Stockwinners Market Radar for May 30, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:24 EDT BBC partners with Twitter to livestream election specials - The BBC announced Sunday that it will livestream five election specials on Twitter. This will be the first time the BBC has partnered with Twitter in this way, the company noted, adding that "this trial interactive experience will offer a real-time curated timeline of tweets allowing followers to see immediate commentary from BBC experts and BBC Reality Check." Reference Link

18:12 EDT Potbelly CEO Lewis to leave company - Potbelly Corporation announced that Aylwin Lewis, chairman and CEO, will be leaving Potbelly later this year. After leading Potbelly for nine years Lewis will depart as CEO and a member of its board of directors on August 8, 2017. Peter Bassi, the Lead Director of Potbelly Corporation, commented, "We are grateful for Aylwin's leadership during his nine-year tenure at Potbelly. We appreciate his vast contributions. He is a world class restaurant leader and Potbelly benefited from his leadership. We have started the search process for a new CEO."

17:50 EDT Elliott stake in Arconic unchanged at 13.2% - As of the close of business on May 30 , Elliott, Elliott International and EICA collectively have combined economic exposure in the Issuer of approximately 13.2% of the shares of common stock outstanding.

17:45 EDT Pegasystems extends current share repurchase program - Pegasystems announced that its Board of Directors has authorized an extension of the company's current share repurchase program. Under this extension, the expiration date of the current repurchase program has been extended from June 30, 2017 to June 30, 2018. The amount remaining in the current program is approximately $36.4 million. This extension is effective from May 23, 2017 to June 30, 2018. At the company's discretion, the purchases will be made from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. Shares may be repurchased in such amounts as market conditions warrant, subject to regulatory and other considerations. The company has established a pre-arranged stock repurchase plan intended to comply with the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and of Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act, and may establish, modify, or terminate this and other such plans. Shares that are repurchased under the current repurchase program will be repurchased under the 10b5-1 Plan.

17:42 EDT Hertz Global to offer $1B in senior second priority secured notes in private off - Hertz Global announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Hertz Corporation, intends to offer $1B aggregate principal amount of senior second priority secured notes, subject to market and other conditions, in a private offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

17:40 EDT Akari says CEO submits resignation, previous patient data incorrect - Akari disclosed in a regulatory filing: "As previously reported by Akari Therapeutics, the Company's Board established an ad hoc special committee of the Board to review the involvement, if any, of Company personnel with the report issued by Edison Investment Research on April 26 titled 'Akari's Coversin matches Soliris in Phase II,' which was later retracted. Edison was retained by the Company to produce research reports about the Company. While that review was pending, Gur Roshwalb, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, was placed on administrative leave and Ray Prudo in his role as Executive Chairman temporarily assumed Roshwalb's duties in his absence. Following that review, the Company determined that the Edison Report was reviewed and approved by Roshwalb, in contravention of Company policy. On May 29, Roshwalb submitted his resignation as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Company's Board, effective immediately. The Company has commenced an executive search to identify a replacement chief executive officer and in the interim, Ray Prudo will continue to act as the Company's chief executive officer. In addition, the Company has determined following that review that the previously reported interim analysis of the Company's ongoing Phase 2 PNH trial of Coversin... was inaccurate with respect to one of five patients for whom information was provided in the Release. The Release stated that the 'fifth patient with an LDH of 3.7 X ULN at baseline achieved the primary endpoint at day 14...' The Company has found that the fifth patient, who was withdrawn from the trial at day 43 due to a suspected co-morbidity unrelated to treatment, did not meet the primary endpoint. The Company expects to release additional results with respect to the four continuing patients in the Phase 2 PNH trial of Coversin in approximately four weeks. The Company and individuals it may be required to indemnify may be subject to governmental investigations and proceedings in connection with the Edison Report and the Release. On May 12, a putative class action captioned Derek Da Ponte v. Akari Therapeutics, Gur Roshwalb, and Dov Elefant was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York... In addition, on May 19, a putative class action captioned Sherli Shamoon v. Akari Therapeutics, Gur Roshwalb, and Dov Elefant was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York... The Company voluntarily reported the special committee's investigation to the Securities and Exchange Commission."

17:37 EDT Exact Sciences jumps over 7% after UnitedHealth expands colonography coverage - After UnitedHealth (UNH) said that its health insurance covers screening usint CT colonography and other preventative care related to colonoscopies, Cologuard test maker Exact Sciences (EXAS) shares surged 7.11% in after hours trading. Reference Link

17:32 EDT Home Bancsharesto replace Valspar in S&P 400 at open on June 2 - S&P 500 constituent The Sherwin-Williams (SHW) is acquiring Valspar (VAL) in a deal expected to be completed on June 1. Home Bancshares (HOMB) provides commercial and retail banking and related financial services.

17:14 EDT Novartis' CTL119 with ibrutinib shows high rate of responses in CLL patients - Novartis announced findings from a pilot study of CTL119 in combination with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia, CLL, who had been taking ibrutinib for at least six months and who were not in complete remission. All study patients had to have failed at least one prior regimen before ibrutinib or carried high-risk cytogenetics or mutations. The results, which will be presented at the upcoming 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology that eight of nine evaluable patients had no signs of CLL in their bone marrow at three months. One of those patients had a partial response. "The data from this pilot study support the potential for CTL119, when combined with the kinase inhibitor ibrutinib, to induce clinically-significant responses in high-risk CLL patients who were unlikely to achieve a complete remission on ibrutinib alone," said James Bradner, president of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. "CTL119 represents one of our latest advances in CAR-T cell therapy research and our broader commitment to pioneering breakthrough immuno-oncology treatments." The findings will be presented by Saar Gill, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. CTL119 is a humanized CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell cell therapy, which is different from typical small molecule or biologic therapies because it is manufactured for each individual patient using their own cells. During the treatment process, T cells are drawn from a patient's blood and reprogrammed in the laboratory to create T cells that are genetically coded to hunt the patient's cancer cells and other B-cells expressing a particular antigen. Results from the pilot study also showed that eight of nine patients had no signs of CLL in their bone marrow at three months as tested by flow cytometry and/or analysis for minimal residual disease. MRD, which measures the presence of residual abnormalities in the blood and bone marrow at the molecular level following treatment, is important because it can be an indicator of potential relapse. CT scans were performed to measure the inclusion of CLL in the spleens and lymph nodes of study patients. A number of patients showed improvements in the burden of disease in their spleens and lymph nodes at three months, though radiologic responses are less clear cut and they require longer follow-up. In the study, 10 patients experienced cytokine release syndrome, two of which were grade 3. However, no patients required treatment with tocilizumab** and all patients recovered from CRS. One patient developed tumor lysis syndrome and two patients had febrile neutropenia. CLL is one of the most common types of adult leukemia, which typically progresses slowly over time. The majority of patients will relapse after initial therapy[4], and newer targeted therapies must be taken continuously for an indefinite period of time. These are clear indications of the high unmet medical need for new therapies for CLL.

