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

20:14 EDT Ulta Beauty sees second half same-store sales down low double digit to mid teens - Says expects store traffic this holiday season to be impacted by health concerns. Says e-commerce penetration should normalize to level higher than last year but lower than seen in first half when stores were closed. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call earlier.

19:54 EDT Southern California Edison approved for expanded EV charging program - The company states: "State officials gave Southern California Edison the green light today for an expansive electric car charging infrastructure program that will add about 38,000 new chargers throughout the utility's 50,000-square-mile service area. The program, known as Charge Ready 2, will be the nation's largest light-duty electric vehicle charging program run by an investor-owned utility. In addition to Charge Ready 2 for passenger EVs, SCE launched a program last year for trucks, buses and off-road industrial equipment. The largest program of its kind in the U.S., Charge Ready Transport aims to add charging to support at least 8,490 medium- and heavy-duty EVs over a five-year period. The $356 million program is also modeled after the Charge Ready pilot."

18:41 EDT Fresh Del Monte CEO sells 25,000 ordinary shares - In a regulatory filing, Fresh Del Monte chairman and CEO Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh disclosed the sale of 25,000 ordinary shares of the company on August 19 at a price of $23.7819 per share.

18:12 EDT HP Inc. CEO: PCs were a big part of our strong Q3 - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Enrique Lores said the company has never shipped so many PCs. "PCs have become essential. We're now seeing a need for one PC per person," he said. "HP is doing well on the print side, similar to what we're seeing with PCs. Demand is stronger in the home space as more people are working remotely due to COVID-19," Lores noted. He expects a minimum of $1B in share buybacks in Q3.

17:51 EDT Amazon debuts the first Amazon Fresh grocery store - Amazon's Jeff Helbling said in a blog posting: "Today we're announcing the Amazon Fresh grocery store-a new grocery store designed from the ground up to offer a seamless grocery shopping experience, whether customers are shopping in-store or online. We've taken our decades of operations experience to deliver consistently low prices for all, and FREE same-day delivery for Prime members. Customers shopping Amazon Fresh will find a wide assortment of national brands and high-quality produce, meat, and seafood. Plus, our culinary team offers customers a range of delicious prepared foods made fresh in store every day. We've also introduced new ways to make grocery shopping more convenient, including the Amazon Dash Cart, which enables customers to skip the checkout line, and new Alexa features to help customers manage their shopping lists and better navigate our aisles." Other companies in the space include Walmart (WMT) Casey's General Stores (CASY), Kroger (KR), Supervalu (SVU) and Grocery Outlet (GO). Reference Link

17:35 EDT Just Energy recapitalization plan approved by stakeholders - Just Energy Group announced the approval of its recapitalization plan at special meetings of securityholders held earlier today. The Recapitalization is part of a comprehensive plan to strengthen and de-risk the business and position Just Energy for sustainable growth as an independent industry leader. The Recapitalization significantly improves Just Energy's financial flexibility with an equity injection of over $100M and reduces net debt and preferred shares by approximately $520 million. "The strong support we received from all security classes is a clear indication of their alignment with our future direction, including a stronger financial position and improved liquidity," said Scott Gahn, Just Energy's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our focus now firmly remains on improving our operations, growing our business, and continuing to provide high quality services to our customers."

17:04 EDT EastGroup Properties raises quarterly dividend to 79c from 75c per share - The dividend is payable on October 15, 2020 to shareholders of record of Common Stock on September 30, 2020.

17:04 EDT Boston Scientific VP Jodi Euerle Eddy sells over $302K in company shares - Boston Scientific VP Jodi Euerle Eddy disclosed she had sold 7,750 shares of company stock at $38.98 per share on August 26 for a total transaction amount of $302,129.

16:58 EDT Regeneron director sells 27.1K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Regeneron discloses that its EVP Daniel Van Plew sold 27.1K shares of common stock on August 25th in a total transaction size of $16.6M.

16:53 EDT Big Lots announces buyback of up to $500M - The company's board authorized the repurchase of up to $500M of the company's outstanding common shares. The authorization may be utilized to repurchase shares in the open market and/or in privately negotiated transactions at the company's discretion, subject to market conditions and other factors. Pursuant to the authorization, shares may be repurchased commencing September 1, 2020, and the authorization is open-ended.

16:46 EDT AutoZone CFO Bill Giles to retire at end of December 2020 - AutoZone announced that Bill Giles, Executive Vice President and CFO, and Bill Hackney, Senior Vice President, Merchandising will retire at the end of December 2020. Jamere Jackson will join the Company as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer-Elect, Finance and Store Development, and Seong Ohm will join as Senior Vice President, Merchandising.

16:33 EDT NexPoint Residential provides update on Hurricane Laura - NexPoint Residential's apartment communities located in the Houston, TX area, did not sustain any material damage as a result of Hurricane Laura. The company plans to provide additional updates in the event of a material change.

16:31 EDT Casa Systems appoints Scott Bruckner as CFO - Casa Systems announced the appointment of Scott Bruckner as CFO. Casa Systems also announced that it has appointed Ernst & Young as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, effective immediately. EY replaces Pricewaterhouse Coopers as the independent registered public accounting firm for Casa Systems. The appointment of EY has been approved by the audit committee of Casa Systems, with the concurrence of the board of the company. The consolidated financial statements of Casa Systems and its subsidiaries as of and for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. The decision to change auditors was not the result of any disagreement between the company and PwC on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure. Jerry Guo, president and CEO said, "During his almost three years at Casa Systems, Scott has made important contributions to our business in his role as SVP Strategy & Corporate Development. During his tenure this year as Interim CFO, he has further demonstrated the exceptional leadership and business acumen that will help our company achieve its plans for future success. On behalf of the executive team and the board of directors, I would like to congratulate Scott on his new role at the Company."

16:30 EDT Dell Technologies up 5% to $65.75 after Q2 results beat estimates

16:28 EDT Matinas BioPharma completes enrollment in ENHANCE-IT study - Matinas BioPharma announced that it has completed enrollment in the ENHANCE-IT study, a second head-to-head comparative study of MAT9001 against Vascepa. The ENHANCE-IT study is assessing MAT9001's effectiveness in reducing triglyceride levels and other important lipid markers, as well as characterizing bioavailability and blood levels of eicosapentaenoic acid and other omega-3 fatty acids. The company expects to have topline data available in the first quarter of 2021.

16:28 EDT Plantronics shareholder Siris sells 57% of stake in company - Plantronics and Siris Capital Group announced that Siris has sold approx. 4.1 million of the 7.1 million shares of Poly common stock that it previously owned, which represents ~57% of Siris' stake in Poly and ~10% of Poly's outstanding shares. The share sale represents an opportunity for Siris to realize what it considers to be an attractive return on its original investment in Polycom in 2016. Siris Co-Founder Frank Baker has resigned from Plantronic's board of directors. However, Dan Moloney, a Siris Executive Partner, intends to remain an active member on the board of directors.

16:23 EDT Rackspace Technology, partners introduce COVID-19 forecasting model - Rackspace Technology (RXT) announced it has partnered with University of California, Irvine, Scientific Systems and Plan4Co to work on a project that underscores the effectiveness of Amazon Forecast (AMZN) in creating COVID-19 forecasting models with greater accuracy. Forecasting models have the potential to assess the disease trends, including the COVID-19 pandemic. If the forecasts are accurate, the models can help project future needs of hospitals, identify and detect cases, contribute to overall scenario planning, and shape public policy. The project is composed of two innovations. The first innovation, known as COVID DSAFE, is intended to deliver improved data synthesis and advanced forecasting techniques. Powered by Amazon Forecast, COVID DSAFE produces operational forecasts weekly at the state, county and zip-code level. The second innovation, known as COVID PrivyTRAC, is a contact tracing system that runs on AWS. This system provides for COVID contact tracing with advanced privacy and security features, addressing common privacy concerns via advanced statistical spatio-temporal models.

16:22 EDT Gap reports Q2 Old Navy SSS up 24% y/y - Old Navy Global: Net sales were down 5% reflecting an increase in online sales of 136%, offset by a 36% decline in store sales. Comparable sales were up 24%. Old Navy continued to experience meaningful acceleration in its online business as strong customer response to product was further bolstered by compelling and relevant digital marketing investment. As customers returned to stores, the brand's off-mall and strip real estate locations, which make up approximately 75% of the brand's fleet, ramped up more quickly than other formats and continue to be an advantage. Gap Global: Net sales were down 28% reflecting an increase in online sales of 75%, offset by a 55% decline in store sales. Comparable sales were up 12%. As the brand's fleet rationalization efforts continue, the brand remains focused on maximizing online demand through relevant marketing, improved execution and customer engagement. Banana Republic Global: Net sales were down 52% reflecting an increase in online sales of 26%, offset by a 71% decline in store sales. Comparable sales were down 27%. Banana Republic continues to focus on taking action to adjust to consumer preferences and improve inventory mix as the shift to casual fashion during the stay-at-home requirements has left the brand's work wear assortment disadvantaged. Athleta: Net sales were up 6% reflecting an increase in online sales of 74%, partially offset by a 45% decline in store sales. Comparable sales were up 19%. The brand continues to benefit from the highly relevant values-driven active and lifestyle space in which it participates, further fueled by the brand's deep customer engagement through its powerful omni-channel model.

16:21 EDT VeriSign reports Q2 domain registrations up 0.9% from Q1 - The company states: "VeriSign announced Q2 closed with 370.1M domain name registrations across all top-level domains, an increase of 3.3M domain name registrations, or 0.9%, compared to the first quarter of 2020. Domain name registrations have grown by 15.3M, or 4.3%, year over year."

16:19 EDT SandRidge Permian Trust trading resumes

16:18 EDT Kinder Morgan reports commercial in-service of final unit at Elba Island plant - The Elba Liquefaction Company, L.L.C., a joint venture between Kinder Morgan, Inc. and EIG Global Energy Partners, announced the commercial in-service of Unit 7, the last of 10 Movable Modular Liquefaction units of the approximately $2 billion Elba Liquefaction project. Previously only a liquefied natural gas import terminal, the Elba Island Liquefaction facility is now also producing LNG for export purposes. "The development of this facility was a tremendous undertaking, and we are extremely pleased to have this project in service," said Kinder Morgan Natural Gas East Region President Kimberly Watson. "The team coordinated with our customer and local, state and federal agencies to put in service a new technology for modular liquefaction units. Its functionality as a bi-directional import/export facility makes it ideal for the changing flow patterns that can occur from time to time."

