Stockwinners Market Radar for July 28, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:51 EDT Johnson & Johnson's McEvoy sells 29,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Johnson & Johnson EVP and worldwide chairman of Medical Devices Ashley McEvoy disclosed the sale of 29,000 common shares of the company on July 28 at a price of $147.47 per share.

18:41 EDT Otis Worldwide CEO: China has recovered fully - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Judy Marks said Otis is driving improvements through productivity. "We've been an essential service since the start of the pandemic," she said. Otis is a "tremendously resilient business," Marks noted. Half the company's portfolio is residential, so that is keeping Otis busy, and commercial is starting to come back, according to Marks.

18:31 EDT Altice USA to sell 49.99% of Lightpath fiber enterprise unit in $3.2B deal - Altice USA announced it has agreed to sell 49.99% of its Lightpath fiber enterprise business to Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners for an implied enterprise value of $3.2B. This represents a multiple of 14.6x FY 2019 Adjusted EBITDA and an Operating Free Cash Flow multiple of 25.7x1. Altice USA will receive total gross cash proceeds of approximately $2.3 billion from the sale and related financing activity. Altice USA will retain a 50.01% interest in Lightpath and maintain control of the company. The introduction of MSIP as a strategic investor will support ongoing and new growth initiatives at Lightpath, improve operational performance and provide strategic and financial flexibility, enabling Lightpath to focus on the distinct opportunities for value creation and long-term growth. The transaction is currently expected to close in Q4 2020 following customary regulatory approvals. Upon closing, Lightpath will be financed independently outside of the CSC Holdings, LLC debt silo. A portion of the net proceeds after tax are expected to be used by Altice USA to repay debt such that the transaction is at least leverage-neutral to CSC Holdings, LLC. Remaining proceeds may be used for additional debt paydown and/or repurchase of Altice USA shares.

18:05 EDT NorthWestern remains on track to $400M capital investment - The company said "During the Q2, we experienced a decline in gross margin of approximately $3M-$4M related to the COVID-19 pandemic driven by a reduction in our commercial and industrial revenue, offset in part by an increase in usage by residential customers. We also experienced an increase in certain operating expenses including an increase in uncollectible accounts of approximately $3.1M and interest expense of approximately $700,000. These were offset in part by cost control and reductions of approximately $2.8M in medical costs, labor related to in home customer work limitations, and travel and training. As a result of these impacts, we submitted accounting order requests in Montana and South Dakota to allow for the deferral in a regulatory asset of uncollectible accounts expense in excess of amounts currently recovered from customers. We expect the respective commissions to rule on these requests in 2020. If the accounting order requests are granted, approximately $2M of uncollectible accounts expense as of June 30, would be deferred as a regulatory asset for future recovery. COVID-19 continues to be an evolving situation and we expect to continue to experience impacts to our financial results going forward. In our service territories, 'shelter in place' or 'stay at home' orders and travel restrictions have been lifted. However, business curtailments continue and restrictions may be imposed again. There may also be material delays in scheduling proceedings and hearings, and in obtaining orders from federal and state courts and regulatory agencies; these delays could negatively affect us financially. In addition, while we have not experienced significant supply chain challenges, so far, we continue to closely manage and monitor developments in our supply chain. We remain on track for our approximately $400M capital investment as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019."

17:48 EDT Packaging Corp says Q3 corrugated product demand to be stronger - CEO Mark Kowlzan says: "Looking ahead to the third quarter, we will stay focused on preserving our financial and balance sheet strength during these uncertain times. We will remain well-positioned to manage whatever lies ahead, while ensuring we take care of the needs and expectations of our employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders. During these unprecedented times, corrugated products demand has performed quite well so far this year, and we expect the third quarter to be even stronger. We began the third quarter with replenished, yet still relatively low, containerboard inventories and our expectation is that we will end the quarter at levels below where we started while managing scheduled outages at two of our mills. We have already announced the actions being taken in our Paper business, and we will continue to evaluate the demand for our paper products throughout the third quarter. However, shelter-in-place and lockdown conditions continue to change constantly across the country, and such events and actions could adversely impact these expectations and the operation of not only our facilities, but also the availability of services and products we rely upon from our suppliers. As a result, we are not able to appropriately quantify our guidance for the third quarter."

17:38 EDT Turquoise Hill raises 2020 gold output view to 155-180K oz from 120-150K oz - Backs FY20 copper output view of 140K-170K tons.

17:37 EDT Turquoise Hill reports Q2 Oyu Tolgoi output of 36.5KT copper, 31.1K oz gold

17:26 EDT Boston Properties acquires 50% interest in existing JV in El Segundo development - Boston Properties announced that it has acquired a 50% interest in an existing joint venture that owns Beach Cities Media Campus, a 6.4-acre site on the Rosecrans Corridor in the El Segundo submarket of Los Angeles, California. The site is fully entitled to support the future development of approximately 275,000 square feet of Class A creative office space. Continental Development Corporation (Continental), is a premier developer and owner of Class A properties primarily in the El Segundo and South Bay submarkets of Los Angeles with more than 500 tenants across its four million square foot portfolio.

17:23 EDT Starbucks says 99% of China stores open, many with full seating - Says disruption to morning routines a headwind company focusing on in the U.S. Says 99% of China stores open, many with full seating. Says new normal requires company to monitor COVID-19 situation in every community. Says unveiling new curbside pickup experience. Says will reposition store formats in urban communities with new Starbucks pickup stores, building a "convenient walk-through" experience. Sees China sales "substantially" recovering by 2020 year-end.

17:22 EDT Rexford Industrial to replace Carpenter Technology in S&P 400 at open on 8/3

17:21 EDT Seagate CFO says enterprise IT spending to remain low for next couple quarters - Says to lower operating expenses by about $10M from cost savings and reinvest funds in business. Says COVID-19 related impact on earnings was 25c-30c in Q4. Says pace of demand has been slow in the first 4 weeks of Q1. Says broader market demand will not improve this quarter. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:20 EDT BancFirst to replace Sunrun in S&P 600 at open on 8/3

17:16 EDT Liberty Oilfield Services expects modest acceleration in activity in Q3 - The company commented "The collapse of worldwide demand for oil during the Q2 resulted in an abrupt reset of operators' drilling and completion activity plans for the year. We believe the Q2 likely marks the bottom in completions activity. In the Q3 rig count declines have slowed and West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices have seen signs of stability after a highly volatile second quarter. In response to higher and more stable oil prices North American exploration and production companies are bringing back curtailed production volumes and beginning a modest uptick in completions activity, albeit off a very low base. Our customer dialogues center around optimizing their development plans for the second half of 2020 and looking into 2021. As operators look to the "other side," a side where many operators and service providers will no longer exist, there is a heightened interest in best-in-class service quality, efficiency, safety and technology solutions that enable a better and more respected industry. Liberty is becoming a larger part of our top-tier customers' anticipated business activity during the second half of 2020, as the innovative engineering Liberty brings to completions strategies and our environmental, social and governance conscious approach to hydraulic fracturing have simply become more important.", said the company "We now expect a modest acceleration in activity during Q3 and we expect to have 10 to 12 frac fleets working in the Q3 as customers look to utilize superior services in the current climate. We believe that we are significantly advantaged with a strong balance sheet, a high-quality service offering, low capital outlay and flexible cost structure that allow us to serve our customers through an impending recovery. As Sun-Tzu said over two millennia ago 'In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity'."

17:10 EDT Bharti Global reports exit from Triton International in 13D filing - On July 27, Bharti Global ceased to be the beneficial owners of more than five percent of the Common Shares of Triton International . This Amendment constitutes an exit filing of Bharti Global. Bharti Global last reported an 8.3% stake in Triton International on July 20.

17:08 EDT United Airlines' Shapiro sells 25,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, United Airlines director Edward Shapiro disclosed the sale of 25,000 common shares of the company on July 24 at a price of $33.52 per share.

17:05 EDT Atento announces reverse share split - Atento announced that, at the company's Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, the company's shareholders have approved a conversion of the company's entire share capital of 75,406,357 ordinary shares into 15,000,000 ordinary shares, without nominal value, using a ratio of conversion of 5.027090466672970. The reverse share split is expected to be effective after trading hours on July 29, 2020. The company's ordinary shares will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on the New York Stock Exchange at the open of trading on July 30, 2020.

17:01 EDT Exxon Mobil recommends investors reject mini-tender offer by Ponos Industries - Exxon Mobil has received notice of an unsolicited mini-tender offer by Ponos Industries LLC to purchase up to 1 million shares of ExxonMobil common stock, which represents approximately 0.024 percent of the shares outstanding as of the April 27, 2020 offer date. Ponos' offer price of $48 per share is conditioned on the closing price per share exceeding $48 per share on the last day before the offer expires. This means that the offer will only be accepted if the offer is below market value. ExxonMobil recommends that stockholders do not tender their shares in response to Ponos' offer because the offer is at a price below a conditional market price for ExxonMobil's shares and subject to numerous conditions. ExxonMobil is not affiliated or associated in any way with Ponos, its mini-tender offer or the offer documentation.

16:50 EDT L Brands provides business update - As of today, most Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret stores in North America have reopened. Sales at both businesses "have been strong and have exceeded the company's expectations." Total company net sales for Q2 are expected to be down approximately 20% compared to last year, including an increase of roughly 10% at Bath & Body Works and an approximate 40% decline at Victoria's Secret. Total direct channel sales at both businesses are up significantly versus last year, offset by a decline in store sales, as stores were closed for periods of time during the quarter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company's cash and liquidity position also remains strong. Its cash balance, as of July 24, was more than $2.5B, with no amounts drawn under its $1B asset-backed loan facility.

16:48 EDT Wyndham Hotels: Ability to assess impact of COVID-19 on FY results 'limited' - The company's ability to assess the impact of COVID-19 on its full-year financial results continues to be limited due to the uncertainty in travel demand during the remainder of 2020.

16:47 EDT Maxim Integrated says no dividend to be paid for next four quarters - The company said, "A cash dividend of $0.48 per share will be paid on September 11, 2020, to stockholders of record on August 27, 2020. We will not declare or pay a dividend in any of the next succeeding four fiscal quarters and have suspended our open market stock repurchase program as the Merger Agreement between the company and Analog Devices restricts our ability to declare dividends and repurchase shares of our common stock."

16:43 EDT Aflac sees 'potential for a modest sales recovery' in 2H20 - Commenting on the company's results, Chairman and CEO Daniel Amos stated: "As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many people are facing the most challenging times of their lives now for various reasons, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected. This includes individuals who are among the confirmed cases, people who are on the front lines fighting the spread of COVID-19, those who are providing essential services, including our own employees -- and everyone who is facing difficulties in one way or another. I never cease to be inspired by our management, employees and sales agents' passion and sense of purpose when it comes to delivering on our promise and compassionately helping our policyholders when they need it most. The safety and health of everyone with whom we do business is our greatest priority. We will get through this together. The environment created by COVID-19, which has included sheltering in place and social distancing, continues to impact our sales results both in the United States and Japan. We expect full-year sales results in both countries to be significantly affected, but we also see potential for a modest sales recovery in the second half of the year, contingent upon the pace of economic recovery. At the same time, we are seeing a temporary decline in the benefit ratio in the U.S. as consumers defer treatment, which led to favorable results in this quarter. However, economic conditions and claims activity within this environment remain uncertain in both the Japan and the U.S. as both countries address the pandemic. As always, we are committed to prudent liquidity and capital management. This includes maintaining strong capital ratios on behalf of our policyholders in both the U.S. and Japan and a tactical approach to capital allocation. In addition, we remain committed to defending and extending our 37-year track record of annual dividend increases and remain in the market repurchasing shares. At the same time, we are focused on integrating the growth investments we have made in our platform. By doing so, we look to emerge from this period in a continued position of strength and leadership."

