trending favorably and are continuing to benefit from strong demand. April and May month-to-date sales have benefited from increased demand for residential pool maintenance supplies vs. the same periods in 2019 and for both in-ground and above ground pools and related components.

16:56 EDT Ziopharm announces Dr. David Mauney is stepping down as President - Ziopharm Oncology announced Dr. David Mauney is stepping down as President. Dr. Mauney remains a consultant to Ziopharm and will continue to help guide the Company through this transition. "It has been a tremendous privilege to serve as President of Ziopharm, and I am incredibly proud of where we are as a Company," said Dr. Mauney. "The Company is positioned for success, with a clear strategy, a strong balance sheet, and tremendous assets all in place, which is why we have decided that now is the appropriate natural inflection point to make this transition. I came on board in 2017 with ambitions to help Laurence and the team strengthen the corporate structure and develop a vision that allows Ziopharm to take its sound and exciting scientific foundation and build it to its full capacity. We have achieved these goals and more and I am fully convinced of the Company's prosperous future. I believe the strong culture anchored by the senior management team and Board in place focused on caring for patients with solid tumors will drive the Company to great heights."

16:50 EDT Check Point announces Jerry Ungerman to be appointed chairman - Check Point Software Technologies announced that Vice Chairman Jerry Ungerman will be appointed Chairman of the Board and current director Guy Gecht will be appointed Lead Independent Director of the Board following the upcoming Annual General Meeting. Ungerman will replace Marius Nacht, a Check Point founder and the Chairman of the Board since September 2015 and a director since Check Point's inception, who elected not to stand for reelection at the upcoming AGM. "Since the creation of Check Point in 1993, Marius has been one of the founding fathers of Israel's leading high-tech industry. I am confident that he will reach this level of success in his current initiatives in the healthcare industry," says Gil Shwed, CEO at Check Point. "On behalf of all of us at Check Point, we want to thank Marius for his tremendous contribution to Check Point and to Israel's economy. Check Point's Board of Directors has played a key role in the company's global success, and we are confident that it will continue to do so under Jerry's leadership."

16:48 EDT New Mountain Finance chairman buys 273K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, New Mountain Finance disclosed that its chairman Steven Klinsky bought 273K shares of common stock on May 22nd-26th in a total transaction size of $2.5M.

16:43 EDT Royal Caribbean director Donald Thompson buys almost $973K in shares - Royal Caribbean director Donald Thompson disclosed that he had purchased 20,000 shares of company stock on May 26 for an average price of $48.63 per share. The total transaction value of the purchase was $972,518.

16:39 EDT Toll Brothers to suspend guidance for 'foreseeable future' - As previously announced, due to the business disruption and the evolving and uncertain impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the U.S. economy, the company has withdrawn its full fiscal year 2020 guidance and will suspend providing such guidance for the foreseeable future.

16:38 EDT Toll Brothers reports Q2 home sales gross margin of 17.5% - Adjusted home sales gross margin was 21.0%. Pre-tax inventory write-downs totaled $14.2M. During the quarter, the company undertook a number of cost reduction initiatives to improve efficiencies and rationalize overhead expenses, including workforce reductions. The company expects these actions will decrease overhead expenses by approximately $50M on an annualized basis, with approximately $25M of savings in the remainder of fiscal 2020.

16:35 EDT Iovance Biotherapeutics announces data from Cohort 4, Cohort 2 in C-144-01 study - Iovance Biotherapeutics announced initial data from pivotal Cohort 4 and updated long-term data from Cohort 2 in the C-144-01 study of lifileucel in advanced melanoma.Initial results from the pivotal Cohort 4 in the C-144-01 clinical study is available for 68 patients with two radiological assessments, as determined by investigator. Primary endpoint for the C-144-01 Cohort 4 study is ORR by independent review committee and secondary endpoint is ORR by investigator. Lifileucel shows a 32.4% overall response rate and a disease control rate of 72.1% as of the data cut off on Mar 16. This data is consistent with what was noted in Cohort 2 at 6 months of median study follow up. The ORR was 33% as reported in SITC 2018 abstract. The Cohort 4 metastatic melanoma patients have a similar patient characteristic profile to Cohort 2 with high baseline disease burden. They have progressed on multiple prior therapies, including anti-PD-1 and BRAF/MEK inhibitors. The adverse event profile was consistent with Cohort 2 and with the underlying advanced disease, lymphodepletion and IL-2 regimens. Cohort 4 dosed a total of 89 patients, and additional updates on Cohort 4 will be presented at upcoming medical meetings. Iovance remains on track to submit a biologics licensing application, or BLA, for lifileucel in late 2020. Updated results from Cohort 2 will be presented at the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program during an oral abstract session. In this Cohort 2 data, lifileucel shows a 36.4% overall response rate and a disease control rate of 80% as assessed by investigators. Median duration of response, or DOR, was not reached at 18.7 months of median study follow up. Durable responses have been observed across a wide age range in metastatic melanoma patients who have received prior anti-CTLA-4 and BRAF targeted treatments, regardless of BRAF mutation status, and equally in patients with PD-L1 high and low status. The Cohort 2 melanoma patients are heavily pretreated with high baseline disease burden. They have progressed on multiple prior therapies, including anti-PD-1 and BRAF/MEK inhibitors. The adverse event profile was consistent with the underlying advanced disease, lymphodepletion and IL-2 regimens.

16:34 EDT United Airlines appoints Jon Roitman COO - United Airlines CEO J. Scott Kirby issued the following message: "The one thing I am absolutely confident in is that our customers want to fly again and reconnect with people and places around the world. And part of preparing for the best means thinking about the short-term adjustments that we have to make to get through the crisis as well as the long-term structural changes that will allow us to thrive once again. So today, I am asking Greg Hart to take the lead on those big picture issues. During my tenure here at United, Greg has been the rock that I could always count on as our Chief Operations Officer... But being the COO of United is a tough, 24x7 job. Greg told me last year that he wanted to start preparing for retirement but he agreed to spend the next 12-18 months grooming his successors. And while none of us could have anticipated the COVID-19 crisis, it accelerates a need for leadership in new areas. Specifically, I'm asking Greg to step back from his role as COO and instead focus on critical medium and long term issues - in particular, setting the stage for United to be the world leader in innovation with respect to safety, hygiene, and operating efficiency... Jon Roitman, currently our Senior Vice President of Airport and Network Operations, will step into the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer effective June 1. Jon is the embodiment of our core4 culture and no one has a better sense of the inner-workings of our operation. We've made some tough choices as an organization and even tougher decisions may come in the near-term, so it's more critical than ever that we have a leader of Jon's caliber waking up every day thinking solely about how we stay a step ahead of this virus and its impact on our operation. In addition to his current responsibilities, Jon will expand his role to include Flight Operations, Technical Operations and Safety. I am confident that Jon will rise to this challenge."

16:31 EDT Tandy Leather receives Nasdaq notification related to delayed 10-Q filing - On May 19, 2020, Tandy Leather Factory, Inc. received a notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that because the Company has not yet filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company is not in compliance with the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). As previously disclosed, Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), in pertinent part, requires the Company to timely file all required periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company previously reported the receipt of prior notices of delinquency from Nasdaq, which related to the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended June 30 and September 30, 2019 and the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. As previously reported, on May 1, 2020, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq informing the Company that Nasdaq's Hearings Panel (the "Panel") had granted the Company's request to remain listed on Nasdaq, subject to the Company filing all current and overdue quarterly and annual reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or before August 10, 2020.

16:25 EDT Bellicum Pharmaceuticals announces publication of GoCAR-NK Cell program data - Bellicum Pharmaceuticals announced the publication of preclinical data from its GoCAR-NK Cell program in the digital edition of Blood Advances, a journal published by The American Society of Hematology. Bellicum's proprietary inducible MyD88/CD40, or iMC, activation switch is incorporated into its GoCAR product candidates. In this study, incorporating iMC into CAR-NK cells was found to improve cell proliferation and persistence, stimulate cytokine production, and enhance innate cytotoxicity against tumor cells in multiple models. Bellicum's GoCAR-NK platform is designed to address several of the current challenges of allogeneic cell therapy approaches. iMC signaling combined with autocrine IL-15 may enhance engraftment and survival of CAR-NK cells. GoCAR-NK cytokine production may re-ignite a host-derived antitumor response. Further, iMC activation in GoCAR-NK cells enhances both CAR antigen-specific and innate NK cell cytotoxicity, offering the potential for activity against tumor cells with reduced or completely absent target antigen expression.

16:23 EDT Workday up 5.95% after reporting Q1 earnings

16:21 EDT SWEP launches e-shop on Alibaba - SWEP, part of Dover (DOV), has launched an e-shop on Alibaba.com (BABA). SWEP's e-shop offers products that cover four applications: refrigeration, residential heating, district energy and oil cooler. Initially, the e-shop will offer a limited selection of products, with the goal of evolving and broadening its product range and application offerings considerably in the future. SWEP launched its e-shop in an effort to capitalize on changing buying trends.

16:18 EDT MRC Global CEO Andrew Lane to retire effective December 31, 2021 - MRC Global announced the retirement plan for MRC Global's president and CEO. After discussion at the board of directors meeting, Andrew Lane announced his plan to retire as president and chief executive effective December 31, 2021. Lane will also resign from the board on that date. Lane has served as a director of MRC Global and president and CEO since September 2008 and was the MRC Global chairman of the board from December 2009 until April 2016, when the positions of chairman of the board and CEO were separated. Rhys Best, MRC Global's chairman of the board stated, "On behalf of the board of directors we want to thank Andrew for his leadership of MRC Global and his many years of service to our company. Given the extended timeline before Mr. Lane retires at the end of 2021, the board of directors will begin a thorough and deliberate CEO selection process."

16:17 EDT Semtech announces correction of 'immaterial errors' - During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020, management identified certain immaterial errors related to share-based compensation expense of market-based awards granted during fiscal years 2018, 2019 and 2020. The errors resulted from adjustments to the grant date fair value of the market-based awards that were incorrectly accounted for as performance-based awards. The Company concluded that the impact of these errors was immaterial and has corrected its consolidated financial statements for these errors for all prior periods presented in this press release.

16:16 EDT NGM Biopharmaceuticals appoints Siobhan Nolan Mangini CFO - NGM Biopharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Siobhan Nolan Mangini as CFO. In her role as CFO, which will take effect on July 13, Nolan Mangini will oversee finance, business development and investor relations at NGM. Nolan Mangini most recently served as President and CFO of Castlight Health.

16:14 EDT Microsoft Workday announce strategic partnership - Microsoft (MSFT) and Workday (WDAY) announced a strategic partnership prioritizing enterprise planning in the cloud and expanding the business solutions customers can use to better optimize their everyday work. Through this partnership, Workday customers will also be able to run Workday Adaptive Planning on the Microsoft Azure cloud. Further, Microsoft will adopt Workday Adaptive Planning for its global finance teams for planning, budgeting, and forecasting to help accelerate decision making. The companies also unveiled new integrations between Workday's suite of applications and Microsoft Teams and Azure Active Directory that will enable customers to simplify day-to-day tasks, foster collaboration, increase productivity, and enhance security. The addition of Workday Adaptive Planning brings a leading modern planning, analytics, and reporting solution at scale to the Azure community. Power users can trust the enterprise security and global availability of Azure to handle robust models, multiple instances, and nearly unlimited dimensionality for "slicing and dicing" data in Workday. "Today's announcement also includes additional integrations and support, focusing on easier access, collaboration, and security between Microsoft and Workday applications. Workers are often toggling between applications, and new integrations being announced today deliver a more connected, intuitive workspace and frictionless access for enterprise customers," added the statement.

