Stockwinners Market Radar for June 18, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:54 EDT Sempra Energy CFO sells 10.3K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Sempra Energy disclosed that its CFO Trevor Mihalik sold 10.3K shares of common stock on June 18th in a transaction valued at $1.3M.

19:32 EDT Caesars resumes operations at Paris Las Vegas - In accordance with directives from Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak and the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Caesars Entertainment Corporation announces that it has resumed gaming and hospitality operations at Paris Las Vegas today, June 18.

18:33 EDT AMC Entertainment CEO: We plan to open 90% of theaters on July 15 - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Adam Aron said the company has plenty of cash and could stay closed until November. Once theaters are open, they will start generating cash, Aron noted. Movie theaters are not like sports stadiums. We only filled 17% of our seats in 2019, Aron said. If there is a seat limitation, we can handle it. AMC has a bright future and we'll get through the COVID-19 crisis, Aron said.

17:58 EDT Marathon Petroleum up 5% after WSJ reports company in talks to sell Speedway - In after-hours trading, shares are up 5.74% to $40.68.

17:22 EDT WEC Energy recommends rejection of "mini-tender" offer from TRC Capital - WEC Energy has been notified of an unsolicited mini-tender offer by TRC Capital Investment to purchase up to 1,500,000 shares of WEC Energy Group Stock at a price of $88.88 per share in cash. TRC's offer price is approximately 4.28% lower than the WEC Energy Group common stock closing price on June 5, $92.85, and lower than today's closing price of $89.86. WEC Energy Group is not associated in any way with TRC, its mini-tender offer or the offer documentation. WEC Energy Group recommends that shareholders reject the offer and not tender their shares in response to TRC's unsolicited offer. TRC has made similar unsolicited mini-tender offers for shares of other publicly traded companies.

17:06 EDT Broadcom CLO sells 3,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Broadcom chief legal officer Mark David Brazeal disclosed the sale of 3,000 common shares of the company on June 16 at a price of $310.62 per share.

17:01 EDT Air Lease announces delivery of new A320-200neo jet to Atlantic Airways - Air Lease Corporation (AL) announced the delivery of one new Airbus (EADSY) A320-200neo aircraft on long-term lease to Atlantic Airways, the national carrier of the Faroe Islands. Powered by CFM International LEAP-1A26 engines, this aircraft is the second of two A320-200neos that delivered to the airline from ALC's order book with Airbus. "We are pleased to announce this second A320-200neo delivery to Atlantic Airways today," said Grant Levy, Executive Vice President of Air Lease Corporation. "ALC introduced the A320-200neo to Atlantic Airways' fleet last year and it has greatly enhanced the passenger experience and overall operations of the airline. We are confident that this second A320neo from ALC will continue to support the national carrier's excellent operations."

16:46 EDT Unitil hires Robert Hevert, board anticipated to name Hevert CFO - Unitil Corporation announced the hiring of Robert B. Hevert, CFA, as Senior Vice President, effective July 23, 2020. It is anticipated that Unitil's Board of Directors will appoint Mr. Hevert to the position of Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the company at its upcoming meeting on July 29, 2020. It is also anticipated that Laurence M. Brock, who has served as Unitil's interim CFO and Treasurer since March 16, 2020, will step down as CFO and Treasurer on July 29, 2020, but will remain as Senior Vice President and will work directly with Mr. Hevert in order to ensure a smooth transition.

16:41 EDT SP Plus enters into regional enhanced purchased pact with Yankee Alliance - SP Plus Corporation (SP) announced the award of an enhanced group purchasing agreement with Yankee Alliance Supply Chain Solutions, LLC and Yankee Alliance, LLC, a member-driven healthcare group purchasing organization with more than 16,800 members. Effective June 1, 2020, the new agreement designates SP+ as Yankee Alliance's preferred contracted supplier for parking and transportation operations, including parking management and planning, valet, shuttle, concierge, enforcement, facility maintenance, and patient, wheelchair and vehicle transport services. Under the agreement, participating members who enlist SP+ to provide parking and transportation services are also eligible to receive enhancements to drive additional value and savings through their aggregation philosophy. SP+ is already actively engaged in discussions related to contract activations and conversions to promote utilization of the agreement. Under this new agreement, SP+ is able to include unique value and services which are specific to the needs of Yankee Alliance members. As an affiliate of Premier, Inc. (PINC), Yankee Alliance members are also eligible to benefit from a national agreement between SP+ and Premier, which was initially executed in September 2019 as part of the SP+'s expansion of its healthcare services.

16:33 EDT Prudential Bancorp approves new stock repurchase program for up to 5% - Prudential Bancorp approved the company's fourth stock repurchase program covering up to 407,000 shares or approximately 5% of its issued and outstanding shares of common stock. The company has completed its third repurchase program, repurchasing all 900,000 shares covered by the program at an average cost of approximately $13.40 per share.

16:31 EDT Endologix CFO Vaseem Mahboob to depart, Cindy Pinto named interim CFO - Endologix announced that Vaseem Mahboob, CFO, will be departing the company effective July 1 to become CFO of a private global healthcare company. Cindy Pinto, Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis, will assume the role of interim CFO in addition to her current responsibilities, and the company has initiated a search process for a permanent successor that will include both internal and external candidates.

16:22 EDT Host Hotels recommends shareholders reject "mini-tender" offer by Mackenzie - Host Hotels has learned that MacKenzie Capital Management made an unsolicited "mini-tender" offer for up to 90,000 operating partnership units of Host Hotels at a price of $8.55 per OP Unit less cash distributions made by Host L.P. after May 31. This follows multiple earlier "mini-tender" offers by the Purchaser launched between 2016 and 2019. Neither the Company nor Host L.P. are in any way associated with the MacKenzie Offer, and holders of OP Units are under no obligation to take any action with respect to the MacKenzie Offer. The company and Host L.P. recommend that the holders of OP Units reject this unsolicited offer, since the offer price is below the $12.31 per share closing stock price of the company's common stock on June 17. An OP Unitholder would receive shares with a market value of approximately $12.57 compared to the cash MacKenzie Offer of $8.55.

16:18 EDT Continental Resources to partially begin resuming production in July - Continental Resources announced an update on its voluntary production curtailments. The company previously announced it would curtail 70% of operated oil production in May, with continued curtailments into June. In July, the company expects to partially begin resuming production but still expects to curtail approximately 50% of its operated oil production. June total production is expected to average 150,000 to 160,000 Boepd. Second quarter total production is expected to average 200,000 to 205,000 Boepd. July total production is expected to average 225,000 to 250,000 Boepd. "Continental elected to defer production in order to preserve shareholder value over volumes, and maximize the economics of the barrels we produce. As oil prices have stabilized and begun to recover, we have partially resumed production. As improved supply and demand fundamentals benefit oil prices, we expect to continue restoring production in subsequent months," said Bill Berry, CEO.

16:10 EDT Methode Electronics declares 11c quarterly dividend - Methode Electronics announced toay that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of 11c per share to be paid on July 31 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on July 17.

16:09 EDT Miragen Therapeutics appoints Lee Rauch as COO - Miragen Therapeutics announced the appointment of Lee Rauch as COO, effective immediately. Rauch reports directly to president and CEO William Marshall and is responsible for overseeing Miragen business development, licensing, partnerships, investor relations, corporate communications, intellectual property and new product planning. Rauch has more than 25 years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, helping build companies from pre-clinical stage to advanced clinical development. Prior to joining Miragen, she was the executive in residence at Columbia Technology Ventures.

16:08 EDT Gannett eliminates Gannett Media CEO position - Gannett announced that the board has decided to streamline the operating structure of the company by eliminating the position of CEO of the operating company, Gannett Media Corp. Given this decision, the board and Paul Bascobert have mutually agreed for Mr. Bascobert to terminate his employment with the company. Mr. Bascobert's departure is not the result of any inappropriate action by Mr. Bascobert, any violation of company policy, any accounting irregularity or any material deterioration in the business of the company.

16:07 EDT Mylan wins District Court decision against Biogen's Tecfidera patent - Mylan (MYL) announced that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia invalidated Biogen's (BIIB) Tecfidera patent, U.S. Patent No. 8,399,514, for lack of written description. The 514 patent claimed methods of treating multiple sclerosis using a dose of 480 mg/day of dimethyl fumarate delayed release capsules. Today's decision clears the way for Mylan's launch of its dimethyl fumarate product upon the receipt of FDA approval. The '514 patent could have otherwise delayed generic competition until 2028. Mylan CEO Heather Bresch commented: "Today's win is significant in that it brings Mylan one step closer to providing expanded treatment options for the thousands of Americans living with relapsing forms of MS. The District Court decision clears the legal pathway for us to bring our dimethyl fumarate product to market, and we are working with the FDA to accelerate our regulatory approval target action date, which currently is November 16. Once approved and launched, we believe our generic Tecfidera will potentially be the first generic of any MS treatment in an oral solid dosage form available to patients in the U.S., further advancing our commitment to provide a broad portfolio of central nervous system medicines, which already includes glatiramer acetate injection." Biogen's total IQVIA sales in the U.S. for the 12 months ending April 30, 2020, were approximately $3.78B for Tecfidera.

16:04 EDT Akebia appoints David Spellman as CFO - Akebia appointed David A. Spellman as its new Senior VP, CFO and Treasurer, effective June 29. Spellman will join Akebia from Intarcia Therapeutics, where he is CFO and Chief Business Officer. Spellman will succeed Jason Amello, who has served as Senior VP, CFO and Treasurer since 2013. Although Amello is stepping down from the position to pursue other professional interests, he will remain with Akebia for a period of time to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities to Spellman and will continue to advise the company as a consultant thereafter. Prior to joining Intarcia, Spellman served as CFO of Mersana Therapeutics, a clinical stage antibody drug conjugate company. From February 2006 to March 2018, Spellman served in a series of roles at Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

16:03 EDT United Insurance names R. Daniel Peed as CEO effective July 1st - United Insurance announced its board has appointed R. Daniel Peed as Chairman of the board and CEO, effective July 1, 2020. Most recently Mr. Peed was Vice Chairman of the company's Board of Directors. Greg Branch, who has served as Chairman of the Board since the Company's founding in 1999, will remain a member of the Board of Directors and assume the title of Chairman Emeritus effective the same date. Mr. Peed will succeed John L. Forney, who will be stepping down as President and CEO, effective June 30, 2020, to pursue other opportunities.

15:26 EDT Hertz trading resumes

15:16 EDT Hertz terminates plans for 'at the market' offering of up to $500M of stock - In a regulatory filing, Hertz stated: "As previously disclosed, on June 12, 2020, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware granted the motion of Hertz Global Holdings for authority to enter into an Offer and Sale Agreement and to sell shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share. Also as previously disclosed, the company commenced an "at the market" offering of up to $500M of its common stock after the filing on June 15, 2020, of a prospectus supplement under its effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3, dubbed the "ATM Program." In the afternoon on June 15, 2020, the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Corporation Finance verbally notified the company that the Staff was reviewing the prospectus supplement. Promptly thereafter, the company suspended all sales of common stock under the ATM Program. Effective June 18, 2020, the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors determined that it was in the best interests of the company to terminate the ATM Program and directed that the ATM Program be terminated."