16:16 EDT Gap reports Q2 Old Navy SSS up 25% y/y - Old Navy Global: Net sales were down 5% reflecting an increase in online sales of 136%, offset by a 36% decline in store sales. Comparable sales were up 24%. Old Navy continued to experience meaningful acceleration in its online business as strong customer response to product was further bolstered by compelling and relevant digital marketing investment. As customers returned to stores, the brand's off-mall and strip real estate locations, which make up approximately 75% of the brand's fleet, ramped up more quickly than other formats and continue to be an advantage. Gap Global: Net sales were down 28% reflecting an increase in online sales of 75%, offset by a 55% decline in store sales. Comparable sales were up 12%. As the brand's fleet rationalization efforts continue, the brand remains focused on maximizing online demand through relevant marketing, improved execution and customer engagement. Banana Republic Global: Net sales were down 52% reflecting an increase in online sales of 26%, offset by a 71% decline in store sales. Comparable sales were down 27%. Banana Republic continues to focus on taking action to adjust to consumer preferences and improve inventory mix as the shift to casual fashion during the stay-at-home requirements has left the brand's work wear assortment disadvantaged. Athleta: Net sales were up 6% reflecting an increase in online sales of 74%, partially offset by a 45% decline in store sales. Comparable sales were up 19%. The brand continues to benefit from the highly relevant values-driven active and lifestyle space in which it participates, further fueled by the brand's deep customer engagement through its powerful omni-channel model.

16:14 EDT Ulta Beauty jumps 17% to $262 per share after Q2 results, FY20 guidance

16:12 EDT QEP Resources receives alternative minimum tax credit of $170.7M - QEP Resources announced that it has received its expected alternative minimum tax credit refund of $170.7M, which includes $5.1M of accrued interest. The company expects to use the proceeds from the refund towards the repayment of its senior notes due in March 2021.

16:11 EDT Marvell up 3% to $37.05 after Q2 results beat estimates

16:10 EDT Marvell CEO expects 'revenue growth to continue' in Q3 - "Marvell delivered strong second quarter financial results with revenue above the mid-point of guidance, growing 11% year on year and 5% sequentially. We are expecting revenue growth to continue in the third quarter, driven primarily from 5G wireless infrastructure and cloud datacenter end markets" said Matt Murphy, Marvell's President and CEO. "We also announced the extension of our long-term collaboration with TSMC to deliver a comprehensive silicon portfolio for the data infrastructure market leveraging the industry's most advanced 5 nanometer (nm) process technology. While we continue to invest in advanced technologies for future growth, our team also remains focused on driving operational excellence. Through successful integration execution and continued operational discipline, we expect to drive earnings expansion in the third quarter. Marvell's third quarter guidance takes into account the U.S. Government's export restrictions on certain Chinese customers. Given the ongoing uncertainty associated with COVID-19 and related public health measures, we also have temporarily widened the guidance range on revenue."

16:08 EDT Black Knight aquires DocVerify - Black Knight has acquired DocVerify, a privately held company committed to delivering solutions that provide proof of the integrity of digital documents. DocVerify's digital document verification capabilities are already integrated with Expedite Close, Black Knight's digital closing platform. DocVerify's suite of capabilities includes an eNotary platform supporting both in-person electronic notarization as well as remote online notarization and developer tools. All solutions are built on DocVerify's proprietary VeriVault Verification Platform, a security and storage platform that verifies the content, creator, and creation date of any digital document.

16:07 EDT Ulta Beauty lowers FY20 CAPEX view to $180M-$200M from $200M-$210M - The company states: "We are encouraged by the recent improvement in sales trends, but we believe it will take time to fully return to pre-COVID levels. Given continued disruption from the pandemic, new operational protocols, and near-term employment and economic uncertainty, we expect sales will continue to be challenged for the rest of the yea. Longer-term, we are confident that Beauty will recover and thrive, given continued strong engagement and emotional connection with the category. The company withdrew its guidance for fiscal 2020 on March 17, 2020 and is not providing an earnings outlook at this time. However, the company is providing the following updated assumptions for fiscal 2020: The Company expects to incur between $35 million and $40 million in PPE and COVID-19 related costs in the second half of fiscal 2020; The Company expects to open approximately 30 new stores and execute approximately five relocation projects. Although plans for fiscal 2021 have not been finalized, the Company expects to open at least 30 new stores in fiscal 2021. The Company will continue to evaluate these plans based on demand and location economics, including committed costs incurred; and The Company anticipates capital expenditures will be between $180 million and $200 million, compared to the previous expectation of between $200 million and $210 million."

16:06 EDT Aviat Networks reports Q4 non-GAAP EPS 75c, consensus 27c - Reports Q4 revenue $62.7M, consensus $64.12M. CEO Pete Smith stated, "Despite COVID-19, we achieved an annual Adjusted EBITDA of $13.5M, which exceeded the top end of our Adjusted EBITDA guidance of $11-$12M, and increased over 50% from $8.8M for FY19. (...) As we look forward to FY21, we are expecting both Adjusted EBITDA and revenue to grow compared to FY20. We also expect to see the benefits from our strategic focus including new products such as FAS, our focus on improved reach and adding new customers and our previously announced cost-savings initiatives. We are well-positioned for demand from 5G mobile, mission critical networks and rural broadband."

16:05 EDT Ulta Beauty reports Q2 SSS down 26.7% - Reports Q2 comparable sales decreased 26.7% compared to an increase of 6.2% in the second quarter of fiscal 2019. In the second quarter, transactions declined 36.2% and average ticket increased 14.9%.

16:05 EDT Nutanix CEO Pandey to retire upon selection of next CEO - Nutanix announced that Dheeraj Pandey plans to retire as CEO of Nutanix upon the selection and appointment of the Company's next CEO. "Co-founding and leading Nutanix for the last 11 years has been the single most rewarding experience of my professional career. Guided by a vision of making IT infrastructure so simple that it becomes invisible, our team has built Nutanix into a leader in cloud software and a pioneer in hybrid cloud infrastructure solutions," said Pandey. "With our strong fourth quarter financial results, 29 percent growth in year-over-year run-rate ACV, a delightful software stack, and our recent launch of Nutanix Clusters on AWS bare metal, Nutanix is well positioned for the future. In addition, the $750 million investment from Bain Capital Private Equity announced today underscores the strength of our business and ensures a strong financial foundation to capitalize on the significant opportunities ahead. I am confident there is no better time for me to make this transition to a new leader who can guide Nutanix through its next decade of growth and success." A CEO search committee of the Nutanix Board of Directors will lead the effort to identify and interview candidates with the assistance of a leading global executive search firm.

16:03 EDT Churchill Downs in pact with GAN and Kambi 'to power BetAmerica' - Churchill Downs announced multi-year agreements with GAN Limited and Kambi Group to provide player account management, casino platform, sports trading and risk management services for the Company's sports betting and iGaming business, BetAmerica. The integrated platform will offer the industry's leading online, mobile and on-property sports wagering experiences to BetAmerica's new and existing players. "We believe the transition to GAN and Kambi as our new technology providers will enable our team to execute the rollout of BetAmerica sportsbooks and iGaming product offering more efficiently as states move to legalize and implement regulations permitting sports betting and iGaming in the coming years," said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. "BetAmerica will benefit from the proven excellence of these market-leading providers."

16:01 EDT Red River Bancshares announces up to $3M stock repurchase program - Red River Bancshares announced that its board approved a stock repurchase program. The repurchase program authorizes the company to purchase up to $3M of outstanding shares of common stock through August 27, 2021. Repurchases may be made from time to time in the open market at prevailing prices and based on market conditions, or in privately negotiated transactions.

15:32 EDT Quidel confident COVID test performing 'just as expected' - Says customers have run "well over" 10M tests so far. Says confident that test is performing "just as expected," and is "highly accurate."

15:18 EDT Quidel says only had one significant shipment overseas of COVID tests - Says has only had one significant shipment overseas of COVID tests. Says customer service department "doing a great job" in handling calls about test allocation. Says will be finished with HHS deliveries in the first week of September. Says instruments coming in that month will be available to other customers.

15:08 EDT Quidel says nothing 'unanticipated' from Abbott COVID-19 test announcement - Quidel (QDEL) CEO Doug Bryant said nothing from Abbott (ABT) COVID-19 test announcement was "unanticipated." Says wants Abbott and Becton Dickinson (BDX) to have performance that's "equivalent to ours." Says was "surprised" by $5 price of Abbott. Says has only two effective prices for tests in the marketplace. Says want to maintain price integrity across all spaces. Comments taken from Piper Sandler Med-Tech and Diagnotics California Bus Tour.

14:51 EDT Quidel to introduce Flu+COVID combo assay in September - Quidel (QDEL) announced a business update in advance of today's presentation and investor meetings at the 13th Annual Piper Sandler Med-Tech and Diagnostic California Bus Tour: "Quidel Corporation, an industry leader in the introduction of FDA-authorized rapid tests for a wide range of diseases and medical conditions, remains in the forefront of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Abbott's (ABT) entry into the SARS antigen testing market was fully anticipated, as was the potential scale of visually read lateral flow assays. The assay performance described in the package insert is unsurprising as well and is very encouraging as it further validates the utility of rapid immunoassay technology in addressing the critical testing needs of our nation. The suggestion of lower product pricing was also expected, given how the Alere BinaxNOW Influenza A+B Card had been previously priced relative to other rapid influenza products, including Sofia Influenza A+B, the premier product and market leader in rapid influenza testing. Quidel's Sofia has an installed base of over 50,000 Sofia instruments in the United States. The Sofia system has features that customers find attractive, such as an objectively read result, internal controls that ensure testing accuracy, and the Virena(R) data management system, which provides aggregated, de-identified testing data in near real-time to thousands of hospital systems, urgent care networks and public health officials. These differentiating features are valuable to customers and help to explain the price difference between Sofia assays -- like Influenza A+B, Strep A and RSV - and visually read products." "Quidel's new product development engine is what has historically fueled its growth," the company added. "Quidel plans to introduce a Sofia Flu + COVID Antigen combination assay, a Sofia Serology assay, and a Solana molecular SARS assay in September. Quidel is also developing SARS and SARS combination assays in its QuickVue format."