16:13 EDT Immunomedics drops 5% to $32.48 after CEO steps down

16:12 EDT Immunomedics says TROPiCS-02 patient enrollment resumed at 20 sites - Immunomedics announced that patient enrollment into the Phase 3 TROPiCS-02 study of Trodelvy in hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer, has been resumed at approximately 20 clinical sites as of mid-May, with additional sites continuing to open in the coming weeks. The company's commercial organization is responding to the challenges presented by COVID-19, and early feedback remains encouraging, it added. Further, "manufacturing continues to operate at capacity across the global supply chain, with minimal COVID-19 impact," it said. Immunomedics noted that previously communicated updates remain on track, with the ASCENT topline readout expected in mid-2020, and topline data from the first full cohort of 100 metastatic urothelial cancer patients with prior platinum-based and checkpoint inhibitor therapies in the TROPHY U-01 study targeted to be presented at a medical conference in the second half of 2020.

16:11 EDT Moleculin Biotech: FDA grants request for Pre-IND Meeting on WP1122 - Moleculin Biotech announced that the U.S. FDA has granted the company's request for a Pre-IND Meeting to provide guidance regarding the company's plan to study its drug candidate, WP1122, in a clinical trial for patients with COVID-19. In addition, Moleculin provided a general update on its WP1122 development efforts. The company said, "We estimate that we should be able to submit our IND application in the second half of this year. More specific timing will depend upon the guidance we receive from our Pre-IND Meeting with the FDA."

16:10 EDT Immunomedics CEO Semerjian steps down for 'logistical obstacles' - Immunomedics announces that Harout Semerjian has decided to step down from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer. "This decision, which is effective immediately, is precipitated by the unfortunate significant logistical obstacles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, including Mr. Semerjian's ability to fully assume his duties as CEO. Dr. Behzad Aghazadeh, Executive Chairman of Immunomedics, will continue to support the Company in an executive leadership role going forward," the company said in a statement. Immunomedics is not expecting to initiate a CEO search "until the global COVID-19 situation is stabilized."

16:09 EDT American Outdoor Brands to change name to Smith & Wesson Brands on June 1 - American Outdoor Brands announced that it will change its name to Smith & Wesson Brands, effective June 1. The name change reflects the company's preparation for the previously announced spin-off of its outdoor products and accessories business as a tax-free stock distribution to its stockholders in late summer 2020, a transaction that would create two independent, publicly traded companies: Smith & Wesson Brands (which would encompass the firearm business) and American Outdoor Brands (which would encompass the outdoor products and accessories business). The company's common shares will continue to be listed for trading on the Nasdaq Global Select exchange under the new ticker symbol 'SWBI' beginning at the market opening on Monday, June 1. In conjunction with the name and ticker symbol change, the company's common shares will be assigned a new CUSIP number of 831754 106

16:08 EDT Big 5 Sporting suspends dividend until further notice - In an effort to enhance financial flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company is pursuing expense reduction and cash preservation initiatives throughout the organization. In connection with that effort and as previously announced, the Company's Board of Directors suspended the Company's quarterly cash dividend until further notice.

16:07 EDT SpartanNash reports Q1 adj. EBITDA $74.0M vs. $54.7M last year

16:04 EDT Autodesk reports Q1 total billings up 11% to $884M

16:03 EDT NetApp CEO confident demand for products to be strong - CEO George Kurlan says: "During this unprecedented situation, our priority has been supporting our employees, customers, partners, and communities. Despite the challenging environment, we delivered solid gross margin, cash flow and operating leverage in the fourth quarter. Our cloud business grew substantially and our new customer acquisition districts again performed well. The strength and resiliency of our business model enables us to continue to execute our strategy while navigating a range of potential demand environments. While we cannot predict when the world will return to normal, the enduring importance of data is clear. We are confident that the demand for our products and services will be strong as we emerge from this crisis."

15:59 EDT Triumph Group selected as supplier for Bell Textron entry in FARA competition - Triumph Group (TGI) announced that Bell Textron, a Textron Inc. (TXT) company, selected Triumph Systems & Support as a supplier for their entry in the U.S. Army Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft, or FARA, competition, the Bell 360 Invictus. For the competitive prototype demonstration phase of the program, Triumph System & Support's Fluid Power & Actuation operating company will supply hydraulic pump and reservoir assemblies based on technologies and designs developed for the Bell 525 Relentless, the company noted.

14:32 EDT MGM Resorts announces opening dates for first Las Vegas properties - MGM Resorts International announced its planned June 4 reopening of Bellagio, New York-New York, MGM Grand Las Vegas and The Signature, following the closure earlier this year of all of its U.S. properties amidst the coronavirus crisis. "At opening, amenities at all properties will be limited. As demand for the destination builds, additional venues within these resorts will open and other MGM Resorts properties on The Strip will reopen," the company said.

14:27 EDT Task force recommends waiver system to allow states to set marijuana policies - The Council on Criminal Justice has shared a report on criminal justice policy changes and said in a tweet that, "Our task force report is the culmination of hard work by the 14-member task force, composed of key leaders in the criminal justice field. Many thanks to Task Force Chair and former Georgia Governor @NathanDeal for his leadership in this effort." Among the task force's recommendations is the creation of a waiver system to allow states to set their own marijuana policies without federal interference. "In the absence of cannabis rescheduling, or its legalization at the federal level, the Task Force recommends that Congress and the Administration develop a state waiver process or contractual framework. Without it, states and the industry will continue to exist under an illusion of sovereignty where circumstances can change at any moment. A balanced and thoughtful accommodation from the federal government would provide confidence to states, stabilize the market, and help address many of the myriad safety and health problems," the report reads. Publicly traded companies in the space include Aphria (APHA), Aurora Cannabis (ACB), CV Sciences (CVSI), CannTrust Holdings (CNTTF), Canopy Growth (CGC), Cronos Group (CRON), General Cannabis (CANN), India Globalization Capital (IGC), Tilray (TLRY), Trulieve Cannabis (TCNNF) and Zynerba (ZYNE).Reference Link

14:09 EDT Fannie Mae secures commitments for two CIRT transactions - Fannie Mae announced that it has secured commitments for two front-end Credit Insurance Risk Transfer transactions. CIRT FE 2020-1 and CIRT FE 2020-2 together cover up to $39.6B in unpaid principal balance of 21-year to 30-year original-term, fixed-rate loans, including loans previously acquired from November 2019 through January 2020 and also loans to be acquired between February 2020 and January 2021, the company said in a statement. Combined, these two deals transfer up to $1.3B of mortgage credit risk, as part of Fannie Mae's ongoing effort to reduce taxpayer risk by increasing the role of private capital in the mortgage market, the company added. To date, Fannie Mae has committed to acquire approximately $12.9B of insurance coverage on $475B of single-family loans through the CIRT program, measured at the time of issuance, for both post-acquisition and front-end transactions.

13:56 EDT Micron seeing strength in data center, views as long-term driver - Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra continues presenting at the 2020 Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference.

13:46 EDT Facebook: WSJ story on polarization 'ignored critical facts' - Guy Rosen, VP Integrity at Facebook said: "Yesterday the Wall Street Journal published a story claiming that Facebook 'shut down efforts to make the site less divisive' and 'largely shelved' internal research on whether social media increases polarization. Unfortunately, this particular story willfully ignored critical facts that undermined its narrative. The piece uses a couple of isolated initiatives we decided against as evidence that we don't care about the underlying issues - and it ignored the significant efforts we did make. The piece disregarded how our research, and research we continue to commission, informed dozens of other changes and new products. It also ignored other measures we've taken to fight polarization. As a result, readers were left with the impression we are ignoring an issue that in fact we have invested heavily in. Here are just some of the initiatives we've made over the past three years to address factors that can contribute to polarization: In 2018 we made a fundamental change to the way content is surfaced in people's News Feed to prioritize posts from friends and family over news content. Over the past four years, we've built a global team of more than 35,000 people working across the company on issues to secure the safety and security of our services, including those related to polarization. We've added more restrictions to the types of Pages and Groups that we recommend to people. Finally, the Journal examined a rigorous process we instituted called 'eat your veggies' that was designed to vet new products before they were shipped. The process was put in place as a response to valid criticism, including from the media, that tech companies weren't doing enough to anticipate unintended uses of their products. We've taken a number of important steps to reduce the amount of content that could drive polarization on our platform, sometimes at the expense of revenues. This job won't ever be complete because at the end of the day, online discourse is an extension of society and ours is highly polarized. But it is our job to reduce polarization's impact on how people experience our products. We are committed to doing just that."

13:42 EDT Micron CEO 'cautiously optimistic' about sustaining performance in Q4 - Sanjay Mehrotra, the President and CEO of Micron Technology, said he is "cautiously optimistic" about the company sustaining the performance it saw in the third fiscal quarter into the fourth quarter, but that the company is deferring more detailed Q4 guidance until the release of its full Q3 earnings report, given the uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mehrotra continues presenting at the 2020 Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference. During his ongoing presentation, Micron shares are up $1.85, or 4%, to $47.65.

13:38 EDT Instagram announces music reactive capabilities for creators through Spark AR - According to a blog posting by the Spark AR Team, "Spark AR Studio offers a wide range of sound capabilities to help add depth and dimension to your AR effects, and today we're adding another with the rollout of music reactive capabilities on Instagram...Music is an integral part of the Instagram experience, and millions of people use music everyday to add meaning and emotion to the moments they share. Creators can now augment and extend this desire to share by creating AR effects that move and play in sync with music...To create an effect that responds to music, you can either import and use your own legally licensed music files or you can let people pick a song they like from the thousands of free tracks in Instagram's music library. This feature is available for Android users today and will be coming to iOS soon." Reference Link

13:34 EDT Micron up 2% after updating guidance for May-end quarter

13:24 EDT Samsung, MasterCard, SoFi team on Samsung Money by SoFi - In an earlier blog posting Samsung (SSNLF) Electronics America unveiled "Samsung Money by SoFi, a new mobile-first money management experience that brings a cash management account and accompanying Mastercard (MA) debit card along with exclusive benefits to Samsung Pay, in partnership with innovative fintech company SoFi. The account is secure, with no account fees and rewards users for saving-earning higher interest relative to the national average of transactional accounts.1 At a time when people are turning to their technology to take care of essential tasks without leaving home, Samsung Money by SoFi makes it easier for them to manage more of their financial life in the Samsung Pay app." Reference Link

13:19 EDT Disney unveils plans for phased reopening of WDW Resort theme parks - Disney said in a statement: "Following the recent reopening of Shanghai Disney Resort and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort, we're pleased to share that more Disney magic is coming back. Today, we submitted a proposal to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force in Florida describing our approach for a phased reopening of Walt Disney World Resort theme parks planned to begin on July 11. Pending Orange County and state approval, our Walt Disney World Resort proposal plans for Magic Kingdom Park and Disney's Animal Kingdom to begin a phased reopening to the general public on July 11, followed by EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios on July 15. In preparing to reopen during this unusual time, we have to manage our theme parks in a very different way from what we've known before. As we begin to reach out to our cast members and call them back to work, they will be focused on operating our parks in a responsible way that continues to give our guests opportunities to create magical Disney memories. This phased reopening will demonstrate a deliberate approach, with limits on attendance and controlled guest density that aligns with guidance on physical distancing. That means certain experiences we know draw large group gatherings - such as parades and nighttime spectaculars - will return at a later date. In addition, 'high-touch' experiences such as makeover opportunities, playgrounds and character meet and greets will remain temporarily unavailable, but characters will still be in our parks to entertain and delight our guests. Because theme park capacity will be significantly limited as we welcome guests back to the magic, we will manage attendance through a new theme park reservation system that will require all guests to obtain a reservation for park entry in advance. At this time, we are temporarily pausing new ticket sales and Disney Resort hotel reservations so we can focus on guests with existing tickets and reservations. Additionally, Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World will reopen to members and guests and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will begin to reopen on June 22. Disney Vacation Club resorts in Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina, will also open to members and guests starting on June 15."