14:51 EDT Imax announces documentary film streaming deal with Hulu - IMAX Corporation (IMAX) announced that several titles from its catalog of documentary films will be available to stream exclusively on Hulu in the U.S. beginning this summer, kicking off with "A Beautiful Planet," "Pandas," and more. In total, at least 16 IMAX documentaries will roll out on Hulu over the next several weeks and months. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Hulu is majority-owned by Disney (DIS) with Comcast (CMCSA) a minority partner.

13:53 EDT CD Projekt delays 'Cyberpunk 2077' release to November 19 - CD Projekt (OTGLY) has delayed the release of its upcoming game "Cyberpunk 2077" to November 19 from September 17. "At the time we are writing these words, Cyberpunk 2077 is finished both content and gameplay-wise," the company said in a statement posted on Twitter. "The quests, the cutscenes, the skills and items; all the adventures Night City has to offer -- it's all there. But with such an abundance of content and complex systems interweaving with each other, we need to properly go through everything, balance game mechanics and fix a lot of bugs. A huge world means a huge number of things to iron out and we will spend the additional time doing exactly that." The game is set to come out on PC, Stadia (GOOG), PlayStation 4 (SNE), Xbox One (MSFT), and Xbox Series X. Reference Link

13:38 EDT Livongo studies show remote technologies can utilize data insights for diabetes - Livongo Health announced the findings of two studies that demonstrate how remote monitoring technologies can utilize continuous and unique data insights via its AI+AI engine to better inform care decisions and outcomes. The research findings were presented at the American Diabetes Association's 80th Scientific Sessions: A Virtual Experience held on June 12-16. The first study, Predictors of Emergency Department and Inpatient Admissions after Hypo- and Hyperglycemic Events: Leveraging Remote Monitoring Data of People with Diabetes, included 7,633 study participants and used Livongo's cellular-enabled blood glucose monitor and remote monitoring capabilities to determine specific predictors which may lead to a hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic event. The study determined that a gap in days between checking, more 'Missed Medication' tags, fewer 'Before Breakfast' tags, new users of oral diabetes medications, and other factors were predictors associated with future emergency department and inpatient visits due to a hypoglycemic event. It also found that models pairing blood glucose values with rich data including time of day, meal tags, medication use, and feeling tags are more likely to predict those who are at a higher-risk of costly care interventions than models using blood glucose data alone. The second study, Is Activation, Behaviors, and Attitudes to Managing Care Associated with Utilization of a Remote Diabetes Monitoring Platform (RDMP) and Improvement of A1c, was conducted in collaboration with Eli Lilly & Company and included 1,089 participants. The study found a direct correlation between improvements in Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF) and increased platform utilization. In addition, participants who used the Livongo platform more regularly and those who achieved measurable improvements in Diabetes Distress Scale 17 (DDS17) experienced better glycemic control. "Through Livongo's ability to collect a breadth of real-time data points, including meal tags and feeling tags, we are able to build out comprehensive Member profiles and direct interventions and features from our platform that lead to improved clinical outcomes," said Dr. Bimal Shah, Chief Medical Officer of Livongo and senior author of the studies. "As Livongo's AI+AI engine aggregates more data, our platform continues to improve by providing a more personalized care experience. We are able to leverage a combination of machine learning and clinical studies to continue to improve outcomes, drive down health care costs, improve utilization, and empower people to better manage their diabetes."

13:26 EDT Scientific Games expands sports betting partnership with Betfred - Scientific Games Corporation expanded its sports betting partnership with Betfred to roll out its digital and retail solutions in the state of Colorado. Following Betfred's selection of Scientific Games to provide OpenSports in Pennsylvania earlier this year, the two companies have now extended their collaboration to include digital and retail sportsbook services at the Saratoga Casino Black Hawk in Colorado. Betfred has now launched OpenSports full retail solutions including Self-Service Betting Terminals at Saratoga Casino Black Hawk, with the Company's Digital services expected to follow in time for the 2020-2021 NFL season. In addition, Scientific Games will supply Betfred's operations in Colorado with OpenPlatform.

13:11 EDT Allied Esports pops almost 30% after its Las Vegas reopen plan - Shares of Allied Esports are currently up 27.5% or 58c to $2.66 per share in afternoon trading on Thursday after the company said its flagship venue, HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas, located at Luxor Hotel & Casino, will reopen to the public on Thursday, June 25 with a modified schedule for daily play and weekly tournaments. "The health of our communities will always come first and foremost, and we've taken the necessary steps to create an environment where gamers can come together again," said Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied Esports. "We're confident that with our safety protocols in place players and fans will still be able to enjoy the thrill of the on-site experience that HyperX Esports Arena is known for."

13:03 EDT JLL 'on track' to reopen nealy 100 U.S. offices by end of July - JLL has re-opened more than 75 offices in the United States, a little more than half of its total portfolio, including its flagship headquarters at the Aon Center in Chicago. The company is on track to re-open nearly 100 U.S. offices by the end of July. The re-openings follow the company's moves outside the U.S., where most of its facilities have welcomed employees back in partial capacity over the past few months. JLL employs more than 94,000 people across 80 countries and, to date, has opened 84 offices in Asia Pacific and 78 offices in EMEA. The firm is utilizing learnings from those regions as it continues its re-entry in the U.S. Consistent with its advice to clients, JLL is implementing shifts to reduce the number of employees in the office at one time. For example, at Aon Center the firm is bringing back no more than 25% of employees during Phase 1, which is also in compliance with both city and state restrictions. JLL is implementing a phased approach to re-entry that emphasizes employee health and safety as its top priorities. Revised space plans to promote social distancing, signage that outlines safe hygiene practices, rotational shifts, cleaning protocols and distribution of cloth face coverings to employees are some of the practices in place.

12:49 EDT Hertz shares down 5% to $1.90 prior to halt for news

12:08 EDT Choice Hotels: WoodSpring Suites experienced 70% occupancy rate in May - Choice Hotels says in a statement that its extended stay portfolio - led by WoodSpring Suites - outperformed the overall industry in several ways over the past three months, including: For the month of March, Choice Hotels' extended stay brands achieved an average occupancy level of over 68%, compared to the U.S. hotel industry average of approximately 40%. In April, the company's extended stay portfolio attained a 60% occupancy level, which more than doubled the industry average of 25%. Choice's extended stay brands continued their impressive performance in May with an average occupancy of 67%. Specifically, the WoodSpring Suites brand achieved an average occupancy rate of over 70% in the month of May, making it one of the best-performing brands in the hotel industry in recent months. Despite an industrywide RevPAR decline of nearly 52% in March and 80% in April, Choice says RevPAR for all of its extended stay brands declined less than 14% and 29%, respectively.

12:05 EDT McDonald's Restaurants expect to hire about 260,000 workers this summer - As states and communities continue to re-open their economies, McDonald's restaurants are expecting to hire approximately 260,000 restaurant employees this summer. This comes as McDonald's restaurants begin to welcome customers back into dining rooms with extra precautions in place, the company said. McDonald's has implemented nearly 50 new safety procedures to protect crew and customers. These include wellness and temperature checks, social distancing floor stickers, protective barriers at order points, masks and gloves for employees with the addition of new procedures, and training for the opening of dining rooms. "We are excited to welcome new employees to our McFamily, and we want candidates and their families to know we have one goal - to keep our people safe. We've put new minimum national standards and nearly 50 new processes in place in our restaurants as they continue to re-open safely and judiciously," said Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald's USA. "Our local business owners are proud to help their communities and provide employment and educational opportunities to hundreds of thousands of people this summer." Reference Link

12:00 EDT China Online Education rises 13.0% - China Online Education is up 13.0%, or $2.73 to $23.75.

11:58 EDT Western Union partners with AXA over insurance services - Western Union (WU) announced a new strategic partnership with AXA (AXAHY) to leverage Western Union's global omni-channel platform to deliver affordable life and disability insurance offerings to consumers in France, sending money via www.westernunion.com to 10 African countries. The partnership will initially be a pilot program which Western Union and AXA hope to grow and scale over time. "This partnership shows the power of our global cross-border, cross-currency payments platform," said Western Union CEO Hikmet Ersek. "Our long-term goal is to leverage our platform and digital capabilities to forge more partnerships and become a financial services ecosystem. In enabling third parties, including banks and other financial institutions, to tap into our ecosystem capabilities, these companies can offer similar services for their customers. We are pleased to offer insurance services in collaboration with AXA to serve our customers and their families who both know and trust Western Union."

11:52 EDT Biogen to appeal court decision that Tecfidera patent invalid - In a regulatory filing, Biogen (BIIB) confirmed that on June 18, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia issued a decision finding the asserted claims of the company's U.S. patent No. 8,399,514, which claims the Tecfidera daily dosing regimen of 480 mg/day of dimethyl fumarate to treat multiple sclerosis, to be invalid. "Biogen intends to appeal this decision," the filing stated.

11:09 EDT Facebook files lawsuits over unauthorized automation software - Facebook said in a statement: "Today we filed separate lawsuits in Europe and the United States to enforce our Terms of Service against the use of unauthorized automation software on Facebook and Instagram. This is one of the first times a social media company is using coordinated, multi-jurisdictional litigation to enforce its Terms and protect its users. The defendants in the European lawsuit operated a Spain-based fake engagement service, and the defendant in the US lawsuit operated a data scraping service with ties to California. These lawsuits also allege the defendants violated the laws of Spain and the US, including Spain's protections for databases and online platforms and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in the US. We are seeking injunctions to reinforce our permanent ban against their use of our platform. Facebook Inc. and Facebook Ireland sued MGP25 Cyberint Services and its founder in the commercial court of Madrid for providing automation software to distribute fake likes and comments on Instagram...Facebook Inc. also sued Mohammad Zaghar in federal court in San Francisco for operating a data scraping service called Massroot8." Reference Link

10:48 EDT Colgate evaluates Chinese toothpaste brand amid racial debates, Reuters says - Colgate-Palmolive is working on evaluating and updating Chinese toothpaste brand Darlie as companies review their brands amid racial inequality debates, Reuters' Martinne Geller reports, citing a spokesman. Darlie, which was previously named Darkie and showed a man in blackface, still has a Chinese name that translates to 'black person toothpaste'." For more than 35 years, we have been working together to evolve the brand, including substantial changes to the name, logo and packaging. We are currently working with our partner to review and further evolve all aspects of the brand, including the brand name," a Colgate spokesman said. Reference Link

10:36 EDT Deutsche Bank pays $10.25M to settle two CFTC enforcement matters - The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced the settlement of two enforcement matters involving Deutsche Bank. In the first matter, Deutsche Bank resolved federal court charges stemming from alleged violations of various swap data reporting and other regulatory violations. In the second matter, the CFTC issued an administrative order against Deutsche Bank Securities, filing and settling charges that two of the bank's traders engaged in spoofing. According to the order, Deutsche Bank Securities manually placed bids or offers on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange with the intent to cancel those bids or offers before execution. The consent order imposes a $9M civil monetary penalty on Deutsche Bank. The administrative order requires Deutsche Bank to pay a civil monetary penalty of $1.25M.