14:22 EDT Nike expresses support for NBA, WNBA players protesting Blake shooting - Nike released the following statement via Twitter: "Nike stands in support of NBA and WNBA players and athletes across the sports community in their response to the senseless shooting of Jacob Blake. We remain committed to addressing the issue of systemic racism experienced by the Black community." Reference Link

13:45 EDT Entergy says 360,000 customers without power as of 11 am Thursday - Members of Entergy's storm team are assessing damages and restoring power where it is safe to do so after Hurricane Laura made landfall early Thursday morning near Cameron as a Category 4 hurricane, causing "widespread damage to Entergy's electrical system and knocking out power to customers across Louisiana and east Texas," the company announced. "As of 11 a.m. Thursday, approximately 360,000 customers throughout Entergy's service territories were without power. While restoration efforts are beginning behind Laura in Texas and Louisiana, additional outages are occurring as the powerful storm travels north into Arkansas. Laura brought storm surge, heavy rain and sustained winds of up to 145 mph when it made landfall along the Gulf Coast," Entergy stated.

13:02 EDT Fannie Mae appoints Jeffery Hayward EVP Chief Administrative Officer - Fannie Mae has appointed Jeffery Hayward to the newly created position of Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer and Michele Evans as Executive Vice President and Head of Multifamily, effective immediately. Hayward, previously Head of Fannie Mae's Multifamily business, will lead Fannie Mae's Affordable Housing; Environmental, Social, and Governance, ESG; Human Resources; Diversity & Inclusion; and Enterprise Workplace teams. Evans most recently served as Fannie Mae Multifamily Chief Operating Officer. The new role of Chief Administrative Officer reflects Fannie Mae's ongoing commitment to affordable housing, diversity and inclusion, and leading the industry with the company's ESG efforts. "We're fortunate to have someone of Jeff's unique experience and talent to help us mobilize our most important asset - our human capital. He understands both the moral urgency and competitive value of diversity and inclusion to our own organization and to the broader housing industry. Jeff has the passion, energy, and commercial mindset needed to forge new, creative partnerships with others who share our willingness to invest intellectual, human, and financial capital in change that is lasting and meaningful," said David C. Benson, President, Fannie Mae. "Michele has built strong, trusted relationships with our Multifamily customers, driven change and innovation, and managed Multifamily's business operations. At a time when affordable rental housing is more important than ever to our country, she is the right person to lead our Multifamily team

12:41 EDT Applied DNA awaits final NY review to launch COVID-19 'testing-as-a-service' - Applied DNA Sciences announced that the company's wholly owned diagnostics testing subsidiary, Applied DNA Clinical Labs, has completed all compliance and clinical data submissions required under the Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program administered by the New York State Department of Health's Wadsworth Center to secure a clinical laboratory permit to conduct COVID-19 testing. Upon approval of certain submissions by CLEP, the company anticipates an on-site inspection by DoH personnel in the coming weeks that, if successful, would complete the permitting process. Certification as a CLEP- approved clinical lab would initiate the launch of ADCL's "testing-as-a-service," or TaaS, offering that will utilize the company's Linea COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Assay Kit, to enable clinical testing of patient samples. James Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA, said: "Certain areas of the country, including in New York State, are experiencing testing shortages that will likely be exacerbated by health officials' evolving testing strategies to more broadly and safely reopen the country and the economy. This suggests persistent and growing demand for testing that positions our TaaS offering as compelling service for customers seeking to screen consistently and on an ongoing basis."

12:09 EDT Total 'fully supports' SunPower spin-off of Maxeon Solar - SunPower (SPWR), majority owned by Total (TOT) since 2011, has successfully completed the strategic transaction, announced last November, to create two independent public companies - SunPower and Maxeon Solar Technologies (MAXN). Concurrently, Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor Co., or TZS, a long-term partner of SunPower, is taking a minority share of Maxeon Solar Technologies through a $298M equity investment, Total noted. Total said it "fully supports this strategic move," which will allow SunPower to focus on developing its positions in the North American distributed generation and storage market. Total remains majority shareholder of SunPower with a shareholding of 51.7%. Total also welcomes the investment of TZS in Maxeon Solar Technologies, which it said will facilitate the scale-up of Maxeon 5 premium solar panels production capacity. Total with a shareholding of 34.6% is the main shareholder of the newly created company Maxeon Solar Technologies, alongside with the new shareholder TZS who owns 28.848%. Commenting on the transaction, Total Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanne said: "Throughout our decade-long cooperation, SunPower has always demonstrated a remarkable innovation spirit and agility. Today's strategic milestone will ensure the business sustainability and enhance performance of both activities. The creation of two separate public companies initiated by Total as the majority shareholder of SunPower will enable them to fully leverage their strengths on focused businesses : distributed generation marketing on the US market on one side and solar panels manufacturing on the other side." Reference Link

12:04 EDT PEDEVCO Corp. trading halted, news pending

12:00 EDT Garrett Motion falls -12.5% - Garrett Motion is down -12.5%, or -48c to $3.36.

12:00 EDT AMC Entertainment rises 16.3% - AMC Entertainment is up 16.3%, or 92c to $6.51.

12:00 EDT Veoneer rises 16.7% - Veoneer is up 16.7%, or $1.83 to $12.79.

11:34 EDT Playtech confirms talks regarding possible sale of TradeTech division - Playtech notes the recent speculation regarding the possible disposal of its financials division, TradeTech. "As Playtech has previously announced it is continuing to evaluate all options for TradeTech, including a potential sale of the division. Playtech confirms that it is in discussions with a number of parties regarding a sale of the division. However, these discussions are at an early stage and there can be no certainty that any transaction will be forthcoming or whether acceptable terms will be agreed. TradeTech continues to make a valuable contribution to the Group and, as the Company announced on 5 August, TradeTech had an exceptional performance in H1 2020 as it benefitted from the increase in market volatility and trading volumes. A further announcement will be made if and when appropriate," the company announced in press release issued to RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange.

11:12 EDT SandRidge Permian Trust trading halted, news pending

10:14 EDT Fannie Mae suspends single-family mortgage foreclosures, evictions through 2020 - Fannie Mae announced an extension of the temporary moratorium on foreclosures and evictions until December 31, 2020. "The moratorium, which was previously set to expire on August 31, 2020, is effective immediately and applies to properties with single-family mortgages backed by Fannie Mae. The suspension of evictions applies only to homes owned by Fannie Mae and does not apply to tenants in homes that have not been foreclosed," the GSE announced.

10:06 EDT Microsoft rallies after CNBC says TikTok deal may come in next 48 hours - Shares of Microsoft (MSFT) moved higher after sources told CNBC's Julia Boorstin that TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer's exit indicates that a deal, likely a sale to Microsoft, could come in the next 48 hours. Microsoft confirmed on August 2 that it has held talks with ByteDance to acquire TIkTok in the U.S. Oracle (ORCL) has also reportedly shown interest in acquiring the U.S. business of TikTok. Shares of Microsoft are up 4%, or $8.05, to $229.20 following CNBC's report.

10:03 EDT Amazon, John Hancock announce strategic collaboration - Amazon (AMZN) and John Hancock, the U.S. division of Toronto-based Manulife (MFC), announced a strategic collaboration to provide engaging tools and resources to help John Hancock life insurance customers improve their individual health. The companies said in a release, "This effort builds on John Hancock's longstanding commitment to help Americans live longer, healthier lives, while providing the peace of mind that comes with owning a life insurance policy. John Hancock is the first life insurer to integrate with Amazon Halo, as part of Amazon's latest venture into the health and wellness space. John Hancock, combined with Amazon's innovative new technology, will help life insurance customers make connections between their fitness, sleep and other lifestyle habits to better understand their overall health through the John Hancock Vitality Program. Starting this fall, all John Hancock Vitality customers will be able to link the Amazon Halo Band to the program to earn Vitality Points for the small, everyday steps they take to try to live a longer, healthier life. Additionally, Amazon Halo Band will be the featured complimentary wearable for eligible John Hancock Vitality members, including three years of Halo membership, when Halo becomes available to the general public. Since the launch of John Hancock Vitality in 2015, the company has continuously made enhancements to the program to better meet customers' changing needs and expectations across physical activity, nutrition, mental health and more. This is the latest step in helping customers understand how their daily choices can help address their overall well-being. The Amazon Halo service is anchored by a mobile app which provides insights into traditional metrics as well as new-to-world tools and features to enable customers to build healthier habits. The accompanying Amazon Halo Band is a wearable health and wellness device that quietly measures your activity, heart rate, sleep, and tone of voice to provide insights into your individual health within the Halo app. John Hancock Vitality customers can sync the Halo Band with their Vitality account to earn points, including: Activity--Amazon Halo measures activity based on a combination of motion and heart rate. Informed by global physical activity guidelines and the latest medical research, Halo scores activity based on the intensity and duration of movement. John Hancock customers will be able to earn Vitality Points using Halo for physical activity by meeting step count or target heart rate thresholds. Sleep--Amazon Halo measures time asleep, time awake, and time spent in the various phases of sleep including deep, light, and REM. Each morning Halo members receive an overall score rating their sleep, with a hypnogram showing sleep cycles. John Hancock Vitality customers will be awarded points for a good night's sleep as measured by their Amazon Halo Band. Labs--Amazon Halo Labs are science-backed challenges or experiments that allow Halo members to discover what works for them individually. At launch, Halo will offer more than 100 labs developed by experts from some of the world's leading health and wellness brands and research institutions across activity, sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness, with new labs added regularly. John Hancock Vitality customers can earn Vitality Points for completing Halo Labs. Over time, Amazon and John Hancock, together with Manulife, will explore additional opportunities to expand the program. John Hancock life insurance customers can also earn Amazon gift cards, and for those who reach the highest levels of Vitality engagement, an Amazon Prime membership."