12:28 EDT Facebook's Instagram announces updates to help creators to make money - In an earlier blog posting titled, "Doing More to Support Creators on Instagram Instagram," Instagram said in part: "Given the uncertain circumstances many are facing today, that commitment is more important than ever. Today we're announcing new ways for creators to make money through Instagram Live and IGTV. Introducing Badges in Live:During the COVID-19 crisis, we've seen people supporting their favorite creators in Live with comments, likes and donations. To give fans another way to participate and show their love, we're introducing badges that viewers can purchase during a live video...Starting next week, we are introducing ads in IGTV, our long-form video destination. We want to support creators' investment in IGTV by sharing advertising revenue with them...We recently announced Live Shopping, which will let creators and brands tag products during their live videos. And over the coming months we'll expand shopping access to more creators who want to sell their own merchandise...These updates are a step forward in giving creators ways to earn money and grow their business. As we test and gather feedback, we'll find more ways to support creators on Instagram." Reference Link

12:21 EDT ExxonMobil CEO says long-term fundamentals 'remain strong and unchanged' - ExxonMobil chairman and CEO Darren Woods told shareholders during the company's annual meeting that the company is managing unprecedented market challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic while preserving long-term shareholder value. "Despite the current volatility and near-term uncertainty, the long-term fundamentals that drive our business remain strong and unchanged," Woods said during the meeting, which was held virtually to reduce health risks from the pandemic. "Our objective is to strengthen the structure and earnings power of our business through industry-advantaged projects to provide a solid foundation for generating cash, reliably growing the dividend and maintaining a strong balance sheet." In response to market conditions, ExxonMobil announced in April that it would be reducing its 2020 capital spending by 30 percent, to approximately $23 billion, and lowering its cash operating expenses by 15 percent. Woods said the company has identified opportunities to reduce capital expenditures without compromising project advantages or returns. "We've adjusted our business plans in response to market conditions, and are working hard to ensure we maintain the value of our portfolio of industry-leading opportunities," he said. "While these are uncertain times, some things remain unchanged - including the fundamentals that underpin our business, our long-term plan, and commitment to grow value for shareholders." ExxonMobil has increased production of specialty polypropylene - used to make medical gowns and masks - and isopropyl alcohol, the key ingredient in medical-grade hand sanitizer and other disinfectants. Operations at its Baton Rouge, LA, site were reconfigured to produce, blend, package, and distribute medical-grade hand sanitizer for donation to health care providers and first responders across the United States. And it supported development of third-party production of safety equipment that can be sterilized and worn multiple times to help alleviate shortages. Woods provided an overview of ExxonMobil's performance in 2019, when the company delivered earnings of more than $14 billion, achieved first oil production in Guyana, increased Permian production volumes nearly 80 percent, and began a multi-year exploration program offshore Brazil. In the Downstream, ExxonMobil brought three major refining projects online in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Beaumont. Its chemical operations broke ground on four major projects across Baytown, Baton Rouge and Corpus Christi. In commercial transportation, ExxonMobil is working to develop advanced biofuels from algae and cellulosic biomass. Efforts to reduce emissions in power generation and industrial involve reducing the cost of carbon capture and storage and capturing CO2 directly from ambient air.

12:17 EDT Chevron sees results 'depressed' as long as current market conditions persist

12:15 EDT NantKwest jumps 25% to $6.81 after jointly developed COVID-19 vaccine news

12:10 EDT NantKwest trading resumes

12:04 EDT Ocean Bio-Chemical board declares special dividend of 2c per share - Ocean Bio-Chem announced the Board of Directors unanimously voted to declare a regular annual dividend of 8c per share of common stock, payable quarterly at 2c per share. In addition, the Board of Directors also unanimously voted to declare a one-time special dividend of 2c per share. Both the quarterly dividend and one-time special dividend of 2c will be payable on June 23, 2020 to holders of record of the Company's Common Stock on June 9, 2020.

12:05 EDT Constellation Brands: 'Number' of headwinds that will 'temper' Q1 results - The company said that while it is seeing accelerated trends in track channels, "there are a number of headwinds that will temper our Q1 results." Comments taken from the RBC Global Consumer & Retail Conference.

12:02 EDT Ackman sees Howard Hughes remaining public, doesn't see company being sold - Representatives of Pershing Square, including Bill Ackman, are discussing their long thesis on Howard Hughes during the firm's first quarter investor call.

12:00 EDT Orion Engineered rises 16.0% - Orion Engineered is up 16.0%, or $1.58 to $11.46.

12:00 EDT Disney CEO says cruise business likely last one to come back online - Bob Chapek is speaking on CNBC.

11:57 EDT Disney CEO says demand 'really encouraging' at Disney Springs - Bob Chapek is speaking on CNBC.

11:54 EDT Disney CEO declines to give capacity percentage for July 11 opening - Bob Chapek is speaking on CNBC.

11:47 EDT Pershing sees return of Chinese students to school being catalyst for Starbucks - Representatives of Pershing Square, including Bill Ackman, are discussing their long thesis on Starbucks during the firm's first quarter investor call.

11:40 EDT Pebblebrook to sell Union Station Hotel Nashville, Autograph Collection for $56M - Pebblebrook Hotel Trust announced that it executed a contract to sell the 125-room Union Station Hotel Nashville, Autograph Collection in Nashville, TN for $56M to a third party. The sale of Union Station Hotel Nashville, Autograph Collection is subject to normal closing conditions, and the Company offers no assurances that this sale will be completed on these terms, or at all. The Company is targeting to complete the sale in the third quarter of 2020.

11:39 EDT Hilton 'stepped up game' in terms of cleanliness during crisis, Pershing says - Representatives of Pershing Square, including Bill Ackman, are discussing their long thesis on Hilton during the firm's first quarter investor call. The lower share price for Hilton "has more than accounted" for the lower intrinsic value of the company due to the COVID-19 crisis, Ackman said during the call.

11:29 EDT Pershing Square bought stake in Lowe's six weeks ago - Pershing Square Capital Management is hosting its first quarter investor call.

11:13 EDT Boeing CEO highlights 'green shoots' with some customers seeing turnaround - Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun issued a letter to employees today providing an update on workforce actions, which stated in part, "We are seeing some green shoots. Some of our customers are reporting that reservations are outpacing cancellations on their flights for the first time since the pandemic started. Some countries and U.S. states are starting cautiously to open their economies again. And some parts of our business, most notably on the defense side, will continue hiring to meet customer commitments and fill critical skill positions. The Defense, Space & Security and defense services teams have achieved a number of milestones recently, including the successful return to orbit of the reusable and autonomous X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. We're moving forward with our plan to restart 737 MAX production in Renton, Washington, as our return-to-service efforts continue. And our Global Services team is changing its organization to ensure it is lean and focused on the post-COVID needs of its customers. But these signs of eventual recovery do not mean the global health and economic crisis is over. Our industry will come back, but it will take some years to return to what it was just two months ago."

11:01 EDT Deere declares regular quarterly dividend of 76c per share - Deere's board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of 76c per share on common stock, payable August 10 to stockholders of record on June 30.

10:49 EDT Nevada Governor targets June 4 for reopening of casinos - Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced last night that the state is ready to move into Phase 2 of its "Nevada United: Roadmap to Recovery" reopening plan on Friday, May 29. "Last week, I set a target reopening date of Thursday, June 4, for our gaming industry. Based on the meeting today and the positive trends in our data, I have informed the Chair of the Gaming Control Board that I feel confident in the June 4th target date," Sisolak said. He added, "I know the Gaming Control Board remains resolute in ensuring that gaming operations in this State do not compromise the health and safety of Nevadans, our employees and our visitors. The Board will issue an industry notice tomorrow setting forth requirements for the resumption of gaming operations in the State of Nevada." Publicly traded companies in the casino space include Boyd Gaming (BYD), Caesars (CZR), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Penn National (PENN) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN). Reference Link

10:38 EDT Lockheed Martin sees increasing F-35 output to 170 jets by 2022

10:29 EDT Lockheed Martin's Hewson: 'Right time' for leadership transition

10:18 EDT Lockheed Martin optimistic about bipartisan support for FY21 defense budget

10:12 EDT Lockheed Martin sees delivering 18-24 fewer F-35s this year

10:10 EDT Lockheed Martin sees returning to pre-COVID F-35 production levels by end of yr -

10:03 EDT Zions Bancorp to build technology campus in Midvale, Utah - Zions Bancorporation announced that it will build a 400,000-square-foot technology campus in Midvale, Utah, on the former Sharon Steel Mill Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. Anticipated to be completed in mid-2022, the sustainably built campus will be the company's primary technology and operations center, serving Zions' seven affiliate brands in 11 western states. As one of Utah's largest technology employers, Zions will accommodate more than 2,000 employees at this location and be built to respond to changing work patterns in the years ahead. Providing Zions employees a highly flexible and engaging work environment, the new campus will allow the bank to achieve substantial efficiencies by eliminating 11 smaller facilities totaling 520,000 square feet, reducing related occupancy costs by more than 20%. The project is anticipated to achieve a Platinum LEED-certification with sustainable building features that include the use of low VOC-emitting construction materials, triple pane exterior glass, and ultra-efficient heating and cooling systems. More than 75% of the building's electricity will be produced from on-site renewable solar energy. The campus will feature electric vehicle charging stations and will offer proximity to the Historic Gardner Village light rail station. An estimated 1,500 workers will be employed during the construction project, stimulating continued job and economic growth in the Salt Lake Valley. Designed by award-winning architectural firms WRNS Studios, and Method Studios, the project will be built by Okland Construction and Layton Construction and managed by Gardner Company. Colliers International negotiated the transaction for Zions Bancorporation.

10:00 EDT Direxion Daily Jr Gld Mnrs Bull 3X Shrs falls -7.8% - Direxion Daily Jr Gld Mnrs Bull 3X Shrs is down -7.8%, or -$7.21 to $85.79.

10:00 EDT Arcus Biosciences falls -12.3% - Arcus Biosciences is down -12.3%, or -$4.12 to $29.41.

10:00 EDT PagSeguro Digital rises 15.4% - PagSeguro Digital is up 15.4%, or $4.34 to $32.44.

09:58 EDT State Auto Financial trading resumes

09:53 EDT State Auto Financial trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:47 EDT Direxion Financial Bear 3x falls -8.6% - Direxion Financial Bear 3x is down -8.6%, or -$1.76 to $18.82.

09:47 EDT Carnival plc rises 11.2% - Carnival plc is up 11.2%, or $1.57 to $15.59.

09:47 EDT Spirit Airlines rises 16.1% - Spirit Airlines is up 16.1%, or $1.98 to $14.29.