10:35 EDT Kroger: ID sales so far in Q2 trending up mid-teens - Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

10:30 EDT Novo Nordisk says Phase 2 AM833 trial reached primary endpoint - Novo Nordisk announced the headline results from two clinical trials with a novel once-weekly subcutaneous amylin analogue, a Phase 2 monotherapy trial and a Phase 1 combination trial of AM833 and once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg. The 26-week blinded Phase 2 monotherapy trial with AM833 investigated safety, tolerability and efficacy for weight management in 706 people with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity. The patients were randomized to treatment with five different weekly doses of AM833, liraglutide 3.0 mg or placebo. Approximately 100 people were included in each treatment arm. The trial reached its primary endpoint by demonstrating a weight loss of 10.8% at week 26 with AM833 at the 4.5 mg dose, compared to a weight loss of 3.0 % with placebo, Novartis said in a statement. The treatment difference was statistically significant and AM833 appeared to have a safe and well-tolerated profile, the company added. The 20-week multiple ascending dose phase 1 trial investigated safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and weight loss potential of AM833 administrated in combination with semaglutide 2.4 mg in 80 people with obesity or overweight. After 20 weeks of treatment, participants receiving the highest dose lost an average of 17.1% body weight from a mean baseline body weight of 95.1 kg. The trial investigated the number of treatment-emergent adverse events and AM833 was well-tolerated, with the most common adverse events being gastrointestinal disorders including nausea and vomiting, according to Novartis.

10:02 EDT Amazon.com, Valentino file joint lawsuit against New York-based counterfeiter - Amazon.com and Maison Valentino Italian luxury brand announced a joint lawsuit against Buffalo, New York-based Kaitlyn Pan Group, LLC and New York resident Hao Pan for counterfeiting Valentino's Valentino Garavani Rockstud shoes, and offering the infringing products for sale, in violation of Amazon's policies and Valentino's intellectual property rights. "The vast majority of sellers in our store are honest entrepreneurs but we do not hesitate to take aggressive action to protect customers, brands, and our store from counterfeiters. Amazon and Valentino are holding this company accountable in a court of law and we appreciate Valentino's collaboration throughout this investigation," said Dharmesh Mehta, vice president, Customer Trust and Partner Support. Amazon shut down Kaitlyn Pan's seller account in September 2019. Despite multiple notices of infringement and a cease and desist order, Kaitlyn Pan continues to import, distribute, sell, and offer infringing products. Kaitlyn Pan further attempted to apply for a US trademark for its infringing Valentino Garavani Rockstud shoes, flagrantly and willfully disregarding Valentino's intellectual property.

10:00 EDT ABM rises 12.7% - ABM is up 12.7%, or $4.14 to $36.67.

09:47 EDT ABM rises 11.3% - ABM is up 11.3%, or $3.67 to $36.20.

09:47 EDT Orion Group rises 19.8% - Orion Group is up 19.8%, or 65c to $3.93.

09:39 EDT T-Mobile revises Q2 guidance, now sees postpaid net customer adds of 800K-900K - In a regulatory filing last night, T-Mobile disclosed that it now expects the following updated before tax expenses for the quarter ending June 30, 2020, which will impact net income but will be excluded from adjusted EBITDA: merger-related costs of $800M-$900M before taxes; COVID-19 costs of $350M-$450M before taxes; and non-cash Impairment related costs of $418M before taxes. "These non-cash impairment charges are preliminary, unaudited, and subject to change pending completion of our quarter-end closing review procedures," the filing said. T-Mobile also now expects postpaid net customer additions for Q2 to be between 800,000 to 900,000, primarily driven by higher postpaid other net additions. This is up from 0 to 150,000, "reflecting a faster recovery in retail than expected as well as new opportunities in T-Mobile for Business. The increase from our prior guidance is primarily driven by higher Postpaid other net additions," the filing said. Other guidance elements for Q2 remain unchanged, T-Mobile noted.

09:36 EDT JetBlue to operate more than half of typical capacity this summer - With the new routes and service announced today, as well as additional capacity added back into the July and August schedules, JetBlue intends to operate more than half of its typical capacity this summer to better match demand trends. Additionally, nine temporarily closed cities and several summer seasonal destinations will reopen in early July, including Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

09:34 EDT Estee Lauder appoints Jane Lauder as EVP, enterprise marketing and CDO - The Estee Lauder Companies announced that Jane Lauder will be named to the new role of EVP, Enterprise Marketing and Chief Data Officer, effective July 1, 2020. She will report directly to Fabrizio Freda, President and CEO, The Estee Lauder Companies. Jane will be succeeded at Clinique by Michelle Freyre, who will join the brand as SVP, General Manager, effective July 1, 2020. As ELC's first ever Enterprise Marketing and Chief Data Officer, Jane will lead the company-wide strategy to build our data-empowered, digitally-directed priorities to accelerate ELC's growth. By optimizing our vast and valuable data and integrating the company's analytic capabilities the goal is to drive breakthrough marketing and creative.

09:32 EDT JetBlue to add 30 new routes, launch Mint at Newark - JetBlue announced it is adding 30 new domestic routes to serve customers in markets where leisure and VFR travel is showing some signs of strength. With business travel facing a less certain recovery timeline, JetBlue says the new routes offer it the opportunity to generate revenue, bring aircraft back into service that would otherwise sit idle, and add more flying opportunities for JetBlue crewmembers. New markets will be phased in between July and October. Seats on all new routes will be available for purchase Friday, June 19. "Coronavirus has transformed airline route maps, and as we begin to see small signs of recovery, we continue to be flexible with our network plans to respond to demand trends and generate cash in support of our business," said Scott Laurence, head of revenue and planning, JetBlue. "We've selected routes where customers are showing some interest in travel again and where our low fares and award-winning experience will be noticed." JetBlue will also expand its Mint service in the broader metro area to Newark Liberty International Airport with daily nonstop service to both Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.

09:30 EDT Cardinal Resources enters into Bid Implementation Agreement with Shandong Gold - Cardinal Resources announces that it has entered into a Bid Implementation Agreement with Shandong Gold Mining, pursuant to which Shandong Gold has agreed to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares in Cardinal at a price of A$0.60 cash per share, by way of an off-market takeover offer. The premium implied by the Shandong Gold Offer is a significant increase on the non-binding indicative and preliminary proposal announced by Nord Gold SE on 16 March 2020 of A$0.45775. The Shandong Gold Offer represents an attractive premium of: 75.5% to Cardinal's 20-day volume weighted average price of A$0.34 up to 13 March 20201; 39.3% to Cardinal's 20-day volume weighted average price of A$0.43 up to close of trading on 18 June 2020, being the last trading date prior to announcement of the Transaction; 29.0% to Cardinal's last closing price of A$0.465; 31.1% to Nordgold's preliminary proposal of A$0.45775 per share announced on 16 March 2020 Cardinal's Board of Directors has carefully considered the Shandong Gold Offer in consultation with the Special Committee appointed in connection with the strategic process, its financial and legal advisors. Accordingly, Cardinal's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that all Cardinal shareholders accept the Shandong Gold Offer in the absence of a superior proposal. Cardinal's Directors, who collectively hold approximately 6.37% of Cardinal's ordinary shares, intend to accept the Shandong Gold Offer in respect of all Cardinal shares they own or control by the later of 21 days after the offer is opened for acceptance and 5 days after dispatch of the Cardinal Target's Statement, in the absence of a superior proposal. Cardinal's Board of Directors has been exploring a range of potential transactions to maximise value for shareholders and considers that the Shandong Gold Offer is the best option for shareholders, in the absence of a superior proposal, and will deliver several key benefits to shareholders including: Certain and immediate value for Cardinal shareholders - ability for shareholders to realise certain and immediate value at a significant premium to Cardinal's trading price on the ASX and TSX markets. By accepting the Shandong Gold Offer, subject to the Shandong Gold Offer going unconditional, Cardinal shareholders will receive cash consideration of A$0.60 for every Cardinal share they own; No financing condition - the Shandong Gold Offer is an all-cash offer which is not subject to any financing conditions; Avoids risks associated with mine development - the Shandong Gold Offer eliminates exposure to the risks inherent in any new mine development, including financing, operational and regulatory risks. Cardinal and Shandong Gold have agreed a Bid Implementation Agreement pursuant to which the parties have given undertakings to each other to facilitate the Transaction. The Shandong Gold Offer is subject to a limited number of conditions, including: 50.1% minimum acceptance by Cardinal shareholders; Regulatory approvals, including Foreign Investment Review Board approval and approvals of certain Chinese regulatory bodies described below; No material adverse change in relation to Cardinal; and Other conditions customary for a transaction of this nature. The Bid Implementation Agreement contains customary deal protection mechanisms including "no shop", "no talk", "no due diligence", "notification" and "matching rights" restrictions. Cardinal has agreed it will not solicit any competing proposal or participate in any discussions or negotiations in relation to any competing proposal unless, in the case of discussions or negotiations, failure to do so would be a breach of the fiduciary or statutory duties of the Cardinal Directors. Under certain circumstances, an agreed break fee or reverse break fee of $3.3 million will be payable. The Shandong Gold Offer will extend to any Cardinal Shares that are issued during the offer period as a result of the exercise of Cardinal options that exist at the time of the offer opening. However, Shandong Gold has also committed to make offers to holders of certain Cardinal options to acquire those options by way of private treaty, subject to obtaining necessary regulatory approvals.

09:28 EDT JanOne launches strategic alternatives process for legacy businesses - JanOne announced the commencement of a strategic alternative process for its legacy businesses in an effort to enhance shareholder value. This review process will be conducted with the assistance of the company's financial and legal advisors and will consider the full range of potential strategic alternatives with respect to its legacy businesses. This will include but is not limited to, acquisitions, business combinations, joint ventures, spin-offs, public and private capital raises, recapitalization, and sale transaction options. There can be no assurances that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in any transaction. The company does not intend to discuss or disclose developments with respect to the process until it is determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required by regulation or law. No formalized timetable has been established for the completion of the strategic review.

09:21 EDT Cushman & Wakefield, Matterport enter into global agreement - Matterport announced a global agreement with Cushman & Wakefield. Matterport said in a release, "With Matterport Capture Services, Cushman & Wakefield will be able to offer clients a turnkey solution to scan commercial properties in 3D across its footprint."

09:20 EDT Pfizer, Sangamo announce updated follow-on data from Alta study - Pfizer (PFE) and Sangamo (SGMO) announced updated follow-up data from the Phase 1/2 Alta study of giroctocogene fitelparvovec, an investigational gene therapy for patients with severe hemophilia A. All five patients with severe hemophilia A who received the 3e13 vg/kg dose showed sustained factor VIII, or FVIII, activity levels, with a median of 64.2% via chromogenic assay. No patients experienced bleeding events or required FVIII infusions. The factor VIII activity levels reflect measurements up to 61 weeks, the extent of follow-up for the longest-treated patient in the cohort. These data are being presented today as a late-breaking oral abstract at the World Federation of Hemophilia world congress. Giroctocogene fitelparvovec was generally well tolerated. As previously reported, one patient in the 3e13 vg/kg dose cohort had a treatment-related serious adverse event of hypotension and fever, with symptoms of headache and tachycardia, which occurred six hours post-infusion with giroctocogene fitelparvovec, and which fully resolved within 24 hours. No other treatment-related serious adverse events were reported. Among the five patients in the 3e13 vg/kg dose cohort, four received corticosteroids for liver enzyme elevations. Three patients had subsequent ALT elevations that responded to corticosteroids. All episodes of ALT elevations fully resolved with oral corticosteroids.