10:01 EDT Microsoft rallies after CNBC says TikTok may come in next 48 hours - Shares of Microsoft (MSFT) moved higher after sources told CNBC's Julia Boorstin that TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer's exit indicates that a deal, likely a sale to Microsoft, could come in the next 48 hours. Microsoft confirmed on August 2 that it has held talks with ByteDance to acquire TIkTok in the U.S. Oracle (ORCL) has also reportedly shown interest in acquiring the U.S. business of TikTok. Shares of Microsoft are up 4%, or $8.05, to $229.20 following CNBC's report.

10:00 EDT Far Point Acquisition falls -11.9% - Far Point Acquisition is down -11.9%, or -$1.37 to $10.18.

10:00 EDT Six Flags rises 8.7% - Six Flags is up 8.7%, or $1.78 to $22.28.

10:00 EDT Veoneer rises 17.2% - Veoneer is up 17.2%, or $1.88 to $12.84.

09:47 EDT Quest Diagnostics falls -7.0% - Quest Diagnostics is down -7.0%, or -$8.24 to $110.09.

09:47 EDT Greif falls -8.1% - Greif is down -8.1%, or -$3.19 to $36.21.

09:47 EDT Abercrombie & Fitch rises 11.9% - Abercrombie & Fitch is up 11.9%, or $1.33 to $12.46.

09:44 EDT Northwest Biotherapeutics announces accelerated Sawston plant buildout - Northwest Biotherapeutics announced that the company is "pursuing an intensive program of manufacturing preparations and planning as the company approaches top line data from its Phase III trial of DCVax(R)-L." Northwest added: "A cornerstone of this expanding program is completion of the Phase I buildout of the Sawston, UK manufacturing facility. With construction crews working double shifts to accelerate this completion, the Company currently anticipates the Phase I buildout will finish by mid-October of 2020."

09:30 EDT Montare, Avalon Energy enter pact regarding SandRidge Permian Trust - Montare Resources I announced that it entered into an agreement with Avalon Energy and its affiliates regarding Avalon Energy's ownership of 13,125,000 Common Units of Sandridge Permian Trust, 100% of the working interests underlying the overriding royalty interests owned by the Trust and all other related assets used in connection with operating the underlying properties related thereto. Avalon Energy has agreed, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, to contribute all of its Units and its other Trust related assets to Montare and has granted Montare an irrevocable proxy to vote its Units. Avalon has also granted exclusivity to Montare with respect to any transaction involving Avalon and/or the Trust, and has agreed to support Montare's acquisition of the Trust and not to take any action that is detrimental to or hinders Montare's ability to consummate an acquisition of the Trust.

09:21 EDT AIM ImmunoTech says Ampligen decreased SARS-CoV-2 infectious viral yields by 90% - AIM ImmunoTech announced that it has identified an effective in vitro model at The Institute for Antiviral Research at Utah State University for testing Ampligen, a dsRNA TLR3 agonist, and the results show that Ampligen was able to decrease SARS-CoV-2 infectious viral yields by 90% at clinically achievable intranasal Ampligen dosage levels. This result supports AIM's goal of developing an intranasal prophylactic approach using Ampligen to prevent COVID-19. The 3D-mucociliary tissue culture of normal, human-derived tracheal/bronchial epithelial cells sufficiently models some of the key innate immune responses needed to demonstrate Ampligen's prophylactic effect on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The 90% effective concentration, or EC90, of Ampligen observed in this tissue culture model is clinically achievable in human subjects to presumptively decrease SARS-CoV-2. Currently, there is a lack of an adequate animal model and therefore the company utilized the USA-WA1/2020 strain of SARS-CoV-2 in a 3-D, in vitro model of normal, human-derived tracheal/bronchial epithelial cells. The results show that Ampligen was able to decrease SARS-CoV-2 infectious viral yields by 90% at clinically achievable intranasal Ampligen dosage levels. This result supports AIM's goal of developing an intranasal prophylactic approach using Ampligen to prevent COVID-19.

09:10 EDT GoPro launches live streaming service for GoPro Plus subscribers - GoPro launched a high-quality live streaming service, for GoPro Plus subscribers to live stream from their GoPro camera to GoPro.com. The company also released new firmware for HERO8 Black that adds HyperSmooth 2.0 High and Boost to more video settings and includes official webcam support for macOS. Windows support for GoPro Webcam is now in beta and available for download. GoPro HERO8 Black firmware update enables the GoPro to work as an HD Webcam.

09:07 EDT Amazon introduces health and wellness wristband named Halo - Amazon (AMZN) introduced Amazon Halo, a "new service dedicated to helping customers improve their individual health and wellness." Amazon Halo combines a suite of artificial intelligence-powered health features "that provide actionable insights into overall wellness via the new Amazon Halo app with the Amazon Halo Band, which uses multiple advanced sensors to provide the highly accurate information necessary to power Halo insights," Amazon said in a statement. Customers in the U.S. can request early access to Amazon Halo starting today, with the Amazon Halo Band and six months of Halo membership available for a special price of $64.99. Shares of Fitbit (FIT) are down 13c to $6.32 following the news.

09:06 EDT Beyond Meat launches e-commerce site for products - Beyond Meat is launching a new e-commerce site and a whole new way to shop for Beyond Meat products. Featuring unparalleled access to a vast portfolio of signature plant-based meats, including all-new bulk packs, mixed product bundles, limited-time offers, trial packs and more, the direct-to-consumer site is a new and convenient way to experience Beyond Meat. Available for order in the contiguous U.S., the online shop brings the plant-based meat consumers know and love directly to their doors, with 2-day shipping included on all orders. The addition of a direct-to-consumer site complements the company's expansive retail presence in 26,000 retail outlets across the US, including Target, Walmart, Kroger, Safeway and Whole Foods, as well as at club stores like Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale.

09:05 EDT Natera collaborating with Massachusetts General Hospital for breast cancer trial - Natera announced a collaborative agreement with Mass General Cancer Center of Massachusetts General Hospital, related to an investigator-initiated multi-center, Phase II randomized clinical trial of Ribociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, for the treatment of ER-positive breast cancer, the first circulating tumor DNA-based study of a CDK4/6 inhibitor in ER-positive early stage breast cancer. The LEADER test will randomize patients who have localized post-menopausal breast cancer with detectable ctDNA after surgery as evidence of minimal residual disease, and will determine tumor molecular response after Ribociclib in combination with endocrine therapy versus endocrine therapy alone. Natera's Signatera test will be used to determine patient enrollment eligibility based on presence of ctDNA via longitudinal monitoring and to evaluate response based on ctDNA clearance as the primary endpoint. The FDA has approved Ribociclib in combination with aromatase inhibitors as a first-line treatment option for advanced/metastatic disease.

09:04 EDT SunPower, Maxeon Solar complete spin-off transaction - SunPower (SPWR) and Maxeon Solar Technologies (MAXN) announced that they completed the strategic transaction announced last November, separating into two independent public companies. Each will now focus on their critical success factors for their respective business models. SunPower has distributed to holders of its shares one Maxeon share for every eight SunPower shares held on close of business on Aug. 17, the record date for the spin-off. Maxeon's ordinary shares begin trading Aug. 27 on NASDAQ under "MAXN."

09:02 EDT Parexel, Pfizer sign new master service agreement - Parexel announced it has signed a new master service agreement with Pfizer. This continues our decade-long partnership, demonstrating the longstanding trust built into the strategic collaboration. The agreement is for a three-year term with an option to extend for an additional two years. The strategic focus of the new agreement with Pfizer is focused on driving industry-leading cycle times for Pfizer's development efforts. Parexel will provide Pfizer clinical development services via full-service, hybrid and functional service provider models across all therapeutic areas, including rare diseases, oncology, inflammation and immunology and internal and hospital-based medicines.

09:00 EDT Quidel, Thermo Fisher among testmakers slipping after Abbott COVID test approved - Shares of a number of diagnostic test makers are sliding this morning after Abbott (ABT) announced that the FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorization for its BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card rapid test for detection of COVID-19 infection. Abbott will sell this test, which is "highly portable, affordable and provides results in 15 minutes," for $5, the company announced last night. In pre-market trading, shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) are down about 3%, Quidel (QDEL) shares are down 20%, Becton Dickinson (BDX) shares are down 7% and Hologic (HOLX) shares are down about 8%. In addition, shares of LabCorp (LH) are down 6% and Quest Diagnostics (DGX) shares are down 7%.

08:42 EDT Exelon to retire Byron, Dresden Generating Stations in fall 2021 - Exelon Generation, a subsidiary of Exelon, said in a release, "Exelon Generation announced today that it intends to retire its Byron Generating Station and Dresden Generating Station in fall 2021, resulting in the loss of four nuclear generation units that together supply clean, zero-emissions energy to more than four million homes and businesses in northern Illinois. Byron, located just outside Byron, Ill., will close in September 2021, and Dresden, located in Morris, Ill., will close in November 2021. Dresden is licensed to operate for another decade and Byron for another 20 years. Together, they employ more than 1,500 full-time employees and 2,000 supplemental workers during refueling outages, most from local union halls. The plants pay nearly $63 million in taxes annually to support local schools, fire, police and other services. The two plants supply 30 percent of Illinois' carbon-free energy and are essential to meeting the state's goal to achieve 100 percent clean energy. Despite being among the most efficient and reliable units in the nation's nuclear fleet, Dresden and Byron face revenue shortfalls in the hundreds of millions of dollars because of declining energy prices and market rules that allow fossil fuel plants to underbid clean resources in the PJM capacity auction, even though there is broad public support for sustaining and expanding clean energy resources to address the climate crisis. The plants' economic challenges are further exacerbated by a recent FERC ruling that undermines longstanding state clean energy programs and gives an additional competitive advantage to polluting energy sources in the auction. As a result of these market rules, Exelon Generation's LaSalle and Braidwood nuclear stations in Illinois, each of which house two nuclear units and together employ more than 1,500 skilled workers, are also at high risk for premature closure. Studies have shown that when nuclear plants close, plants that burn fossil fuels operate much more often, increasing harmful carbon and air pollution, especially in disadvantaged communities. In January 2019, Illinois committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the targets set in the Paris climate agreement. While the state is currently at roughly 85 percent progress towards the 2025 goal, if the four economically challenged nuclear plants (Dresden, Byron, Braidwood and LaSalle) prematurely retire, Illinois will drop to only 20 percent of the way toward the goal. Electric sector emissions in Illinois will increase by 70 percent. Despite these consequences, Exelon Generation must act now to prevent further shortfalls and give its employees, contractors and community partners time to prepare for the loss of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in taxes, donations and local purchasing. The notification also is necessary to give PJM enough time to conduct an analysis confirming that retiring Byron and Dresden will not cause a shortage of generating capacity in northern Illinois during times of peak demand. In the days and weeks ahead, Exelon Generation will file a deactivation notice with PJM and inform key stakeholders and regulatory agencies of the retirements. In addition, the company will: Make official shutdown notifications to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission within 30 days; Terminate capital investment projects required for long term operation of Dresden and Byron; and Scale back the refueling outages scheduled for this fall at Dresden and Byron. The move will result in spending reductions of $50 million and the elimination of up to 1,400 of the more than 2,000 mostly union jobs typically associated with the two refueling outages. While retirement preparations are underway, employees will continue to operate the plants at world-class levels of safety and operational excellence until they are decommissioned. Exelon Generation will work to place affected plant employees at other Exelon facilities or help them transition to positions outside the company, wherever possible."