17:06 EDT PPG: Dutch agency rejects extension request, will continue to asses options - PPG (PPG) issued the following statement in response to the decision by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets: "PPG was notified late today by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets that it did not grant PPG's request for an extension. PPG will continue to assess all of its options including whether or not to file a preliminarily draft offer memorandum with the AFM by no later than June 1 relating to a public offer for all the issued and outstanding shares of AkzoNobel (AKZOY). PPG will make further announcements if and when it is appropriate."

17:02 EDT 1-800-Flowers closes Fannie May sale to Ferrero, signs commercial partnership - 1-800-FLOWERS.COM announced the closing of its sale of Fannie May Confections Brands, including its subsidiaries Fannie May Confections and Harry London Candies, to Ferrero International. Ferrero is acquiring all the outstanding equity of Fannie May Confections Brands for $115M in cash, subject to adjustments for seasonal working capital. In addition to the sale, the Company and Ferrero have entered into a strategic commercial partnership that provides 1-800-FLOWERS.COM with distribution rights for Fannie May, Harry London and certain Ferrero confectionery products in its ecommerce channels as well as in gift baskets sold into the club, food, drug and mass channels in the US. "The sale of Fannie May further strengthens our balance sheet while concurrently reducing the working capital requirements in our business model. Importantly, the strategic commercial agreement we have signed with Ferrero will enable us to continue offering the iconic Fannie May and Harry London chocolate brands across our ecommerce and wholesale gift basket channels while also adding some of Ferrero's world-renowned chocolate confectionery brands, including Nutella, Ferrero Rocher and Raffaello, to our product offering," the company remarked.

16:52 EDT First Cash extends revolver, amends for additional repurchase flexibility - FirstCash announced that the term of the company's $400M long-term, unsecured bank credit facility was extended through September 2, 2022. The financial covenants in the facility were also amended to provide greater capacity for making future share repurchases. "We expect the increased covenant flexibility provided in the amended credit agreement, coupled with the completion of our $300M seven year senior notes offering, to further increase our ability to provide meaningful shareholder payouts through continued dividends and share repurchases. We look forward to utilizing this added flexibility to purchase common stock under the recently announced $100M share repurchase authorization," the company said. The amended credit facility will continue to bear interest at the prevailing London Interbank Offered Rate plus a fixed spread of 2.5%. Currently, the total interest rate on the facility is approximately 3.5% annually.

16:45 EDT Intuitive gets FDA okay for latest da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery system - Intuitive Surgical, a global technology leader in robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery, announced that its new da Vinci X Surgical System received FDA clearance in the United States. The da Vinci X System will provide surgeons and hospitals with access to some of the most advanced robotic-assisted surgery technology at a lower cost. FDA clearance of the da Vinci X System follows CE Mark, which was announced in April. "This new system enables access to Intuitive's leading and proven robotic-assisted surgical technology at a lower price point," said Dr. Gary Guthart, CEO of Intuitive Surgical. "Customers around the globe have different needs from a clinical, cost and technology perspective; Intuitive's goal is to meet those needs by providing a range of products and solutions: the da Vinci X System helps us continue to do so." The da Vinci X System offers surgeons and hospitals access to Intuitive's portfolio of advanced, innovative robotic-assisted surgical technologies - and its full ecosystem of programs, support, services, and solutions - at a lower price. The System uses the same vision cart and surgeon console that are found on our flagship product, the da Vinci Xi(R) System, enabling our customers the option of adding advanced capabilities, and providing a pathway for upgrading should they choose to do so as their practice and needs grow. The da Vinci X System enables optimized, focused-quadrant surgery including procedures like prostatectomy, partial nephrectomy, benign hysterectomy and sacrocolpopexy, among others. The System features flexible port placement and 3D digital optics, while incorporating the same advanced instruments and accessories as Intuitive's flagship system. The new system drives operational efficiencies through set-up technology that uses voice and laser guidance, drape design that simplifies surgery prep, and a lightweight, fully integrated endoscope. "The da Vinci X System is a value-oriented option for hospitals that are just starting their robotic-assisted surgical program and for our existing customers who want to expand their existing robotics programs," said Henry Charlton, Senior Vice President of U.S. Sales. "As customers' needs grow, the da Vinci X System can grow with them. The da Vinci X System enables our customers to take immediate advantage of Intuitive's full ecosystem of support and services." The da Vinci X System will be available for sale in the U.S. later this year.

16:41 EDT Kindred Healthcare names Holzer to lead Kindred Innovations - Kindred Healthcare announced the appointment of Brian Holzer as President of Kindred Innovations, effective June 5. Holzer will report to CEO Benjamin Breier and will "work closely" with EVP and Chief Strategy Officer William Altman, who will continue to oversee the company's enterprise strategic plan. Altman will take on the additional responsibility as Chief of Staff to Breier. "Holzer will be responsible for furthering Kindred's portfolio of innovative post-acute care products and services on a national level. This includes Kindred's continuum of care management, network development and product development initiatives, as well as Kindred House Calls, one of the largest home-based primary care practices in the nation... As Chief of Staff, Altman will serve as an extension of Breier's office, both within Kindred and also externally. This will enable Breier to prioritize his activities and ensure that there is alignment between strategy, business operations, and public policy goals and priorities," the company noted. Holzer is joining Kindred from Highmark Health.

16:38 EDT GM: ISS, Glass Lewis recommend shareholders vote for GM board nominees - GM said to shareholders that both ISS and Glass Lewis have recommended conclusively that GM shareholders vote the WHITE proxy card FOR ALL of the GM Board's director nominees and AGAINST the Greenlight proposal for three key reasons. GM said that its board and managmeent are "already driving transformational change and creating value for shareholders," that the advisory services "disagree with key Greenlight assumptions regarding the value creation potential of its proposal," and that each advises that the Greenlight nominees are definitively linked to Greenlight's high-risk proposal.