09:15 EDT First Choice Bank promotes Lorraine Lee to EVP, CSO, head of commercial banking - First Choice Bancorp announced the promotion of Lorraine Lee to EVP, chief strategy officer & head of commercial banking, reporting to President & CEO Robert Franko. Ms. Lee previously served as SVP, CSO, a position she held at the Company since January 2018. Ms. Lee began her career at First Choice Bank in 2014 as First Vice President/Relationship Manager in the Commercial Lending Division.

09:14 EDT Biogen falls after judge says Mylan proved Tecfidera patent invalid - A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia has ruled that Mylan (MYL) has "demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that the asserted claims" of Biogen's (BIIB) U.S. Patent No. 8,399,514 are "invalid for lack of written description," according to a ruling posted to the court's website. The '514 patent is associated with Tecfidera, Biogen's product approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Mylan has filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application, or "ANDA," seeking to market a drug that is bioequivalent to Tecfidera. In morning trading following the patent ruling, Biogen shares are down $20.96, or 7.5%, to $260.50, while Mylan shares are up 53c, or 3.3%, to $16.50.

09:13 EDT Adamis Pharmaceuticals announces publication on higher doses of naloxone - Adamis Pharmaceuticals announced the publication of an article entitled "Higher naloxone dosing in a quantitative systems pharmacology model that predicts naloxone-fentanyl competition at the opioid mu receptor level" in the peer reviewed publication "PLOS ONE, " This study was done in collaboration with Rosa and Co. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist used to treat narcotic overdoses. Naloxone works by reversing the detrimental effects of the opioid, including slowed breathing, brain dysfunction, loss of consciousness and death. Common opioids include morphine, heroin, tramadol, oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl. Rapid resuscitation of an opioid overdose with naloxone, an opioid antagonist, is critical as opioid induced toxicity results in rapid death, i.e., delaying adequate resuscitation can result in death. Accordingly, the current approved naloxone doses, since they both give similar systemic exposure levels, might very well not be sufficient to reverse high doses of fentanyl. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is considered 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. According to the CDC, powerful synthetic opioids, like fentanyl and its analogues, are responsible for the largest number of deaths from opioid overdoses. To this end, it was recently reported that drug overdoses in British Columbia last month killed more people there than COVID-19 has all year. The vast majority of the overdose deaths involved fentanyl. There is no reason to believe that this same trend is not happening in the U.S. The manuscript describes an opioid receptor quantitative systems pharmacology model which was developed to predict the effects of different IM doses of naloxone in response to different levels of fentanyl exposure. The model defined a successful reversal as lowering the amount of opioid bound to the brain receptors to less than 50% within 10 minutes. For the lowest and middle levels of fentanyl exposure, the model predicted that the 2 mg IM naloxone resulted in successful resuscitations within ten minutes, but more rapid reversal was observed with the 5 and 10 mg doses. However, at the highest level of naloxone exposure, the model predicted that the 2 mg IM doses of naloxone did not result in a successful reversal. In contrast, the 5 and 10 mg doses of naloxone successfully reversed opioid toxicity.

09:10 EDT Penguin Computing joins Intel Select Solutions program - Penguin Computing (SGH) announced an expansion of its partnership with Intel Corporation (INTC) and is now participating in the Intel Select Solutions program. Penguin Computing will deliver a series of verified quick-to-deploy infrastructure solutions optimized for HPC and AI/ML applications. Penguin Computing's goal through this collaboration is to empower customers to leverage the power of HPC and AI through reference designs. These reference designs are optimized for a range of broadly used HPC and AI/ML applications thereby lowering the technical barriers and accelerating the customer's market competitiveness. As organizations strive to stay ahead of the rapidly changing technological demands for HPC and AI infrastructures, they increasingly turn to partnerships that can help them navigate those complexities and deliver value to their customers. Intel Select Solutions simplify and accelerate the deployment of workload-optimized infrastructure through a suite of solution configurations that have been rigorously benchmark-tested and are optimized for real-world performance. Every Intel Select Solution is built to meet the highest thresholds of resiliency, system agility and service reliability. In concert with Intel, Penguin Computing will develop and deliver multiple Intel Select Solutions focused on the transformational promise of HPC and AI/ML in the enterprise through collaboratively designed simplicity.

09:08 EDT Nucor says Q2 operating performance 'better than expected' - The company said, "Nucor's better-than-expected second quarter performance reflects both the power of our culture and the strength of our business model. By working hard and working together, the 27,000 men and women on the Nucor Team have done an excellent job of taking care of each other, our customers, and our shareholders. Second quarter operating performance has been better than expected and we have estimated our guidance range accordingly. Though overall market conditions are still challenged by the pandemic, demand in nonresidential construction has been resilient during this time. Nucor's downstream steel products segment is having another strong quarter. In our steel mills segment, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have most negatively impacted our sheet and plate mills due to weak oil and gas market activity and customer production disruptions. Although domestic automotive production was halted due to COVID-19 concerns, we are seeing a strong rebound in automotive related steel demand. The automotive industry experienced better than expected sales during their outage period resulting in low inventory levels as we enter the third quarter of 2020. Our raw materials segment has been challenged by decreased pricing for raw materials and the impact of an outage at our DRI facility in Trinidad to comply with that country's stay at home orders. We believe Nucor is well positioned to navigate any future challenges that arise from these current situations given our advantaged cost position, flexible production capability and financial strength. We were pleased to be able to further enhance our financial flexibility with the recent issuance of $500.0 million of 2.000% notes due 2025 and $500.0 million of 2.700% notes due 2030."

09:07 EDT Fortinet achieves MEF 3.0 SD-WAN certification - Fortinet announced that Fortinet Secure SD-WAN has been certified to support MEF 3.0 SD-WAN services. This certification aims to establish a common language for defining SD-WAN technologies and enables communication service and technology providers to validate that their solutions comply with the highest industry standards for performance, assurance, and agility.

09:04 EDT Evolving Systems reports 15-year anniversary of partnership with Asian operator - Evolving Systems announced two milestone achievements. First, the partnership between the two companies has now passed the fifteen year mark, an unusually long relationship in the rapidly changing telecommunications industry; and second, the operator's subscriber base has reached 45 million customers. Evolving Systems has worked with the operator since its inception. Presently, the two are embarking on a new project to implement changes that will allow the operator's customers to enjoy full 4G services as the company rolls out its Voice over LTE offering.

09:03 EDT Nucor says Q2 operating performance 'been better than expected' - The company said, "Nucor's better-than-expected second quarter performance reflects both the power of our culture and the strength of our business model. By working hard and working together, the 27,000 men and women on the Nucor Team have done an excellent job of taking care of each other, our customers, and our shareholders. Second quarter operating performance has been better than expected and we have estimated our guidance range accordingly. Though overall market conditions are still challenged by the pandemic, demand in nonresidential construction has been resilient during this time. Nucor's downstream steel products segment is having another strong quarter. In our steel mills segment, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have most negatively impacted our sheet and plate mills due to weak oil and gas market activity and customer production disruptions. Although domestic automotive production was halted due to COVID-19 concerns, we are seeing a strong rebound in automotive related steel demand. The automotive industry experienced better than expected sales during their outage period resulting in low inventory levels as we enter the third quarter of 2020. Our raw materials segment has been challenged by decreased pricing for raw materials and the impact of an outage at our DRI facility in Trinidad to comply with that country's stay at home orders. We believe Nucor is well positioned to navigate any future challenges that arise from these current situations given our advantaged cost position, flexible production capability and financial strength. We were pleased to be able to further enhance our financial flexibility with the recent issuance of $500.0 million of 2.000% notes due 2025 and $500.0 million of 2.700% notes due 2030."

09:01 EDT Designer Brands sees continuing promotional activity, may pressure margins

08:59 EDT Conduent announces implementation of ticketing system for Brescia Mobilita - Conduent Transportation announced the implementation of a new account-based ticketing system for Brescia Mobilita's light metro transit network in northern Italy. Each day, approximately 50,000 people use the Brescia Metro system. The company launched the new system allowing riders to access the service using major contactless credit and debit cards, including Mastercard, Visa, American Express, VPay, Visa Electron and Maestro. NFC-enabled devices, such as smartphones and smart watches with digital wallets, such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay, can also be used.

08:57 EDT KemPharm extends cash runway past March 2, 2021 PDUFA date - The company said, "As I noted above, Q1 2020 was our third consecutive quarter of development services revenue. We expect this trend to continue through the remainder through 2021 as we continue to work with our partners to advance the development of our various product candidates and, if approved, to support the commercial launch of KP415 potentially during the second half of 2020. The combination of continuing services revenue, an improved expense base, completing the first phase of restructuring of our 2020 debt obligations, and the $5 million regulatory milestone earned under the KP415/KP484 License Agreement as a result of the FDA's acceptance of the KP415 NDA, has extended our cash runway past the potential March 2, 2021 PDUFA date for the KP415 NDA and up to the debt maturity date of March 31, 2020. Beginning in early 2019, we have undertaken measures to improve our financial position, including a 36% reduction in our workforce, as well as other G&A cost reductions, shifting development costs to our partners, and adding development services revenue. We are continuing to work with our financial advisors to complete the second phase of debt restructuring, which we will seek to complete, if possible, prior to the potential approval of the KP415 NDA. While challenging, we remain optimistic that a solution is possible. As a fellow shareholder and the first investor, I remain focused on addressing this issue in the most favorable manner possible to us. Regarding our listing status with Nasdaq, on May 19, 2020, KemPharm received a letter from the Nasdaq Hearings Panel notifying us that since it was unable to regain compliance with the $35 million minimum market value of listed securities requirement by May 13, 2020, the Hearings Panel had elected to delist the Company's shares from trading on Nasdaq. In response, we submitted, and OTC Markets accepted, KemPharm's application for trading of its common shares on the OTC Markets Venture Market, where our shares have continued trading under the same ticker symbol, "KMPH." Throughout the Nasdaq appeals process, KemPharm explored many options, including highly dilutive financings and reverse stock splits that could potentially assist in maintaining our listing on Nasdaq. However, after careful evaluation, we determined that the measures necessary to fulfill the Nasdaq listing requirements would not serve the longer-term interests of the Company or its shareholders. Our hope is that the multiple, near-term growth opportunities related to KP415 and our development pipeline could provide momentum for KemPharm to potentially return to trading on Nasdaq, or potentially other alternatives that become available."

08:52 EDT Allstate reports May estimated catastrophe losses of $350M - Allstate announced estimated catastrophe losses for the month of May of $350 million, pre-tax ($277 million, after-tax). Allstate said in a release, "Catastrophe losses occurring in May comprised eight events at an estimated cost of $346 million, pre-tax ($273 million, after-tax), plus unfavorable prior period reserve reestimates. Four severe weather events which included rain, wind and hail, primarily impacting Texas and the Midwest, accounted for approximately 80% of May estimated catastrophe losses. Allstate previously announced $632 million, pre-tax ($499 million, after-tax), in estimated catastrophe losses for the month of April 2020, bringing estimated catastrophe losses for the months of April and May 2020 to $982 million, pre-tax ($776 million, after-tax)."

08:51 EDT Wrap Technologies announces new international purchase orders - Wrap Technologies announced the company has received new international purchase orders from three countries in Asia for over 200 BolaWrap devices, more than 2,600 cartridges and accessories. The company said in a release, "Two purchase orders are follow-on orders from demonstrations and trainings conducted last year. The third purchase order is an initial order from a new country beginning BolaWrap demonstrations and trials this year. Wrap expects to recognize the revenue on these orders in Q2 of 2020."