08:37 EDT Evergy CEO Terry Bassham to retire - Evergy said in a release, "Evergy announced that Terry Bassham has informed the Board of his decision to retire as President, CEO and a Director of Evergy. To ensure a smooth transition, Bassham will continue to serve as Director, President and CEO of Evergy until his successor is appointed. The Board has formed a search committee to complete the company's CEO succession process. Tom Hyde, Lead Independent Director, Mollie Carter, Chair of the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee, Sandra Lawrence, Chair of the Nominating, Governance, and Corporate Responsibility Committee, Ann Murtlow, Chair of the Power Delivery and Safety Committee, and Paul Keglevic, Co-chair of the Strategic Review and Operations Committee and Finance Committee, along with Mark Ruelle, Board Chair, will serve as members of the committee, with Ruelle serving as its chair. The committee will review both internal and external candidates and expects to conclude its work by year end."

08:34 EDT Durect presenting data from Phase 2a trial of alcoholic hepatitis candidate - Durect announced the presentation of pharmacokinetic data from a Phase 2a study of DUR-928 in alcoholic hepatitis at the Digital International Liver Congress 2020 on August 27-29. DUR-928 was well tolerated at all doses tested in 19 AH patients, including 12 severe AH patients. These PK data, together with other available information for the drug, have been used to inform dose selection in the company's upcoming Phase 2b study of DUR-298 in AH, planned to begin in the second half of 2020. Durect's Phase 2a AH study evaluated doses of 30, 90, or 150 mg of DUR-928 administered by intravenous infusion for 2 hours on Day 1 and Day 4, with patients followed for 28 days. DUR-928 was well tolerated at all doses tested. All patients treated with DUR-928 survived through the 28-day follow-up period. Patients treated with DUR-928 had a statistically significant reduction from baseline in bilirubin at days 7 and 28, and in model of end-stage liver disease score at day 28. There was a 100% treatment response rate in patients receiving 30 or 90 mg doses; and an 89% response rate in all patients. 74% of all DUR-928 treated patients and 67% of those with severe AH were discharged from the hospital within four days after receiving a single dose of DUR-928. There were no drug-related serious adverse events, discontinuations or early withdrawals, or termination of study drug or study participation due to adverse events.

08:32 EDT NewRez appoints Brad Jones - NewRez said in a release, "NewRez announced that Brad Jones has joined as Chief Marketing Officer effective immediately. Mr. Jones will join the NewRez senior leadership team and report directly to Chief Production Officer Jeff Gravelle. As Chief Marketing Officer of NewRez, Mr. Jones will oversee the strategic planning, development and execution of marketing and advertising efforts across all NewRez lending channels, including Direct-to-Consumer, Joint Venture/Retail, Wholesale, and Correspondent Lending, as well as servicing and ancillary businesses. Most recently, Mr. Jones served as Vice President of Marketing Strategy at Guaranteed Rate."

08:29 EDT GreenVision Acquisition announces merger agreement with AHA, to change name - GreenVision Acquisition (GRNV) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination with Accountable Healthcare America, or AHA, a growth-oriented, technology-enabled population health management company. The transaction will introduce AHA as a Nasdaq-listed public company. Upon closing of the transaction, it is expected that GreenVision will be renamed AHA Healthcare and remain on the Nasdaq Stock Market, listed under a new ticker symbol. Assuming full redemption of the GreenVision IPO trust funds, the transaction implies an initial enterprise value for the combined company of approximately $150M, or 8.5x AHA's estimated 2020 EBITDA of $17.6M and 6.6 times AHA's projected 2021 EBITDA of $22.6M. Assuming no redemption of the GreenVision IPO trust funds, the post-merger company will have an initial market capitalization of approximately $127M. Headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and founded in 2014 with a combined 125 years of experience in the Medicare managed care space, AHA owns and manages Medicare-focused, risk-bearing provider networks using a combination of a patent-pending proprietary cloud-based data analytics platform and advanced medical management processes. The company specializes in providing care for Medicare patients with multiple chronic conditions leveraging its data-driven integrated platform. Upon closing of the business combination, the post-merger company will own 13 primary care clinics and manage 68 primary care practices in Florida comprising 326 providers with a total of 28,000 patients on its platform. The post-merger company projects $17.6M EBITDA in 2020 and $22.6M EBITDA in 2021. Upon the closing of the business combination, the management team of the post-merger company will be led by Warren Hosseinion, chairman and CEO, who was previously the co-founder and CEO of Apollo Medical (AMEH). GreenVision shares that will be held in escrow at the closing of the business combination and will be released and issued to the AHA security holders in the event that the closing price of GreenVision's share of common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share for any 20 trading days within any 30 trading day period immediately following the closing of the business combination, but prior to the first anniversary of the closing, or AHA achieves $17.5M or more of EBITDA for FY20. Upon the consummation of the transaction, AHA's current shareholders will convert their equity into approximately 71% of the outstanding shares of the combined company, assuming full redemption by GreenVision's public shareholders, and AHA will take control of the business operations of the post-merger company. GreenVision currently holds approximately $57.5M in its trust account. After giving effect to any redemption by the public stockholders of GreenVision, the balance of the cash held in GreenVision's trust account will be used to pay transaction expenses and to fund the post-merger company's growth and for general corporate purposes. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both GreenVision and AHA. Further, the stockholders of AHA have approved the transaction. The proposed business combination is expected to be completed in Q4, subject to approval by GreenVision's shareholders and other customary closing conditions which are specified in the merger agreement. Under the terms of GreenVision's governing documents, it has until November 21 to complete a business combination. However, the time period may be extended for up to two additional three-month periods upon the placement of an additional $575,000 for one extension of three months into the trust account. Under the terms of the merger agreement, AHA has provided a deposit of $575,000 to GreenVision which may be used to fund the first three-month extension period. .

08:27 EDT Empire State Realty provides business, rent collection update - The company collected 93% of billings of rents and all other charges in July, with 96% for office tenants and 78% for retail tenants. Rents and all other charges in August include the billing of real estate taxes, which are typically processed by tenants more slowly than base rent charges, and total collections as a percentage of the amount billed are therefore lower than July. As of August 24, the company collected 86% of total August billings, with 89% for office tenants and 72% for retail tenants. August base rent collections totaled 94% through August 24th, with 95% for office tenants and 84% for retail tenants. The Empire State Building Observatory 86th floor deck reopened on July 20 and the 102nd floor reopened on August 24. In the face of international, national, and local travel restrictions and quarantines, ESRT has seen steady, weekly increases in visitors. In the week concluded August 23, attendance was just under 4% of 2019 comparable period attendance; steady progress yet below the 5% projection for traffic in August set forth in the July investor deck. The company's fully expected return of attendance to pre COVID-19 levels is closely tied to national and international travel trends and these remain adversely impacted by COVID-19 developments. As announced in its Q2 earnings call, ESRT has taken measures to reduce its cost structure, operating expenditures, capital expenditures and G&A. Non-essential capital expenditures have been deferred, and headcount has been reduced through furloughs and reduction in force. The company continues to explore additional cost reduction measures.

08:25 EDT TFI International appoints Rosemary Turner to board of directors - TFI International announced that Rosemary Turner has joined its Board of Directors. Turner spent 40 years at UPS, most recently serving as president of Northern California operations, and previously as president of the Southern California district, the Northern Plains district and the Chesapeake district.

08:24 EDT Vaxart appoints Karen Wilson to board of directors - Vaxart (VXRT) announced the appointment of Karen J. Wilson to its Board of Directors and as chair of its Audit Committee. Karen Wilson is currently senior vice president of finance at Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and an independent director for Angion Biomedica Board of Directors.

08:21 EDT OncoCyte appoints Jennifer Carter to board of directors - Oncocyte announced the appointment of Jennifer Levin Carter, MD, MPH, MBA to its Board of Directors. Jennifer Levin Carter was most recently VP, Head of Precision Health at Integral Health.

08:17 EDT Applied Molecular Transport doses first patient in Phase 2 study in AMT-101 - Applied Molecular Transport announced that the first patient has been dosed in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter Phase 2a study evaluating the efficacy and safety of oral AMT-101 in patients with moderate to severely active ulcerative colitis. AMT-101 is a gut-selective, oral, once-daily, biologic fusion protein of interleukin 10 which utilizes the company's proprietary platform technology to harness the power of natural active transport mechanisms for a potentially more efficacious and safer biologic therapeutic. The Phase 2a study will include approximately 100 adult patients with moderate to severely active UC who will be randomized 2:1 to either receive oral AMT-101 or placebo for 12 weeks of treatment. The global study will enroll both biologic-experienced and naive patients in approximately 20 countries. The primary endpoint of the study is to assess the efficacy of repeat oral doses of AMT-101 versus placebo in reducing components of the Mayo Score at week 12. Secondary endpoints include safety, pharmacokinetics, health-related quality of life, and markers of disease activity as measured by symptoms, endoscopy, histology, and biomarkers. Exploratory objectives include assessments of the pharmacodynamic effect on inflammation and biomarkers, as well as PK parameters in mucosal tissue.