16:38 EDT Bed Bath & Beyond names Lynda Markoe as Chief People & Culture Officer - Bed Bath & Beyond announced the appointment of Lynda Markoe as Executive Vice President, Chief People & Culture Officer. Markoe has extensive industry experience from over 30 years at major retailers and will join Bed Bath & Beyond in September. Since 2003, Markoe has held various leadership roles at J.Crew Group, Inc., including Chief Administrative Officer and Global Head of Human Resources.

16:30 EDT H&R Block reports preliminary results for extended U.S. tax season, up 3.3% - H&R Block released its preliminary results for the recent U.S. tax season that was extended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Total U.S. tax returns prepared by or through H&R Block were 21.2M for the period of May 1, 2019 through July 17, 2020, an increase of 0.7M or 3.3%, when compared to May 1, 2018 through July 17, 2019."I could not be prouder of the agility and resilience demonstrated by our team," said Jeff Jones, H&R Block's president and chief executive officer. "While facing unprecedented disruption to all facets of daily life, we served more clients than last year by delivering expertise and care, while accelerating our

16:27 EDT UDR: Ability to provide guidance 'limited' by uncertainties - "UDR continues to operate at a high level due to the capabilities of our Next Generation Operating Platform, and is in a strong liquidity position to execute on the diverse set of opportunities our experienced teams continue to identify. However, ongoing regulatory impediments as well as the uncertainties surrounding the cadence of state re-openings limit our ability to provide guidance for the remainder of 2020," said Tom Toomey, UDR's Chairman and CEO.

16:24 EDT Community Health says COVID-19 had adverse impact on Q2 operations - "The COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse impact on the Company's operations and financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 beginning in the second half of March 2020 as the result of decreases in net operating revenues driven by a decline in patient volumes and increases in expenses related to supply chain and other expenditures," the company said. "The Company previously announced in the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company on April 6, 2020 (the "April 6 Form 8-K"), that it was withdrawing its 2020 financial guidance issued in its earnings release dated February 19, 2020. Consistent with disclosures made by the Company in the April 6 Form 8-K and in the Company's earnings release for the first quarter filed on April 28, 2020, the Company is not able to fully quantify the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on its financial results during 2020, but expects developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the CARES Act and PPPHCE Act as further discussed below, to materially affect the Company's financial performance in 2020. Moreover, as a result of the continuously changing and unpredictable environment related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company is not providing guidance in this earnings release. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state governments have passed legislation, promulgated regulations, and taken other administrative actions intended to assist healthcare providers in providing care to COVID-19 and other patients during the public health emergency. Sources of relief include the CARES Act, which was enacted on March 27, 2020, and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (the "PPPHCE Act"), which was enacted on April 24, 2020. Together, the CARES Act and the PPPHCE Act include $175 billion in funding to be distributed to eligible providers through the PHSSEF. In addition, the CARES Act provided for an expansion of the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program."

16:22 EDT Houlihan Lokey raises quarterly dividend to 33c per share from 31c - The Board of Directors of the Company declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.33 per share of Class A and Class B common stock, an increase from the previous dividend rate of $0.31 per share. The dividend will be payable on September 15, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 2, 2020.

16:20 EDT La Jolla appoints Larry Edwards as President and CEO - La Jolla Pharmaceutical announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Larry Edwards as President and Chief Executive Officer. "Larry has an impressive track record bringing innovative treatments that address unmet medical needs to patients in the acute-care setting," said Kevin Tang, Chairman of La Jolla. "We are delighted to have Larry join the Company." "I look forward to working with the La Jolla team to continue to expand patient access to GIAPREZA and XERAVA," said Larry Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer of La Jolla. "I am grateful to have the opportunity to join a company that focuses on improving outcomes in patients suffering from life-threatening diseases."

16:18 EDT C.H. Robinson CEO says uncertainty in freight market remains - CEO Bob Biesterfeld says: "We continued to make progress on our strategic, long-term initiatives around market share gains and productivity improvements. While there is still uncertainty in the freight market and the broader economy, we remain committed to our vital role in the global supply chain by delivering critical and essential goods and services. We'll continue to act in the best long-term interest of our shareholders by balancing short- and long-term cost reduction efforts with continued investments in technology to maximize long-term value creation. As the freight market and economy continue to recover, we're committed to providing best-in-class service to our customers, continuing to grow market share, driving the transformation of C.H. Robinson and emerging from this time of uncertainty as an even stronger company,"

16:17 EDT eBay added approximately 8M buyers in Q2 - Annual active buyers grew by 5%, adding approximately 8 million buyers in the quarter, for a total of 182 million global active buyers.

16:14 EDT Amgen expects FY20 quarterly dividend maintained at $1.60 per share

16:14 EDT PotlatchDeltic bans campfires, open burning on its Idaho properties - PotlatchDeltic Corporation announced effective Thursday, July 30, 2020, that no campfires or open burning will be allowed on its properties in the State of Idaho due to increasing fire danger in the region. The burning ban on PotlatchDeltic's Idaho properties will remain in effect until conditions improve.

16:12 EDT Starbucks up 2% in after-hours following earnings report, guidance - At time of writing, shares are up $1.53, or 2.05% to $76.17.

16:10 EDT IMAX says 40% of global network currently generating revenue - "We are seeing early signs of progress, with approximately 40% of our global network currently generating revenue. This includes 409 IMAX(R) theaters in China, which are scheduled to debut Hollywood and local language films over the coming weeks. Additionally, the South Korean blockbuster "Peninsula" continues to perform well across markets in Asia and Europe, drawing $26.5 million in global box office despite capacity limitations and highlighting solid demand among moviegoers in lower-risk markets worldwide. We believe that our solid financial position gives IMAX the strength to be ready as the rest of our network comes back online. At the end of the second quarter, the Company had $319 million in consolidated cash and recently amended its credit agreement for increased financial flexibility through September 2021. We continue to look ahead to an exceptionally strong slate through 2021, as studios affirm their commitment to the theatrical release by rescheduling their key blockbuster titles. Additionally, major global exhibitors continue to underscore the value of The IMAX Experience, with new agreements including a 10-theatre deal with Wanda Film in China and a multinational 17-theatre deal with CGV. We remain unwavering in our stance that the health and safety of audiences must be the priority as theaters reopen and we support by the work of local governments and our partners to put public health first."

16:10 EDT Agilysys not providing FY21 guidance - The company states: "Agilysys continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry with our primary focus being the safety of our employees and customers as we manage through these unprecedented times. Given the continued impact of COVID-19, we are still not releasing full fiscal year 2021 guidance at this time. We are expecting Q2 fiscal 2021 revenue to increase 15% over Q1 fiscal 2021 results with a corresponding 25% Adjusted EBITDA increase for the same period."

16:07 EDT Starbucks sees COVID-19 impacts to 'moderate meaningfully' in Q4 - Starbucks said in its earnings release: "We are pleased to share that the vast majority of Starbucks stores around the world have reopened and our global business is steadily recovering, demonstrating the relevance of the Starbucks brand and the trust we have built with our customers. As we continue to drive the recovery, we are also building resilience for the future by accelerating the transformation of our business in ways that will elevate the customer and partner experience and drive long-term growth. We firmly believe that we are well positioned to regain the positive business momentum we had before the pandemic began and look forward to reigniting our 'Growth at Scale' agenda."

16:06 EDT SS&C renews stock repurchase program, increases to $750M - This represents a $250M increase from the company's previous stock repurchase program.

16:04 EDT Omnicell remains unable to provide FY20 guidance at this time

15:25 EDT Moderna announces publication in NEJM of non-human primate study of mRNA-1273 - Moderna announced a preclinical study evaluating mRNA-1273, its vaccine candidate against COVID-19, was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The study showed a two-dose vaccination schedule of mRNA-1273 led to a robust immune response and protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in the upper and lower airways in non-human primates, without evidence of vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease, or VAERD. In the study, immunogenicity and protective efficacy were assessed after a two-dose vaccination schedule of 10 or 100 microgram doses of mRNA-1273 or control given four weeks apart. Four weeks after the second vaccination, animals were challenged with high doses of SARS-CoV-2 through intranasal and intratracheal routes. "This important preclinical study shows that mRNA-1273 protected against a high dose SARS-CoV-2 infection in non-human primates and prevented pulmonary disease in all animals, further supporting the clinical advancement of mRNA-1273. We believe this is the first demonstration of control of viral replication within two days of challenge in both the nose and lungs in non-human primates by a vaccine against COVID-19. Given the similarity between the protective immune response generated by mRNA-1273 in this study and the immune response seen in humans in the recently published Phase 1 clinical data for the vaccine, we remain cautiously optimistic that mRNA-1273 will be able to prevent COVID-19 disease and may also slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 by shortening the duration of shedding," said Stephen Hoge, M.D., President at Moderna.

15:13 EDT AIG unit Valic charged by SEC for not disclosing practices that generated fees - The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Houston-based Valic Financial Advisors, VFA, in a pair of actions for failing to disclose to teachers and other investors practices that generated millions of dollars in fees and other financial benefits for VFA. In the first action, the SEC found that VFA failed to disclose that its parent company paid a for-profit entity owned by Florida K-12 teachers' unions to promote VFA and its parent company services to teachers. In the second action, the SEC found that VFA failed to disclose conflicts of interest regarding its receipt of millions of dollars of financial benefits that directly resulted from advisory client mutual fund investments that were generally more expensive for clients than other mutual fund investment options available to clients. VFA agreed to pay approximately $40M to settle the charges in these two actions. In the first action, VFA agreed to cap advisory fees for all Florida K-12 teachers who currently participate and, in some cases, those who prospectively participate, in its advisory product in Florida's 403(b) and 457(b) retirement programs. This will result in significant savings for thousands of teachers.Annuities are issued by The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Houston, TX. Variable annuities are distributed by its affiliate, AIG Capital Services, ACS, member FINRA. Reference Link

14:15 EDT Spotify takes Group Session 'one step further,' with simultaneous global tune-in - The company said in an earlier blog posting: "There's nothing like enjoying your favorite playlist or podcast with friends and loved ones. That's why Spotify launched the first beta version of Group Session back in May. At launch, this evolving feature allowed groups of Premium users to share control of their listening sessions with others in real time. It even offered shared opportunities for collaboration among all the listeners. And we didn't stop there. In our latest innovation, we're taking Group Session one step further with brand-new functionality that allows Spotify Premium users around the world to tune into the same playlist or podcast simultaneously. So no matter the distance-whether six feet apart or a thousand miles away-you and the members of your squad can now each listen to the same content at the same time on your own devices (as well as control playback). Groups of two to five people can use this feature at once by sharing a "join" link via messaging apps or social media with each other." Reference Link

13:39 EDT Cypress Environmental suspends cash distribution - Cypress Environmental Partners announced the board of directors of its general partner elected to suspend quarterly distributions until further notice. "In response to the energy industry challenges and the COVID-19 crisis, CELP is temporarily suspending its quarterly distributions to protect its balance sheet and will continue to evaluate its future distribution each quarter until it is prudent to resume distributions. These are unprecedented times that require extraordinary actions, precautions, and prudence," the company said, adding that it will report its Q2 results during the second week of August.

13:03 EDT Cypress Energy trading halted, news pending

12:04 EDT Eagle Bancorp board approves 100K share repurchase pact - Eagle announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to 100,000 shares of its common stock, representing approximately 1.47% of outstanding shares. Under the plan, shares may be purchased by the company on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The extent to which the company repurchases its shares and the timing of such repurchase will depend upon market conditions and other corporate considerations.

12:00 EDT Lamb Weston falls -9.9% - Lamb Weston is down -9.9%, or -$6.98 to $63.52.