08:50 EDT KemPharm collaborating Corium to support KP415 NDA review process - The company said, "The ADHD market accounts for approximately $17.9 billion of revenue in 2019 with a year-over-year prescription growth rate greater than four percent. Within this, the branded portion of the ADHD market was approximately $7.4 billion in 2019, with extended release products representing more than 97% of the branded prescriptions. In 2019, the methylphenidate portion of the ADHD market accounted for approximately 20 million prescriptions and $4.9 billion in sales. Over the last several years, Jornay PM is the only new MPH product that has been introduced to the market. However, our research suggests that prescribers and patients remain eager for truly innovative new treatment options. KP415 is based on serdexmethylphenidate, which is KemPharm's prodrug of d-methylphenidate, which, if approved, would be the first prodrug of methylphenidate made available to the ADHD market. KemPharm designed both KP415 and KP484 to specifically target several key unmet needs with the most widely prescribed MPH treatments for ADHD. With respect to KP415, its target design attributes include improving onset of action, providing consistent therapy with a longer duration, and reducing abuse potential. Based on the data obtained from KP415's clinical program, we believe these design goals have been met. Now, we are collaborating with Corium to support the NDA review process which will determine the final label for KP415, and, if approved, to bring these potential benefits to the ADHD market. While KP415 is designed to be used across several age groups and with a variety of patient types, KP484 is more specifically aimed at post-adolescent patients who require a full-day treatment option for their ADHD symptoms. KP484 is included in the KP415/KP484 License Agreement, and the team at Corium is actively evaluating the potential value and timing of the product development plan. We will share material updates with you as we receive them. I am also pleased to inform you that several additional patents for SDX were issued over the past few months which we expect will allow continued intellectual property protection for SDX and any product containing SDX, until at least the year 2037. The potential to have a 16-year product life from PDUFA is a truly unique opportunity arising from the underlying prodrug IP and is exciting when considering the lifetime commercial potential of KP415. For those who closely follow the ADHD space, products with the expected attributes of KP415 and KP484 are highly desirable given the lack of innovation in the market over the last 15 years. Not since Vyvanse was approved in 2007 has there been a product brought to market with significantly new properties or benefits. It is this vast potential, as well as the collective abilities and experience of KemPharm's development team, that enabled us to secure the KP415/KP484 License Agreement, and through that, have the opportunity for the Corium team, led by Mr. Sternberg, to spearhead the commercialization of KP415."

08:48 EDT KemPharm 'optimistic' about short-, long-term prospects - KemPharm announced that Travis Mickle, Ph.D., President and CEO of KemPharm, has issued a Letter to Shareholders in connection with the Company's 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on June 19, 2020. The letter provides an update on recent events and outlook for the remainder of 2020 and early 2021. "The last twelve months have been a period of significant advancement for KemPharm. While challenges certainly remain, there are also significant reasons for optimism. Just recently, the New Drug Application for KP415, our investigational product candidate for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was successfully filed and accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In addition, we recently received Day-74 Letter from the FDA which set the action date for KP415 as March 2, 2021. I am also pleased to pass along that there were no information requests included in the letter from the FDA that were not already expected, and the FDA informed us that an advisory committee is not required at this time. The FDA's acceptance of the KP415 NDA has triggered two important developments in our collaboration with Gurnet Point Capital and its affiliates. First, KemPharm earned and has since received the $5 million milestone payment as provided by the definitive collaboration and license agreement we entered into with an affiliate of GPC on September 3, 2019. Second, we were pleased to announce Corium, a GPC portfolio company, will lead all commercialization activities for KP415. Corium is led by several executives with significant experience in the commercialization of ADHD products, including its President and Chief Executive Officer, Perry Sternberg. Mr. Sternberg previously served a dual role at Shire as the Head of U.S. Commercial for seven therapeutic area business units, as well as the Chief Commercial Officer/Head of the Neuroscience Division, prior to the acquisition of Shire by Takeda Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited. During his tenure at Shire, Mr. Sternberg was responsible for bringing forth several groundbreaking ADHD products, including Vyvanse. Working with our existing debtholders, led by Deerfield Management, we were also able to complete an initial restructuring of our outstanding debt in December 2019, which allowed us to extend all principal and interest payments to a new maturity date of March 31, 2021, which is past the PDUFA date for KP415. This has extended our cash runway and allows us to capitalize on the opportunities that arise from the KP415/KP484 License Agreement and the potential approval of KP415 to negotiate a long-term restructure of our balance sheet. Based on these recent events and accomplishments, we are very optimistic about KemPharm's short- and long-term prospects. This enthusiasm is rooted in three core beliefs: KP415, if approved, has the potential to reshape the ADHD treatment landscape, particularly the methylphenidate product market; Corium possesses the most well-suited and experienced commercial organization to launch and maximize the potential market for KP415; and Addressing KemPharm's debt is an achievable goal."

08:42 EDT Star Bulk Carriers provides details on delisting process from OSE - Star Bulk Carriers Corp. refers to the press release of June 4, 2020 announcing the delisting of the Company's common shares from the Oslo Bors. The last day of trading on the Oslo Bors will be July 31, 2020 and the delisting will take effect as from August 3, 2020. The Company's common shares will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "SBLK". As a result of the delisting from OSE, the Company will also terminate the registration of its common shares with the Norwegian Central Securities Depository. The termination will take effect following a transitional period, of approximately nine months, from the time of delisting. Star Bulk shareholders that currently have their shares registered in the VPS, whether individuals, entities, brokers or custodians, may elect to transfer their shareholdings to the United States prior to the expiration of the Transitional Period, to facilitate trading on Nasdaq. Such shareholdings may be held through a U.S. broker dealer or recorded directly in the shareholder's name on the Company's share register maintained by the Company's transfer agent, American Stock Transfer and Trust Company. In order to complete this transfer, shareholders should contact their broker or custodian directly. Any Star Bulk shareholders who still have shares registered in the VPS, as of 3 August 2020, will receive a letter with further information on the deregistration of the Company's shares from the VPS. Shares that have not been transferred prior to the expiration of the Transitional Period, will be automatically removed from the VPS, on or about April 30, 2021, and be recorded in book entry form directly in the shareholder's name on the Company's share register maintained by AST. A statement, relating to each such shareholder's account, will be generated and mailed by AST. Additional information may be required from AST.

08:39 EDT OMA postpones Anual General Ordinary, Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting - Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V., known as OMA announces that given the prevailing conditions related to the SARS-CoV2 virus that do not guarantee the health of the participants at the Annual General Ordinary and the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting, which was scheduled to be held on June 19, 2020, the Meeting has been postponed. The new date of the Meeting will be duly informed on a timely manner.

08:38 EDT Align Technology announces partnership with MedTech Innovator - Align Technology announced its partnership with MedTech Innovator. MedTech Innovator matches healthcare industry leaders with innovative medtech startups for mentorship and support. In 2020, MedTech Innovator will select 20 startups to participate in its Asia Pacific Showcase program and will award more than $300,000 in cash prizes, scholarships, and in-kind services to its participants. Align Technology will work with MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific to mentor and foster the growth of promising early to mid-stage companies selected for the 2020 Showcase program and provide financial support to MedTech Innovator.

08:36 EDT Designer Brands saw meaningful deterioration in store traffic starting on Mar. 6 - Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:34 EDT Predictive Oncology's TumorGenesis division secures commercial sale - Predictive Oncology announces that Predictive's TumorGenesis division sold its first order of its unique ovarian cancer cell culture media for cancer cells collected from patient derived samples through its distributor US Biological Corporation. The media used to grow the novel and unique ovarian cancer cell lines, licensed by TumorGenesis and its partner, GLG Pharma are able to retain 95%+ of the DNA and RNA as well as crucial proteomic signatures. The media was sold to a top rated medical university in the New England area for research in isolating and growing ovarian cancer cells from the fluid often found in the abdomen of women with advanced ovarian cancer, called the 'ascites' fluid. Ovarian cancer cell culturing from ascites fluids are notoriously difficult using standard media mixes often prone to failure and cell lines that are not representative of the patient's ovarian cancer.

08:33 EDT First Brand Coporation issued new U.S. patent - Forte Biosciences announced the issuance of its seventh U.S. patent, broadening protection to include methods for culturing gram negative bacteria from the skin. Forte said in a release, "Together with the six U.S. patents previously issued, Forte now has extensive patent protection covering the composition and method of use of our technology focused on inflammatory skin conditions."

08:24 EDT Enphase jumps 10% to $43.20 after short report brings analyst defenses

08:22 EDT BRP Group upsizes senior revolving credit facility to $400M - BRP Group announced that its subsidiary, Baldwin Risk Partners, has amended its senior revolving credit facility, effective immediately, to increase the committed line under the credit facility to $400M, up $100M from its previous amount of $300M. As part of the expanded credit facility, Capital One joined the group of original lenders as a co-documentation agent. The bank group is led by JPMorgan as sole bookrunner, lead arranger, administrative agent and lender, Wells Fargo and Bank of America as co-syndication agents, Cadence Bank as the other co-documentation agent and Wintrust Financial. Each of the original lenders is maintaining or increasing its commitment under the revolving credit facility. There was no change to interest rates, as borrowings under the amended credit facility accrue interest on amounts drawn at LIBOR plus 200 basis points to LIBOR plus 300 bps based on BRP LLC's total net leverage ratio. The maturity date of the revolver remains September 23, 2024.

08:19 EDT PRA Health prepares to navigate RACE Act requirements - The company said, "Between 2007-2017, 78 novel adult cancer agents were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but none of those drugs were researched to determine effectiveness for pediatric cancers. That is about to change on August 18 when the RACE Act - The Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity for Children Act - goes into effect. Passed in 2017, the RACE Act amends the existing PREA - Pediatric Research Equity Act - and eliminates the exemption from PREA requirements for cancer drugs that have orphan status. The new law requires pediatric evaluation of new drugs and biologics intended for the treatment of adult cancers and directed at a molecular target substantially relevant to the growth or progression of pediatric cancer. Clinical research companies and their pediatric research specialists, including PRA Health Sciences, will be called on to support pharmaceutical and biotech companies as they sponsor the required research for pediatric oncology indications. PRA's Center for Pediatric Clinical Development and the team working on the RACE Act implementation include Dr. Sorrentino as well as Dr. Martine Dehlinger-Kremer, VP, Scientific Affairs, Pediatric Subject Matter Expert; Dr. Jacqui Whiteway, Senior Pediatric Strategy Liaison; Jo Dewhurst, LLB Dip; and Missy Hansen, MSN, APRN, CNP-Pediatrics, Pediatric Strategy Liaison. Together, with the addition of dozens of other PRA researchers and pediatric specialists, this designated team of experts is ready to utilize their collective experience in pediatric clinical development to support RACE Act-focused initiatives. "

08:17 EDT TFI International completes acquisition of Gusgo Transport - TFI International announced that it has closed on the previously announced acquisition of privately held Gusgo Transport, a container transport and storage company operating out of Vaughan, Ontario. As stated previously, the acquired business will become part of TFI International's Truckload segment.