09:43 EDT Neovasc files for CE Mark for Tiara TA Transapical system - Neovasc announced that the company has filed for CE Mark for its Tiara TA Transapical mitral valve replacement system. Mitral Valve disease is one of the most common forms of heart disease that affects millions of patients worldwide. Traditional heart valve replacement surgery requires patients to be placed on a heart-lung bypass machine and results in lengthy recovery time. The Tiara TA transapical mitral valve replacement system uses a percutaneous or "key-hole" incision in the chest to completely replace the native mitral valve and avoids the need for heart-lung bypass. The less invasive approach may allow for more patients to be treated and more rapid recovery. In April, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to extend the Medical Device Directive by one year rather than to transition to a new approval process known and the European Medical Device Regulation.

09:36 EDT Tetraphase, AcelRx amend merger agreement to increase consideration - Tetraphase (TTPH) announced that it has entered into an amendment to the agreement and plan of merger to which the company is a party with AcelRx (ACRX) and its merger subsidiary to increase the consideration payable to Tetraphase shareholders. Under the amended merger agreement, Tetraphase stockholders will receive, for each share of Tetraphase common stock $0.2434 in cash and 0.7217 of a share of AcelRx common stock, representing approximately $1.43 in upfront per share value, based on the closing price of AcelRx's common stock as of the close of trading on May 26, in each case subject to downward adjustment in the event that the company's closing net cash is less than $5M. Stockholders will also receive one contingent value right, or CVR, which would entitle the holders to receive potential aggregate payments of up to $14.5M in cash upon the achievement of certain future Xerava net sales milestones starting in 2021. Under the terms of the merger agreement prior to the amendment, upon the consummation of the transaction, Tetraphase stockholders were entitled to receive for each share of Tetraphase common stock, 0.6303 of a share of AcelRx common stock, subject to downward adjustment in the event that the company's closing net cash is less than $5M, and one CVR, which would have entitled the holders to receive potential aggregate payments of up to $12.5M in cash or AcelRx stock, at AcelRx's option upon the achievement of future Xerava net sales milestones starting in 2021. AcelRx proposed the amendment to the merger agreement in response to a proposal from Melinta Therapeutics (MLNT) on May 21 to acquire Tetraphase for $27M in cash, plus an additional $12.5M in cash potentially payable under CVRs upon the achievement of certain future Xerava net sales milestones starting in 2021. The boards of directors of Tetraphase and AcelRx have each approved the amendment. Tetraphase's board of directors has determined that as a result of the amendment, Melinta's proposal is not superior and recommends the merger agreement, as amended by the amendment, to its stockholders. Based on the closing price of AcelRx stock on May 26, the total upfront consideration to be received by Tetraphase equityholders is valued at approximately $31.9M, with approximately $16.5M of this amount allocated to thecCompany's outstanding common stock warrants. In the merger, Tetraphase stockholders would also be entitled to receive, for each share of Tetraphase common stock, one non-tradeable CVR, the holders of which will be entitled to receive potential payments of up to an additional $14.5M in cash in the aggregate upon the achievement of net sales of Xerava in the United States. Tetraphase continues to plan to hold its special meeting of stockholders to approve the pending transaction on June 8. The transaction is expected to close in June, subject to specified closing conditions, including Tetraphase having a minimum amount of net cash as of the closing and approval by Tetraphase stockholders. Upon the closing of the transaction, Tetraphase will become a privately held company and shares of Tetraphase's common stock will no longer be listed on any public market. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the CVRs will be non-transferable.

09:29 EDT Aleafia Health announces TSX ticker symbol change to AH - Aleafia Health announced that, in connection with the previously announced bought deal financing, the Company's common shares will trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "AH". The new ticker symbols for the Company's securities are as follows: Common shares: "AH"; 8.5% unsecured convertible debentures: "AH.DB"; Common share purchase warrants: "AH.WT".

09:25 EDT BK Technologies subsidiary receives $1.4M in orders from the U.S. Forest Service - BK Technologies announced that its operating subsidiary received orders totaling approximately $1.4M from the U.S. Forest Service, or USFS. The orders are for BK's KNG-Series Digital P-25 portable radios, mobile radios and base stations with related accessories. These orders are anticipated to be fulfilled during Q2.

09:22 EDT Alkaline Water reports April sales of $7.1M - The Alkaline Water Company announced record April sales of $7.1M driven by continued strong demand for flagship products across all trade channels.

09:20 EDT Shaw Communications launches Fibre+ Gig - Millions of Western Canadians now have access to gigabit speeds in their homes with the launch of Fibre+ Gig, a new internet product from Shaw Communications Inc. that offers residential customers gigabit download speeds along with the abundance of bandwidth needed to simultaneously enable the many data-intensive applications that they've come to depend on.Fibre+ Gig is the most broadly available plan for gigabit speeds in all of Western Canada - now available to more than 99 per cent of Shaw's residential customers - because of the strategic and ongoing investments Shaw has made to its Fibre+ network. Shaw has offered gigabit speeds to business customers of all sizes since March 2019.

09:15 EDT AT&T announces arrival of HBO Max - The company said, "Starting today, millions of AT&T customers in the United States will be able to stream HBO Max at no additional charge. Whether through our award-winning wireless networki, entertainment-grade internet or premium video products, AT&T has a way to connect you to HBO Max. As we've previously announced, customers who have HBO through AT&T now instantly have access to HBO Max at no additional charge. On top of that, customers on our best AT&T wireless, video and internet plans will now get HBO Max - a $14.99 per month value included on us. Nearly all other new and existing AT&T customers can now explore and redeem special offers to stream HBO Max - including a full year of HBO Max on us in nearly all AT&T TV packages."

09:15 EDT Cumberland announces clinical response was achieved in 74.2% of TOUR patients - Cumberland announced a new publication in Drugs - Real World Outcomes, detailing the clinical outcomes with Vibativ in treating patients with bacteremia or endocarditis. Vibativ is a FDA-approved anti-infective for the treatment of serious bacterial infections, including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia. It is also approved for skin and skin structure infections. It addresses a range of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including those that are considered difficult-to-treat and multidrug-resistant. The Telavancin Observational Use Registry, or TOUR, was conducted to record population characteristics, prescription information and real-world clinical outcomes of patients with Gram-positive infections treated with Vibativ. This publication assessed 151 patients in TOUR with endocarditis and/or bacteremia with a known or unknown primary source. Of the 132 patients with an available assessment at the end of telavancin therapy, a positive clinical response was achieved in 74.2%, while 10.6% failed therapy and 15.2% had an indeterminant outcome. There was no change in creatinine clearance for 75.3% patients with values recorded at the beginning and the end of telavancin therapy. This sub analysis suggests telavancin is an option for patients with bacteremia or endocarditis, including those with MRSA or another S. aureus pathogen.

09:14 EDT ENGlobal announces $8.3M in new business - ENGlobal announced it had secured $8.3M in new business thus far in the second quarter of this year, which represents new purchase orders plus additional scope on existing agreements. The company said in a release, "Highlights of the significant new work includes:Additional scope of work valued at $2.8M on a Midwestern U.S. renewable diesel facility; A signed extension worth $2.1 million for analytical equipment and support services at a major refinery; Two purchase orders totaling $900 thousand to design and supply analytical buildings for a Louisiana petrochemical plant; and A subsea controls contract valued at $500 thousand for technical support services on ENGlobal's proprietary UMCS. Revenue from the above projects is expected to be recognized over the course of this year."

09:10 EDT Comtech receives $4.7M contract from DoD contractor - Comtech announced that it received a $4.7M contract for engineering services from a U.S. Department of Defense, or DoD, contractor to support an Air Force and Army anti-jam modem program under the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center. The program will provide the Air Force and Army with a secure anti-jam satellite communications terminal modem for satellite communication operations. Comtech EF Data will be a subcontractor providing both engineering and hardware services and has received initial funding of $501,000 with additional orders expected during Q4. Once development is completed, Comtech EF Data expects to receive hardware orders in future periods during the production phase.

09:09 EDT Ralph Lauren: Shape, timing of recovery curves to look different in each market

09:07 EDT Tyson Foods outlines progess toward sustainability goals - Tyson Foods published its 2019 Sustainability Report, "Grow - Deliver - Sustain", outlining progress toward its sustainability goals and announcing key achievements in five focus areas: Food, Animal Welfare, Environment, Workplace, and Communities. The goal of Tyson Foods' sustainability initiative is to ensure the company produces safe, nutritious food for the global population and makes a positive impact on the world. Tyson Foods' commitments to help build a more safe, environmentally sound and sustainable food system represent a key element of the company's broader vision to raise the world's expectations for how much good food can do. Its strategy for sustainably feeding the world with the fastest-growing protein brands focuses on growing its business by delivering superior value to consumers and customers; delivering fuel for growth and returns through commercial, operational and financial excellence; and sustaining the company and the world for future generations. The report builds on Tyson Foods' decades of transparency in sustainability and details how the company is delivering on commitments made to create a safe workplace, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the welfare of animals entrusted to its care, among other milestones. Key highlights are below: Food - Tyson Foods is committed to sustainably offering the protein and food products that consumers want. Through the introduction of its Raised & Rooted brand of plant protein and blended protein options including burgers and nuggets, Tyson Foods has become the largest U.S. meat producer to enter the growing alternative protein segment. Additionally, earlier this year, Tyson Foods launched the Coalition for Global Protein, an initiative inclusive of the entire protein sector to identify, incubate and implement new and creative solutions for sustainable protein to feed a growing global population. Animal Welfare - Tyson Foods is committed to being a leader in animal welfare through research, innovation and transparent communication. Over the past year, the company completed the construction of a new four-house commercial broiler research farm at the Tyson Foods Center for Sustainable Broiler Welfare Research and implemented scored welfare audits in its cattle supply chain. In addition, the company trained more than 1,000 team members in the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association's Poultry Handling and Transportation Certification Program. Environment - Tyson Foods is committed to reducing its environmental footprint as it feeds the world. Most notably, the company is partnering with Environmental Defense Fund to develop and deploy initiatives that support its sustainability strategy and help meet increasing consumer demand for more sustainably grown food. A pilot project in conjunction with the Farmers Business Network that works to identify both conservation practices and areas for improvement enrolled more than 400,000 acres of farmland in the first year. Furthermore, the company is working on a new initiative to set contextual water targets and collaborated with the World Resources Institute to assess water risk and develop a water stewardship strategy. The water risk assessment focused on exposure to water stress across our processing facilities, locations where we source animals and locations where we source corn to feed animals. Workplace - Tyson Foods is committed to enabling its team members to reach their unique potentials. The company welcomed more than 18,000 team members to the Tyson Foods family through recent acquisitions and launched maintenance and refrigeration technical school partnerships with 60 technical schools, allowing the company to both recruit externally and help its internal talent build new skills. Additionally, the company expanded the We Care safety initiative by introducing the first group of Exposure Reduction Coaches dedicated to in-field coaching and one-on-one mentoring. Communities - Tyson Foods is committed to supporting the communities it serves. The company reached its goal one year early to give $50 million in cash or in-kind donations over five years to fight hunger. Additionally, the company responded to natural disasters by using its facilities as distribution centers for Meals that Matter food donations

09:04 EDT CME Group to launch options on Micro E-mini S&P 500, Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 - CME Group announced it will launch options on its Micro E-mini S&P 500 and Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contracts. The new options will be available for trading in the fall of 2020, pending regulatory review.