12:00 EDT TrueBlue rises 26.6% - TrueBlue is up 26.6%, or $3.64 to $17.31.

12:00 EDT Eastman Kodak rises 245.8% - Eastman Kodak is up 245.8%, or $6.44 to $9.06.

11:34 EDT National Oilwell trading resumes

11:26 EDT Agenus receives $35M in immuno-oncology transaction with Betta Pharmaceuticals - Agenus announced the closing of a $20M equity investment, at $4.03 per share, by Betta Pharmaceuticals bringing the total received to $35M. Betta is a Chinese pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of innovative oncology therapies. The equity investment by Betta Pharmaceuticals is part of the broader immuno-oncology partnership that Agenus and Betta Pharmaceuticals announced last month. Under the partnership Agenus is also eligible to receive up to $100M in potential milestones plus royalties on net sales. In exchange Betta received exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of balstilimab and zalifrelimab, as both monotherapies and combination therapies, excluding intravesical delivery, in greater China, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Agenus' balstilimab is planned for a BLA filing this year. Trials for balstilimab alone and in combination with zalifrelimab have already completed accrual and follow up of all patients. The US FDA granted Fast Track designation for balstilimab alone and in combination with zalifrelimab in this indication and the molecules are eligible for US FDA Priority Review.

11:20 EDT Planet Fitness CEO says app has over 5M downloads - Chris Rondeau is speaking on CNBC.

11:01 EDT JetBlue: Early 2021 CapEx view is less than $1B

10:52 EDT IBM board approves regular quarterly cash dividend of $1.63 per share - IBM announced that its board of directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $1.63 per common share, payable September 10 to stockholders of record August 10.

10:44 EDT Grifols announces delivery of first batches of globulin for COVID trials - Grifols announced it has delivered the first manufactured batches of its anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin for clinical trials. "This medicine specifically targets SARS-CoV-2 by providing passive immunity to infected patients and boosting their immune system's ability to fight the disease. The therapy, which could be used for both prevention and immediate treatment of COVID-19, will undergo clinical trials this summer to test its safety and efficacy. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin, which is derived from the blood plasma of healthy donors recovered from COVID-19, has the potential to be a highly specific, pure and safe medicine that delivers a high and consistent concentration of protective antibodies against the novel coronavirus. As a medicine class, hyperimmune globulins have been increasingly used since the 1970s to prevent and treat common diseases including measles, rabies and tetanus. They are also a potential therapy option in response to future outbreaks of emerging viruses and other pathogens. Since April, Grifols has moved quickly to collect COVID-19 convalescent plasma for its anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin in more than 245 Grifols U.S. donation centers from donors who have met the highest eligibility criteria. Their plasma, rigorously tested and quality controlled, had high levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. The efforts form part of a collaboration agreement with U.S. government entities, including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority, among other healthcare agencies," the company said.

10:28 EDT JetBlue to use sale leasebacks to finance 2020 plane deliveries

10:26 EDT JetBlue: 25% of employees have taken time off or early opt out

10:20 EDT JetBlue expects 50% of LatAm capacity back later this year

10:11 EDT JetBlue bookings 'choppy,' focused on addressing changing trends, CEO says - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:01 EDT TFF jumps after preprint publication on dry powder hypothesis for remdesivir - Shares of small-cap TFF Pharmaceuticals (TFFP) have jumped $3.00, or 44.5%, to $9.74 in early trading following the bioRxiv preprint was posted that describes the company's efforts to develop remdesivir as a dry powder for inhalation using thin film freezing. Remdesivir is an investigational broad-spectrum antiviral agent developed by Gilead Sciences (GILD) that has shown to be effective against COVID-19 in the human airway epithelial cell. "We hypothesize that the ultrarapid freezing rate of the TFF technology will produce low-density, high porosity brittle matrix powders of remdesivir, which are aerosolizable by the shear forces generated from the passive dry powder inhaler, and thus allow high doses of remdesivir to be administered to the lung," the preprint manuscript states. Reference Link

10:00 EDT Harley-Davidson falls -9.9% - Harley-Davidson is down -9.9%, or -$2.91 to $26.37.

10:00 EDT TrueBlue rises 19.0% - TrueBlue is up 19.0%, or $2.60 to $16.27.

10:00 EDT Eastman Kodak rises 257.6% - Eastman Kodak is up 257.6%, or $6.75 to $9.37.

09:53 EDT Eastman Kodak soars 300% after Trump administration grants $765M loan - The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation said it will sign a letter of interest to provide a $765M loan to Eastman Kodak (KODK) to support the launch of Kodak Pharmaceuticals, a new arm of the company that will produce pharmaceutical components. "The project would mark the first use of new authority delegated by President Trump's recent executive order that enables DFC and the U.S. Department of Defense to collaborate in support of the domestic response to COVID-19 under the Defense Production Act," the agency said in a statement. "Kodak is proud to be a part of strengthening America's self-sufficiency in producing the key pharmaceutical ingredients we need to keep our citizens safe," said Kodak Executive Chairman Jim Continenza. "By leveraging our vast infrastructure, deep expertise in chemicals manufacturing, and heritage of innovation and quality, Kodak will play a critical role in the return of a reliable American pharmaceutical supply chain." Kodak Pharmaceuticals will produce "critical pharmaceutical components that have been identified as essential but have lapsed into chronic national shortage," the statement reads. DFC said its loan will accelerate Kodak's time to market by supporting startup costs needed to repurpose and expand the company's existing facilities in Rochester, New York and St. Paul, Minnesota. Once fully operational, Kodak Pharmaceuticals will have the capacity to produce up to 25% of active pharmaceutical ingredients used in non-biologic, non-antibacterial, generic pharmaceuticals while supporting 360 direct jobs and an additional 1,200 indirectly, the statement adds. Shares of Eastman Kodak are up 323%, or $8.46, to $11.08 in early trading.

09:47 EDT STMicroelectronics falls -5.7% - STMicroelectronics is down -5.7%, or -$1.75 to $29.12.

09:47 EDT Harley-Davidson falls -7.7% - Harley-Davidson is down -7.7%, or -$2.26 to $27.02.

09:47 EDT Vocera rises 29.9% - Vocera is up 29.9%, or $7.01 to $30.44.

09:46 EDT Sypris Solutions unit wins orders for gas projects in Brazil and Canada - Sypris Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions, Inc. announced that it has recently received significant orders for its Tube Turns branded Ultra-High Pressure and Double Bolt closure product lines. Production will begin immediately and is expected to be completed prior to year end. Terms of the purchases were not disclosed. The Tube Turns Ultra-High Pressure closures have been chosen for the Libra Oil Field Project, located offshore Brazil. According to Offshore Technology and Reuters, the project is one of the world's largest ultra-deepwater oil discoveries, containing between 7.9 and 15 billion barrels of oil, and is expected to add up to 1.4 million barrels of oil per day by 2021 with an estimated development cost of $80B. The Tube Turns Ultra-High Pressure closures are a perfect fit for the project as they are designed for high-pressure applications up to 15,000 psi. In addition to the Libra Oil Field Project, the Tube Turns Double-Bolt closures have been selected for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, which will transport oil to Canada's West Coast unlocking access to world markets. According to Trans Mountain, the project is estimated to cost $12.6B and will add 609 miles of 42" pipeline as well as up to 590,000 barrels of oil per day. These closures will be 30" to 48" in diameter with ratings of 1,480 psi to 2,220 psi design pressure and will be automated for ease of opening.

09:35 EDT Nymox files for new trademark brand names for FT in the U.S., Europe - Nymox Pharmaceutical reports current updates on the Company's most important ongoing developments. The Company reports further significant and important progress has been made with remaining items for the upcoming regulatory filings in 2020 for the Company's first in class innovative prostate drug Fexapotide Triflutate. The Company has moved swiftly ahead on its regulatory marketing applications by remote work with a strong team of expert collaborators, even with the occasional difficulties from the Covid situation leading to restricted or delayed access to certain required sources and to sites included in the Company's studies. Nymox is also pleased to announce that it has recently formally filed with the regulatory authorities for new trademark brand names for FT in different jurisdictions including US and Europe. The Company will report further on these regulatory filings as they proceed. Nymox also announces that since its last communication, several FT-related patents have been newly granted based on applications filed in the recent past. FT has very strong global patent protection which translates into exclusivity rights in the major global markets. The Company will continue to provide regular updates on the progress in its regulatory filings which are expected in the near-term horizon.

09:32 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance offers nationwide same-day curbside pick-up - Walgreens announced that contactless same-day curbside pick-up is now available at more than 8,600 participating stores nationwide. In as little as one hour, Walgreens customers can conveniently order and pay for select household essential and health & wellness products online and then pick up these items curbside at their selected store. The curated assortment of nearly 1000 household essential and health & wellness products include select grocery items, cleaning supplies, select over the counter products such as cough/cold, pain/fever and immunity support, infant formula/adult nutrition, medical supplies, first aid and paper goods.

09:20 EDT Hawkins closes acquistion of American Development Corporation of Tennessee

09:17 EDT McDonald's says breakfast is 'biggest drag' on comp sales - Says dinner comps in U.S. positive in June, July.

09:17 EDT Bulzi selects Draganfly to be sole provider of drones, aerial sensors - Draganfly announced that Bulzi has signed a memorandum of understanding to use Draganfly's drones and aerial sensors for their Department of Defense Base Security development projects. Draganfly, as a North American secure technology developer and UAS manufacturer will provide drones with integrated sensors and location perimeter monitoring hardware for Bulzi to utilize within their security development projects. The parties anticipate entering into definitive agreements setting out in more detail the terms of the partnership in the fourth quarter of 2020.

09:14 EDT KLX Energy, Quintana Energy Services complete merger - KLX Energy Services Holdings (KLXE) and Quintana Energy Services (QES) have successfully completed the all-stock merger transaction that was announced on May 3, 2020. The combined company will continue under the name KLX Energy Services Holdings, Inc. In conjunction with the closing of the merger, QES shares ceased trading on the New York Stock Exchange prior to the market open on July 28, 2020, and KLXE remains listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "KLXE." At the time of the closing, the holders of QES received 0.0969 shares of KLXE common stock in exchange for each share of QES common stock held. On July 26, 2020, the Company's Board of Directors approved a 1 for 5 reverse stock split to stockholders that became effective at 12:01 a.m. on July 28, 2020. KLXE and QES stockholders own approximately 59% and 41%, respectively, of the equity of the combined company on a fully-diluted basis. The closing follows approval of the merger transaction by both KLXE and QES stockholders at stockholder meetings held on July 24, 2020. Excluding the impact of the estimated $40 million of annualized cost synergies from the merger, the combined companies' fiscal year 2019 pro forma revenues were more than $1 billion, and adjusted EBITDA was $106 million. Pro forma for the combination, KLXE has an improved liquidity and capital structure with approximately $117 million of cash1 and an undrawn $100 million revolving credit facility, of which approximately $95 million was available1. The merger is expected to be significantly accretive to free cash flow per share. Importantly, the combined company has a strong balance sheet to support critical ongoing business initiatives as well as the pursuit of additional value-creating consolidation opportunities within the oilfield service industry. The combined organization has a highly talented workforce with a commitment to safety, performance, customer satisfaction, and profitability. Complementary to being the foremost U.S. provider of large diameter coiled tubing services, the Company also offers an industry-leading portfolio of asset-light products and services to its blue-chip customers across all major onshore oil and gas basins in the United States. The Company is now able to streamline operational support and technology advancements across a broader suite of service offerings. Finally, through its increased scale and product and service offerings designed to meet the needs of customers throughout the lifecycle of the well, KLXE is expected to generate cross-selling opportunities that allow for an increased share of customer spend. KLXE will operate under the executive leadership of QES's legacy management team, including Christopher J. Baker, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Keefer M. Lehner, EVP and Chief Financial Officer. The Board of Directors is comprised of nine directors, with five legacy KLXE directors and four legacy QES directors. John Collins, current Chairman of the Board of KLXE, will continue to serve as Chairman, and Tom McCaffrey, former President and CEO of KLXE, will continue to serve on the Board and as chair of its Integration Committee. Additional leadership biographies will be available on the Company's website, www.klxenergy.com. KLXE's corporate headquarters is now located in Houston, Texas.