08:15 EDT Alpine Immune Sciences, AbbVie announce exclusive license agreement for ALPN-101 - Alpine Immune Sciences (ALPN) and AbbVie (ABBV) announced an exclusive worldwide option and license agreement for ALPN-101, a dual CD28/ICOS costimulation antagonist. CD28 and ICOS are costimulatory molecules that likely play roles in multiple autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. ALPN-101 is a potent inhibitor of both CD28 and ICOS pathways with demonstrated efficacy in multiple preclinical disease models, superior to blockade of either pathway alone. Favorable safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics have been observed in a first-in-human study in adult healthy volunteers. Under the terms of the agreement, Alpine will receive an upfront payment of $60M, and will also be eligible to receive up to an aggregate of $805M for exercise of the option and success-based development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In addition, Alpine is eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales of ALPN-101. In exchange, AbbVie will receive an option to an exclusive license for ALPN-101. During the option period, Alpine will conduct a phase 2 study in systemic lupus erythematosus. Upon exercise of the option, AbbVie will conduct all future clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization activities for ALPN-101.

08:14 EDT Genetic Technologies granted U.S. patent for risk test - Genetic Technologies announced the issuance of US Patent No: US 10,683,549, Methods for assessing risk of developing breast cancer. Genetic Technologies is the first company to successfully commercialise a polygenic risk test for breast cancer in the world. The granted patent covers our proprietary panels of single nucleotide polymorphisms and the combination of clinical and phenotypic risk models to create the most comprehensive risk assessment tool on the market: GeneType for Breast Cancer. The proprietary technology incorporated into GeneType for Breast Cancer provides significant benefits over existing breast cancer risk assessment algorithms. Breast cancer is often looked at as an inheritable disease, but about 85% of breast cancer patients do not have a strong family history of breast cancer. Combining clinical risk factors and GTG's patented phenotypic risk model can identify those who are at high, average or low risk of developing breast cancer, which can inform an individual's personalised preventative protocol alongside physicians.

08:09 EDT Phoenix Tree appoints Yan Cui as interim CEO - Phoenix Tree announced updates to its board of directors and senior management team. Yan Cui, a co-founder, director and president of the company, has been appointed by the board as interim CEO with immediate effect. Cui has been responsible for the management and operations of the company, together with Jing Gao, a co-founder, director and CEO of the company, since it was founded five years ago. Gao is currently involved in an investigation by local government authorities into certain matters relating to his business venture prior to the founding of Danke, and thus is not able to attend to the company's business or perform any of his directorial and managerial roles at the company. The company has no plausible reason to believe that the investigation Gao is involved in relates to or results from any business activities or other dealings of the company. The company currently does not expect the absence of Gao to have any material adverse impact on its daily business operations, and will continue to assess the situation and make transitional arrangements if necessary.

08:09 EDT Viemed Healthcare to join Russell 3000 Index - Viemed Healthcare announced that it expects to join the broad-market Russell 3000 Index at the conclusion of the 2020 Russell indexes annual reconstitution, effective after the US market opens on June 29, 2020 according to a preliminary list of additions posted June 5, 2020.

08:06 EDT Delta Air Lines sees domestic capacity down 55%-60% y/y in August

08:06 EDT Delta Air Lines sees daily cash burn $30M/day by end of June, CEO Bastian says

08:05 EDT Delta Air Lines: 500 workers diagnosed with coronavirus

08:05 EDT Arcadia Biosciences gets patents covering herbicide tolerance in wheat - Arcadia Biosciences announced the Australia Patent Office has granted the company a foundational patent covering herbicide tolerance in wheat. Patent Number 2016288257 grants intellectual property protection for mutations to the wheat genome to make it herbicide tolerant. The company also received a U.S. Notice of Allowance 15/740,876 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the same technology. Australia and the United States are the first major wheat-producing countries to approve the patents, with additional patents pending in other key wheat markets.

08:04 EDT FireEye appoints Brad Maiorino as Chief Strategy Officer - FireEye announced the appointment of Brad Maiorino as Chief Strategy Officer, reporting to FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia. FireEye said in a release, "As Chief Strategy Officer at FireEye, Maiorino will play a key role in influencing the FireEye & Mandiant product and solutions strategy based on customer needs. Maiorino will also work with FireEye customers to deploy cybersecurity and risk management solutions to combat today's dynamic threat environment. Prior to joining FireEye, Maiorino most recently served as Chief Information Security Officer for Thomson Reuters."

08:03 EDT Accenture subsidiary awarded position on up to $50M BPA - Accenture Federal Services, a subsidiary of Accenture, has been awarded a position on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, Intelligent Automation and Innovation Support Services , or AISS, blanket purchase agreement, or BPA, a multi-award contract vehicle. The five-year BPA is valued at up to $50M. The scope of the work includes piloting, testing and implementing advanced technologies such as intelligent automation, artificial intelligence, microservices, machine learning, natural language processing, robotic process automation and blockchain.

08:02 EDT Century Casinos reopens its two casinos in Colorado - Century Casinos announced that operations at Century Casino & Hotel Cripple Creek resumed on June 15 and at Century Casino & Hotel Central City on June 17. Prior to reopening, Century Casinos implemented comprehensive and Colorado specific safety and social distancing protocols at the properties.

07:59 EDT Lexagene Holdings provides status update on COVID-19 testing - LexaGene Holdings provides a status update on the previously announced placement of its pre-commercial LX Analyzer. The instrument the Company placed in a major US hospital laboratory was configured to screen for COVID-19 and seven other respiratory pathogens. LexaGene's technology performs highly multiplex RT-PCR, which is a gold-standard chemistry that provides exceptional sensitivity and specificity. LexaGene has automated the entire workflow in an instrument designed to be placed at the point-of-need. It takes less than 1 minute of hands-on time to initiate sample processing for walk-away testing. Regarding the Company's FDA plans, LexaGene has recently received comments back on its submitted plan for Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19 testing. Since submitting the application, the FDA has updated its template for manufacturers, changing some requirements. The Company has amended its plan and is now awaiting further communication from the FDA, which it anticipates soon. Until proposed studies are completed, and the FDA grants LexaGene's instrument EUA for COVID-19 testing, all work using LexaGene instruments is classified as "Research Use Only" which is standard for the industry. The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain COVID-19 at this time.

07:57 EDT Alpine Immune Sciences Inc trading halted, news pending

07:55 EDT WeedMD launches same-day medical cannabis delivery service - WeedMD announced the launch of its same-day medical cannabis home delivery service. The pilot project called 'PatientDirect' will service local patients in the greater Toronto-area starting in June, with order fulfillment from the Company's Bowmanville, Ontario distribution centre located just outside Toronto. PatientDirect is intended to ease potential third-party postal and delivery service disruptions resulting from the current business conditions. The service will be offered to new and existing Starseed Medicinal patients commencing in June with eligible patients being notified by email. The service will expand to WeedMD patients in the coming weeks. Over time it is expected to become a standard service option. While the delivery service will cover the greater Toronto region at launch, WeedMD expects to expand the delivery zone in southwestern Ontario by working closely with logistics partner Prime Time Messenger Inc. Patients with eligible Ontario postal codes from Bowmanville to Mississauga, and north up to Aurora can select the same-day delivery option following order confirmation at the time of checkout. Orders with applicable limits will be provided the service free of charge or on par with Canada Post rates if minimum orders not met.

07:51 EDT CB2 Insights announces amendments to promissory note - CB2 Insights announces that it has amended the terms of its issued and outstanding promissory note held by Merida Capital Partners, which is designed to help the Company achieve its long term growth plans and drive continued profitability. The Company has entered into an amended and restated promissory note, which amends the terms of the promissory note originally issued by the Company on December 20, 2018 and amended on June 2019. Under the terms of the Amended Note, the principal amount of $3 million will become payable on December 24, 2022, carry an annual interest rate of 8%, payable, at the Company's option, either in cash or in common shares of the Company. If interest is paid in common shares, the number of shares will be calculated at a price per share equal to a 10% discount to the 20-day volume-weighted average trading price of the Company's common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Additionally, if at any time prior to the maturity date, the closing price of the Company's common shares on the CSE is equal to or greater than C$0.30 for 20 consecutive trading days, then the outstanding amounts owed under the Amended Note will be converted into that number of common shares obtained by dividing the Canadian dollar equivalent of the sum of the principal amount of $3,000,000 and the unpaid accrued interest owing up to the conversion date, by the volume-weighted average closing price of the Company's common shares on the CSE during such twenty consecutive trading day period, less a discount of 10%. The Amended Note is effective as of April 1, 2020. On an unaudited basis, the Company has achieved its target of reaching positive cash flow and has seen two consecutive months of profitability. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company also received $652,500 in government funds for its medical services division in the US. This funding provided the Company with needed cash during the early days of the pandemic. Used within the confines of the program, the Company expects that 100% of this funding will be forgiven. As consideration for the amendments, the Company issued warrants entitling the holder to purchase up to 3 million common shares at an exercise price of C$0.14 per common share during the period commencing on the first anniversary of date of issuance of the warrants and ending three years from such issuance date.

07:47 EDT CounterPath regains compliance with Nasdaq listing standard - CounterPath announced that it has received a letter from the NASDAQ Stock Market wherein, based on the Company's Form 8-K, dated June 11, NASDAQ has determined that the Company complies with the Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). CounterPath said in a release, "As previously disclosed, on December 16, 2019, the Company received a letter from the listing qualifications department staff of NASDAQ notifying the Company that the stockholders' equity of $1,922,675, as reported in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended October 31, 2019, was below the minimum stockholders' equity of $2,500,000. The minimum stockholders' equity of $2,500,000 is required for continued listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market as set forth in NASDAQ listing rule 5550(b)(1), and as of December 13, 2019, the Company did not meet the alternatives of market value of listed securities or net income from continuing operations. As of June 11, 2020, after completion of the $1 million private placement, the Company believes that it has regained compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement as a result of the closing of the Offering. NASDAQ will continue to monitor the Company's ongoing compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement and, if at the time of its next periodic report for the quarter ended July 31, 2020 the Company does not evidence compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement, the Company may be subject to delisting. At that time, NASDAQ Staff will provide written notification to the Company, which it may then appeal Staff's determination to a Hearings Panel. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to maintain compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement."

07:47 EDT CalAmp's LoJack Mexico signs partnership agreement with Overhaul Group - CalAmp announced its subsidiary, LoJack Mexico, has signed a partnership agreement with Overhaul Group. By integrating Overhaul's real-time supply chain integrity solution with CalAmp's telematics and LoJack Mexico's Stolen Vehicle Recovery services, global enterprises are able to secure shipments of pharmaceuticals, perishables and high-value electronics across Mexico during these uncertain times.

07:46 EDT Heat Biologics initiates first clinical trial site for PTX-35 - Heat Biologics announced initiation of the first clinical trial site for PTX-35. PTX-35 is a novel antibody T-cell co-stimulator targeting TNFRSF25, a receptor that is preferentially expressed by antigen-experienced T cells. TNFRSF25 agonism leads to activation of antigen-experienced memory CD8+ T cells, which are instrumental for tumor destruction. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that PTX-35, in combination with antigen-driven immunotherapies, resulted in enhanced anti-tumor properties, including potent proliferation of antigen-specific T cells, production of effector cytokines and augmented effector immune function. A favorable safety profile was demonstrated in preclinical studies, with no deleterious cytokine release in mice, non-human primates or in vitro human immune cells.