08:16 EDT Seattle Genetics to receive milestone payment under ADC collaboration with GSK - Seattle Genetics (SGEN) said in a release, "Seattle Genetics announced that it will receive a milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) triggered by European Commission conditional marketing authorisation for GSK's BLENREP (belantamab mafodotin), an antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC, targeting B-cell maturation antigen, or BCMA, that utilizes Seattle Genetics' proprietary technology. BLENREP was developed and will be commercialized by GSK. In addition to the milestone payment, Seattle Genetics is entitled to royalties on BLENREP product sales. BLENREP was approved as monotherapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma in adult patients who have received at least four prior therapies and whose disease is refractory to at least one proteasome inhibitor, one immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, and who have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy."

08:13 EDT CymaBay presents final results from 52-week Phase 2 study in PBC - CymaBay Therapeutics announced final results from a previously completed open-label Phase 2 study of seladelpar in patients with primary biliary cholangitis. These data will be made available as an electronic presentation through the Digital International Liver Congress 2020 of the European Association for the Study of Liver which will be held online August 27th - 29th and were selected for inclusion in the "Best of ILC" presentation. The presentation titled "Durability of treatment response after 1 year of therapy with seladelpar in patients with primary biliary cholangitis: final results of an international phase 2 study," was delivered by Dr. Cynthia Levy, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Miami. This electronic presentation highlights the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of seladelpar over 1 year of open-label treatment. Eligible PBC patients with either an inadequate response or intolerance to ursodeoxycholic acid were either sequentially assigned or randomized to daily seladelpar at 2 mg, 5/10 mg or 10 mg groups and treated for 1 year. At 1 year, the mean decreases in ALP were 41% and 45% in the 5/10 mg and 10 mg groups, respectively. A key secondary endpoint was the composite responder rate measured at 1 year and defined as a patient with ALP less than1.67 x ULN, greater than or equal to 15% decrease in ALP, and total bilirubin less than or equal toULN. At 1 year, 55% and 69% of patients met the composite responder endpoint in the 5/10 mg and 10 mg groups, respectively. Mean decreases in ALT, AST, and GGT were observed in all treatment groups. Normalization of ALP levels at 1 year occurred in 14% and 33% in the 5/10 mg and 10 mg, respectively. Pruritus was evaluated at baseline through 1 year for patients in the 5/10 mg and 10 mg groups using visual analogue scale, 5D-itch scale and PBC-40 questionnaires. Substantial improvement in pruritus at 1 year in patients with moderate to severe pruritus was seen in 58% and 93% of patients in the 5/10 mg and 10 mg groups, respectively. Seladelpar in doses up to 10 mg appeared safe and well-tolerated in patients with and without cirrhosis. Of the 119 patients that received at least one dose of seladelpar, 14 serious adverse events were documented and none were related to seladelpar. Four patients discontinued the study due to an adverse event. Nine patients had liver biopsies performed during the long-term study after treatment with seladelpar ranging from 15 - 33 months. Post-treatment liver biopsy findings were consistent with expected features of PBC.

08:09 EDT Leaf Group announces results from study on consumer behavior - Leaf Group announced the findings of a comprehensive survey across the company's largest digital properties. With a sample size of over 20,000 participants representing Leaf Group's digital audience from Hunker, Livestrong.com, Society6, and Well+Good, the survey aims to gain an understanding of how perspectives have changed across a number of categories, including cooking, cleaning, fitness, home decor, and more, since April 2020. The data, collected between April 6 - 13, 2020, and again between July 9 - 16, 2020, show that, despite economic uncertainty, Leaf Group's audience is spending more online: 74% of respondents say they are regularly shopping online in July vs. 54% in April. Data also show a 16% increase in those prioritizing wellness and beauty routines in July vs. April, and 69% of respondents say organizing their home has become a part of their regular routine. When asked what readers were most worried about right now, the majority of respondents reported the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country, as well as the presidential election were top concerns. The latest report also revealed permanent changes to consumer behaviors, including prioritizing a more home-centric lifestyle. Of Well+Good's respondents1, 89% say they will continue to cook at home even as businesses reopen and stay-at-home orders ease. Additionally, 75% of Well+Good respondents say they will continue to participate in at-home workouts and 66% will adopt at-home beauty or self-care routines, even after stay-at-home orders are lifted, while 63% of survey participants from Livestrong.com2 say they have no plans to return to the gym after it reopens. 67% of Hunker respondents3 plan to spend the same amount on home goods or plan to spend even more in the second half of 2020. In addition to COVID-related behavior changes, the study includes insights into how consumers expect brands to respond in fighting systemic racism. For example, rather than passively observing the unfolding developments, the majority of respondents reported actively seeking out information to learn more about systemic racism and how to fight it. Additionally, two times as many people surveyed want companies to take proactive action to support BIPOC-owned businesses rather than focusing solely on supportive communications and social messaging.

08:07 EDT Emerson Electric to acquire Open Systems International for $1.6B in cash - Emerson announced it has agreed to acquire Open Systems International for $1.6 billion in an all cash transaction. Emerson said in a release, "OSI Inc. is an operations technology software provider that broadens and complements Emerson's robust software portfolio and ability to help customers in the global power industry, as well as other end markets, in their quest to transform and digitize operations to more seamlessly incorporate renewable energy sources and improve energy efficiency and reliability. The acquisition will complement Emerson's existing robust portfolio of software and automation technologies that support the world's essential industries. OSI Inc. is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and has approximately 1,000 employees globally. The acquisition is expected to close in early fiscal 2021, subject to various regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions."

08:06 EDT Emerson Electric to acquire Open Systems International for $1.6B in cash

08:06 EDT 1-800-Flowers.com partners with Universal Pictures for flower and film gift - 1-800-Flowers.com has teamed up with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, making some of its most popular films available to gift-givers as an add-on purchase. 1-800-Flowers.com customers can now purchase a digital movie as a complement to their gift, while also letting their gift recipients select the movie of their choice from hundreds of films from the Universal vault. The movie is the recipient's to keep, helping them build their personal library through the free digital movie collection app, Movies Anywhere.

08:05 EDT Capstone Turbine executes five-year factory protection plan contract - Capstone Turbine announced that it signed a new factory protection plan, or FPP, long-term service contract for a Capstone C600 Signature Series microturbine installed in a food production facility. The C600S runs grid-connected using clean natural gas, and the co-generation application is the factory's prime energy source using power and steam for cooking cured meats.

08:03 EDT electroCore announces publication highlighting nVNS potential role in PTSD - electroCore announced the publication of a paper, entitled, "Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation decreases brain activity during trauma scripts1," by Wittbrodt, Bremner et. al. in the journal Brain Stimulation. The paper reports on a double-blind sham-controlled study of nineteen participants who had experienced trauma but did not have the diagnosis of PTSD and highlights the ability of nVNS to decrease the fear associated with emotional stress. The authors hypothesized that nVNS could mitigate the stress associated with traumatic triggers compared to a sham device based on its ability to decrease the level of neural activity in areas of the brain believed to be responsible for the negative reaction. Throughout several regions of the brain, stimulation with nVNS lead to significant improvements in the brain's ability to react to and process traumatic stimuli as measured by High Resolution Positron Emission Tomography. The data further suggests the activity of nVNS was seen immediately upon exposure to the traumatic stimuli and provided a benefit throughout the duration of emotional stress. The authors suggest that the results of this study provide evidence that nVNS may have utility as a treatment for many psychiatric disorders such as PTSD. This work was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Biological Technologies Office Targeted Neuroplasticity Training program through the Naval Information Warfare Center Cooperative Agreement No. N66001-16-4054. See publication for disclosures.

08:01 EDT Vaccinex appoints Robert Scala as CCO - Vaccinex announced the appointment of Robert Scala as Chief Commercial Officer. Robert will build and lead all commercial functions at Vaccinex and provide strategic and functional oversight of commercial operations for the Company starting with pepinemab, potentially the first disease modifying treatment for Huntington's disease. He will report to Maurice Zauderer, Ph.D., President and CEO, and serve as a member of the Company's Executive Team. Scala joins Vaccinex after serving as Vice President of Business Planning and Operations at start-up biotechnology companies DBV Technologies and Radius Health.

07:44 EDT Dollar Tree down 4.3% after reporting Q2 results - Shares of Dollar Tree are down 4.3% in pre-market trading to $99.77 per share.

07:43 EDT Sanderson Farms sees Q4 total production down 5% - "With respect to chicken production levels, the USDA's latest estimates forecast United States broiler production during calendar year 2020 to increase approximately 2.7 percent compared to calendar year 2019," CEO Joe Sanderson said. "Given our planned reduction in production at our plants that target food service customers in response to the decreased demand caused by the pandemic, we estimate our total production during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 will be lower by 5.0 percent compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019. If that projection holds true, our total fiscal 2020 production will be 4.0 percent higher than our fiscal 2019 production. Sanderson Farms has taken numerous actions throughout the pandemic focused on protecting the health, safety and welfare of our employees, as well as addressing other operational challenges created by the pandemic. Collectively, these actions have increased our operating costs and negatively affected our volumes, and we expect that those factors will continue for the remainder of fiscal 2020 and until the impact of the pandemic on our operations subside," Sanderson concluded.

07:35 EDT Primoris signs joint marketing agreement with Raedlinger Primus Line - Earlier this month, Primoris Services Corporation and Raedlinger Primus Line officially completed a Joint Marketing Agreement. The signing of this agreement gives Primoris an internal pipeline rehabilitation product to offer to its customers as well as gives distribution and installation services to Primus Line's products throughout North America.

07:32 EDT Scholar Rock issued U.S. patent for protection of SRK-015 - Scholar Rock announced that the United States Patent Office, or USPTO, issued U.S. Patent No. 10,751,413 providing product protection for SRK-015, including composition of matter and methods of use, with an expiry of January 2037. The composition of matter patent is directed to the full-length amino acid sequence of SRK-015 that specifically binds to pro/latent myostatin while avoiding binding to mature myostatin and related growth factors, such as GDF11 and Activin A. The patent also covers methods of treating myopathy, muscle atrophy and metabolic disorders. The ongoing TOPAZ Phase 2 trial is evaluating SRK-015's potential in improving motor function in patients with Type 2 and Type 3 Spinal Muscular Atrophy. A six-month interim readout is anticipated in Q4 with top-line data for the 12-month treatment period expected in the first half of 2021.