09:08 EDT Gilead, Morehouse School of Medicine to develop health equity data platform - Gilead and the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine are working together to develop a health equity data platform to help address the impact of COVID-19 and other diseases on communities of color. The tool will provide the ability to collect and study the demographic disparities associated with COVID-19, with the goal of using this data to help create actionable, evidence-based policy changes to attain health equity and ensure that disproportionately impacted communities receive resources and support. The database will also examine comorbidities associated with COVID-19, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, sickle cell anemia and depression. COVID-19 data demonstrate that the disease disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly Black Americans. Gilead will initially provide $1M for the project and also to support the creation of a Black Health Equity Alliance, composed of national thought leaders, community representatives, scholars, researchers and policymakers, which will help coordinate COVID-19 education, training, information exchange and dissemination and policy analysis.

09:06 EDT Meridian Bioscience appoints Anthony Bihl to board of directors - Meridian Bioscience announces the appointment of Anthony Bihl III to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. He joins Meridian's Board after his retirement in April as CEO and Member of the Board of Managers at Bioventus.

09:04 EDT Aerion announces memorandum of agreement with Spirit AeroSystems - Aerion announced it has entered into a memorandum of agreement to expand the role of Spirit AeroSystems in the development of the AS2 business jet to include production of the forward fuselage. As part of the agreement, Spirit has committed to additional investment in the AS2 program and has increased engineering resources working on the design of the AS2's forward fuselage. Aerion and Spirit first began formal collaboration in early 2019, working on preliminary design of the AS2's forward, pressurized fuselage. Joining the project in the early formative stages of the AS2, Spirit's technical expertise has significantly advanced the design evolution as Aerion moves the supersonic business jet toward production beginning in 2023. At full rate, it is expected that Spirit will build 36 forward fuselage assemblies per year.

09:04 EDT Intrado Life & Safety announces agreement with RapidSOS - Intrado Corporation announced that it will enhance existing location data by delivering RapidSOS mobile 911 caller location data to public safety answering points using Intrado call handling and mapping solutions, including VIPER and Power 911. With this agreement, Intrado's existing Phase I and Phase II location data will be enhanced by mobile handset location data provided from the RapidSOS platform. The move reinforces the Company's commitment to transform legacy PSAP operations and the entire 911 emergency response continuum through data-driven solutions. Intrado's continued focus is on innovations that leverage vast amounts of data from multiple sources - including mobile phones, IoT devices, smart speakers, artificial intelligence, geographic information systems and more. Integrating this data allows call takers, dispatchers, and first responders to make more informed decisions, respond quickly and safely, and ultimately serve their communities better with solutions that: Enhance situational awareness for police as they respond, allowing for quicker and safer outcomes; Relay medical data to EMTs en route so they can provide personalized, life-saving treatment; Communicate with multiple agencies across jurisdictions for a well-coordinated response in large-scale emergency incidents, such as chemical spills, natural disasters, and active shooter situations.

09:02 EDT CN to invest $165M in Illinois - CN plans to invest approximately $165M across Illinois in 2020. The investments will focus on the Chicago St Charles Airline Bridge renewal as well as the replacement of rail and ties and maintenance of bridges, level crossings, culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure.

09:00 EDT electroCore announces non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation clinical update - electroCore announced the publication of a paper, entitled, "Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation for primary headache: a clinical update,"1 in Cephalalgia, the official journal of the International Headache Society. The paper is a narrative review of recent scientific and clinical research into non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation for headache, including findings from mechanistic studies and their possible relationships to the clinical effects of nVNS. The review concludes that scientific and clinical studies support the emergence of nVNS as an effective, safe, well-tolerated, and practical treatment for primary headache disorders and supports the consideration of nVNS as: a first-line treatment for both the acute and preventive treatment of cluster headache; an effective option for acute treatment of migraine; and a highly relevant, practical option for migraine preventive therapy.

08:55 EDT Maple Rock says no intention of selling Optiva shares to ESW - Maple Rock Capital Partners, which owns 22.35% of the subordinate voting shares of Optiva, issued the following statement in response to ESW Capital, news release disclosing an intention to offer to acquire subordinate voting shares of Optiva: "We have reviewed the purported offer by ESW to acquire shares of Optiva. Maple Rock has no interest or intention of selling our shares to ESW for C$60 per share at this time. In its news release, ESW has indicated that it intends to seek exemptive relief from the Ontario Securities Commission to circumvent the 'majority of the minority' requirement under applicable securities laws. This type of relief is unprecedented and runs counter to the basic principles of predictability and even-handedness underlying the takeover bid regime in Canada. Maple Rock is a long-term investor in Optiva. As a result of the recent reconstitution of the Board of Optiva and redemption of the outstanding preferred shares held by ESW, we are excited about Optiva's future value creation potential."

08:54 EDT D.R. Horton up 2.8% after reporting Q3 results, giving Q4 guidance on Q3 call - Shares of D.R. Horton are up 2.8% in pre-market trading to $68.44 per share.

08:53 EDT McDonald's expects recovery to be 'gradual' and 'uneven' - Expects free cash flow to be positive for remainder of year. Says 90% of Q2 U.S. sales came from drive-thru's.

08:51 EDT CenturyLink announces contract with State of Arizona - CenturyLink recently won a contract with the State of Arizona to provide network connectivity and managed IT services that will support all state government agencies and transform how the state delivers services to residents. The company will be providing local and wide area network management, WiFi, security, unified voice communications, contact center communications, IT management, data center and cloud-based services to the state under the new AZNet contract. Having won the previous AZNet contract, CenturyLink recently won an expanded version that emphasizes modern, cloud-based integrated security, automation and orchestration services. The new contract has a five-year term and two one-year options.

08:50 EDT Orbcomm, Terex expand long-standing agreement - ORBCOMM (ORBC) announced that it has expanded its long-standing agreement with Terex Corporation (TEX), and extended the service term of ORBCOMM's factory installed telematics solution to its customers. As part of the agreement, ORBCOMM and Terex will also collaborate on continued technology innovation for ORBCOMM's industry-leading heavy equipment IoT device and cloud-based data reporting and analytics platform. Through this enhanced agreement, Terex will extend its commitment to its customer base for their use of ORBCOMM's telematics system for seven years, with an automatic renewal for four additional years. By extending contracts, Terex will drive its continued growth and broaden its telematics offering to satisfy dealers and end-user customers as their needs shift in the future. Terex will offer ORBCOMM's telematics system as standard across several different brands in Terex, including Powerscreen Terex Finlay, CBI, Terex Ecotec and EvoQuip. Terex will also migrate to ORBCOMM's next generation OEM platform, FleetEdge 4, which has been customized to meet their specific needs for easily monitoring various types of heavy machinery, increasing operational efficiency and providing significant cost savings to Terex's customers. ORBCOMM's FleetEdge 4 platform features an improved user experience with incremental key features, including dynamic dashboards, filters and custom reports, enabling fleet managers to gain deeper insight into how their machines and entire fleets are performing. By accessing increased data and utilizing the platform's advanced analytics, Terex customers can more effectively manage preventive maintenance, optimize fuel consumption and increase asset utilization. ORBCOMM will continue to develop the FleetEdge platform to support Terex's future needs, including expanded machine data collection and more robust analytics. As part of their long-term investment in ORBCOMM's IoT technology, Terex will offer factory installed deployment of ORBCOMM's new global telematics device on its heavy machinery, ensuring that Terex's equipment can operate anywhere in the world for years to come. In addition to providing connectivity on global LTE bands, ORBCOMM's dual-mode device provides seamless fallback to multi-band 3G and 2G networks if 4G is not available, and to satellite when out of cellular coverage, which greatly simplifies logistics and distribution and lowers the cost of global deployments for Terex. Terex will standardize ORBCOMM's global IoT device across a number of their telematics-enabled machines.

08:48 EDT AbbVie Phase 3 upadacitinib plus TCS study met co-primary, secondary endpoints - AbbVie announced upadacitinib plus topical corticosteroids met the co-primary endpoints and all secondary endpoints in AD Up, the third pivotal Phase 3 study of RINVOQ in atopic dermatitis.1 AD Up evaluated the efficacy and safety of both doses of upadacitinib therapy versus placebo in adults and adolescents with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis; all treatment groups, including placebo, received concomitant TCS. The co-primary endpoints were at least a 75 percent improvement in the Eczema Area Severity Index from baseline and a validated Investigator's Global Assessment for Atopic Dermatitis score of 0/1 at week 16. Significantly more patients receiving either dose of upadacitinib plus TCS showed improvement in skin clearance compared to placebo plus TCS at week 16.1 In the study, 65/77 percent of patients receiving upadacitinib 15/30 mg plus TCS achieved EASI 75, respectively, versus 26 percent receiving placebo plus TCS. Of patients treated with upadacitinib 15/30 mg plus TCS, 40/59 percent achieved vIGA-AD 0/1, respectively, versus 11 percent of patients receiving placebo plus TCS. "These data build on the positive results from our previous studies in atopic dermatitis, now with additional perspective on the efficacy of RINVOQ used with a mainstay treatment for people living with the disease - topical steroids," said Tom Hudson, M.D., senior vice president of R&D and chief scientific officer, AbbVie. "With our deep heritage in serious skin diseases, we look forward to advancing research with RINVOQ as part of our ultimate goal to address unmet needs and improve care for people living with the relentless itch and skin symptoms of atopic dermatitis." Full results from the AD Up study will be presented at a future medical meeting and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

08:45 EDT Ecolab CEO says 'new business generation remains at high level' - Commenting on the quarter, Douglas Baker, Jr., Ecolab's chairman and CEO said, "Our second quarter results were significantly impacted by COVID-19 but were in line with our expectations. The impacts were most acutely felt in our Institutional business as the rest of our businesses collectively grew both sales and income during the period: Healthcare and Life Sciences had record growth. Our Industrial businesses had strong margin performance driving strong income gains. The Specialty portion of our Institutional segment also realized strong growth. Our Institutional business was directly impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown of travel and dining early in the second quarter. This was further exacerbated by the resultant distributor inventory reductions and a decision we made to suspend second quarter dish machine lease billings as a means of supporting the restaurant and hospitality industry during this incredibly traumatic period. We believe the second quarter is the low point for both the Institutional business and the company, and we expect sequential quarterly improvement for both leading into 2021. We do not expect the distributor inventory reduction to repeat, and the lease billings suspension was only a second quarter event. The end markets recovered through the second quarter and the trend has continued into July. While we continue to expect both the COVID-19 and economic challenges to persist into 2021, we expect our customers' overall consumption to be stronger in the third and fourth quarters than the second quarter. What should not get lost in the current temporary challenges is the much more significant long-term opportunities. Even in the midst of the early chaos, we were very successful in gaining share. Hygiene standards and awareness have been heightened and our expertise is in high demand. Remote capabilities, which have been a key component of our digital investments, have become an even more significant advantage. New opportunities have emerged in virtually every industry we serve, and new business generation remains at a high level. We are already on it. We are accelerating technology rollouts, further expanding our hygiene and hand care product capacity, and we have an aggressive respond-and-recover plan in Institutional which will accelerate the recovery, penetration and unit share gains. We feel confident we will emerge from 2020 in a strong position. While we have challenges to fix, we have a greater number of opportunities to chase. I am very pleased with our team's ability to adjust where needed and to capitalize on our strengths and opportunities to continue and grow share."