09:03 EDT Ralph Lauren: Goal is to emerge from this period 'stronger than we came into it' - Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:02 EDT RCI Hospitality reports 32 locations reopened - RCI Hospitality reported 32 locations have reopened with the easing of COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions. As of May 22, all 10 Bombshells restaurants based in Texas, moved to 50% interior occupancy with no outdoor patio restrictions from 25% with no patio restrictions. Also, 22 of 38 club locations had reopened. In Texas, 21 reopened to limited capacity and schedules. In Arizona, the Phoenix location reopened to 50% occupancy.

08:48 EDT United States Oil Fund reports April net loss of $2.62B - United States Oil Fund issued its monthly account statement for the month ended April 30, which shows a monthly net loss of $2.623B and a net asset value per share of $18.82 as of the end of the month based on 185,362,500 shares.

08:45 EDT Genesis Healthcare says it divested, exited or closed 24 facilities in Q1 - Genesis continues to exit challenged facilities and certain low density markets in order to focus on investment and growth in core markets. During Q1, Genesis divested, exited or closed the operations of 24 facilities. The 24 divested facilities this quarter generated approximate annual net revenue of $234M, adjusted EBITDA of $19M and a pre-tax net loss of $4M. These transactions resulted in the reduction of approximately $10M of annual cash lease payments and the repayment of over $112M of indebtedness. The company exited operations of an additional 15 facilities thus far during Q2. In total, these 15 facilities generated approximate annual net revenue of $172M, adjusted EBITDA of $6M and a pre-tax net loss of $2M. These transactions resulted in the reduction of approximately $12M of annual cash lease payments and the repayment of approximately $27M of indebtedness.

08:42 EDT Genesis Healthcare provides COVID-19 update, outlook - The company said, "The Company's primary focus, as the effects of COVID-19 began to impact the United States, was the health and safety of its patients, residents, employees and their respective families. The Company implemented various measures to provide the safest possible environment within its sites of service during this pandemic and will continue to do so.In March 2020, in an effort to prevent the introduction of COVID-19 into its facilities, and to help control further exposure to infections within communities, Genesis implemented policies restricting visitors at all of its facilities except for essential healthcare personnel and certain end-of-life situations. The Company also implemented policies for screening employees and anyone permitted to enter the building, and implemented in-room only dining, activities programming and therapy. Upon confirmation of a positive COVID-19 exposure at a facility, the Company followed government guidance to minimize further exposure, including personal protection protocols, restricting new admissions, and isolating patients. Notwithstanding these restrictions and Genesis' other response efforts, the virus has had, and likely will continue to have, introduction to, and transmission within, certain facilities due to the easily transmissible nature of COVID-19. The Company's first report of a positive case of COVID-19 in one of its facilities occurred on March 16, 2020. Since that time 187 of its 361 facilities have experienced one or more positive cases of COVID-19 among patients and residents. Over 84% of patient and resident positive COVID-19 cases have occurred in its facilities located in the states of New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Maryland, which correspond to many of the largest community outbreak areas across the country. Genesis facilities in these five states represent 43% of its total operating beds.Starting in late February 2020, the Company's occupancy began to decrease following efforts by referring hospitals to cancel or reschedule elective procedures in anticipation of COVID-19 cases in their communities. Occupancy was further decreased by implementation of self-imposed admission bans in those Genesis facilities having exposure to positive cases of COVID-19 among patients, residents and employees. These self-imposed restrictions on admissions were instituted to limit risks of potential spread of the virus by individuals that either tested positive for COVID-19, exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 but had not yet been tested positive due to a severe shortage of testing materials, or were asymptomatic of COVID-19 but potentially positive and contagious."

08:41 EDT Aileron Therapeutics initiates expansion cohort of Phase 1b/2 study of ALRN-6924 - Aileron Therapeutics announced the expansion of one of the dose levels in the dose optimization part of its Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating ALRN-6924 as an agent to protect patients with small cell lung cancer against chemotherapy-induced toxicity, a concept known as chemoprotection. The first patient has been enrolled into the expansion cohort, which was triggered by results from the ongoing trial that met protocol-specified criteria for expansion. The Company expects to enroll approximately 8 patients into this dose optimization expansion cohort to further evaluate the selected dose for chemoprotection from topotecan-induced bone marrow toxicities. The Phase 1b study is designed to identify a dose and a schedule of ALRN-6924 administration to reduce chemotherapy toxicities such as severe anemia and thrombocytopenia, and other toxicities resulting from topotecan. ALRN-6924 is administered 24 hours or six hours before each dose of topotecan, which is administered daily on days 1 through 5 of every 21-day treatment cycle. Aileron currently plans to report interim results for the dose optimization part of the trial in June 2020. The Company plans to report the top-line final data for the dose optimization part of the trial, including this expansion cohort, and data for the schedule optimization part of the trial in the fourth quarter of 2020. The Company expects that these results will determine a recommended ALRN-6924 dose and schedule for subsequent trials. The Company continues to enroll patients into its chemoprotection trial while carefully monitoring the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on its clinical trial sites and the healthcare system, which may impact the timing of these planned data announcements.

08:38 EDT Genasys becomes official IPAWS-OPEN software service provider - Genasys announced that after last week's demonstration of its IPAWS WATCH software, the Company is now included in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System's OPEN platform developers list as an official software service provider. The Company's software demonstration during a FEMA open webinar included generating and delivering Common Alerting Protocol test messages that were received and acknowledged by the IPAWS Lab. In May 2019, the Company demonstrated its IPAWS hardware capabilities to emergency management officials. A solar-powered Genasys 360XT outdoor mass notification system located in San Diego received and broadcast audio test messages sent from the IPAWS Lab in Indian Head, MD in real time.

08:37 EDT Far Point Acquisition provides update on Global Blue transaction - Far Point Acquisition announced certain developments with respect to the previously announced pending business combination transaction with Global Blue Group. SL Globetrotter L.P., an affiliate of Silver Lake, which Far Point believes to be the largest shareholder of Global Blue and is the representative of the other Global Blue shareholders under the terms of FPAC's merger agreement with Global Blue and other parties, has informed Far Point that SL Globetrotter now owns 12% of FPAC's shares. In addition, SL Globetrotter's memorandum proposed certain changes to the terms of the Transaction. FPAC's Board, in consultation with FPAC management and outside legal advisors, is reviewing SL Globetrotter's proposal and FPAC management has requested additional information from SL Globetrotter to assist the Board in this review.

08:37 EDT IsZo Capital releases open letter to Nam Tai Property shareholders - IsZo Capital LP, which owns approximately 9.8% of the stock of Nam Tai Property released an open letter to NTP's shareholders regarding concerns over the control of the Company by minority shareholder Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd. The letter says in part: "As the largest independent shareholder of Nam Tai Property Inc. since 2017, we write to make you aware of the oppressive conduct, poor governance, and value destruction at the hands of the Company's management team and Board controlled by Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd. When presented with the facts, the need for immediate change is obvious: The Company's stock price is trading at just $4.05 per share for a total market capitalization of less than $160 million as of yesterday's close-a 70% decline in share value since Kaisa replaced NTP's former CEO with Ying Chi Kwok, the younger brother of Kaisa's CEO, on January 29, 2018. Failure to Optimize the Company's Assets: The intrinsic value of the Company is significantly higher than the stock price reflects. Two years ago, before any pre-sales or revenue, the Company's two commercial projects had three independent valuations ranging from $2 to $3 billion, implying a share price between $15 and $23 per share. Kaisa itself purchased its shares for over $17.00 per share in July 2017. Based on raw land valuations alone, the stock should be trading higher than $20 per share. The Company has not promoted these facts in the market, let alone attempted to realize the value of the Company's assets. The Company recently announced the purchase of a $101 million residential development in Dongguan City using over 80% of the Company's cash. If the Company continues to recklessly deploy capital while ignoring opportunities to monetize existing assets, the Company's intrinsic value will be in jeopardy. We remain excited about NTP's long-term value potential; but are concerned that the Company's value could be destroyed by a Kaisa-controlled Board and CEO intent on running the Company as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kaisa without appropriate checks and balances. By refreshing the Board with directors who have relevant experience, a sense of urgency and alignment with shareholder interests, we can unlock significant value through renewed corporate governance, effective capital allocation, and monetization of the Company's assets."

08:34 EDT China Xiangtai Food provides business and regulatory update - China Xiangtai Food provided a business update and reported on recent corporate developments. The U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which would require the SEC to prohibit the trading of companies whose auditor has not been under the inspection of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The company assures that its consolidated financial statements were audited by a PCAOB-inspected public accounting firm and therefore would not be subject to proposed prohibition. As the restaurants gradually reopen, overall pork demand in China is expected to recover. The company has fully resumed manufacturing activities this month. Xiangtai is developing towards the upstream of the food supply chain with the recent rental of a 2,500 square meter hog farm in Guangxi Province, further expanding into hog breeding business and vertically integrating the food supply chain.

08:33 EDT SeaChange to utilize AWS to drive TV provider revenues - SeaChange will provide new functionalities for the framework cloud-based video delivery platform with Amazon (AMZN) Web Services, or AWS, machine learning, or ML, services. The company said, "TV providers face high operating expenses driven by the rising cost of content and infrastructure and declining average revenue per user. In addition, subscriber churn continues to challenge TV providers due to the ever-growing amount of viewing options. Retaining paying subscribers is high priority in this competitive landscape.The Framework Predictive Analytics algorithms leverage AWS ML services to help TV providers better understand user engagement. Pre-built dashboards and reports produce data that is used to inform decisions aimed at retention and monetization. It identifies patterns that suggest whether a user is at risk of churning, which prompts the provider to launch targeted retention actions. Understanding user behavior such as channel lineup utilization, VOD catalog engagement, and promotion effectiveness can also improve the accuracy of advertising campaigns. The SeaChange Framework utilizes Amazon SageMaker to build, train, and deploy ML models quickly and at scale. Amazon SageMaker removes the undifferentiated heavy lifting from each step of the ML process and makes it easier to develop high-quality models. The Framework also leverages AWS Lambda and Amazon Athena to provide a scalable and cost-effective solution that's compatible with any centralized or distributed head-end architecture."

08:31 EDT Histogen, Conatus announce completion of merger - Histogen (HSTO) announced the completion of its previously disclosed merger with Conatus Pharmaceuticals (CNAT). The combined company changed its name to Histogen Inc. and will focus on developing patented technologies that replace and regenerate tissues in the body. Histogen is expected to begin trading today, May 27, 2020, on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol "HSTO". The previous ticker symbol was "CNAT". Histogen will maintain its headquarters in San Diego, California and will be led by President and CEO Richard Pascoe. Histogen currently anticipates meeting the following upcoming development milestones: Initiate a Phase 1b/2a study of HST 001 for the treatment of male pattern baldness in Q2 2020. Initiate a Phase 1 study of HST 002 as a dermal filler in Q3 2020. File an Investigational New Drug Application in Q3 2020 and initiate a Phase 1 study of HST 003 for the treatment of articular cartilage defects in the knee in Q3 2020. Announce top-line results from Phase 1b/2a study of HST 001 for the treatment of male pattern baldness in Q4 2020. Announce top-line results from Phase 1 study of HST 002 for the treatment of nasolabial folds in Q1 2021. Histogen's pipeline is derived from a single patented manufacturing process that yields multiple biologic products from a single bioreactor. Histogen's first aesthetic application, a naturally secreted cell conditioned media ingredient for topical skin care products, is marketed by leading global biopharmaceutical company Allergan plc within its SkinMedica A+ brand. In connection with the merger, Conatus effected a reverse split of its common stock. Following the reverse stock split and closing of the merger, there are approximately 11,813,875 shares of the combined company's common stock outstanding, subject to rounding up any fractional shares as a result of the reverse split, with pre-merger Histogen shareholders owning approximately 73.373% and pre-merger Conatus shareholders owning approximately 26.627%. Richard Pascoe, President and CEO of Histogen, will serve as President, CEO and Director of the combined company, and Steven Mento, Ph.D., the former President and CEO of Conatus, will serve on the Board of Directors. David Crean, Ph.D. will serve as Chairman of the Board of the combined company. Other board members include: Stephen Chang, Ph.D., Jonathan Jackson, Hayden Yizhuo Zhang, Brian Satz and Daniel Kisner, M.D.