16:34 EDT First Interstate completes acquisition of Cascade Bancorp - First Interstate BancSystem (FIBK), parent company of First Interstate Bank, announced today, effective May 30, it completed its acquisition of Cascade Bancorp (CACB), parent company of Bank of the Cascades. The data processing conversion and merger of the two banks is scheduled to begin following the close of business on August 11. On Monday, August 14, Bank of the Cascades will officially be First Interstate Bank. First Interstate expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to earnings per share.

16:32 EDT The Medicines Co. outlines data presentations at ASM Microbe conference - The Medicines Company announced that data from its portfolio of antimicrobial products and late-stage product candidates will be featured in presentations at the American Society for Microbiology's ASM Microbe 2017 to be held June 1-5. The Company will present data on its investigational antibiotic, meropenem-vaborbactam, from the TANGO 1 Phase III trial that compared it to piperacillin-tazobactam in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections. Additional data on meropenem-vaborbactam's in vitro activity against clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and in experimental treatment models will also be presented. Data from studies of the Company's marketed products Orbactiv and Minocin for Injection will also be presented. COO Tony Kingsley commented, "The research presented at ASM Microbe further showcases The Medicines Company's fully-integrated infectious disease franchise."

16:27 EDT Kadant to acquire forest products business of NII FPG for $173M - Kadant has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the forest products business of NII FPG Company for $173M in cash, subject to a post-closing adjustment. Kadant also announced that it has increased its revolving credit facility to $300M from $200M and intends to finance the transaction through borrowings under the revolving credit facility. The transaction is expected to close in July. "Our acquisition of the forest products business of NII FPG extends our presence deeper into the forest products industry and complements our existing wood processing product line. NII FPG is a leader in its markets with a history of stable earnings, a strong parts and consumables business, and a solid reputation as a premium manufacturer of products that have a high impact in customers' operations. We expect the company will make a strong contribution to our business. With more than 50 percent of NII FPG's business coming from parts and consumables, this acquisition will also advance our strategic plan to increase our aftermarket revenue," Kadant said. The forest products business of NII FPG includes two primary manufacturing facilities and approximately 275 employees worldwide with reported revenue of approximately $81M for the 12 months ended December 31.

16:23 EDT Collegium Pharmaceutical appoints Joseph Ciaffoni COO - Collegium Pharmaceutical announced the appointment of Joseph Ciaffoni to the newly created position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, effective May 31. "We are excited to have Joe join Collegium in this newly created role," said Mike Heffernan, Collegium's CEO. "Joe's industry experience is extensive and includes building commercial businesses, leading emerging growth and multi-national organizations and achieving success across multiple therapeutic categories, including pain management. Joe has a proven track record of success across multiple product launches and the commercialization of numerous products. He will be instrumental as we continue to focus on growing Xtampza ER and implementing Collegium's growth strategy."

16:21 EDT U.S. Gas & Electric , MVC accept alternative offer, terminate pact with Equus - Equus Total Return announced that U.S. Gas & Electric and its controlling shareholder MVC Capital (MVC) have terminated the Stock Purchase Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated April 24 , between Equus, certain shareholders of USG&E, and MVC as the representative of the selling USG&E stockholders. On May 30, USG&E and MVC notified Equus that it had accepted a proposal from Crius Energy Trust, that was considered by the respective boards of directors of USG&E and MVC to constitute a "Superior Proposal" to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, and accordingly provided Equus with a notice of termination. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, USG&E paid Equus a termination fee of $2.5 million. Notwithstanding the termination, Equus intends to pursue other merger and acquisition opportunities seeking to complete its plan of "reorganization," within the meaning of Section 2(a)(33) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. "While we regret that we will not conclude the acquisition of U.S. Gas & Electric," stated John Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of Equus. "Nevertheless, we remain committed to achieving a transformative reorganization for the benefit of Equus and its shareholders." "As the Company's largest shareholder, we reaffirm our commitment to support Equus in pursuing a transformative transaction to become an operating company," stated Michael Tokarz, the Chairman & Portfolio Manager of MVC. "We fully support Equus and its management in sourcing, identifying and evaluating prospective companies to achieve this strategic objective."

16:17 EDT Community Health signs agreement to divest five Pennsylvania hospitals - Community Health Systems announced that subsidiaries of the Company have signed a definitive agreement to sell five Pennsylvania hospitals and their associated assets to subsidiaries of Reading Health System. Hospitals included in the transaction are 169-bed Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville, 148-bed Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia, 63-bed Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, 151-bed Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville and 232-bed Pottstown Memorial Medical Center in Pottstown. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarte. The five hospitals included in this transaction are part of the 30 planned hospital divestitures discussed on the Company's first quarter earnings call.

16:16 EDT ChannelAdvisor acquires HubLogix Commerce - ChannelAdvisor announced it has acquired HubLogix Commerce, a fulfillment and logistics platform that automates order management by connecting online storefronts and marketplaces to distribution and fulfillment centers. "Based in Boston, HubLogix can help improve order accuracy and fulfillment speed for its customers... This acquisition provides us the technology and expertise to further enhance our fulfillment offering and capabilities. We've worked with HubLogix for years and have always been impressed with the team's knowledge of the space and the value they provide," the company noted. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "ChannelAdvisor does not anticipate a material impact to 2017 revenue or adjusted EBITDA as a result of the transaction," the company said.

16:13 EDT Huttig Building Products announces strategic partnership - Huttig Building Products is pleased to announce a distribution agreement with GAF, broadening Huttig's national product offering. Huttig will distribute a variety of GAF roofing products, including shingles and roofing accessories. "We are proud to establish a strategic partnership with GAF, North America's largest manufacturer of commercial and residential roofing, as our lead shingle supplier," said David Fishbein, Executive Vice President of the Huttig-Grip division of Huttig Building Products. "GAF is a trusted name with a broad portfolio of roofing system solutions. They are a great addition to our offerings and further strengthen our position as a market leader." "We are excited to join the Huttig Building Products offering," said Jim Schnepper, President of GAF. "Huttig is a trusted name in the building materials industry with over 130 years of experience. We look forward to a successful, long-term relationship." The GAF partnership is the latest result of Huttig's effort to secure more brands and broaden national offerings to enhance Huttig's role as the preferred distributor for millwork, building materials and fasteners.

16:11 EDT Methes Energies announces resignation of chairman & CEO - Methes Energies International announced that Mr. Michel G. Laporte has resigned, for personal reasons, as Chairman and CEO of the organization effective immediately.