08:44 EDT Corcept Therapeutics initiates Phase 3 trial of relacorilant - Corcept Therapeutics announced enrollment of its first patient in GRADIENT, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 trial of relacorilant in patients with Cushing's syndrome caused by adrenal adenomas or hyperplasia. GRADIENT is a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial, with a planned enrollment of 130 patients at sites in the United States and Europe. Half of the patients will receive relacorilant and the other half placebo for six months. The trial's primary endpoints are improvement in glucose metabolism and hypertension. GRADIENT is Corcept's second Phase 3 trial of relacorilant in patients with hypercortisolism. The company's pivotal GRACE trial is enrolling 130 patients with all etiologies of Cushing's syndrome at sites in the United States, Canada, Europe and Israel. Corcept expects the results of GRACE, if positive, to be the basis for relacorilant's new drug application as a treatment for all etiologies of Cushing's syndrome.

08:42 EDT McDonald's says Q2 likely the 'trough in performance' - Says customer satisfaction improved over most major markets. Says has seen "significant increases" in drive-thru sales during the pandemic. Seeing "strong pent-up" customer demand. Says financial health of company is "strong." Sees "sizeable increase" in marketing spend in 2H20. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:39 EDT Novan president, CEO Paula Brown Stafford named chairman of the board - Novan announced an expanded role of Paula Brown Stafford, President and CEO of Novan, to also include Chairman of Novan's Board of Directors . Concurrently, Robert Ingram is retiring as Executive Chairman and will continue as a member of the Board. These changes to the Board are effective as of today, July 28, 2020.

08:38 EDT Avid Bioservices, Argonaut Manufacturing Services enter co-marketing agreement - Avid Bioservices and Argonaut Manufacturing Services announced a co-marketing agreement that will provide clients an integrated manufacturing solution including process development, drug substance manufacturing, and drug product manufacturing. Under terms of the non-exclusive agreement, the companies will offer Avid's upstream and downstream process development and drug substance manufacturing services in tandem with Argonaut's parenteral drug product fill-finish services, to support the efficient delivery of CGMP parenteral drug products for use in clinical studies.

08:35 EDT Workhorse Group receives HIVP eligibility in California - Workhorse Group American announced that its C-Series all-electric delivery trucks have been deemed eligible for the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, or HVIP, program by the California Air Resources Board, or CARB. Earlier this month, the Company announced that it had received Executive Order: A-445-0003 from CARB, designating its trucks as zero-emission vehicles in the state of California. Obtaining an Executive Order was also one of the preliminary requirements in order to be considered for the HVIP program. With its eligibility into the program confirmed, certain Workhorse C-Series vehicles can now qualify for monetary vouchers, helping to reduce the total cost for any purchaser domiciled in the state of California. In addition to the above mentioned CARB approvals, Workhorse also received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA in March and a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Certification in June. Workhorse is the first medium duty BEV OEM to be certified by both the EPA and CARB.

08:34 EDT Allison Transmission, New Flyer to deliver 50 electric hybrid buses to NYCT - New Flyer and Allison Transmission will deliver 50 Allison electric hybrid equipped buses to the largest transit authority in the U.S., New York City Transit, or NYCT. The majority of the electric hybrid buses will be delivered in 2021, allowing Allison to showcase the H 40 EP electric hybrid system. New York City Transit Authority maintains a fleet of over 5,700 buses, 60% of which are equipped with Allison Bus Series B 400 and B 500 transmissions.

08:31 EDT Cognizant to acquire New Signature, terms not disclosed - Cognizant (CTSH) announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire New Signature, one of the world's largest independent Microsoft (MSFT) public cloud transformation specialists. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to regulatory clearance and other closing conditions. Financial details were not disclosed.

08:28 EDT Liquid Media announces addition of content to Slipstream - Liquid Media Group announced the ongoing addition of content to Slipstream, the Company's Subscription Video on Demand service focusing on adventure and action sports stories. This latest growth to the Slipstream content library comes following a recent report from Statista that the estimated number of paid SVOD users worldwide is expected to reach 949-million by the end of 2020. Slipstream users doubled during March 2020, the first month of the lockdown, and audiences have continued to increase. Additional films added to the Slipstream content library include works from National Geographic filmmakers and Festival award winners, such as The Passage, A Ghost in the Making: Searching for the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee, The End of Snow, Records of Change, The Snow Guardian and more.

08:24 EDT Prudential, PAI Health enter partnership to deliver health app Pulse - Prudential Corporation Asia and PAI Health announced that PAI Health's science-backed activity metric for heart health, known as Personal Activity Intelligence, will be featured in the Pulse by Prudential digital health app, the first of its kind to offer holistic health management to consumers in Asia. PAI Health services will be available to Pulse users across 11 markets in Asia. PAI adds to a growing suite of services on Pulse, which provides access to health and wellness tools and real-time information to consumers across the region. Since the launch of Pulse in August last year, the app has already been downloaded over 6.5 million times. The collaboration will allow Pulse users to benefit from a ground-breaking new activity score and health programme that guides people to better health, by quantifying the exact level of physical activity each person needs to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. Derived from one of the most comprehensive health studies, and recently validated with a large US population of over 56,000 participants, maintaining a PAI score of 100 or more has been associated with a reduction of mortality risk from cardiovascular disease and other lifestyle diseases by an average of 25%, with the potential to extend people's lives by an average of five years. Users require a compatible heart monitor wearable to enable the PAI feature in the Pulse app. The PAI feature is device-agnostic, meaning it can be used with any leading wearable brands including Apple, Garmin and Fitbit devices. Users can set and achieve health goals, track physical and nutrition activities, receive feedback, coaching and guidance on their health and fitness, as well as access useful content and insights. For those without an existing device, Huami, a healthcare services technology company and world-leading maker of smart wearables, will be a featured partner enabling customers to purchase their affordable Amazfit devices directly via the Pulse app.

08:22 EDT Caladrius appoints Michael Davidson to board of directors - Caladrius Biosciences announced the appointment of Michael Davidson, MD to its Board of Directors. Dr. Davidson is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Corvidia Therapeutics.

08:20 EDT Oportun Financial to cap new loan originations at 'all-in' 36% APR - Oportun announced that it is implementing an "all-in" APR cap of 36% for all newly originated loans-nationwide. The company described the "all-in" nature of the 36% APR cap as meaning that Oportun would not be adopting the common industry practice of charging a reduced nominal APR but seeking to collect additional fees from customers by selling ancillary products like credit insurance, which the company has never offered. Oportun anticipates that the 36% APR cap on its newly originated loans will be fully implemented by mid-August. Historically, Oportun's average APR has been 34%, but in some cases could exceed 36%. Oportun also announced significant changes to its legal collections practices. In light of the challenging economic environment faced by many of the communities the company serves, effective immediately, Oportun will be dismissing all pending legal collection cases, suspending all new legal collection filings, and committing to reduce its future filings by more than 60% from current levels.

08:16 EDT The Ocean Discovery Institute deploys Solar Tree products - Envision Solar announced that Baker Electric deployed two of the company's Solar Tree solar-powered sustainable infrastructure products for the Ocean Discovery Institute in San Diego. ODI empowers young people from underserved urban communities to transform their lives, their community and our world as science and conservation leaders. Envision Solar has been installing Solar Tree products since 2008 for organizations like McDonalds, Dell, Kohl's and San Diego Gas and Electric. Envision's new generation of Solar Tree products with on-board battery storage and the same ARC Technology used in the Company's EV ARC products, are designed to provide charging for electric buses, electric heavy-duty vehicles, electric agricultural equipment, public transportation and growing electric vehicle options in the construction industry. Solar Tree DCFC products do not require a connection to the utility grid and will continue to fuel vital vehicles during grid failures and provide an emergency source of power to first responders or others.

08:15 EDT H2O Innovation appoints Gregory Madden as CSO - H2O Innovation announced the appointment of Gregory Madden as Chief Strategic Officer. As part of the H2O Innovation team for over 10 years, Gregory has served in many positions in the organization, most recently serving as Vice President of Aftermarket Services since 2017. As CSO, Gregory will also focus on integrating acquired companies like Genesys, which was added to the H2O Innovation Group in November of 2019. The combination of PWT and Genesys expands our network to over 100 specialty membrane chemical distributors in 70 countries. In addition, he will oversee projects like the ongoing rebranding of the H2O Innovation's third business pillar, Operation and Maintenance.

08:13 EDT Waters sees 2H modestly better than 1H

08:11 EDT Polaris jumps 6% to $104 after Q2 results beat estimates, FY guidance reinstated

08:10 EDT NeuBase Therapeutics appoints William Mann as COO - NeuBase Therapeutics announced the appointment of industry veteran William Mann, Ph.D., MBA as COO. Most recently, he served as the president and CEO of Helsinn Therapeutics.

08:07 EDT Waters Q2 revenue 'expectedly a bit softer' than Q1

08:06 EDT Meet Group launches DateNight to dating apps MeetMe and Skout - Meet Group said in a release, "Meet Group announced the launch of DateNight, the Company's latest interactive feature, which makes anyone the star of their own dating game. DateNight is the first-ever livestreaming dating game that offers rewards to virtually anyone who plays. The game provides daters of its popular NextDate and BlindDate games who match during a DateNight event the opportunity to receive a free $10 gift card to one of 18 different national chain restaurants, giving away up to $15,000 worth of first dates every day. DateNight events will occur on Thursdays from 9:00 - 11:00 p.m. EDT throughout July and August."

08:04 EDT B. Riley Financial: New York & Company store closing sales begin - B. Riley Financial (RILY) affiliate, Great American Group, and Tiger Capital Group announced that store closing sales have begun at all New York & Company retail locations across the United States. The firms are conducting liquidation sales across approximately 380 store locations in connection with the recent bankruptcy filing of New York & Company's parent company, RTW Retailwinds (RTW).

08:04 EDT Waters: Last few months have been 'particularly challenging' amid pandemic - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:00 EDT Quest: High demand for COVID-19 test has strained testing capacity

07:59 EDT Quest Diagnostics surpassed 9.2M COVID-19 test results delivered to date - Quest Diagnostics said in an update on its website that "During the past week we surpassed 9.2 million COVID-19 molecular diagnostic test results delivered to date; received the FDA's first emergency use authorization for the use of pooled specimens with a commercial molecular diagnostic test; and saw capacity slightly exceed demand for the first time since early June. Demand for our molecular diagnostic testing remains high as the virus has spread across much of the United States, particularly the South, Southwest and West. Persistent high demand has strained our testing capacity and extended delays for test results. As a result, our average turnaround time for reporting test results is now over two days for our priority 1 patients and 7 days for all other patients. We expect that as our capacity continues to grow, we will be able to return to average turnaround times in the range of 1 day for priority 1 patients and 3 days for most other patients. We have steadily added capacity since we began to provide services in early March, but it will take time to add more. We currently have the capacity to perform as many as 135,000 molecular diagnostic tests a day and are working to increase that to 150,000 tests a day by next week. We continue to pursue a range of opportunities to increase our capacity beyond 150,000 tests a day." Reference Link

07:54 EDT Cummins up 2.1% after reporting Q2 results - Shares of Cummins are up 2.1% in pre-market trading to $195.00 per share.