08:27 EDT SmileDirectClub partners with Anthem on Ortho@Home program - SmileDirectClub (SDC) has joined Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's (ANTM) newly established program, Ortho@Home, a teledentistry orthodontia program designed to provide consumers with convenient, affordable and remote orthodontic care. SmileDirectClub is offering remote dental care and clear aligner therapy to users on Anthem Dental Prime and Complete networks. In joining Ortho@Home, SmileDirectClub will extend the convenience and affordability of its platform to Anthem members while creating new opportunities for the dentists and orthodontists in its affiliated network to treat their members with remote orthodontic care on an in-network basis.

08:26 EDT Menlo Therapeutics announces covered status for AMZEEQ topical foam - Menlo Therapeutics announced that its novel AMZEEQ topical foam, 4%, for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in adults and pediatric patients 9 years of age and older, has been added to the prescription drug formulary of one of the largest payors in the U.S. AMZEEQ was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2019. Minocycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic known for its efficacy in treating moderate to severe acne, has not previously been available as a topical treatment due to its instability in traditional topical formulations. In AMZEEQ, Foamix has leveraged its proprietary Molecule Stabilizing Technology platform to deliver minocycline in a foam-based vehicle that maintains the stability of the active ingredient while delivering it directly on the skin.

08:24 EDT Xebec says interruptions reduced revenues by C$3.8M-C$4M in Q1 - The company said, "Xebec was not immune to the worldwide impact of COVID-19. The brief business interruptions in our Chinese, Italian and Californian operations in March resulted in shipment delays and consequently resulted in reduced revenues of approximately $3.8 to 4.0 million in Q1/20. These shipment delays in turn resulted in higher inventory levels. In addition, Xebec saw a planned increase of its inventory levels at its Blainville facility to ensure continued supply of critical manufacturing materials and components in the changing environment. Furthermore, efforts to contain COVID-19 increased operating costs and reduced productivity at all our facilities due to the implementation of additional health and safety measures. Xebec's "Business Continuity Committee" worked diligently to safeguard our employees, partners, and suppliers. To date, we can report that Xebec has not experienced a single case of COVID-19 throughout its worldwide operations. With China restarting in mid-March, our Italian operations in early May and shipments from our California subsidiary having restarted in mid- April, our operational performance is improving. Our manufacturing facility in Quebec continues to operate at near full capacity and has been deemed an essential business. Xebec continues to be well-positioned in the event of future disruptions with its strong balance sheet that includes $23.7 million of cash on hand and a $10 million loan facility from the Fonds de Solidarite FTQ that was recently announced. In addition, Xebec will receive additional funds of approximately $14 million if its outstanding warrants are exercised by July 4th, 2020."

08:23 EDT Greenpro Capital to acquire 4% of Millennium Sapphire for $4M - Greenpro Capital announced that it has signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement to acquire 4% of the Millennium Sapphire for $4 million. Greenpro said in a release, "The acquisition will be paid via the issuance of 4.44 million GRNQ restricted shares valued at 90c per share. The two parties have 30 days to complete the acquisition. GRNQ is currently negotiating to buy the remaining 96% interest in the Millennium Sapphire into its wholly owned Wyoming subsidiary, Millennium Fine Arts."

08:21 EDT GE Lighting to be acquired by Savant Systems, terms not disclosed - Savant Systems announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase GE Lighting, a division of GE. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Savant said in a release, "The proposed transaction includes a long-term licensing agreement for use of the GE brand. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close mid-2020."

08:19 EDT Ralph Lauren reports Q4 inventory down 10% to $736M - Ralph Lauren said in its Q4 earnings release, "Inventory at the end of Fiscal 2020 was $736 million, down 10% compared to the prior year period. The decline in inventory primarily reflected a significant increase in inventory reserves related to COVID-19 business disruptions."

08:17 EDT Salarius to present trial in progress poster on Phase 1/2 trial of seclidemstat - Salarius Pharmaceuticals announced that a Trial in Progress poster of the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial of seclidemstat in patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma will be presented during the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology Virtual Scientific Program. The poster describes the trial's design and highlights important dose escalation enrollment advances achieved during the past year. Designed as an open-label, non-randomized dose-escalation/dose-expansion study, the primary objective of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial is to assess seclidemstat's safety and tolerability in patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma. Secondary objectives include studying the pharmacokinetics and assessing preliminary anti-tumor activity of seclidemstat. Exploratory objectives include collecting potential pharmacodynamic markers to study drug activity and disease burden. As reported recently, the Safety Review Committee overseeing the Ewing sarcoma clinical trial approved the advancement of the study to the sixth dosing cohort out of seven potential cohorts, patient enrollment is ongoing, and, to date, we have not seen dose limiting toxicities that would prevent further dose escalation. Thus far, pharmacokinetic data from the trial suggest that plasma drug levels of the first five cohorts are increasing in a dose proportional manner and there is no evidence of a plateau in exposure levels. Also recently reported, seclidemstat plasma levels in patients are now at or above the levels where pharmacological activity was observed in pre-clinical studies. Based on current projections, Salarius believes the Phase 1/2 Ewing sarcoma trial is on track to reach maximum tolerated dose in 2020, and shortly after, begin the dose-expansion phase of the study. Salarius expects to report early safety and pharmacokinetic data before year-end 2020.

08:15 EDT Ironwood, AbbVie announce MD-7246 trial did not meet primary endpoint - Ironwood (IRWD) announced top-line data from a Phase II trial evaluating MD-7246 in adult patients with abdominal pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, or IBS-D. The Phase II trial did not meet its primary or key secondary endpoints. Based on these findings, Ironwood and AbbVie (ABBV) plan to discontinue the development of MD-7246. Results from a previously announced MD-7246 Phase II trial in adult patients with IBS with constipation, or IBS-C, showed that MD-7246 numerically improved abdominal pain relative to placebo with no effect on bowel function. These data informed the companies' decision to evaluate MD-7246 in the IBS-D population. Ironwood and AbbVie are now further examining the MD-7246 Phase II data in IBS-D to understand the discordance with the improvement in pain observed in the previous IBS-C results. MD-7246 was generally well-tolerated in the Phase II trial in IBS-D; most adverse events were mild to moderate in severity. The most common adverse event for MD-7246 in this Phase II trial was upper respiratory tract infection/nasopharyngitis, which was observed at a similar frequency as placebo. In the Phase II trial in IBS-D, patients taking MD-7246 experienced no clinically meaningful effect on bowel function. Full results from this Phase II trial are expected to be submitted for presentation at a future medical meeting. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, dose-range-finding Phase II study was designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, treatment effect on abdominal pain, and dose response of MD-7246 administered orally to adult patients with abdominal pain associated with IBS-D. 388 IBS-D patients were randomized equally across three dose levels of MD-7246, or matching placebo, administered once daily. The primary efficacy endpoints were change from baseline in abdominal pain at its worst each week and an overall abdominal pain response, defined as at least a 30% reduction from baseline in abdominal pain for at least 6 out of 12 weeks.

08:14 EDT Walmart partners with thredUP to enter fashion resale market - Denise Incandela, Head of Fashion, Walmart U.S. eCommerce, said in a statement: "Over the last few years, we've focused on expanding our assortment of quality, on-trend, accessible fashion to help customers outfit themselves no matter their personal style or budget. In fact, we've added nearly 1,000 brands to our online assortment, including national brands like Champion, Jordache and Levi Strauss. We also offer private label brands Time and Tru, Terra & Sky, Wonder Nation and George, and customers love our exclusive, elevated brands like Scoop, Sofia Jeans by Sofia Vergara and EV1 by Ellen DeGeneres. I'm thrilled to announce that we'll be offering even more fantastic brands with our entry into the popular fashion resale market through our online partnership with thredUP, the leading resale platform for fashion and accessories at mass market prices. Starting today, customers can shop www.walmart.com/thredup to find nearly 750,000 pre-owned items across women's and children's clothing, accessories, footwear and handbags."

08:12 EDT IntelGenx granted FDA Type A meeting related to RIZAPORT VersaFilm - IntelGenx announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has granted the Company's request for a Type A meeting related to its RIZAPORT VersaFilm program. This meeting has been scheduled for June 10, 2020. On March 27, 2020, IntelGenx received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA regarding its resubmitted 505(b)(2) New Drug Application for RIZAPORT VersaFilm for the treatment of acute migraines. The CRL states that the FDA cannot approve the application in its present form. The Agency requested additional information, but no new bioequivalence study.

08:11 EDT Masimo, Philips reinforce partnership with additional licensing agreement - Masimo (MASI) and Philips (PHG) announced that they have reinforced their partnership, whereby Philips will integrate additional Masimo measurement technologies into select IntelliVue MX-series multi-parameter monitors, to help clinicians assess cerebral oximetry and ventilation status. Core Masimo noninvasive measurements, such as SET Measure-through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry and advanced rainbow SET Pulse CO-Oximetry parameters like noninvasive hemoglobin, have been available on a wide range of Philips multi-parameter monitors. NomoLine capnography and O3 regional oximetry measurements are available now on Philips MX500 and MX550 monitors in select markets throughout the world, and are also available directly from Masimo on its Root Patient Monitoring and Connectivity Platform and when connected to select Philips patient monitors via Philips' IntelliBridge module.

08:08 EDT Constellium supplies Auto Body Sheet for Toyota Corolla in Europe - Constellium SE (CSTM) announced that it supplies Auto Body Sheet for the new Toyota (TM) Corolla produced at Toyota's European manufacturing plants. Constellium was nominated as the sole supplier of Auto Body Sheet for the hood of the new Corolla, produced at the automaker's facilities in Burnaston, UK, and Arifiye, Turkey. Toyota is using aluminium for this series on its European production lines for the first time.

08:07 EDT Tilray Portugal receives GMP certification for Cantanhede facility - Tilray announced its wholly-owned subsidiary Tilray Portugal, has received a good manufacturing practice, or GMP, certification in accordance with European Union standards, for its manufacturing facility in Cantanhede, Portugal. The GMP certification was issued by Infarmed, the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines and Health Products which provides end-to-end GMP certification for Tilray's current operations in Portugal. This is the third GMP certification for Tilray Portugal, which allows the facility to manufacture medical cannabis extracts in-house and export GMP-produced finished medical cannabis products, both dried flower and oil, from Portugal throughout European Union and other international markets with legal medical cannabis regulations. Further, the additional certification authorizes Tilray to manufacture bulk extracts on-site to sell as cannabis active pharmaceutical ingredients, or API, and provides additional quality control lab capacity to further advance the Company's ability for product innovation and research.