16:08 EDT Global Payments says selected for Hyundai UK online buying platform - Global Payments (GPN) announced it has entered into an agreement with Hyundai Motor (HYMLF) UK to provide payment technology services to Hyundai Motor UK's online car buying platform, "Click To Buy."

16:06 EDT Euroseas announces acquisition of container feeder vessel - Euroseas announced that it signed a memorandum of agreement to purchase the M/V EM Astoria, a feeder size containership vessel of 2,788 teu built in 2004. The vessel is to be acquired at market price from Euromar, the Company's joint venture with two private equity firms. The agreement to acquire the vessel includes 100% bank financing and a profit share agreed with the bank. The vessel is expected to be delivered to the Company in June 2017.

16:04 EDT RE/MAX Holdings appoints Adam Contos as Co-CEO - RE/MAX Holdings announced the appointment, effective immediately, of COO Adam Contos to RE/MAX Co-CEO, sharing responsibilities with Co-Founder and now Co-CEO Dave Liniger. The company is the parent company of RE/MAX one of the world's leading franchisors of real estate brokerage services, and Motto Franchising, LLC, franchisor of the innovative Motto Mortgage network of mortgage brokerages. Contos joined RE/MAX in 2004 working with offices in the Mountain States Region and was promoted to the Region's Vice President the following year. Between 2007 and 2013 he served as Region Vice President first for the California & Hawaii Region and later the RE/MAX Florida Region. He was promoted to Vice President, Region Development, in 2013 and then to Senior Vice President, Marketing, in February 2015.

16:02 EDT Marlin Business announces $10M stock repurchase authorization - Marlin Business Services announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $10M of its outstanding shares of common stock, replacing the stock repurchase program announced in July 2014. The manner, timing and amount of any purchase will be based on an evaluation of market conditions, stock price and other factors. "Marlin is committed to maximizing shareholder value, and we feel the share repurchase authorization is a positive step towards this goal," said Jeffrey A. Hilzinger, Marlin's President and CEO. "We believe the current share price is not indicative of the Company's long-term intrinsic value, and this action underscores our confidence in our business prospects. Given our strong balance sheet and operating momentum, we believe this share repurchase program is both a timely and appropriate use of the Company's capital resources."

16:00 EDT TSR says determines to remain independent

15:57 EDT MVC Capital trading resumes

15:53 EDT FAA proposes $435,000 civil penalty against United - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration proposes a $435,000 civil penalty against United Airlines for allegedly operating an aircraft that was not in an airworthy condition. The FAA alleges that on June 9, 2014, United mechanics replaced a fuel pump pressure switch on a Boeing 787 in response to a problem that a flight crew had documented two days before. However, the airline failed to perform a required inspection of the work before returning the aircraft to service, the agency alleges. United operated the aircraft on 23 domestic and international passenger flights before performing the required inspection on June 28, 2014, the FAA alleges. Two of those flights allegedly occurred after the FAA had notified United that it had not performed the inspection. United has asked to meet with the FAA to discuss the case.

15:35 EDT Tegna to complete previously disclosed spin-off of Cars.com on May 31 - TEGNA Board of Directors today declared a dividend of 7c per share, payable on July 3 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 9. TEGNA plans to complete its previously announced spin-off of Cars.com on May 31. Two publicly-traded companies will be created: TEGNA, the largest owner of top 4 affiliates in the top 25 markets, and Cars.com, a top online destination in the digital automotive marketplace. TEGNA also continues to evaluate strategic alternatives for CareerBuilder. The spin-off will be effected through a pro rata distribution of all outstanding shares of Cars.com to TEGNA stockholders of record at the close of business on May 18. Stockholders will retain their TEGNA shares and receive one share of Cars.com for every three shares of TEGNA stock they owned on the Record Date. Cars.com shares are expected to begin "regular way" trading on June 1, on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CARS.

15:23 EDT LG Display rises after report of OLED investment plans - Shares of LG Display (LPL) have risen about 8% in Tuesday trading after ET News reported earlier that the company plans to invest about $3.56B in its new factory in Paju, adding production lines for flexible OLEDs. The company is thinking about making investments on OLEDs for smartphones as it looks to secure its position as the second supplier for Apple's (AAPL) upcoming OLED-equipped iPhone, the Korean publication added. Shares of LG Display trading in New York are up about 8% to $14.48 this afternoon. Reference Link

14:59 EDT Triumph selected by Boeing to support V-22 Osprey Multiyear 3 Contract - Triumph Group (TGI) announced they have been selected by Boeing (BA) to support the V-22 Osprey Multiyear 3 contract, once approved. The contract is expected to be negotiated before the end of 2017 between Bell Boeing and the U.S. Navy. The agreement extends the statement of work Triumph currently has on the V-22 Multiyear 2 contract, and also reinstates work that was previously awarded to Triumph in the first multiyear order, but was not renewed for the second. Triumph deliveries in support of the Multiyear 3 contract will begin in 2019 and extend through 2024.

14:19 EDT Quidel receives FDA clearance, CLIA waiver for Sofia 2 immunoassay analyzer - Quidel announced it has received 510k clearance and Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments waiver from the FDA for its Sofia Influenza A+B Fluorescent Immunoassay to be used with the Sofia 2 Fluorescent Immunoassay Analyzer for detection of Influenza types A and B from direct nasal swab, nasopharyngeal swab, and nasopharyngeal aspirate/wash specimens and nasopharyngeal swab and nasopharyngeal aspirate/wash specimens in transport media from symptomatic patients. "In addition to the several thousand hospitals, medical centers and smaller clinics in the United States, the receipt of CLIA waiver markedly expands the available market for the Sofia 2 test system," the company noted.