07:52 EDT DraftKings becomes PGA Tour's official betting operator - The PGA TOUR and DraftKings have announced an expansion of their multi-year content and marketing relationship that now designates DraftKings as the first "Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR." In July 2019, DraftKings became the TOUR's first "Official Daily Fantasy Game of the PGA TOUR" as part of a multi-year, exclusive arrangement. By becoming the first to join the TOUR's Official Betting Operator program, DraftKings will have rights in the United States to use PGA TOUR trademarks, rights to advertise within TOUR media and TOUR partner platforms, plus content and video rights allowing DraftKings' Sportsbook solution to create pre-game and post-game betting programming, as well as distribution of highlights to users who have placed bets.

07:51 EDT Cummins reports Q2 Components segment sales down 38% to $1.2B - Cummins said in its Q2 earnings release, "Segment EBITDA was $141M, or 12.3 percent of sales, compared to $297 million or 16.1 percent of sales. Revenues in North America decreased by 55 percent and international sales declined by 9 percent due to lower demand in Europe, India, and Brazil. Sales in China increased by 63 percent driven by record levels of truck production."

07:49 EDT Cummins reports Q2 Distribution segment sales down 21% to $1.6B - Cummins said in its Q2 earnings release, "Segment EBITDA was $160M, or 10 percent of sales, compared to $172 million or 8.5 percent of sales. Revenues in North America were down 25 percent and international sales declined by 12 percent. Demand declined in all lines of business and a stronger US dollar negatively impacted revenues by 1 percent."

07:48 EDT Cummins reports Q2 Engine Segment sales down 47% to $1.4B - Cummins said in its Q2 earnings release, "Q2 Engine Segment EBITDA was $150M, or 10.5 percent of sales, compared to $416 million or 15.4 percent of sales. On-highway revenues decreased 55 percent and off-highway revenues declined 15 percent. Sales declined in all regions except China, where sales increased by 40 percent due to higher demand in construction markets."

07:46 EDT Cummins reports Q2 Engine Segment sales down 47% to $1.4B - Cummins said in its Q2 earnings release, "Q2 Engine Segment EBITDA was $160M, or 10 percent of sales, compared to $172 million or 8.5 percent of sales. Revenues in North America were down 25 percent and international sales declined by 12 percent. Demand declined in all lines of business and a stronger US dollar negatively impacted revenues by 1 percent"

07:45 EDT BridgeBio's QED doses first patient in Phase 0/2 trial of infigratinib - Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute announced that the first patient has been dosed in an investigator-initiated Phase 0/2 clinical trial of infigratinib in recurrent high-grade glioma driven by FGFR genetic alterations. Infigratinib is an investigational, orally administered, FGFR1-3 selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor being developed by BridgeBio Pharma affiliate company QED Therapeutics, Inc. The investigator-initiated Phase 0/2 trial is designed to confirm drug effects within days of exposure, and only to continue dosing when the drug is active in a patient's own tumor. The primary objective of the Phase 0 arm is to assess how effectively infigratinib can cross the blood-brain barrier - the most significant obstacle to developing new, effective therapies for aggressive brain tumors like glioblastoma. Patients with successful tumor penetration will receive infigratinib long-term in a Phase 2 expansion arm of the trial. The primary endpoint of the expansion phase is progression-free survival rate at six months. The study will also measure how well infigratinib is impacting its molecular target in each patient's tumor. FGFR genetic alterations have been shown to spur growth in malignant tumors. Five to seven percent of glioblastoma patients' tumors are driven by FGFR signaling. During the trial screening process, the patient's tumor tissue from prior surgery will be tested for the FGFR-TACC3 fusion gene or mutations in FGFR1 and FGFR3 genes. Patients with tumors that have these fusions or mutations are eligible for this study.

07:43 EDT Turning Point Brands up 2.3% after reporting Q2 results, raising FY20 guidance - Turning Point Brands is up 2.3% in pre-market trading to $31.07 per share.

07:41 EDT Myriad Genetics launches radiographic progression prognostic tool - Myriad Genetics announced that the company has launched a new enhancement that is now available on its Vectra test report. The new test report provides an individualized estimate of a patient's one-year risk of rapid radiographic progression. The RP result in every report is personalized based on the patient's age, gender and adiposity. In a combined analysis of patients from three studies, 42 percent of patients thought to be in low or moderate disease activity assessed by a traditional disease activity measure were in high disease activity as measured by Vectra, and thus were at risk of irreversible joint damage within one year. Each patient will receive an individualized percentage risk prediction for radiographic progression within one year, helping physicians and patients make treatment decisions. RA is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that attacks a patient's joints and often affects other organ systems. RA is a contributing condition that leads to increased disability, significant morbidity, increased mortality and financial burden. Lost productivity associated with RA is substantial, with approximately 20-70 percent of individuals working at the time of their RA diagnosis were disabled after seven to 10 years. RA affects roughly more than one million people in the United States. The Vectra Score measures the concentrations of 12 serum biomarkers and an algorithm is applied to these biomarker concentrations to calculate a disease activity score on a scale of 1 to 100. Vectra Disease Activity Levels are as follows: Green = Low: 1 to 29, Orange = Moderate: 30 to 44, Red = High: 45 to 100. The risk of RP is shown as a function of Vectra Score. The definition of RP is a 1-year total Sharp score change of greater than5 units. Increased risk of RP means a greater chance of irreversible joint damage. Three out of four rheumatologists have used Vectra and have ordered more than one million tests for their RA patients. The American College of Rheumatology includes Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity Score as a disease activity measure that meets minimum standards for regular use for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Those recommendations were published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

07:38 EDT First BanCorp gets regulatory approval to acquire Banco Santander Puerto Rico - First BanCorp announced that it has received the requisite regulatory approvals from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico for FirstBank to consummate the previously announced acquisition of the Puerto Rico operations of Banco Santander Puerto Rico. Subject to the satisfaction of the remaining customary conditions to closing, the corporation expects to complete the acquisition by September 1. On a pro forma basis based on June 30, upon closing of the transaction, FirstBank expects to have approximately $18.8B in assets, a $12B loan portfolio, $15.4B of deposits and approximately 650,000 customers. In addition, FirstBank expects to have 450 ATMs, 73 branches, and more than 3,500 employees across the corporation. Upon closing and for a transitional period until the conversion of systems is completed, FirstBank plans to continue using certain of Santander's technology platforms on a transitional basis. As a result, current Santander customers will continue to transact as they currently do without any impact to their service as a result of the transaction. In addition, upon closing of the transaction, Santander's customers will be able to use all FirstBank ATMs without out of network fees.

07:36 EDT Francesca's sees 'substantial doubt' over ability to continue as going concern - As previously disclosed and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Company's, 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.

07:34 EDT 9 Meters Biopharma issued larazotide-related patent from USPTO - 9 Meters Biopharma announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, issued U.S. patent No. 10,723,763, titled, Use of Tight Junction Antagonists in the Treatment of Acute Lung Injury and Acute Respiratory Distress, relating to its proprietary investigational agent, larazotide. The granted 9 Meters' patent shows, in a dose dependent fashion, larazotide renormalizes abnormally increased permeability of pulmonary tissue containing cellular tight junctions, and treats the direct cause of ALI and ARDS which can lead to fluid buildup within affected areas of the lungs. In pre-clinical models, larazotide has been shown to improve ALI as measured by protein, cellular and inflammatory markers, as well as suggest a protective effect in virally-challenged mice during infection, mitigating ALI by blunting pulmonary edema. Previous experiments have shown larazotide inhibits tight-junction rearrangement and prevents epithelial permeability triggered by gliadin, the antigen responsible for immunogenicity and symptoms in people with celiac disease. Furthermore, larazotide has been identified as a potential candidate in studies to target the main protease or Mpro also known as 3C-like protease of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Coupling this emerging data along with the molecule's known effects on epithelial and endothelial tight junctions, 9 Meters is evaluating potential next steps for future research to address the possible extended implications of larazotide for ALI/ARDS associated with COVID-19 for internal or out-licensing development.

07:25 EDT Seres Therapeutics up 1.9% after reporting Q2 results

07:24 EDT Raytheon Technologies up 2.5% after reporting Q2 results - Raytheon Technologies is up 2.5% in pre-market trading to $62.62 per share.

07:22 EDT Raytheon Technologies reports Q2 Raytheon Missiles & Defense adj. sales $3.59B - Raytheon Technologies said in its Q2 earnings release, "RMD had second quarter adjusted sales of $3,590 million and recorded $397 million of adjusted operating profit in the quarter."

07:21 EDT Soligenix jumps 62% in pre-market trading on preclinical vaccine publication

07:21 EDT Plus Therapeutics completes fifth dose escalation cohort of ReSPECT trial - Plus Therapeutics announced the successful completion of the fifth cohort of the ReSPECT Clinical Trial and expansion to a second clinical trial site, the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The Phase 1 ReSPECT Clinical Trial is intended to assess the safety, tolerability, and distribution of a novel radiotherapy, Rhenium NanoLiposomes, in adults with recurrent glioblastoma after standard surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy treatment. ReSPECT is supported by an award from the National Cancer Institute through Phase 2 development. Glioblastoma is a rare, incurable, and fatal disease with a median survival of about nine months following recurrence despite the current standard of care. Plans are underway to expand ReSPECT to another site, the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. To-date, the study has enrolled 15 patients across five cohorts at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, with one more cohort of six patients planned to fully complete enrollment. In ReSPECT, very high therapeutic doses of a high energy beta-emitting radioisotope, Rhenium-186, are precisely delivered directly into the brain tumor via stereotactic technology and convection-enhanced delivery. Studies have demonstrated that CED holds great promise in terms of local drug penetration through the brain extracellular matrix/space. The local radiation delivered to the brain tumor with RNL is intended to be up to 25 times greater than that currently being given to patients using external beam radiation therapy. Thus far, the highest absorbed radiation dose delivered to a patient's tumor in ReSPECT is approximately 15 times the level typically delivered by EBRT. The Company expects additional near-term ReSPECT and RNL developments to include: Continued dose escalation and expansion of delivery parameters through cohort 6. Completion of enrollment of the Phase 1 Trial. Determination of the recommended Phase 2 dose. Submission of applications for Orphan Disease Designation in the U.S. and Europe. Submission of an application for Fast Track Designation in the U.S. Data analysis and reporting of the ReSPECT Clinical Trial Results. Presentation by the Company for plans to expand RNL clinical development for multiple indications.

07:20 EDT Raytheon reports Q2 Pratt & Whitney adj. sales $3.61B vs. $5.15B last year - Raytheon Technologies said in its Q2 earnings release, "Pratt & Whitney had second quarter 2020 adjusted sales of $3,607 million, down 30 percent versus the prior year. Commercial OE was down 42 percent and commercial aftermarket was down 51 percent, while military was up 11 percent. The decrease in commercial sales was primarily due to a significant reduction in shop visits and related spare part sales and commercial engine deliveries principally driven by the current economic environment, which was slightly offset by F135 production volume and aftermarket growth on multiple fighter jet platforms. Pratt & Whitney recorded an adjusted operating loss of $151 million in the quarter, down 133 percent versus the prior year. The decrease in adjusted operating profit was primarily driven by lower commercial aftermarket sales volume and unfavorable mix."

07:19 EDT Raytheon reports Q2 Collins Aerospace adj. revenue $4.3B vs. $6.58B last year - Raytheon Technologies said in its Q2 earnings release, "Collins Aerospace had second quarter 2020 adjusted sales of $4,298 million, down 35 percent versus the prior year. Commercial OE was down 53 percent and commercial aftermarket was down 48 percent, while military was up 10 percent. The decrease in commercial sales was driven primarily by the current economic environment which has resulted in lower flight hours, aircraft fleet utilization and commercial OEM deliveries, which was slightly offset by F-35 and defense development program growth. Collins Aerospace recorded adjusted operating profit of $24 million in the quarter, down 98 percent versus the prior year. The decrease in adjusted operating profit was driven by lower commercial aerospace OEM and aftermarket sales volume that was slightly offset by gross margin drop through on higher military volume."