08:06 EDT VistaGen Therapeutics and Nuformix to develop treatment for CNS conditions - VistaGen Therapeutics and Nuformix, a pharmaceutical development company focused on unlocking the therapeutic potential and value of known drugs, announced their agreement to develop novel cocrystal-based formulations of VistaGen's central nervous system product candidates. VistaGen and Nuformix initially will apply Nuformix's proprietary technology platform to develop patentable new crystalline forms of AV-101 that may have superior delivery, an enhanced therapeutic profile and additional intellectual property protection. If successful, VistaGen and Nuformix will consider opportunities to extend the collaboration to other CNS therapeutic candidates. AV-101 is VistaGen's oral NMDAR glycine site antagonist, in development in combination with probenecid, a safe and well-known oral drug used to treat gout and to increase the therapeutic benefit of numerous antibacterial, anticancer and antiviral drugs. AV-101, together with probenecid, has potential to be a new generation oral treatment for chronic neuropathic pain, epilepsy, levodopa-induced dyskinesia associated with Parkinson's disease therapy, major depressive disorder, and suicidal ideation.

08:05 EDT Veritone announces new collaboration with Getty Images - Veritone and Getty Images introduced a new unified search service for Veritone's AI-powered digital asset management portal, Digital Media Hub. The companies said in a release, "The integration allows users to search, view and download content stored in both Digital Media Hub and Getty Images through a single, intuitive interface. In addition to Digital Media Hub's advanced search capabilities, the new add-on feature enables customers to accelerate content discovery and simplify project workflows. The new search and index service has been field-tested by several mutual Veritone and Getty customers, and the companies are excited to take the service into general availability. With content housed in multiple, disparate platforms, users appreciate a simpler and more intuitive way to search, access and transact with assets in both the Digital Media Hub and Getty databases to accelerate asset discovery and maximize utilization."

08:04 EDT Tabula Rasa HealthCare announces publication on MedWise Risk Score - Tabula Rasa HealthCare announces the journal Pharmacy has published its research article "Association of a Novel Medication Risk Score with Adverse Drug Events and Other Pertinent Outcomes Among Participants of the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly". The research article is a 12-month analysis of medical claims data of 1,965 Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly participants by TRHC's Precision Pharmacotherapy Research & Development Institute to determine their MedWise Risk Score. TRHC's MedWise Risk Score helps identify those at highest risk for Adverse Drug Events, requiring immediate medication management attention. Adverse Drug Events, if it were a disease, would be the third leading cause of death in the United States. The study concludes that a significant positive correlation exists between the MRS and various outcomes, including emergency department visits, all-cause hospital admissions, and hospital length of stay. Each point increase in the MRS corresponds to $1,037 in additional annual medical spend, three additional emergency department visits per 100 participants per year, and two additional hospitalizations per 100 participants per year. In a 2018 study of PACE clinicians who use the MedWise Risk Score, 94% would recommend its use by pharmacists and physicians. In the same study, 84% believe that it helps them provide better care, in collaboration with their clinical pharmacist counterparts.

08:03 EDT Relmada Therapeutics cleared for Phase 3 development program of REL-1017 - Relmada Therapeutics announced the completion of its End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the U.S. FDA on its development program of REL-1017 for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder patients. The company can proceed into Phase 3 without conducting additional clinical studies, and the FDA and Relmada are aligned on all key aspects of this planned Phase 3 program.

07:58 EDT Inovalon announces launch of InfectionWatch - Inovalon announced the launch of InfectionWatch, an infection surveillance and reporting solution that provides healthcare facilities with data-driven insights to empower real-time identification of infections demonstrating antibiotic resistance and virus outbreaks such as COVID-19. This reporting solution helps facilities meet regulatory compliance requirements and empowers them to improve quality outcomes with greater efficiency and confidence. InfectionWatch, a Module of the Inovalon ONE Platform brought to market through the ABILITY provider network, leverages real-time EHR data and predictive analytics to enable seamless monitoring and tracking of infections, providing detailed evaluations of infection trends by category, type and culture organism, as well as predictive insights into patient-specific and infection-specific progressions and risk rates. Additional capabilities of the offering allow provider facilities to track the presence and prevalence of healthcare-acquired infections, community-acquired infections, and "present on admission" infections to identify and recommend appropriate and timely prevention interventions. Leveraging this comprehensive analytical insight, facilities can track targeted infections, identify potential cases of antimicrobial resistance, monitor and report adverse events, and deploy more effective infection control measures.

07:55 EDT Unisys announces U.S. government certification of Unisys Stealth - Unisys announced the U.S. government certification of Unisys Stealth to protect information as it flows between Stealth-enabled endpoints. Stealth is the first microsegmentation cybersecurity solution to be validated by the National Information Assurance Partnership. The new certification confirms that Stealth meets the stringent requirements of the NIAP Virtual Private Network PP-Module for VPN Client Version 2.1 and the NIAP Protection Profile for Application Software Version 1.3. These profiles assure clients their data will be protected as it travels between endpoints protected by Stealth.

07:48 EDT Jacobs awarded contract to build new vehicle laboratory for Ford in U.K. - Jacobs (J) has been awarded a contract to design and build a new Commercial Vehicle Advanced Propulsion Laboratory for Ford (F) at its Dunton Campus and U.K. headquarters in Essex. The appointment follows Ford's announcement of an overall investment of $28M to construct the new facility. The Commercial Vehicle Advanced Propulsion Laboratory will extend the existing facilities and include powertrain NVH test chambers, a testing area for electrification technologies and a new cold cell test room. Ford anticipates that the new facility will be fully operational by early 2021.

07:33 EDT vTv Therapeutics to present results from Phase 2 Simplici-T1 study of TTP399 - vTv Therapeutics announced that two late-breaking abstracts reinforcing the potential of TTP399 as an oral adjunctive therapy in type 1 diabetes will be presented virtually at the American Diabetes Association's 80th Scientific Sessions, which is being held virtually, June 12-16, 2020. In February 2020 the Company announced positive topline results from its Phase 2 Simplici-T1 trial showing that TTP399 lowered HbA1c, decreased insulin dose, and increased Time in Range in patients with type 1 diabetes. Simplici-T1 was a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, adaptive study assessing the safety and efficacy of TTP399 as an adjunct to insulin therapy in adults with T1D. The primary endpoint was the change in HbA1c at week 12. The study was conducted with support from JDRF, the leading global organization funding research in type 1 diabetes. This Phase 2 learn-and-confirm study was conducted in two parts under a treat-to-target protocol to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TTP399 in T1D patients over 12 weeks of daily dosing following a multi-week insulin optimization and placebo run-in period. Part 1 enrolled 19 patients on both insulin pumps and CGMs. The positive topline results from the learning phase - Part 1 were reported in June, 2019. The confirming phase, Part 2, enrolled 85 patients that used either insulin pumps or multiple daily injections of insulin; CGMs were allowed for those patients using the devices for at least three months prior to the start of the study.

07:32 EDT Equitable to work with BlackRock to provide lifetime income thorough an annuity - Equitable, a subsidiary of Equitable Holdings (EQH), announced it is working with BlackRock (BLK) to provide access to lifetime income through an annuity within a new target date investment solution for BlackRock's U.S. defined contribution plan clients. The investment solution is a target date strategy that will include an allocation to annuity contracts, over time. The annuity contracts, to be issued by Equitable and another selected insurer, will not limit the daily liquidity of the target date strategy. Plan participants will have the option to use a portion of their plan account balance at retirement to purchase a fixed individual retirement annuity from Equitable that will provide guaranteed lifetime income. The solution will be available to U.S. employers to provide to their employees through their defined contribution retirement plans.

07:30 EDT Gilead receives right to opt-in to all other programs in Arcus portfolio - Gilead (GILD) and Arcus Biosciences (RCUS) said in a release, "Gilead will receive the right to opt-in to all other programs that emerge from Arcus's research portfolio over the next 10 years, upon payment of an opt-in fee of $150 million per program after Arcus's delivery of a qualifying data package. Upon Gilead's exercise of its option for a program, unless Arcus opts out according to terms of the agreement, the companies will co-develop and share global development costs and will co-commercialize and share profits in the United States. Gilead will obtain exclusive rights to commercialize any optioned programs outside of the U.S., subject to any rights of Arcus's existing partners, and for which Gilead will pay to Arcus tiered royalties ranging from high-teens to low twenties. Gilead will further provide ongoing research and development support of up to $400 million over the collaboration term."

07:27 EDT Allstate extends shelter-in-place payback for auto customers through June 30 - In a regulatory 8-K filing released yesterday, Allstate announced that "it is extending its Shelter-in-Place Payback through June 30, 2020, for personal auto insurance customers as they drive less and get in fewer accidents during the coronavirus pandemic. The company is also extending the sign up period for free identity protection to June 30, 2020, for all U.S. residents. Allstate, Esurance and Encompass personal auto insurance customers will receive the extended Shelter-in-Place Payback in June. Customers will receive an automatic credit to their accounts with most receiving 15% of their monthly premiums."

07:23 EDT Gilead to make $200M equity investment in Arcus at a price of $33.54 per share - Gilead (GILD) and Arcus (RCUS) announced in a release, "Gilead's $200M equity investment will be at a price per share of $33.54. Additionally, Gilead will have the right to purchase additional shares from Arcus, up to a maximum of 35% of the outstanding voting stock of Arcus over the course of the next five years, at a 20% premium at the time Gilead exercises such option, or, if greater, at the initial purchase price per share. This transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020, is subject to applicable antitrust clearance under the Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions."

07:19 EDT McDonald's UK: 1,020 restaurants to have reopened by June 4 - McDonald's UK announced via Twitter that by June 4, 1,020 of its restaurants will have reopened, either for Drive Thru or McDelivery. Reference Link

07:14 EDT Medipharm, Argentia Gold to bring cannabis-infused products to Atlantic Canada - MediPharm Labs and Argentina Gold Corporation announced the formation of a supply arrangement to bring premium cannabis-infused products to Atlantic Canada. Under the agreement, which has an initial 2-year term, MediPharm Labs will provide Argentia Gold-branded formulated tincture bottles of CBD cannabis resin and Argentia Gold will provide distribution, sales, and service to leading retailers in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

07:09 EDT Papa John's reports April, May period comparable sales - The company reports April system-wide international restaurants comparable sales up 1.4%. Reports May system-wide international restaurants comparable sales up 7%. Reports April system-wide North America restaurants comparable sales up 26.9%. Reports May system-wide North America restaurants comparable sales up 33.5%. Figures are relative to the same periods in the prior year.

07:09 EDT RedHill Biopharma continues to advance development program for MAP bacteria - RedHill announced in October 2019 the full Week 52 results for all subjects in the previously announced positive Phase 3 randomized, controlled study of RHB-104 in Crohn's disease and supportive top-line results from the open-label extension Phase 3 study. The full Week 52 results of blinded treatment in the MAP US Phase 3 study with RHB-104 were consistent with the previously reported positive outcomes of the study. RedHill continues to advance its development program for the detection of MAP bacteria in Crohn's disease patients through collaborations with several leading U.S. academic institutions and laboratories.

07:07 EDT RedHill Biopharma plans to initiate Phase 3 study of RHB-204 in Q3 - Following recent data from an ongoing supportive non-clinical program, RedHill plans to initiate a single, pivotal Phase 3 study evaluating RHB-204 as a first-line, stand-alone treatment for pulmonary NTM infections caused by Mycobacterium avium complex in the third quarter of 2020, subject to further input from the FDA.