14:01 EDT FBS reiterates support for Buffalo Wild Wings management, board - Franchise Business Services, the association representing Buffalo Wild Wings franchisees, reiterated its full support for President & CEO Sally J. Smith, her management team and the board of directors of the Minneapolis-based casual dining restaurant group. "We continue to work with the Buffalo Wild Wings management team to enhance the guest experience and drive store profitability across its Company-owned and franchised locations," said Wray Hutchinson, Chairman of the FBS Board of Directors and an owner of 39 Buffalo Wild Wings franchises himself. "This includes our collaborative focus on loyalty, order and pay at the table, merchant acquirer and EMV compliance, reduction of remodel costs, launch of a system-wide food safety program, food innovation, online ordering and delivery services. "As with any business, there are always improvements to be made and we are working tirelessly with management to do so," continued Mr. Hutchinson. "However, while we appreciate Marcato Capital's investment in the business, we believe their proposed 90% franchised model is heavily flawed. Under this proposal, there would no longer be an appropriate overall alignment of interests between the franchisor and the franchisee community, damaging the value we have worked so hard together to create. "We highly value our franchisees on our team who recognize the many positive opportunities Buffalo Wild Wings ownership provides in an otherwise challenging restaurant investment environment. Our members are proud to be Buffalo Wild Wings owners and see many positive financial trends that have made our investments rewarding in many ways. We know that Emil Lee Sanders, one of Marcato's nominees, is seeking to become a Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee. We do not believe making claims about future downside in the value of the brand is an appropriate approach or the way to endear a new owner to other longtime franchise owners, especially when there is so much positive news to share about our business model and recent sales trends."

13:55 EDT Ominto drops after GeoInvesting calls equity 'worthless' - GeoInvesting says in a new research report on its website that while Ominto shares are up 174% over the past year, the stock is "worthless." The company used two "highly questionable transactions" to increase its book value "through booking worthless intangible assets" the short-seller, which disclosed being short the name, contends. Shares of the company engaged in online cash back shopping are down 8% to $8.14 following the report.Reference Link

13:12 EDT Toshiba signs agreement to separate three core segments - Toshiba says it has signed agreements to split off three core businesses July 1. The in-house companies will be absorbed by existing subsidiaries that will be renamed. The unit taking on the infrastructure business will become Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions. The subsidiary absorbing the electronic devices business will become Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage. The subsidiary that gets the information and communications business will become Toshiba Digital Solutions. Toshiba will give the new entities authority over their own operations. Energy businesses are expected to be split off in October, following approval at a shareholders meeting in June.

13:01 EDT Tyler Technologies acquires Modria, terms not disclosed - Tyler Technologies announced it has acquired Modria, a company specializing in online dispute resolution for government and commercial entities, to complement its courts and justice and appraisal and tax solutions. The Modria founders, management, and employees joining Tyler will be part of the Courts & Justice Division. During the coming months, Modria's technology and services offerings will be integrated into Tyler operations and branding.

12:59 EDT Cooperman says Alphabet is not 'expensive stock' - Leon Cooperman of Omega Advisors is speaking on CNBC.

12:48 EDT Cooperman bought more United Continental on recent pullback - Leon Cooperman of Omega Advisors is speaking on CNBC.

12:43 EDT Cooperman bought WPX Energy over past six months - Leon Cooperman of Omega Advisors is speaking on CNBC.

12:36 EDT Hansson acquires 250,000 Nordic American Offshore shares at $1.05 per share - A company owned by the NAO Executive Chairman, Herbjorn Hansson and his son, Alexander, today bought 250,000 shares in NAO at an average price of $1.05 per share. Over the last few weeks, as from Tuesday May 9, the Hansson family has acquired 2,881,007 NAO shares in aggregate at an average price of $1.14 per share. In addition to the holdings of the past, following today's transaction, the Hansson family holds shares equivalent to 8.4% of NAO.

12:27 EDT Cooperman views stocks as more attractive than bonds - Leon Cooperman of Omega Advisors is speaking on CNBC.

12:21 EDT Amazon offers $70M in refunds for child app purchases, FTC says - Amazon.com will make up to $70M in refunds available to customers who were charged for unauthorized in-app purchases made by a child, the Federal Trade Commission announced today. "You may be eligible for a refund from Amazon if you were billed for unauthorized charges made by a child, and the charges were for in-app purchases made between November 2011 and May 2016," said the agency in a press release. Reference Link

11:43 EDT Cevian Capital II GP reports 5.57% stake in Ericsson - Cevian Capital II GP, which holds a 5.57% active stake in Ericsson, said that it intends to inform the company's nomination committee in writing that it's shareholdings are of such significance it has the right to participate in the nomination committee. In this regard, Cevian intends to propose a Managing Partner at an affiliate of the firm as a member of the nomination committee.

11:20 EDT Battleground: Analysts split on AutoZone following earnings disappointment - After AutoZone (AZO) last week reported third quarter earnings and revenue below analysts' estimates, leading to a selloff of shares, Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to Buy on Tuesday, stating the "significant" selloff created a buying opportunity, while Webush downgraded the stock to Neutral arguing the DIY auto sector will continue to face challenges. RESULTS: On May 23, AutoZone reported Q3 earnings per share of $11.44 and Q3 revenue of $2.6B, below estimates of $12.00 and $2.71B, respectively. The company also said domestic same store sales, or sales for stores open at least one year, declined 0.8% for the quarter. "Our sales performance for the first five weeks of our quarter was significantly below our expectations, challenged by the well-publicized timing delays in IRS tax refunds. The last seven weeks of sales demonstrated improvement, but not enough to make up for our soft start. While this quarter's results were below our expectations, our AutoZoners' ongoing commitment to providing customers with Trustworthy Advice has us well positioned for the summer ahead. Notwithstanding macro headwinds, including increasing wage pressures, we are confident in our long term positive fundamentals for sales growth, and we remain committed to driving shareholder value," said Bill Rhodes, chairman, president and CEO. GOLDMAN UPGRADES TO BUY: On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs analyst Matthew Fassler upgraded AutoZone to Buy from Neutral given the "significant" selloff in shares following the Q3 miss and lowered his price target to $715 from $825. Fassler expects valuation to bounce back as sales and earnings growth reverts back to trend in the next three to six months as the impact of delayed tax refunds has abated and gas price increases have leveled. He added concerns over competition from Amazon (AMZN) are premature as demand for auto parts usually need to be met immediately, some products are not suited for direct-to-consumer distribution, and sales to DIY customers create personalized relationships. In addition, JPMorgan analyst Christopher Horvers last week said he viewed the pullback in shares of AutoZone as a "major" buying opportunity after the stock dropped 12% on the 8% earnings miss. He said he believes the quarter will re-base consensus estimates, which he says is when an investor wants to buy retail stocks. Horvers lowered his price target for AutoZone shares to $800 from $850 and kept an Overweight rating on the name. WEDBUSH MOVES TO THE SIDELINES: Meanwhile, Wedbush analyst Seth Basham downgraded AutoZone to Neutral from Outperform on Tuesday citing the DIY auto sector's declining margins and competition from e-commerce. He added that while weather pressure and tax refunds have been dragging on industry comps and those factors may ease, he believes deceleration in "sweet spot" miles driven may have been a bigger driver of the slowdown and does not expect that to let up until 2018. Basham said he thinks that the sector's comp sales growth will have a "new normal rate" of "closer to 2%," down from 3%-4% previously. Basham also lowered his price target on the stock to $650 from $660. Following the Q3 earnings report, Stephens analyst Ben Bienvenu also downgraded AutoZone last week to Equal Weight from Overweight, saying that while its softer sales growth was "certainly disappointing," his bigger concern is with management's commentary on the lack of traction associated with its initiatives to improve productivity of inventory availability. He said he fears earnings growth could "remain tempered" given softer secular trends and the company's need to optimize its investments, leading him to cut his price target to $620 from $900. NOTABLE: Wedbush analyst Basham also downgraded O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY) to Neutral from Outperform and lowered his price target to $260 from $310, citing declining margins and e-commerce competition. PRICE ACTION: AutoZone fell 0.3% to about $614 per share in morning trading, while O'Reilly added 0.3% and fellow sector peer Advance Auto Parts (AAP) rose 0.5%.