07:18 EDT Ericsson delivers first U.S. manufactured commercial 5G station to Verizon - Verizon (VZ) is the first recipient of a U.S. manufactured commercial 5G base station from Ericsson's (ERIC) new state-of-the-art smart factory in Texas. The equipment is the first 5G base station produced by Ericsson in the U.S. and marks another significant milestone as Ericsson continues to strengthen its U.S. capabilities in 5G research, design, manufacturing and service delivery. The 5G base station delivered to Verizon is the millimeter-wave Street Macro solution, which is key to Ericsson's 5G portfolio for its North American customers. All radio access components are housed in one lightweight enclosure, allowing for the rapid growth of 5G coverage in complex city environments.

07:18 EDT Raytheon Technologies reports Q2-end backlog $158.7B - Raytheon Technologies said in its Q2 earnings release, "Backlog at the end of the second quarter was $158.7 billion, of which $85.6 billion was from commercial aerospace and a record $73.1 billion was from defense. In addition, during the quarter RMD was selected by the U.S. Air Force to develop the Long-Range Standoff Weapon."

07:16 EDT AC Immune reports data for alpha-synuclein PET tracer - AC Immune reported new data for its next generation alpha-synuclein positron emission tomography- tracer during an oral presentation at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference and anticipates advancing its lead compound toward clinical stage development in Q4 2020. The compelling preclinical results demonstrate enhanced contrast and alpha-synuclein target specificity, putting AC Immune's PET tracer in a strong position to become a first-in-class precision diagnostic tool for Parkinson's disease. No effective diagnostic agents exist today for PD and other alpha-synucleinopathies, such as multiple system atrophy, and Lewy Body Dementia, representing substantial unmet clinical need. Alpha-synuclein misfolding, aggregation and seeding are the molecular basis for the formation of Lewy bodies, a hallmark of PD, MSA, and LBD. The availability of non-invasive diagnostic tools that can distinguish alpha-synucleinopathies from other proteinopathies or normal physiological situations would enable - for the first time - accurate clinical diagnosis, monitoring of disease progression and benefits of drug interventions. ACI-12589 demonstrates significantly increased target occupancy compared to previous-generation candidates as well as a significantly improved signal specificity. AC Immune's PET tracers are derived from the Company's innovative Morphomer discovery platform, which accelerates the design, development and synthesis of conformation-specific small molecules to power successful diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The Morphomer platform has produced multiple small molecules with clinical proof-of-concept that bind selectively to pathological forms of human proteins such as alpha-synuclein and Tau. Based on proof-of-concept data presented at this year's AAT-AD/PD conference, AC Immune announced that it advanced its SupraAntigen-derived anti-alpha-synuclein therapeutic antibody candidate from discovery into preclinical development. The combined potential of AC Immune's therapeutic and diagnostic programs is based on the Company's capabilities in precision medicine and may improve the diagnosis and treatment of alpha-synuclein pathologies, which are of increasing interest in Alzheimer's disease and NeuroOrphan indications. Dr. Capotosti's presentation was titled Developing a novel alpha-synuclein positron emission tomography tracer for the diagnosis of a-synucleinopathies. Key highlights from the presentation include: ACI-3847, a first-generation alpha-synuclein-PET tracer, showed good brain uptake and very low non-specific retention in a first-in-human study in idiopathic PD patients and healthy volunteers; The data on ACI-3847 suggested to test the PET tracer in alpha-synuclein-pathologies with higher levels of alpha-synuclein accumulation; AC Immune's Morphomer platform also led to the discovery of ACI-12589 with excellent target occupancy and signal specificity ex vivo and an expected optimal signal-to-noise ratio in patients; Data presented will show ACI-12589 as a potential first- and best-in-class imaging agent for the diagnosis of PD.

07:15 EDT Osmotica, RVL Pharmaceuticals enter license agreement in Japan - Santen Pharmaceutical Co. and RVL Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Osmotica Pharmaceuticals, announced an exclusive license agreement covering the development, registration, and commercialization rights in Japan, China, and other Asian countries as well as EMEA countries to RVL-1201, oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.1%, which is the first and only ophthalmic formulation approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis or ptosis in adults. Santen will be responsible for further development of RVL-1201 and regulatory approvals as well as commercialization in its licensed territories under the agreement. RVL-1201 is a novel, once-daily ophthalmic formulation of oxymetazoline, a direct-acting alpha adrenergic receptor agonist, which when administered to the eye, is believed to selectively target Muller's muscle and elevate the upper eyelid. RVL-1201, was approved on July 8, 2020 under the brand name UPNEEQ in the United States. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Osmotica will receive up to $89M in upfront and milestone payments, not including future royalties on sales in Santen's territories. Osmotica will receive an upfront cash payment of $25M and up to an additional $64M in cash milestone payments based on regulatory and sales achievements in Santen's territories. Osmotica is also entitled to royalty payments on sales of RVL-1201 in Japan, China, and other Asian countries as well as EMEA.

07:14 EDT Altria Group raises quarterly dividend to 86c per share from 84c per share - Altria Group said in its Q2 earnings release, "On July 27, Altria's Board declared an increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.86 per share from $0.84 per share. The quarterly dividend will be paid on October 9, to shareholders of record on September 15. The ex-dividend date is September 14. The new annualized dividend rate is $3.44 per share, representing an increase of 2.4% from $3.36 per share. Altria maintains its long-term objective of a dividend payout ratio target of approximately 80% of adjusted diluted EPS. Future dividend payments remain subject to the Board's discretion."

07:13 EDT resTORbio receives award from National Institute on Aging for RTB101 pilot study - resTORbio announced the award from the National Institute on Aging to fund a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of RTB101, an investigational orally-administered potent small molecule inhibitor of target of rapamycin complex 1, as compared to placebo for COVID-19 post-exposure prophylaxis in older adults. The study is supported by additional data observed in resTORbio's Phase 2b and Phase 3 clinical trials, which suggest the potential of RTB101 to reduce the severity of laboratory-confirmed coronavirus infections as previously announced. Funding of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot clinical study of RTB101 prophylaxis to reduce the severity of COVID-19 The new clinical study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to obtain preliminary data on the feasibility of studying RTB101 as compared to placebo for COVID-19 post-exposure prophylaxis in adults age 65 years and older. The purpose of the clinical trial is to inform the design of a potential subsequent pivotal trial in this indication. The trial will enroll adults age 65 years and older who are asymptomatic but have SARS-CoV-2 detected on a surveillance nasopharyngeal swab or have a household member with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Approximately 60 subjects are expected to enroll in the study. Subjects will be randomized 1:1 to RTB101 10 mg once daily or matching placebo once daily. The study will be conducted in collaboration with Investigators at Harvard Medical School/Hebrew Senior Life and University of Connecticut Health Center.

07:10 EDT Benchmark Electronics completes phase 2 of delivery to Homeland Security - Benchmark Electronics announced completion of phase two of five phases towards the delivery of Mobile Video Surveillance Systems, or MVSS, to the Department of Homeland Security for use along the U.S. southern border. This included 137 new systems ordered from Benchmark Secure Technology, adding to Border Patrol's existing fleet of MVSS vehicles provided by Benchmark and already in the field. Remaining units will be delivered by the end of 2021.

07:08 EDT Gaming and Leisure Properties CFO Steven Snyder to step down - Gaming and Leisure Properties announced that Steven Snyder will be stepping down as SVP and CFO effective August 31, 2020. The Company has retained Korn Ferry to lead a search for Mr. Snyder's successor and will evaluate internal and external candidates for the position. Mr. Snyder has served in his current role, and previously as interim CFO since May 2018.

07:08 EDT JetBlue reaffirms Q3 daily cash burn guidance of $7M-$9M - "We continue to manage through this fluid environment with a near-term focus on preserving liquidity. Just as importantly, we are positioning JetBlue to thrive as we emerge from the pandemic," said Steve Priest, JetBlue's CFO. "Last month we raised approximately $750 million with a new term loan backed by JFK, LaGuardia and Washington Reagan slots, as well as by our JetBlue brand. We also entered into sale-leaseback transactions that raised nearly $120 million during the quarter. Our liquidity equated to $3.4 billion at the close of June, or 42% of our 2019 revenue. Our daily cash burn improved every month since April, to under $8 million at the end of June. The improvement during the quarter came mainly from our efforts to manage capacity, reduce our cost base and manage payment terms. Improvements in revenue trends during the quarter also contributed to our progress in cash burn. Looking into the third quarter, we continue to estimate our daily cash burn between $7 and $9 million, mainly driven by a continuation of our work to reduce our cost base, and capacity actions to respond to changes in demand. Where we fall within the range will depend on the revenue environment during the third quarter."

07:07 EDT Asbury Automotive reports Q2 new gross profit per vehicle up 33% to $1,924 - Q2 highlights: Used retail gross profit per vehicle up 10% to $1,717. 20% of used sales transacted online. SG&A as a percentage of gross profit decreased 530 basis points to 62.7%. Income from operations as percentage of revenue increased 90 basis points to 5.7%. Adjusted EPS increased 6%. Entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Park Place Dealerships, one of the country's largest and most prominent luxury dealer groups. Ended the quarter with total liquidity of $747 million and a net leverage ratio of 1.5x.

07:07 EDT McDonald's says 96% of total restaurants operating as of June 30th - In U.S., the company says "substantially all restaurants were operating drive-thru, delivery, and/or take-away with a limited menu. Limited hours also applied", with about 2,000 restaurant dining rooms reopened with reduced seating capacity. Internationallly, "substantially all restaurants in China and Japan were operating with reduced seating capacity for dine-in. Latin America was the geography with the most restaurants closed."

07:06 EDT Harley-Davidson down 2% after reporting Q2 results

07:05 EDT McDonald's reports Q2 U.S. SSS down 8.7% - Reports Q2 International Operated Markets SSS down 41.4%, International Developmental Licensed Markets & Corporate SSS down 24.2%.

07:04 EDT Soligenix data shows rapid immune responses with CoVaccine HT adjuvant - Soligenix (SGNX) announced publication of pre-clinical immunogenicity studies for its CiVax program, demonstrating immunity of both broad-spectrum antibody and cell-mediated, rapid onset immunity is possible using the CoVaccine HT adjuvant. The article, authored by collaborators at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, is titled, "CoVaccine HT adjuvant potentiates robust immune responses to recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike-S1 immunization," and has been submitted for peer-review to the journal npj Vaccines. CiVax is the company's heat stable subunit vaccine candidate for the prevention of COVID-19, the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. Ongoing collaborations with Axel Lehrer, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, UHM have demonstrated the feasibility of developing a broadly immunogenic vaccine for COVID-19. With significant research dedicated worldwide to the generation of COVID-19 vaccines, it is noteworthy that the essential attributes of a vaccine successful in controlling the ongoing pandemic are believed to include the ability to rapidly stimulate a balanced antibody response, including an enhanced Th1 response, which includes raising significant virus neutralizing antibodies and potent cell-mediated immunity, demonstrated by T-cell activation. Previous work with the CoVaccine adjuvant, which Soligenix licensed from BTG Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a division of Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX), has indicated that CoVaccine has these critical characteristics. In these results, Lehrer and his colleagues now demonstrate these attributes of CoVaccine, specifically in the context of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, these results, using a prototype antigen, also demonstrate a rapid onset of immunity with antibody responses detected within 14 days after the first vaccination.