07:06 EDT Synthetic Biologics signs option to license SYN-020 for age-related diseases - Synthetic Biologics entered into an agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital granting the company an option for an exclusive license to intellectual property and technology related to the use of intestinal alkaline phosphatase to maintain gastrointestinal and microbiome health, diminish systemic inflammation, and treat age-related diseases. If executed, the company plans to use this license in the advancement of an expanded clinical development program for SYN-020, the company's proprietary recombinant version of bovine IAP currently in pre-clinical development. IAP administration, starting at 10 months of age, slowed the microbiome changes, gut-barrier dysfunction, and gastrointestinal and systemic inflammation that normally accompany aging. Synthetic Biologics is granted exclusive rights to negotiate a worldwide license with MGH to commercially develop SYN-020 to treat and prevent metabolic and inflammatory diseases associated with aging.

07:05 EDT First United Corp: Driver has issued another misleading message to shareholders - First United Corporation issued the following statement in response to Driver Management Company LLC's press release filed on May 26: "Driver has issued another misleading message to shareholders of First United. Yesterday, Driver inaccurately characterized its negotiated Settlement Agreement and Consent Order with the Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation as an exoneration, or proof that it did not violate Maryland law. The settlement Driver references is one in which the regulator simply agreed not to take enforcement action against Driver, as long as Driver, among other things, agreed to not violate Maryland law going forward. Importantly, shareholders should be aware of the actual facts: on May 14, 2020, the Maryland Commissioner notified Driver that the Maryland Commissioner had concluded his investigation and that his staff found sufficient evidence to find that Driver violated Maryland's stock acquisition statute, the remedy for which is a five-year prohibition on Driver voting its shares. This letter noted that a copy was being sent to First United so that First United could consider the impact of the Maryland Commissioner's conclusion on the upcoming annual meeting of shareholders. This voting prohibition is required by statute if a violation of Maryland's stock acquisition statute is found to exist. Driver's settlement agreement with the Maryland Commissioner does not resolve the issue of whether Driver's violation of the stock acquisition statute prohibits it from voting its shares for a period of five years, including at the upcoming annual meeting. Nor does it resolve the issue of whether Driver's nominations are valid under First United's bylaws or Maryland law. We asked a Maryland State Court last week for declaratory relief to provide clarification on these two issues, after Driver threatened to sue us. We will continue to seek this determination in order to provide the clarity that is needed for our shareholders."

07:04 EDT Papa John's provides update on ongoing COVID-19 response - Papa John's provided an update on the ongoing business impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the company's approximately 2,100 international franchised stores, approximately 320 are temporarily closed, principally in the Middle East, Latin America and Europe, in accordance with government policies. Some international markets are open predominantly for delivery only, such as in the United Kingdom. In North America, almost all traditional restaurants remain open and fully operational. A number of non-traditional restaurants located in universities and stadiums are temporarily closed; these non-traditional locations are not material to the company's revenues and operating results. Rob Lynch, President & CEO said, "In May, for the second straight month, Papa John's team members and franchisees delivered the best sales period in the company's history. Our teams continue to meet the needs of new and returning customers and their communities, while making health and safety our top priority. We entered the pandemic with strong growth and momentum, and are fortunate that our delivery and carry-out model has enabled us to meet an essential need for high quality food, safely delivered to consumers' homes. Everyone at Papa John's takes this responsibility seriously, and is committed to supporting our neighbors in their time of need. "As states and communities slowly reopen, we continue to show strong performance. The success of 'No Contact Delivery' and new products like Papadias - both examples of a new culture of innovation at Papa John's - continue to drive results. We wish for a speedy recovery and return to normal, and are optimistic about Papa John's long-term future given the strong foundation that we have continued to build during these challenging times."

07:01 EDT Bristol-Myers receives EC approval for Zeposia - Bristol Myers announced that the European Commission has approved Zeposia for the treatment of adult patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis with active disease as defined by clinical or imaging features. With the EC marketing authorization, Zeposia, an oral medication taken once daily, becomes the only approved sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator for RRMS patients with active disease. The approval is based on data from the SUNBEAM and RADIANCE Part B clinical trials showing that, as compared to AVONEX, Zeposia delivered powerful efficacy as measured by annualized relapse rate, as well as on the number and size of brain lesions.

06:50 EDT Matrix Composites' HiRPM technology adopted into Lockheed's F-35 program - Matrix Composites, an ITT (ITT) company, announced that its trademarked closed molding process, Hot Isostatic Resin Pressure Molding, is qualified on Lockheed Martin's (LMT) F-35 lighting program. In addition, HiRPM is now the established manufacturing process for all future F-35 aircraft and is used on select parts within the aircraft's horizontal tail assembly. Airframe components produced with this innovative process flew for the first time in 2019

06:47 EDT Zynerba reports 'positive' results from Phase 2 BRIGHT trial of Zygel - Zynerba Pharmaceuticals announced positive top line results from the exploratory, open label Phase 2 BRIGHT trial. The trial was designed to assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of Zygel in pediatric and adolescent patients with autism spectrum disorder. Zygel was administered to patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms of ASD as add-on therapy to their standard of care utilizing a variety of efficacy assessments. Key findings from the trial disclosed include: All five subscales of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist - Community (ABC-C) as well as the Parent Rated Anxiety Scale - Autism Spectrum Disorder showed both statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements at 14 weeks of treatment from baseline; The results observed in other efficacy outcome measures, including Clinical Global Impressions - Improvement scale, support the subscale results observed in the ABC-C; Zygel was well tolerated in this trial with no serious or severe adverse events reported. "We are very encouraged by the compelling top line results of the BRIGHT trial and we expect to meet with the FDA to discuss the clinical pathway for developing Zygel for the treatment of behavioral symptoms of ASD in the second half of this year," said Armando Anido, Zynerba's Chairman and CEO. "Our goal is to develop Zygel for patients suffering from debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders including ASD, Fragile X syndrome, 22q and DEE. I want to thank the patients, families, physicians, clinical staff, and the Zynerba team for their support of this key study in ASD."

06:36 EDT Tuesday Morning down 30% to 7c per share after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

06:31 EDT Tuesday Morning to continue to reopen stores in accordance with mandates - The Chapter 11 process is not expected to impact the company's ability to re-open stores closed due to COVID-19 and it will continue to do so in accordance with state and local mandates where the company operates. Since Tuesday Morning began re-opening its stores on April 24, comparable store sales for the reopened stores have been approximately 10% higher than sales during the same period in fiscal 2019, and over 7,300 associates have returned to work.

06:29 EDT Tuesday Morning expects to close about 230 of its 687 stores - The company expects the reorganization process to enable the company to realign its store footprint. Following a thorough and comprehensive store-by-store analysis with the help of its financial and restructuring advisors, the company expects to close approximately 230 of its 687 stores to focus on high-performing locations and will do this with a phased approach. The store closure process will take place over the summer. The company has requested bankruptcy court approval to close at least 132 locations in a first phase and, eventually, the company's distribution center in Phoenix that supports these stores. These stores were identified as underperforming or are situated in areas where too many locations are in close proximity. Tuesday Morning plans to attempt to renegotiate a significant number of leases during this process. Of the remaining 555 stores, the company plans to exit approximately 100 additional locations leaving a go-forward footprint of approximately 450 stores. This realignment will allow Tuesday Morning to improve its product offering by focusing on the highest performing stores in its most productive markets, provide greater value to customers by sending the best deals to a smaller number of stores, and enhance the overall profitability and credit worthiness of the company with resources directed at its most profitable stores.

06:25 EDT Tuesday Morning files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy -

06:13 EDT Dorian LPG provides market outlook update amid COVID-19 pandemic - Global seaborne LPG volumes remained buoyant during the first calendar quarter of 2020, totaling 26.9M tons, 3.5% above the same period in 2019. U.S. seaborne LPG exports have driven global growth, as such exports have increased to record levels during the first calendar quarter, totaling 11M metric tons and representing 33.2% annual growth. Elevated U.S. exports were balanced by slightly declining Middle Eastern export volumes. The Middle East exported 9.2M metric tons of LPG during the quarter, a 7.6% year-over-year decrease. During the quarter, LPG imports in Asian markets such as India, Japan, and South Korea all witnessed year-over-year growth. Chinese LPG imports, however, decreased 15.6% year-over-year to roughly 4M metric tons. The effects of COVID-19 reduced demand, while PDH plants operated at reduced capacity and maintenance was brought forward. Two Chinese PDH plants with 1.2M tons of annual throughput that were planned to start operations during the quarter were delayed. For the first calendar quarter, the Baltic VLGC Index averaged $67 per metric ton, reaching a quarterly high of $81 per metric ton in late January. For the second calendar quarter to date, the Baltic Index has averaged $51 per metric ton. Currently the VLGC orderbook stands at approximately 12% of the current global fleet. An additional 35 VLGCs, equivalent to roughly 3M cbm of carrying capacity, are expected to be added to the global fleet by calendar year-end 2021. The average age of the global fleet is now approximately ten years old.

06:10 EDT Royal Bank of Canada reports Q2 ROE 7.3%, down from 17.5% last year

06:06 EDT Royal Bank of Canada reports Q2 provision for credit losses C$2.83B - Up C$2.404B from last year. The increased provisions unfavourably impacted results in Personal & Commercial Banking, Capital Markets and Wealth Management. These factors were partially offset by higher earnings in Investor & Treasury Services and Insurance.

05:29 EDT Thermo Fisher enters strategic partnership with CSL - Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) and CSL (CSLLY) announced they have entered into a strategic partnership to "help meet the growing demand for biologic therapies while also accelerating CSL's broader manufacturing objectives." The companies said in a release, "Thermo Fisher will support CSL's product portfolio by leveraging its pharma services network, including drug product development, biologics manufacturing, sterile fill-finish, packaging and clinical trials logistics. Through a long-term lease agreement with CSL, Thermo Fisher will operate a new state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing facility in Lengnau, Switzerland, when construction is completed in mid-2021. Within the Lengnau site, Thermo Fisher will support manufacturing of CSL's next-generation product for hemophilia patients. The site will feature highly flexible bioproduction technologies, including single-use and stainless steel, to provide a pathway from development to large-scale production as customers' needs increase. Over time, Thermo Fisher plans to expand the use of the site to include additional biopharma customers."

05:13 EDT Genentech says Phase III Archway study met primary endpoint - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced positive topline results from the Phase III Archway study, evaluating Port Delivery System with ranibizumab, or PDS, in people living with neovascular or "wet" age-related macular degeneration. or nAMD. The company said, "PDS is a permanent refillable eye implant, approximately the size of a grain of rice, which continuously delivers a customized formulation of ranibizumab over a period of months. The Archway trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that patients with PDS who received refills every six months achieved visual acuity outcomes equivalent to those receiving monthly ranibizumab 0.5 mg injections. In Archway, PDS was generally well-tolerated with a favorable benefit-risk profile. Neovascular AMD is a leading cause of blindness in people aged 60 and older in the United States. The current standard of care for nAMD requires patients to visit their ophthalmologist as often as monthly for eye injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, therapy to help maintain vision gains and/or prevent vision loss. This high treatment burden with anti-VEGF therapy can lead to under-treatment of nAMD and, potentially, less than optimal vision outcomes. In addition to Archway, the Portal study is investigating the long-term safety and tolerability of PDS for the treatment of nAMD. Furthermore, PDS is also being studied in the Pagoda trial for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, or DME, a vision-threatening complication of diabetes."