10:56 EDT Oaktree Capital says opportunity to build out scale for firm - Says real estate division has room to go. The firm also want to focus on clients out of the U.S. The firm is interested in capturing the Asian growth rate. Sees opportunity in distressed assets outside of U.S.

10:54 EDT Editas, Intellia slide after study raises questions about gene-editing - CRISPR-Cas9, a "groundbreaking" technology to edit genomic DNA, could be riskier than thought according to a new study and companies exploring the technology are sliding in early trading following the publication of findings made by scientists at the Columbia University Medical Center. A new study, published in "Nature Methods," found that CRISPR gene-editing technology can introduce hundreds of unintended mutations into the genome, according to a press release issued by the center. Co-author Stephen Tsang said he feels "it's critical that the scientific community consider the potential hazards of all off-target mutations caused by CRISPR, including single nucleotide mutations and mutations in non-coding regions of the genome." In the new study, the researchers determined that CRISPR had successfully corrected a gene that causes blindness, but also found that the genomes of two independent gene therapy recipients had sustained more than 1,500 single-nucleotide mutations and more than 100 larger deletions and insertions. In early trading, Editas Medicine (EDIT) is down nearly 9% to $14.26, Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) has fallen 6% to $12.48 and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) has slid 3% to $14.60. Reference Link

10:42 EDT Equus Total Return trading halted, news pending

10:04 EDT Trump wants Senate to switch to 51 votes for healthcare, tax cuts - President Donald Trump just tweeted, "The U.S. Senate should switch to 51 votes, immediately, and get Healthcare and TAX CUTS approved, fast and easy. Dems would do it, no doubt!"

10:02 EDT Pfizer reports EC approval of Trumenba for MenB prevention - Pfizer announced that the European Commission has approved Trumenba for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B, or "MenB," in individuals 10 years of age and older. Adolescents and young adults are a critical demographic for vaccination against MenB due to inherent environmental and social risk factors such as close-quartered living and sharing behaviors. The marketing authorization granted by the EC is valid in all European Union member states, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Additional marketing authorization application reviews for Trumenba are under way in other countries.

09:46 EDT Booz Allen awarded $72M contract to assist U.S. Navy's PEO C4I - The U.S. Navy has awarded Booz Allen Hamilton a 5-year single award, $72M contract to assist the Program Executive Office, Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence in its mission to provide naval warfighters with access to the latest information technology. Specifically, Booz Allen will continue to provide the Navy Command and Control Program Office Systems with a broad range of acquisition expertise, as well as, program management providing support to all four three of PMW 150's Command and Control divisions. PMW 150 is responsible for acquiring the most effective and efficient solutions for the fleet's current and future information needs, like real-time tactical and situational awareness data.

09:38 EDT Arrow Electronics named Citrix distributor in the U.S., Canada - Arrow Electronics (ARW) has been named a new distributor for Citrix (CTXS) in the U.S. and Canada. Arrow's enterprise computing solutions business will now offer value-added Citrix solutions and services to its North American reseller ecosystem, helping both its resellers and Citrix capture a greater share of the mid-market, cloud, security and virtualization opportunities.

09:26 EDT Financial Institutions files a prospectus supplement to sell $40M of stock - Financial Institutions, the parent company of Five Star Bank, Scott Danahy Naylon, and Courier Capital, announced that it has filed a prospectus supplement under which it may sell up to $40.0M of its common stock through an "at-the-market" equity offering program. The Company expects to use the net proceeds of this offering to support organic growth and other general corporate purposes, including contributing capital to its banking subsidiary, Five Star Bank. The shares will be offered through Sandler O'Neill + Partners

09:15 EDT Terex authorizes share repurchase program up to $280M - Terex Corporation announced that its board of directors authorized a new share repurchase program of up to $280M. The company completed its previous share repurchase program earlier in May 2017. John Garrison, Terex president and CEO, stated, "During our Investor Presentation in December 2016 we committed to pursuing a disciplined capital allocation strategy that included the efficient returns of capital to shareholders through share repurchases of $1B to $1.5B. Today's new $280M share repurchase authorization, when combined with the $420M of shares already repurchased in 2017 totals $700 million, demonstrating our commitment to executing this strategy. In conjunction with our Focus, Simplify and Execute To Win strategy, our Disciplined Capital Allocation Strategy has been and will continue to create long term value for our shareholders." The timing of the share repurchase program will be based on available liquidity, cash flows and general market conditions. The repurchase program may be executed through various methods, including open market purchases.

09:14 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Frontline (FRO), up 1.4%... Ship Finance (SFL), up just under 1%. ALSO HIGHER: Xactly (XTLY), up 16.8% following an announcement that it will be acquired by Vista Equity for $15.65 per share cash... Atwood Oceanics (ATW), up 24.1% after announcing it will be acquired by Ensco (ESV)... CardConnect (CCN), up 11% after agreeing to be acquired by First Data (FDC) for $15.00 per share in cash... Array Biopharma (ARRY), up 5.8% after entering a strategic collaboration with Bristol-Myers (BMY). LOWER: Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD), down 2.2% after being downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Wedbush... Ensco is down 3.7% following the acquisition announcement... Ambarella (AMBA), down 5.1% after being downgraded to Sector Weight from Overweight at Pacific Crest.