07:43 EDT Primoris announces solar award valued over $155M - Primoris Services announced a new solar award valued over $155M. The contract was secured by the Power, Industrial, & Engineering segment. The award is for the engineering, procurement, and construction of a utility-scale solar facility in the Southwest. The scope of work includes foundations, electrical, mechanical, and civil construction. Work to support the initial engineering, site investigation, long lead procurement, and cost optimization commenced in the first quarter of 2020, with project completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2021.

07:41 EDT BridgeBio, University of Florida announce strategic collaboration - BridgeBio Pharma entered into a strategic collaboration with the University of Florida to translate research in genetically driven disease towards clinical development and potential commercialization. The partnership combines University of Florida's prowess in studying genetically driven disease, including its capabilities in gene therapy, with BridgeBio's expertise in efficiently advancing therapeutics from the academic laboratory through preclinical studies and into human testing. BridgeBio believes that, too often, promising research in academia sits on the shelf without partners to move it forward. The company's mission is to bring as much of that research forward as possible, by focusing on establishing partnerships with leading institutions in the hopes of translating research into life-saving therapies. BridgeBio will provide sponsorship to select research programs around diseases with a genetic basis, including gene therapies and large and small molecules. The company will provide guidance for sponsored programs around medicinal chemistry for small-molecule hit optimization, strategies to modify or formulate a potential biologic therapy or approaches for testing non-optimized viral vectors. BridgeBio may conduct proof-of-concept studies for lead therapeutic compounds in relevant mammalian models. BridgeBio seeks to revolutionize partnerships between drug development companies and biomedical research institutions by moving away from one-off interactions and building long-term partnerships based on trust, engagement, science and respect. The company is committed to acting responsibly towards the academic investigators who are on the front lines of understanding the mechanisms of genetically driven diseases and have great insights into how these diseases may be treated.

07:40 EDT Dicerna receives rare pediatric disease designation for nedosiran from FDA - Dicerna Pharmaceuticals announced that the FDA has granted rare pediatric disease designation for nedosiran, an investigational RNAi therapy being developed as a once-monthly treatment for primary hyperoxaluria, or PH. Dicerna said in a release, "PH is a family of ultra-rare, life-threatening genetic disorders that cause complications in the kidneys. There are three known types of PH (PH1, PH2 and PH3), each resulting from a mutation in one of three different genes. Nedosiran is the Company's lead product candidate and is in development for PH types 1, 2 and 3. Under the FDA's rare pediatric disease designation program, the FDA may grant a priority review voucher to a sponsor who receives a product approval for a "rare pediatric disease," which is defined as a serious or life-threatening disease in which the serious or life-threatening manifestations primarily affect individuals aged from birth to 18 years and affects fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. Subject to FDA approval of nedosiran for the treatment of PH, Dicerna would be eligible to receive a voucher that may be redeemed to receive priority review for a subsequent marketing application for a different product candidate or which could be sold or transferred."

07:38 EDT BeiGene announces EMA acceptance of MAA for BRUKINSA - BeiGene announced that its marketing authorization application for BRUKINSA for the treatment of patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia who have received at least one prior therapy or as first-line treatment for patients unsuitable for chemo-immunotherapy has been validated for regulatory review by the European Medicines Agency. Clinical data in the MAA include the Phase 3 randomized, open-label, multicenter ASPEN clinical trial that evaluated zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory or treatment-naive WM which was recently presented at the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology Virtual Scientific Program and the 25th European Hematology Association Congress. The safety package in the MAA included pooled safety data from 779 patients with B-cell malignancies treated with BRUKINSA in six clinical trials.

07:35 EDT Kroger reports net total debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio 1.81 vs. 2.54 a year ago - The company's net total debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio target range is 2.30-2.50. Kroger held temporary cash investments of approximately $2.3B as of the end of the quarter, reflecting improved operating performance and significant improvement in working capital.

07:33 EDT Kroger reports Q1 gross margin 24.3% - Gross margin was 24.3% of sales for the first quarter. The FIFO gross margin rate excluding fuel increased 44 basis points, due to sales leverage related to shrink, transportation, warehousing and advertising costs.

07:33 EDT Kroger reports Q1 identical sales, without fuel, up 19% - Reports Q1 digital sales up 92%.

07:32 EDT Francesca's reports 593 boutiques reopened as of June 23 - The company said, "The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the temporary closure of all of the Company's 703 boutiques beginning on March 25, 2020. On April 30, 2020, the Company began to reopen its boutiques in locations where local shutdown orders have been lifted. As of June 12, 2020, a total of 593 boutiques have reopened although the majority of them are operating at reduced capacity and hours in accordance with local regulations. In conjunction with such boutique reopenings, more than half of all furloughed corporate and boutique employees have been recalled. The Company plans to continue to reopen boutiques and recall furloughed employees as local mandates are lifted. All boutiques will strictly adhere to then current Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and local regulations to protect the health and safety of its sales associates and customers. Additionally, as of June 12, 2020, there continues to be an overall disruption in the Company's supply chain and operations and the Company's ecommerce and distribution facility remain to be operating at reduced capacity. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's revenues, results of operations and cash flows continue to be materially adversely impacted which continues to raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management continues to take aggressive and prudent actions to reduce expenses to preserve cash on hand."

07:31 EDT Francesca's CEO says 'optimistic about our future' - Francesca's Holdings Corporationprovides an update on its COVID-19 response and reports select preliminary financial results for the first quarter ended May 2, 2020. These preliminary results do not include the impact of non-cash impairment charges of long-lived assets, including the related income tax effect, which are expected to have a material impact on the Company's reported results. Andrew Clarke, President and CEO, stated, "While we continue to navigate through this difficult period, we are highly encouraged to see bright spots in our business driven by the new strategies that we have been testing and scaling. We are very pleased with the continued strong momentum in our ecommerce business and heartened by the sales results in the boutiques we have reopened. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have taken measures to improve liquidity by driving sales and monetizing existing inventory, aggressively reducing costs, and managing cash flows, which, together with deferring rent and vendor payments, enabled us to increase our cash position to approximately $21M as of June 12, 2020. I want to thank the entire team for their tremendous commitment and hard work towards these efforts. Looking ahead, we are optimistic about our future as we execute our differentiated business model. Our boutiques provide a broad end-use assortment that is curated and merchandised for outfitting while at the same time offer a treasure hunt experience to our customers. As we begin crafting the future for francesca's, there is also a focus on enhancing our omni channel capabilities, specifically through re-platforming our e-commerce site to support greater scale. As we combine our customer centric approach with omni channel capabilities we see tremendous opportunity to gain market share and get us back on track to deliver profitable growth."

07:15 EDT IAMGold intersects 10.5m at 10.5 g/t AU at Nelligan project - Vanstar Mining Resources announced initial assay results from its 2020 exploration diamond drilling program completed at its Nelligan joint venture project, IAMGOLD Corporation: 75%, Vanstar: 25%, located 60 kilometres southwest of Chibougamau, Quebec, Canada. The Company is reporting assay results from six diamond drill holes totaling 3,717 metres completed as part of the 2020 drilling program. Assays are pending from a further three completed drill holes totaling 1,278 metres. The Nelligan Gold project hosts Inferred Mineral Resources containing 3.2 million ounces of gold grading 1.02 g/t Au. The 2020 diamond drilling program was designed to infill selected areas of the resource to upgrade resource classification from Inferred to an Indicated category and evaluate potential resource extensions at depth and along strike. In response to the global COVID-19 crisis, IAMGOLD temporarily suspended its diamond drilling program in progress on the Nelligan project on March 23rd. The 2020 exploration drilling program was planned to involve the completion of approximately 8,000 metres focused on infill drilling to improve resource classification as well as step-out drilling to evaluate potential resource extensions at depth and along strike. A total of 4,995 metres of diamond drilling were completed up to the suspension of the program. A summer drilling campaign is currently being designed to complete the drilling program, taking into consideration summer access conditions as well as the implementation of safety protocols to prevent COVID-19 infections. All pending assay results from drilling completed to date will be reported once they are received, validated and compiled. Additional metallurgical tests are also planned in the coming months to provide additional information on the metallurgical recoveries from the various zones of mineralization comprising the Mineral Resources of the Nelligan gold deposit and to further refine the process flow sheet parameters. The geological, geochemical and structural models have been updated and refined to assist the selection of representative metallurgical samples and to support further deposit studies. Regional exploration activities will also continue to define and evaluate other priority targets on the property with focused geological mapping programs supported by geochemical and geophysical surveys as merited.

07:09 EDT Wells Fargo to sell GAI feeder fund platform to iCapital Network - Wells Fargo announced that Wells Fargo Investment Institute, or WFII, has entered into an agreement to sell its global alternative investments, or GAI, feeder fund platform to iCapital Network. In addition, Wells Fargo announced that it is making a strategic investment in iCapital under the terms of iCapital's latest fundraising round. The Wells Fargo GAI feeder fund platform provides brokerage and wealth management clients the ability to invest in a full suite of alternative solutions, including private equity, private debt, hedge funds, private real estate and direct private investments across approximately 70 investment vehicles. Since 2006, GAI has offered investment options through feeder funds that invest in external funds or portfolio companies. As part of the transaction, iCapital will offer employment to a team of Wells Fargo employees who currently support operations for the GAI feeder fund platform. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during the second half of 2020. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

07:04 EDT Solid Biosciences appoints Ian Smith as chairman of board - Solid Biosciences (SLDB) announced the appointment of board member Ian Smith as chairman of the board. Smith succeeds Andrey Zarur, Ph.D., who served as chairman of the board since 2013 and is one of the co-founders of Solid Biosciences. The appointment is effective June 16, 2020. Smith most recently serving as EVP and COO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX).

07:01 EDT Sierra Metals confirms new high-grade zone at Cusi Mine, Mexico - Sierra Metals announced the discovery of a new high-grade silver zone with significant widths in an area called Northeast-Southwest System of Epithermal Veins at its Cusi Mine in Mexico. The new high-grade silver vein system was discovered through confirmatory drilling which includes true widths of 17.45 meters of 428 g/t silver - 464 g/t silver equivalent -, 9.35 meters of 304 g/t silver - 327 g/t silver equivalent -, 8.75 meters of 303 g/t silver - 322 g/t silver equivalent - and 4.90 meters of 1,140 g/t silver - 1,163 g/t silver equivalent-. The new discovery is an extension of the Cusi Vein systems in the North East of the fault and, rather than barren, the veins are reporting silver grades and widths above the average of the structures previously known at the mine in the South West to the Cusi fault. The company has plans to drill an additional 1,000 meters to better understand the extension. The Cusi Mine remained in care and maintenance during the government-mandated shutdowns. Cusi production is expected to recommence after the mine development work is completed and once a process can be implemented at the mine to mitigate risk to employees at the site. Management is targeting a ramp-up to 1,200 tons per day by the end of the year, at which point the Cusi mine is expected to become self-sustainable and cash flow positive. Additionally, during the second half of the year, studies will commence on the potential expansion of Cusi. Management also believes there is further brownfield potential in areas not previously explored but which are very close to the Santa Rosa de Lima zone.

06:53 EDT Designer Brands has reopened 90% of total store base - The Company has reopened approximately 90% of its total store base. The company expects to have nearly all North American stores open by the end of June. The company has implemented a number of measures to protect the health and safety of its customers and associates as stores are reopened.