07:14 EDT O3 Mining provides intial results from stripping campaign at Alpha - O3 Mining provided initial results from its summer outcrop stripping and channel sampling program on its Alpha property located 15 kilometres southeast of Val D'Or, Quebec. Highlights: 176 g/t Au, 38.0 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu over 0.6 metres at Valdora Zone 4; 9.0 g/t Au over 1.3 metres at Valdora Zone L17. Outcrop stripping and channel sampling began in July and to date twenty-two stripping's have been completed on the eastern part of the Alpha property, which includes the Valdora, Sabourin and Jolin zones along the Skarn corridor and the Simkar zone along the Anamaque corridor. Six of the strippings were channel-sampled, with initial results from two strippings at Valdora returning 176 g/t Au, 38.0 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu over 0.6 metres in channel O3AL-D20-03A-019 at Valdora Zone 4 and 9.0 g/t Au over 1.3 metres in channel O3AL-D20-01-015 at Valdora Zone L17. The company strategically used the Mira Geoscience Ltd. innovative AI methodology and machine learning to focus their stripping and channel sampling efforts to the best possible targets for the summer stripping program. The program consists of approximately thirty strippings, which are to be completed by the end of August and full assay results are expected by the beginning of October. These large outcrop exposures will greatly improve the understanding of the gold mineralization styles and controls within the Skarn and Anamaque corridors of the Alpha property, which will translate into a more accurate geological model and more robust drilling targets. The drilling program in Sectors 2 and 3 is set to begin this fall with a planned meterage of approximately 40,000 metres to be completed before the end of March 2021. The gold mineralization at Valdora Zone 4 is associated with a 15-metre-wide, E-W trending deformation zone. The zone is characterized by sheared and carbonatized gabbro and a coarse-grained felsic dyke with locally up to 30% narrow quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite shear veins. Scattered shallow historical drill holes traced this structure over 700 meters. It remains open in all directions. The gold mineralization at Valdora Zone L17 is associated with sheared and carbonatized mafic volcanics containing up to 1% pyrite-pyrrhotite stringers with narrow quartz-tourmaline-pyrite tension veins. Channels cut every five meters traced the gold-bearing structure over the entire 40-metre-long exposed outcrop. Valdora Zone L17 is located approximately 200 meters north of Valdora Zone 4, strikes E-W, and was the object of limited shallow historical drill holes.

07:10 EDT Kaleido Biosciences announces presentation of data from MMT candidate KB174 - Kaleido Biosciences announced that data from Microbiome Metabolic Therapy candidate KB174 for hepatic encephalopathy will be featured during The Digital International Liver Congress, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver. The results include details on the effects of KB174 on microbiome nitrogen metabolism in a clinical study in patients with well-compensated cirrhosis, the demonstration of improved tolerability for KB174 relative to lactulose in a study of healthy volunteers, as well as effects of MMTs on bacterial composition in patient samples ex vivo. Details of the poster presentations featured at The International Liver Congress follow. Abstract Title: A randomized, double-blind study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of KB174, a novel synthetic glycan, in patients with well-compensated cirrhosis. Abstract Title: Microbiome Metabolic Therapies reduce microbiota-associated ammonia in ex vivo fecal samples from healthy subjects and patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy and demonstrate improved tolerability over lactulose in a clinical study. Abstract Title: KB174 reduces relative abundance of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in fecal samples from patients with cirrhosis in an ex vivo test system. Key Highlights: In a clinical study of patients with cirrhosis, treatment with KB174 was associated with a 26 percent median reduction in urinary 15N excretion, a biomarker of microbiome ammonia production, and was well tolerated with no clinically significant safety signals observed. In a separate clinical study of healthy subjects, KB174 was better tolerated than lactulose, the standard of care treatment for HE, based on several measures. In an ex vivo study evaluating microbiome samples of patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy and healthy subjects, KB174 demonstrated significantly greater reductions in net ammonia compared to lactulose. KB174 also led to significant decreases in the relative abundance of carbapenem-resistant E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae in both healthy and cirrhotic patient microbiome samples ex vivo, supporting its potential to reduce the risk of pathogenic infection in susceptible populations. In addition, a greater reduction in relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae was seen in 68% of samples from cirrhosis patients when incubated with KB174 compared with lactulose.

07:06 EDT Ritchie Bros. sells over $57M of equipment in Houston auction - Ritchie Bros. sold more than 5,300 equipment items and trucks for over $57M in Houston, TX,, setting new site records for total gross transactional value for an August auction and total number of registered bidders. The August 25 - 26 Houston auction, conducted with online-bidding only, attracted 11,100+ registered bidders from more than 60 countries. U.S. buyers purchased approximately 90% of the equipment, including 40% purchased by Texas buyers, while international buyers from such countries as Argentina, France, and Saudi Arabia purchased 10% of the equipment. All items were sold without minimum bids or reserve prices.

07:05 EDT Rocket Pharmaceuticals receives FDA Fast Track Designation for RP-L401 for IMO - Rocket Pharmaceuticals said in a release, "Rocket Pharmaceuticals announces that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation to RP-L401, the Company's lentiviral vector, or LVV,-based gene therapy for the treatment of Infantile Malignant Osteopetrosis, or IMO, a rare, severe monogenic bone resorption disorder characterized by skeletal deformities, neurologic abnormalities and bone marrow failure. The FDA's Fast Track program facilitates the development of products intended to treat serious conditions that have the potential to address unmet medical needs. The designation enables greater access to the FDA for the purpose of expediting the product's development, review, and potential approval. In addition, the Fast Track program allows for eligibility for Accelerated Approval and Priority Review, if relevant criteria are met, and Rolling Review, which means a company can submit completed sections of its Biologic License Application, or BLA, for review by FDA, rather than waiting until every section is completed before the entire application can be reviewed. Rocket's non-randomized, open-label Phase 1 clinical trial of RP-L401 for the treatment of IMO will enroll two pediatric patients, one month of age or older. The trial is designed to assess safety and tolerability of RP-L401, as well as preliminary efficacy, including potential improvements in bone abnormalities/density, hematologic status and endocrine abnormalities. University of California, Los Angeles will serve as the lead trial site under principal investigator Donald B. Kohn, M.D., Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology), Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, and member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of California, Los Angeles. RP-L401 was in-licensed from Lund University, under the research leadership of Dr. Johan Richter, M.D., Ph.D. and Dr. Ilana Moscatelli, Ph.D. The vector was in-licensed through a collaboration with Dr. Axel Schambach, M.D., Ph.D. of the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover."

07:04 EDT BeiGene to develop, manufacture Singlomics anti-COVID-19 antibodies - BeiGene and Singlomics Biopharmaceuticals announced that the companies have executed an exclusive license agreement for BeiGene to develop, manufacture and commercialize globally outside of greater China Singlomics' investigational anti-COVID-19 antibodies, including DXP-593 and DXP-604. Utilizing high-throughput single-cell sequencing of convalescent blood samples from recovered patients with COVID-19, Singlomics has identified multiple antibodies that have been shown to be potent in pre-clinical studies in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. A Phase 1 randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial is expected to begin enrolling up to 30 healthy subjects in Australia in September. The Phase 1/2 multinational trial in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 is also expected to begin enrollment by early October. Under the terms of the agreement, Singlomics has granted BeiGene exclusive rights in ex-China territory to develop, manufacture, and commercialize its preclinical assets DXP-593 and DXP-604, as well as for a series of antibody sequences that could target the COVID-19 virus. BeiGene plans to develop one or more of these antibodies globally outside of greater China, while Singlomics will retain rights in greater China. Singlomics will receive an upfront payment and be eligible to receive payments upon the achievement of regulatory and commercial milestones. Singlomics will also be eligible to receive tiered royalties, up to double-digits, on future product sales.

07:03 EDT U.S. Court of Appeals dismisses securities lawsuit against ReWalk Robotics - ReWalk Robotics announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit dismissed a class action lawsuit filed in 2017 against ReWalk. The lawsuit alleged that ReWalk violated the Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by misrepresenting itself in the Company's initial public offering in September of 2014 and in public statements made after its IPO. In its decision, the Court of Appeals agreed with the U.S. District Court decision, dismissing the Securities Act claims for failure to state a claim. The lower court decision had found that the plaintiffs did not have standing to bring the Exchange Act claims. Although the appeals court disagreed on the standing issue, it determined that no claim was stated against the Company for a violation of the Exchange Act and the years-long case was ultimately dismissed. The U.S. Court of Appeals issued the decision on August 25, 2020.

07:02 EDT Fastly agrees to acquire Signal Sciences for $775M in cash, stock - Fastly said in a release, "Fastly announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Signal Sciences, for approximately $775 million in cash and stock. The acquisition will expand Fastly's robust security portfolio at a time when security at the edge has never been more critical. Signal Sciences' strong, developer-first web application and API protection solutions will bolster Fastly's existing security offerings to bring customers a unified edge security solution. Signal Sciences' technology combined with Fastly's current solutions will form Fastly's upcoming new security offering, Secure@Edge. Secure@Edge will be a modern, unified web application and API protection solution that will power and protect companies looking to further or begin their digital transformation. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Fastly will acquire Signal Sciences for $200 million in cash and approximately $575 million worth of Class A Common Stock, subject to customary adjustments for transactions of this nature. The per share portion of the stock consideration will be based, subject to a two-way price collar, on the volume-weighted average price of a share of Class A Common Stock over the ten consecutive trading day period ended on and including the third trading day immediately prior to the date of the Closing. Fastly will also establish a retention pool of $50 million worth of restricted stock units to be granted to Signal Sciences employees. The transaction is subject to certain customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in 2020."

07:02 EDT Dollar General reports Q2 gross profit as percentage of net sales 32.5% - Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 32.5% in the second quarter of 2020 compared to 30.8% in the second quarter of 2019, an increase of 167 basis points. This gross profit rate increase was attributable to higher initial markups on inventory purchases, a greater proportion of sales coming from the non-consumables product categories, which generally have a higher gross profit rate than the consumables product category, and a reduction in markdowns as a percentage of net sales. These factors were partially offset by increased distribution and transportation costs, which were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of increased volume and discretionary employee bonus expense. As a result of the significant increase in sales, the company believes consumer behavior driven by COVID-19 also had a significant positive effect on gross profit dollars.