07:03 EDT Hill-Rom announces commercial partnership with Aiva for hands-free communication - Hillrom announced a new commercial partnership with Aiva, enabling hands-free communication for both patients and staff utilizing an in-room voice assistant and Hillrom's Voalte Mobile solution. With this new capability, Hillrom's Voalte system is the only mobile clinical communication platform with a solution that includes hands-free caregiver-to-caregiver communication as well as nurse call, medical device integration alert and alarm management and waveform digitization. With appropriate patient authorization, Aiva technology utilizes voice services like Amazon Alexa to facilitate totally touch-free communication, allowing a caregiver to enter a patient room in full PPE and dial other caregivers through Hillrom's Voalte mobile technology without touching their mobile device or PPE, both in and out of sterile environments. The Aiva technology also allows patients to speak to the device to contact a nurse. This request will be automatically routed to the nurse's Hillrom Voalte mobile application and confirm to the patient that help is on the way. Patients can also control their in-room environment without requiring a member of the care team to help. The combined Voalte/Aiva technology is available on a subscription basis in the United States.

06:57 EDT Harley-Davidson says most non-production workers to continue to work from home - Harley-Davidson said in its Q2 earnings release, "The company continues to proactively manage its business through the pandemic and has implemented robust protocols to keep workers safe in its factories. Most non-production workers will continue to work from home until the end of the year. Its response and recovery plans include supporting global dealers and customers. At the end of the quarter, about 93 percent of its global dealers were open for retail motorcycle sales following pandemic interruptions. Included in the company's broad cost and cash savings measures are SG&A reductions, curtailed capital spending, suspended discretionary share repurchases and a prudent approach to dividend payments. The company announced it will pay a third quarter cash dividend of $0.02 per share, in line with its second quarter dividend. The dividend is payable September 25, 2020 to the shareholders of record of the company's common stock as of September 10, 2020. The company has also further strengthened its strong liquidity position with nearly $4.7 billion in liquidity at the end of the quarter."

06:56 EDT Omnicom expects reduction in revenue to continue for the remainder of FY20 - The company said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the global economy, our business and the results of operations. Public health efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic include government actions such as travel restrictions, limitations on public gatherings, shelter in place orders and mandatory closures. These actions have negatively impacted many of our clients' businesses and in turn clients have reduced or plan to reduce their demand for our services. As a result, we experienced a reduction in our revenue beginning late in the first quarter of 2020, as compared to the same period in 2019. The reduction in our revenue continued during the second quarter of 2020 and is expected to continue for the remainder of the year. Such reductions in revenue could adversely impact our ongoing results of operations and financial position and the effects could be material."

06:53 EDT Waddell & Reed ends Q2 with AUM up 16% to $65.0B - AUM ended the quarter at $65.0B, an increase of 16% compared to the prior quarter primarily due to market appreciation and a decrease of 10% compared to the second quarter of 2019. Average AUM were $61.7B during the current quarter, compared to $66.1B during the prior quarter and $71.4B during the Q2 of FY19.

06:48 EDT Pfizer reaffirms all other FY20 guidance components

06:41 EDT Karuna Therapeutics, PsychoGenics announce drug discovery collaboration - Karuna Therapeutics and PGI Drug Discovery, a phenotypic drug discovery platform company, announced that the companies have entered a multi-year drug discovery and development agreement to identify potential novel drug candidates for the treatment of severe neuropsychiatric disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, Karuna will provide an upfront payment to PsychoGenics for access to its proprietary screening platforms, which leverage computer vision and machine learning, to discover novel neuropsychiatric treatments. Each party is eligible to receive payments upon reaching pre-specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales, for products developed under the agreement.

06:36 EDT Linde to begin construction on hydrogen refueling station for trains in Germany - Linde (LIN) announced it will start construction of the world's first hydrogen refueling station for passenger trains in Bremervorde, Germany, in September. The construction follows the eighteen-month trial of the world's first two hydrogen trains in the region, which was completed earlier this year. Linde will build and operate the hydrogen filling station, which is expected to start service in early 2022. The station will fuel 14 hydrogen-powered passenger trains which will be supplied by Alstom (ALSMY) to the regional rail traffic provider, LNVG, and will use the network of regional railway company EVB. The hydrogen refueling station will have a capacity of around 1,600 kg of hydrogen per day, making it one of the largest hydrogen stations in terms of nameplate capacity ever built. It will be constructed with scope for future on-site hydrogen generation using electrolysis. The project is co-funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure within the scope of the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology.

06:35 EDT D.R. Horton reports Q3 homes closed increased 10% - In Q3: Homes closed increased 10% in homes and value to 17,642 homes and $5.2B. Net sales orders increased 38% to 21,519 homes and 35% in value to $6.3B.

06:32 EDT American Homes 4 Rent introduces Spring Rose community in Florida - American Homes 4 Rent introduced Spring Rose in Riverview, Florida, which joins its growing family of newly built single-family rental home communities. Building upon its nearby Camden Woods and Belmont Glen neighborhoods, Spring Rose is AH4R's fifth new rental home community in the Tampa Bay market. Spring Rose adds 24 homes built, owned and operated by AH4R to its existing 2,300 unit portfolio in the Tampa Bay market.

06:26 EDT Zebra Technologies to acquire Reflexis Systems for $575M - Zebra Technologies announced it intends to acquire Reflexis Systems, a privately-held, leading provider of intelligent workforce management, execution, and communication solutions for organizations in the retail, food service, hospitality and banking industries. Reflexis achieved sales of approximately $66M in 2019, doubling over a 3-year period, with gross margin approximately 20 percentage points higher than Zebra. The scale, vertical market expertise, and go-to-market footprint of Zebra is expected to create substantial synergies. Zebra expects to fund the $575M purchase price with a combination of cash on hand along with fully committed financing available under its credit facility. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval, and is expected to close by early in the fourth quarter. Zebra expects this transaction to have an immaterial impact to earnings in year one and to be increasingly accretive beyond year one as we scale the business.

06:22 EDT T-Mobile rights offering over-subscribed based on preliminary results - T-Mobile (TMUS) announced the preliminary results of its highly successful, over-subscribed rights offering following the expiration of the subscription period at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on July 27. Pursuant to the rights offering, subscribers will purchase an aggregate of 19,750,000 shares of common stock. The rights offering is being executed in connection with SoftBank Group's (SFTBY) monetization of its shareholding in T-Mobile's common stock as disclosed in SoftBank's Schedule 13D/A filed on June 15. According to American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the subscription agent for the rights offering, as of the expiration date, 209,367,374 basic subscription rights were exercised to purchase an aggregate of 10,467,992 shares of common stock, and 18,132,455 additional shares of common stock were subscribed for under the over-subscription right, subject to proration. In addition, 148,925,284 basic subscription rights were exercised to purchase an aggregate of 7,446,256 shares of common stock, subject to guaranteed delivery, and 20,961,808 additional shares of common stock were subscribed for pursuant to the oversubscription right subject to guaranteed delivery and proration. The shares of common stock were purchased at the subscription price of $103.00 per whole share. T-Mobile expects the subscription agent to distribute the shares of common stock and the proceeds from the rights offering on or about August 5.

06:17 EDT Armada Hoffler says student housing portfolio 95% pre-leased - Armada Hoffler Properties provided a leasing update on its student housing properties. As of July 27, the company's student housing portfolio is 95% pre-leased for the 2020-2021 academic year. Hoffler Place in Charleston, South Carolina is 100% pre-leased. Summit Place in Charleston, South Carolina is 97% pre-leased. Johns Hopkins Village (Nine East 33rd) in Baltimore, Maryland is 91% pre-leased. "I am pleased to report that all three of our student housing assets will be essentially fully occupied for the coming school year," said Louis Haddad, President and CEO. "Both of our Charleston properties, including the newly-delivered Summit Place, are effectively 100% pre-leased and at Johns Hopkins, we have ample prospects for the remaining available beds. Our Class-A communities strive to provide clean, safe, and healthy living environments for returning students. As part of the Johns Hopkins University and College of Charleston communities, we are excited to welcome students back to campus."

06:13 EDT Halliburton to provide digitalization for PETRONAS exploration activities - Halliburton announced it received a scope expansion from Petroliam Nasional Berhad to support their upstream digitalization initiatives and reduce exploration time by increasing collaboration and efficiency. PETRONAS is the custodian of Malaysia's oil and gas resources and a Fortune Global 500 energy company with a presence in more than 50 countries. Halliburton Landmark will deliver DecisionSpace 365, its E&P cloud software that provides an integrated platform to help operators like PETRONAS achieve their business objectives. DecisionSpace 365 seamlessly connects the operator's workforce in a cloud environment and leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence for knowledge sharing across the operator's asset portfolio. By improving collaboration in real-time, operators can make faster decisions to reduce exploration time and cost.

06:11 EDT Deckers Brands division, Cotopaxi collaborate on sustainable collection - Teva, a division of Deckers Brands, announced a collaboration with fellow outdoor brand and benefit corporation, Cotopaxi. The Teva x Cotopaxi collection is a celebration of a shared commitment to do better for people and the planet with the use of remnant and recycled materials. In addition, Teva and Cotopaxi will donate $40,000 to the Cotopaxi Foundation to support a grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood to increase youth leadership education and access in the outdoors. The Teva x Cotopaxi limited-edition collaboration features Teva's classic sandal, the Original Universal, and Cotopaxi's signature Teca windbreaker.

06:06 EDT Armstrong World acquires Turf Design, terms not disclosed - Armstrong World Industries announced it has acquired Turf Design, a Chicago-based commercial interiors design house and maker of custom felt ceiling and wall solutions with annual revenues of approximately $25M. The acquisition strengthens AWI's design and manufacturing capabilities and broadens its extensive portfolio of architectural specialties ceiling and wall solutions. Turf will continue to operate from its current facilities and retain its company name, brands and organizational and go-to-market structures. The Turf independent representative network will remain intact and complement AWI's current go-to-market selling model. AWI funded the acquisition with available cash and its revolving credit facility. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

06:03 EDT Polaris reports Q2 North American retail sales increased 57% y/y - With both ORV and Motorcycle retail sales up significantly. Dealer inventory levels decreased 47% given the strong retail sales growth and lower shipments resulting from the COVID-19 related temporary suspension of production during the quarter.

05:39 EDT Chi-Med NDA for savolitinib in NSCLC granted priority review in China - Hutchison China MediTech said in a release, "Chi-Med announced that the China National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, has granted Priority Review status to the New Drug Application, or NDA, for savolitinib for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, with MET Exon 14 skipping mutations. This is the first NDA filing for savolitinib globally and first for a selective MET inhibitor in China. With over 774,000 new cases every year, China accounted for 37% of the world's annual incidence of lung cancer in 2018.1 Approximately 80-85% of lung cancer cases are NSCLC.2 It is estimated that 2-3% of NSCLC patients have MET Exon 14 skipping mutations; these mutations lead to poor prognosis.3 The annual incidence of MET Exon 14 skipping mutation NSCLC is estimated to be 12,000 to 20,000 in China."

05:33 EDT ING Groep to book goodwill impairment of EUR 300M in Q2 - ING aid in a release, "ING announced that as a result of the impairment test triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, it expects to book approximately EUR 300 million as an impairment on the goodwill on its balance sheet in its second quarter 2020 results. The goodwill is related to a number of acquisitions in the past. In accordance with accounting standard IAS 36, the impairment announced today follows the negative developments in the macro-economic outlook for the relevant business units in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the applicable discount rate is also affected by the deteriorated economic and risk environment. The goodwill impairment is estimated to be approximately EUR 300 million, to be recorded under operating expenses in ING's second quarter profit & loss statement. The accounting adjustment does not involve any cash outflow and will not impact ING's capital ratios, as goodwill is already deducted from regulatory capital. ING will report its full results for the second quarter of 2020 on 6 August 2020. As indicated earlier, the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of IFRS-9 methodology will result in risk costs significantly above the through-the-cycle average, which will impact ING's net profit for the quarter."