09:12 EDT Deutsche Bank hires Jeffrey Mensch as managing director for M&A - Deutsche Bank announced an addition to its M&A team with the appointment of Jeffrey Mensch as a managing director. Mensch will be based in New York and report to Charlie Dupree, Head of Americas M&A. Mensch will join the bank in early June from MacAndrews & Forbes where he was a Senior VP in the finance department for the past three years. This is the seventh MD Deutsche Bank has announced will join its Americas Corporate Finance team this year and the second for M&A. The bank has made investments in FIG, Healthcare and M&A to date.

09:10 EDT Greenlight Capital urges GM shareholders vote for its board nominees - Greenlight Capital and its affiliates, which own 3.6% of the common stock of General Motors, released a letter to GM shareholders highlighting that GM's shares are trading at their 2010 IPO price. "Greenlight has offered a creative approach to unlock tens of billions of dollars in value by splitting the current common stock into two common equities. While there may be other approaches, if shareholders do not insist on action, GM's incumbent board will continue to do nothing to fix GM's valuation problem," the company says. Greenlight urges all GM shareholders to vote the green proxy card in favor of the plan and in support of Greenlight's three director nominees - Leo Hindery, Jr., Vinit Sethi, and William N. Thorndike, Jr. - to the board at GM's Annual Meeting of Shareholders, scheduled to take place on June 6. The letter said,"You have a choice to make. You can vote the green proxy card and demand change or you can use the white proxy card and surrender to the incumbent Board's inertia and status quo plan. We believe the choice is clear: there is nothing to lose from insisting on fresh thinking at a company whose stock trades at its 2010 IPO price. GM's board believes that nothing can be done proactively to create value for shareholders. In our experience, the uninspired take refuge in convincing themselves they are helpless....We encourage you to read our proxy statement, which contains biographies of our Board nominees, and to listen to our presentation about the Plan on our website at www.UnlockGMValue.com. But most importantly, we encourage you to support our nominees and our plan by voting green. Given that time is short, please vote over the Internet or by phone today."

09:08 EDT Conagra Brands: J.M. Smucker to be 'a terrific steward' of Wesson brand - Conagra Brands (CAG) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with The J.M. Smucker Company (SJM) to divest the Wesson oil brand. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of any applicable regulatory approvals. The transaction is valued at approximately $285M. "We continue to reshape our portfolio and focus our resources on priorities that support Conagra's business strategy and drive value creation for shareholders," said Sean Connolly, president and CEO of Conagra Brands. "We believe The J.M. Smucker Company will be a terrific steward of the Wesson brand."

09:07 EDT DryShips receives commitment for senior secured credit facility of up to $150M - DryShips announced it has received firm commitment for a senior secured credit facility of up to $150M with ABN AMRO bank and KEXIM to partly finance the delivery of its four Very Large Gas Carriers, or VLGCs. The Facility remains subject to definitive documentation. The Facility will be secured by the Company's four VLGCs, will have a tenor of 6 years, will bear an interest rate of LIBOR plus margin and will have an amortization profile of approximately 12 years. The four high specifications VLGCs currently under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries are scheduled for delivery in June, September, October and December and will be employed on long term charters to major oil companies and oil traders, with a total gross backlog of approximately $390M, including optional periods.

09:05 EDT eHealth partners with Union Plus to provide medicare insurance products - eHealth announced that it has entered into a partnership with Union Plus, a program operated by Union Privilege, the member benefits arm of the AFL-CIO. Through this partnership, eHealth will provide a Medicare insurance exchange online at www.unionplusmedicare.com and by phone at 888-680-4770. Through these channels, eHealth will distribute Medicare insurance products to members and retirees of the AFL-CIO-affiliated unions that elect to participate in the Union Plus Retiree Health Insurance program. Union Plus selected eHealth following a robust search and RFP process that involved more than a dozen insurance carriers and healthcare exchanges. eHealth was selected to manage the Union Plus Retiree Health Insurance program because of eHealth's range of products and its excellent customer support.

09:04 EDT Kindred Biosciences to present data from six studies at ACVIM conference - Kindred Biosciences announced that it will be presenting data from six studies at the 2017 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine conference in National Harbor, MD, held June 8-10, 2017. The company will be sharing effectiveness and safety data from its Mirataz and Zimeta development programs and sponsoring scientific sessions. In addition, KindredBio will be sponsoring five Scientific Sessions at the conference.

09:03 EDT ParkerVision patent case against Apple, Qualcomm reopened in FL Middle District - ParkerVision (PRKR) announced that the Middle District of Florida granted ParkerVision's request to lift the stay and reopen its patent infringement case against Apple (AAPL), LG and Qualcomm (QCOM). The Court also ordered the parties to conduct a case management conference within 30 days and file a case management report to the Court within 14 days following the conference. The company's request to reopen this case was filed on May 4, 2017 following the International Trade Commission's ruling to approve the company's motion to terminate its parallel ITC investigation against these same defendants.

09:02 EDT Northwest Biotherapeutics enters forbearance agreement with noteholders - In a regulatory filing on Friday night, Northwest Biotherapeutics noted that pursuant to its previously reported repurchase agreement between the company and the holders of the company's 5.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2017, the company was required to, among other things, repurchase the outstanding Notes in installments of specified amounts on specified dates, with an aggregate principal amount of $2.5M required to be repurchased on May 22. "The company engaged in negotiations with unaffiliated institutional investors and the Holders in regard to payment of the May Notes. The institutional investors desire to purchase the Notes directly from the Holders. While such negotiations are ongoing, the company entered into a Forbearance Agreement with the Holders, dated May 22, under which the company did not repurchase the May Notes on May 22 and the Holders agreed to extend the date for that repurchase until May 26. In consideration, the company agreed to issue the Holders 150,000 shares of common stock and pay a forbearance fee of $300,000. The parties are currently in ongoing negotiations to complete the arrangements for the repurchase of the May Notes by the institutional investors," the company stated.

09:01 EDT Perry Ellis enters into license agreement with Wolf - Perry Ellis International announced that it has entered into a license agreement with Wolf for men's apparel and accessories under the Cubavera trademark in Mexico. The collection will be available in department and specialty stores, and is planned to launch in Fall 2017.