06:49 EDT Apollo Global expanding insurance asset management business - Apollo Global (APO) is expanding its insurance asset management business, as Athene Holding (ATH) has entered into a fixed annuity block reinsurance transaction with Jackson National Life Insurance, a subsidiary of Prudential (PRU), with the support of Athene Co-Invest Reinsurance Affiliate. Athene will reinsure a $27B in-force block of fixed deferred and fixed indexed annuities. Athene will also make a $500M equity investment in Jackson, representing an 11% stake in the company. Apollo's insurance platform is anchored by permanent capital vehicle assets from Athene and other insurance platforms. Through Q1 and pro forma for Athene's transaction with Jackson, additional transactions and internal growth, Apollo has added nearly $80B in insurance-related assets under management. Apollo expects this transaction will be immediately accretive; however, the full financial effect is expected to be achieved on a run rate basis in the second half of 2021.

06:19 EDT Google's purchase of Fitbit raises preliminary competition concerns, says ACCC - The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission outlined preliminary concerns with Google's (GOOGL) proposed acquisition of Fitbit (FIT), stating that Google's access to consumer health data may raise entry barriers, further entrench its dominant position and adversely affect competition in several digital advertising and health markets. "Our concerns are that Google buying Fitbit will allow Google to build an even more comprehensive set of user data, further cementing its position and raising barriers to entry to potential rivals," ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. "The ACCC's Digital Platforms Inquiry found that Google's substantial market power is built on its concentration of search and location data, and data collected via third-party websites and apps."

06:14 EDT S&P downgrades Briggs & Stratton to SD, unlikely to make interest payment - S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday downgraded its issuer credit rating on Briggs & Stratton to 'SD' from 'CCC-' because it believes the company is unlikely to make the interest payment on the notes within the 30-day grace period but expect that it will continue to pay interest on its asset-based lending revolving credit facility. S&P also lowered its issue-level rating on the company's unsecured notes to 'D'.

06:13 EDT Carnival estimates ongoing ship operating, administrative expenses $250M/month - Carnival said in its Q2 earnings release, "The company estimates that its ongoing ship operating and administrative expenses will be approximately $250 million per month once all ships are in paused status. The company continues to seek ways to further reduce this monthly requirement. The company has taken significant actions to reduce operating expenses during the pause in guest operations: While maintaining safety, environmental protection and compliance, the company significantly reduced ship operating expenses, including crew payroll, food, fuel, insurance and port charges by transitioning ships into paused status, either at anchor or in port and staffed at a safe manning level; Currently 62 of the company's ships are in their final expected pause location. The company expects substantially all of its ships to reach their full pause status during the third quarter; Significantly reduced marketing and selling expenses; Implemented a combination of layoffs, furloughs, reduced work weeks and salary and benefit reductions across the company, including senior management; Instituted a hiring freeze across the organization, significantly reduced consultant and contractor roles. The company has reduced capital expenditures and estimates $300 million of non-newbuild capital expenditures during the second half of 2020, which largely consists of previously committed expenditures. The company previously had four ships scheduled to be delivered between May and October of 2020. The company believes COVID-19 has impacted shipyard operations and will result in delivery delays of the ships this year and is working with the shipyards on revised timing. The company has committed future financing, comprised of ship export credit facilities, associated with these newbuilds."

06:10 EDT Carnival reports $2.6B in deposits as of May 31 - Carnival said in its Q2 earnings release, "The company's brands have announced various incentives and flexibility for certain booking payments on select sailings to support guest confidence in making new bookings. These incentives vary by brand and sailing and include onboard credits and reduced or refundable deposits. In addition, the company is providing flexibility to guests with bookings on sailings cancelled due to the pause by allowing guests to receive enhanced future cruise credits, or FCC, or elect to receive refunds in cash. Enhanced FCCs increase the value of the guest's original booking or provide incremental onboard credits. As of May 31, approximately half of guests affected have requested cash refunds. Despite substantially reduced marketing and selling spend, the company is seeing growing demand from new bookings for 2021. For the six weeks ending May 31, approximately two-thirds of 2021 bookings were new bookings. The remaining 2021 booking volumes resulted from guests applying their FCCs to specific future cruises. As of May 31, the current portion of customer deposits was $2.6 billion with $121 million relating to third quarter sailings and $353 million relating to fourth quarter sailings. The company expects any decline in the customer deposits balance in the second half of 2020, all of which is expected to occur in the third quarter, to be significantly less than the decline in the second quarter of 2020. As of May 31, cumulative advanced bookings for the full year of 2021 capacity currently available for sale are within historical ranges at prices that are down in the low to mid-single digits range including the negative yield impact of FCCs and onboard credits applied, on a comparable basis. For the full year of 2021, booking volumes for the six weeks ending May 31, were running meaningfully behind the prior year. However, the company saw an improvement in booking volumes for the six weeks ending May 31, compared to the prior six weeks."

06:07 EDT Carnival expects to resume guest operations 'in phased manner' - Carnival said in its Q2 earnings release "The company expects to resume guest operations, after collaboration with both government and health authorities, in a phased manner, with specific ships and brands returning to service over time to provide its guests with enjoyable vacation experiences. The company anticipates that initial sailings will be from a select number of easily accessible homeports. The company expects future capacity to be moderated by the phased re-entry of its ships, the removal of capacity from its fleet and delays in new ship deliveries. In connection with its capacity optimization strategy, the company intends to accelerate the removal of ships in fiscal 2020 which were previously expected to be sold over the ensuing years. The company already has preliminary agreements for the disposal of 6 ships which are expected to leave the fleet in the next 90 days and is currently working toward additional agreements. In preparation for the resumption of its cruises, and consistent with its commitment to provide its guests with a safe and healthy environment, the company is proactively consulting and working in close cooperation with various medical policy experts and public health authorities to develop enhanced procedures and protocols for health and safety onboard its ships. The company appreciates the excellent working relationship with the health authorities of federal states and local port authorities in Germany, as well as the Italian Coast Guard, Italian Ministry of Transportation, Italian Ministry of Health and others around the world. A comprehensive restart protocol may include areas such as medical care, screening, testing, mitigation and sanitization addressing arrival and departure at cruise terminals, the boarding and disembarkation process, onboard experiences and shore excursions."

06:03 EDT Farmmi subsidiary receives repeat order for Shiitake mushrooms in Israel - Farmmi announced its subsidiary, Zhejiang Forest Food, has received an additional repeat order for distribution of its Shiitake mushrooms and black fungus in Israel.

06:01 EDT KKR to acquire Roompot Group from PAI Partners, terms not disclosed - KKR announces an agreement to acquire Roompot Group from European private equity firm PAI Partners. KKR said in a release, "The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, having already received positive works council advice. Financial terms are not disclosed. Under PAI's ownership, Roompot has invested significantly in upgrading and expanding its accommodations and opening new parks, developed a strong digital marketing and distribution platform, increased real estate ownership and grown revenue and EBITDA at double digit growth rates. The company now welcomes three million guests and 13 million overnight stays each year, generating revenues of almost EUR 400 million."

05:38 EDT Athene announces fixed annuity reinsurance transaction with Jackson National - Athene Holding (ATH) has announced a fixed annuity block reinsurance transaction with Jackson National Life and subsidiary of Prudential (PRU), with the support of Athene Co-Invest Reinsurance Affiliate, or ACRA. Athene said in a release, "Under the terms of the agreement, Athene will reinsure a $27B in-force block of fixed deferred and fixed indexed annuities. As part of the transaction, Athene is making a $500M equity investment in Jackson, representing an 11% stake in the company, which will help Jackson to pursue various growth initiatives aligned with its commercial diversification strategy. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Athene's adjusted operating income in 2021 and 2022, with potential upside as portfolio redeployment occurs. Athene expects to deploy approximately $1.2 billion of total capital in connection with the transaction to be contributed over the next 12-18 months, including a further investment of capital in connection with portfolio redeployment, as well as the equity investment in Jackson. Utilizing the strategic benefits of ACRA, 63% of the total capital deployment will be funded by third-party investors, and 37% will be funded by Athene on a standalone basis. Pro forma for the transaction, as well as the company's recent Series C preferred stock offering, Athene continues to have significant financial flexibility and a strong capital position, with excess equity capital of $3 billion and total deployable capital of $7.1 billion. Jackson will continue to service and administer the in-force policies within the block. The reinsurance agreement has an effective date of June 1, 2020. The equity investment in Jackson is expected to close in July 2020, subject to customary closing conditions and approvals. Credit Suisse is serving as financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP is serving as legal counsel to Athene in connection with this transaction."

05:23 EDT Ballard Power receives follow-on order for 15 fuel cell modules from Wrightbus - Ballard Power Systems announced that it has received follow-on purchase orders for 15 of its 85-kilowatt heavy-duty FCveloCity-HD fuel cell modules from Wrightbus to power Fuel Cell Electric Buses, or FCEBs, planned for deployment in the U.K. Wrightbus was recently re-capitalized by Bamford Bus, after having gone into administration last year. The company said in a release, "Including the 15 modules announced today, Ballard currently has orders in-hand from Wrightbus for a total of 50 modules to power FCEBs in the U.K., 35 of which were previously announced in 2019. Of those 35 modules, 20 are to power buses planned for deployment in London and 15 are for buses planned for deployment in Aberdeen. Ballard expects to ship all 50 modules in 2020."

05:12 EDT Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Ocuphire Pharma announce merger agreement - Rexahn Pharmaceuticals and Ocuphire Pharma announced the companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Ocuphire will merge with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rexahn in an all-stock transaction. The companies said in a release, "Following closing, which is expected to occur in the second half of 2020, the combined company will change its name to Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. and is expected to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol 'OCUP.' The combined company will focus on the advancement of its pipeline of ophthalmic drug candidates. Certain institutional healthcare and other accredited investors, including certain Ocuphire directors and executives, have also committed to invest $21.15 million in a private placement that will close immediately prior to the closing of the merger, assuming the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions. Investors in this pre-merger financing will receive Ocuphire common stock prior to closing, which will convert into Rexahn common stock upon closing of the merger. Additionally, following the closing of the merger, Rexahn will issue to these investors warrants to purchase shares of Rexahn common stock and, potentially, additional shares of Rexahn common stock. Under the terms of the merger agreement, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, including (i) the receipt of the required approval of the Ocuphire stockholders and Rexahn stockholders, (ii) the closing of the pre-merger financing and (iii) Rexahn having a minimum amount of net cash at closing, Ocuphire will merge with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rexahn, with Ocuphire surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rexahn. Upon completion of the merger, Ocuphire stockholders will receive newly issued shares of Rexahn common stock pursuant to an exchange ratio formula set forth in the merger agreement. Under the terms of the merger agreement, immediately following the consummation of the merger, Rexahn's then-current stockholders would own approximately 14.3% of the combined company's common stock, and the former Ocuphire securityholders would own approximately 85.7% of the combined company's common stock, in each case calculated on a fully-diluted basis, assuming Rexahn's net cash balance at closing is between $3.2 million and $6.0 million. The exchange ratio formula in the merger agreement is subject to adjustment for every $100,000 that Rexahn's actual net cash balance at closing is less than $3.2 million or more than $6 million. Based on Rexahn's current estimates, Rexahn believes that it is reasonably likely to deliver significantly less than $3.2 million at closing."