07:01 EDT Dollar General reports Q2 cash flows from operations up 157.2% to $2.9B

06:58 EDT Dollar General raises FY20 CapEx view to $1B-$1.1B from $925M-$975M - For the 52-week fiscal year ending January 29, 2021, the company now expects the following: Share repurchases of approximately $2.5B; Capital expenditures, including those related to investments in the company's strategic initiatives, in the range of $1B-$1.1B, compared to the range of $925M-$975M reiterated on May 28, 2020; and 2,780 real estate projects, including 1,000 new store openings, 1,670 mature store remodels, and 110 store relocations, compared to its previous expectation of 2,580 real estate projects, including 1,000 new store openings, 1,500 mature store remodels, and 80 store relocations, reiterated on May 28, 2020.

06:52 EDT Eli Lilly announces Retevmo data published in NEJM - Eli Lilly announced that the New England Journal of Medicine, or NEJM, published Phase 1/2 study results of the registrational trial for Retevmo, the first and only therapy specifically indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic rearranged during transfection, or RET, fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, and the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with advanced or metastatic RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer, or MTC, who require systemic therapy, or advanced or metastatic RET fusion-positive thyroid cancer who require systemic therapy and who are radioactive iodine-refractory. Retevmo was approved under the FDA's Accelerated Approval regulations based on the LIBRETTO-001 Phase 1/2 trial's endpoints of overall response rate, or ORR, and duration of response, or DoR. Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. NEJM published separate articles focusing on efficacy and safety data in the RET fusion-positive NSCLC and RET-altered thyroid patient cohorts independently, with data demonstrating durable objective responses across both patient populations. The publication highlights the first 105 consecutively enrolled RET fusion-positive metastatic NSCLC patients treated with at least prior platinum-based chemotherapy as well as 39 systemic treatment naive patients. All analyses are presented on an intent-to-treat basis. Up to 50% of patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLCs can have tumors that metastasize to the brain. Among previously treated NSCLC patients with measurable brain metastases, 10 out of 11 patients observed intracranial responses, or CNS ORR, with all patients experiencing a CNS DoR of greater than or equal to six months. The publication highlights 162 patients who were treated across the three RET-altered thyroid cancer efficacy analysis cohorts. The first 55 consecutively enrolled patients with RET-mutant vandetanib and/or cabozantinib-treated MTC, 88 patients with RET-mutant vandetanib and cabozantinib-naive MTC, and 19 patients with RET fusion-positive previously systemically treated thyroid cancer. All analyses are presented on an intent-to-treat basis. Change in carcinoembryonic antigen, or CEA, and calcitonin were prespecified exploratory endpoints and were not error controlled. Biochemical response rate, or BRR, is based on the best percent of change in calcitonin and CEA. Among previously treated RET-mutant MTC patients, Retevmo therapy resulted in robust BRR for serum tumor markers calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen. In the 144 Retevmo-treated patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC, the most common grade greater than or equal to three adverse events were hypertension, increased alanine aminotransferase, increased aspartate aminotransferase, hyponatremia and lymphopenia. Four patients discontinued Retevmo due to drug-related adverse events. Across the 162 Retevmo-treated patients with RET-mutant MTC and RET fusion-positive thyroid cancers, the most common grade greater than or equal to three adverse events were hypertension, increased alanine aminotransferase, increased aspartate aminotransferase, hyponatremia and diarrhea. Four patients discontinued Retevmo due to drug-related adverse events. In the publications, the adverse event profile of Retevmo in the RET fusion-positive NSCLC analyses and in the RET-driven thyroid cancer analyses were each broadly similar to the overall safety profile for all 531 patients dosed with Retevmo in LIBRETTO-001. Across all 531 Retevmo-treated patients, 160 required dose reduction due to treatment-related adverse events, and 12 patients discontinued Retevmo due to treatment-related adverse events, the most common of which were alanine amino transferase increase and drug hypersensitivity.

06:50 EDT Burlington Stores CEO sees 'a lot of risk in Q3' - Michael O'Sullivan, CEO, stated, "The second quarter had some highs and some lows. The pace of our re-opening sales significantly exceeded our expectations, and we turned our aged spring merchandise very rapidly. This enabled us to go back into the market and take advantage of great merchandise availability. But we were not able to get these fresh receipts to our stores as quickly as we needed them; our in-store inventories declined and our sales trend fell off dramatically in the back half of June. As we have re-built our store inventory levels over the last several weeks, we have seen significant improvement in our sales trend." O'Sullivan continued, "We expect our trend to strengthen as we continue to replenish our store inventory levels but we see a lot of risk in Q3. In this uncertain environment, we plan to manage our business conservatively. We have plenty of liquidity and we will use this to support opportunistic buys of fall merchandise and of pack and hold inventory that we will flow to stores next year."

06:48 EDT Burlington Stores backs FY20 CapEx view approximately $260M - Capital expenditures, net of landlord allowances, are still expected to be approximately $260M, which had been reduced at the end of the first quarter from the original outlook of $400M; The company now expects to open 62 new stores, while relocating or closing 26 stores, for a total of 36 net new stores in Fiscal 2020. Two additional stores that were originally planned for Fiscal 2020 were shifted out to Fiscal 2021, bringing the total number of stores shifted out to next Fiscal year to 18 stores; Depreciation & amortization, exclusive of favorable lease costs, is still expected to be approximately $230M; and Interest expense, net of non-cash interest of $24M on convertible notes, is still expected to be approximately $80M.

06:38 EDT Xenia Hotels provides update on credit facilities, $100M sale of Marriott hotel - Xenia Hotels provided an update on its recently amended credit facilities, pending transactions and hotel operations. On August 11, in connection with the pricing of its $300M of senior secured notes due 2025, the company effectuated amendments to each of its corporate credit agreements, including its $500M senior revolving credit facility and four term loan facilities totaling $575M. The amendments included permanent changes to the corporate credit agreements, including changes to the application of mandatory prepayments, as well as enabling the company to acquire hotels by issuing equity. The amendments require the company, in the event that the senior revolving credit facility outstanding balance is less than $350M, to utilize 45% of net proceeds raised through various actions including debt issuances, equity issuances, and dispositions to prepay the senior revolving credit facility and the company's two term loans maturing in 2022, with the balance of the proceeds retained by the company and available to be utilized for general corporate purposes as permitted by the amendments. The company primarily utilized net proceeds from its senior secured notes offering to partially repay its senior revolving credit facility and its two term loans maturing in 2022. The company's senior revolving credit facility balance is approximately $306M, and the company's two term loans maturing February 2022 and October 2022 have approximately $124M and $89M outstanding, respectively. The company has entered into an agreement to sell the 275-room Marriott Napa Valley Hotel & Spa for a sale price of $100M with an anticipated closing date before the end of Q3. The transaction is not contingent upon financing and the buyer has a $5M deposit at-risk. Closing is subject to customary closing conditions. Additionally, as anticipated, the company received the $7.75M non-refundable deposit that was previously held in escrow following the termination of the sale of the 522-room Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center after the transaction failed to close by July 31. As it relates to the operations of the company's portfolio, 35 of the Company's 39 hotels and resorts are open and operating. The company anticipates that Hyatt Regency Santa Clara and Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa will recommence operations on September 8 and October 1, respectively. Month-to-date, through August 22, the company's open and operating properties achieved average occupancy of approximately 30% with an average daily rate of approximately $170, which resulted in average RevPAR of approximately $50.

06:32 EDT Builders FirstSource, BMC Stock Holdings to merge in all-stock transaction - Builders FirstSource (BLDR) and BMC Stock Holdings (BMCH) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Builders FirstSource and BMC will combine in an all-stock merger transaction to create the nation's premier supplier of building materials and services. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, BMC shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 1.3125 shares of Builders FirstSource common stock for each share of BMC common stock. Upon completion of the merger, existing Builders FirstSource shareholders will own approximately 57% and existing BMC shareholders will own approximately 43% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis. The merger is expected to be tax free for U.S. federal income tax purposes. After a 90-day transition period following the completion of the merger, Chad Crow, current Chief Executive Officer of Builders FirstSource, will retire as previously announced and will be succeeded as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company by Dave Flitman, current Chief Executive Officer of BMC. Thereafter, Crow will continue to be available on a consulting basis to the combined company for a period of time to support the integration execution and to ensure an orderly transition. The transaction is expected to close in late 2020 or early 2021, subject to, among other things, the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, as well as other customary closing conditions. The transaction requires the approval of shareholders of both Builders FirstSource and BMC.

06:11 EDT Coty reports Q4 gross margin of 40.0%, down from 60.9% in prior year - 4Q20 reported gross margin of 40.0% decreased from 60.9% in the prior-year period, while the adjusted gross margin of 40.6% decreased from 60.8% in the prior-year period, primarily due to the decline in sales volume related to COVID-19, increased excess and obsolescence expense on the back of the sudden demand decline, and underutilization expenses related to the temporary shutdown of certain manufacturing plants.

06:06 EDT Coty says action plans support over $200M of fixed cost savings in FY21

06:05 EDT Coty says Sue Nabi to start as CEO on September 1

05:28 EDT 360 Finance affiliate receives regulatory clearance for stake in Kincheng Bank - 360 Finance said in a release, "360 Finance announced that 360 Group, one of its affiliates, has received approval from the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission to complete the acquisition of 30% stake in Kincheng Bank of Tianjin. Upon the closing of the transaction, 360 Group will become the largest shareholder of the bank, and Kincheng Bank will become the third Chinese private bank to be backed by an internet giant."

05:16 EDT Clarivate Analytics appoints Stefano Maestri as Chief Technology Officer - Clarivate announced the appointment of Stefano Maestri as Chief Technology Officer based in London. Stefano brings over 20 years of technology leadership experience leading technology teams in global organizations within the financial services sector. Stefano replaces Randy Harvey who has announced plans to retire. Stefano spent the past four years as Chief Technology Officer for the financial services division of IHS-Markit.