08:50 EDT Exelon to retire Three Mile Island Generating Station in 2019 - Exelon Corporation said it will prematurely retire its Three Mile Island Generating Station on or about September 30, 2019, absent needed policy reforms. Officials met with employees and informed community leaders, and pledged continued open dialogue as they prepare for this transition. Exelon is taking the first steps to shut down the nuclear plant, including informing key stakeholders, which will include sending PJM a deactivation notice and making permanent shutdown notifications to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission within 30 days, immediately taking one-time charges of $65M-$110M for 2017, and accelerating approximately $1B-1.1B in depreciation and amortization through the announced shutdown date, terminating capital investment projects required for long-term operation of TMI, and canceling 2019 fuel purchases and outage planning, impacting about 1,500 outage workers. TMI directly employs 675 workers and contracts another 1,500 local union workers for refueling outages. The station provides more than $1M in state property taxes and more than $300,000 in local community giving each year. Exelon's employees will continue to operate the plant, with staff transitions expected within six months of the plant's final shut down.

08:46 EDT S&W Seed announces North American distribution agreement with Wilbur Ellis - S&W Seed Company announced it has entered into a distribution agreement with Wilbur Ellis, a marketer and distributor of agricultural products, animal feed and specialty chemicals and ingredients. Under the Agreement, Wilbur Ellis will distribute S&W's alfalfa seed varieties through its retail sales channels throughout North America, providing Wilbur Ellis' customers with access to S&W's full portfolio of alfalfa seed genetics, including the industry's highest salt tolerant varieties with the Roundup Ready technology. It is anticipated that Wilbur Ellis will look to expand S&W's varieties through its more than 160 branch locations, primarily in the western and central United States.

08:39 EDT Exelon to end generation operations at Three Mile Island in 2019 - Exelon announced that Exelon Generation Company will permanently cease generation operations at Three Mile Island Generating Station on or about September 30, 2019. The current Nuclear Regulatory Commission license for TMI expires in 2034. The decision to shut down TMI was made given TMI's failure to clear the recent 2020-2021 PJM base residual capacity auction results after having failed to clear the previous two capacity auctions, over five years of financial losses, and the lack of meaningful progress on market design changes that would recognize the full value of TMI and return it to profitability. "The primary factors contributing to the deteriorating economic value of TMI include significant declines in plant revenues due to prolonged periods of low wholesale power prices, capacity auction results, the absence of federal or state policies that place a value on nuclear energy for its ability to produce electricity without air pollution while contributing to grid reliability and resiliency as well as negative factors specific to TMI, including TMI's relatively high operating costs as a single-unit site. All of these factors exacerbate the expectation for continued losses for the foreseeable future," the company stated. As a result of the decision to retire TMI, Exelon and Generation will recognize certain one-time charges in the second quarter of 2017 ranging from an estimated $65M-$110M related to materials and supplies inventory reserve adjustment, employee-related costs, and construction work-in-progress impairment, among other items. Exelon and Generation also could recognize additional one-time charges in 2018 and 2019 of up to an estimated $25M each year. Estimated cash expenditures related to the one-time charges primarily for employee-related costs are expected to range from $40M-$70M. In addition to these one-time charges, there will be ongoing annual financial impacts stemming from shortening the expected economic useful life of TMI primarily related to accelerated depreciation of plant assets, accelerated amortization of nuclear fuel, and additional asset retirement obligation accretion expense associated with the changes in decommissioning timing and cost assumptions to reflect an earlier retirement date. "Within two years after shutting down a plant, Generation must submit a post-shutdown decommissioning activities report to the NRC that includes the planned option for decommissioning the site. Considering the different approaches to decommissioning available to Generation, the most costly estimates currently anticipated could require parental guarantees of up to $35M for TMI radiological decommissioning," the company added.

08:37 EDT Guided Therapeutics receives order for 10 LuViva scans for Indonesia - Guided Therapeutics announced it has received an order for 10 additional LuViva Advanced Cervical Scans for Indonesia. The order brings to 24 the number of LuVivas and more than 7,000 the number of single use Cervical Guides sold to Indonesia. Additional orders of Cervical Guides are expected later this year.

08:36 EDT Gilead says Bictegravir in combination with FTC/TAF met endpoint in 4 studies - Gilead Sciences announced that four Phase 3 studies evaluating a fixed-dose combination of bictegravir, a novel investigational integrase strand transfer inhibitor, and emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide for the treatment of HIV-1 infection met their primary objectives of non-inferiority. Three of the ongoing studies are designed to explore the efficacy and safety of BIC/FTC/TAF compared to regimens containing dolutegravir among treatment-naive patients, and among virologically suppressed patients switching from an existing antiretroviral regimen. A fourth ongoing study in virologically suppressed patients compares switching to BIC/FTC/TAF versus remaining on a suppressive regimen of two nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors and a boosted protease inhibitor. Gilead plans to submit data from these Phase 3 studies for presentations at scientific conferences in 2017. Bictegravir in combination with FTC/TAF as a single tablet regimen is an investigational treatment that has not been determined to be safe or efficacious. Since the approval of Viread 16 years ago, Gilead has continually worked to develop and improve treatments for people living with HIV. This investigational single tablet regimen brings together the potency of an integrase inhibitor, bictegravir, with the demonstrated efficacy and safety profile of the FTC/TAF backbone," said Norbert Bischofberger, PhD, Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer, Gilead Sciences. "Based on the results from these Phase 3 studies, the combination of bictegravir and FTC/TAF could represent an important advance in triple-therapy treatment for a broad range of HIV patients, and we look forward to submitting regulatory applications in the U.S. and EU this year."

08:35 EDT FuelCell awarded $3M contract from ARPA-E - FuelCell Energy announced that it was awarded a $3.0M contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, division of the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, to advance the commercialization of cost-effective and clean long-duration energy storage. The project will further develop FuelCell Energy's advanced solid oxide cell technology capable of alternating between electrolysis and fuel cell power generation mode in an energy storage application. RSOFC systems can produce hydrogen or other carbon-neutral fuels in electrolysis mode and later convert the stored fuel to power in electrolysis mode. This project was awarded under ARPA-E's Renewable Energy to Fuels through Utilization of Energy-Dense Liquids program.

08:34 EDT Summit Midstream amends, extends $1.25B revolving credit facility to 2022 - Summit Midstream Partners has executed an amendment and extension of its $1.25B revolving credit facility. The facility is supported by a syndicate of 20 institutions and provides SMLP with the liquidity and financial flexibility to execute its growth plans and achieve its financing objectives for the foreseeable future. The maturity date of the revolving credit facility was extended by approximately 3.5 years, from November 2018 to May 2022. The facility includes a $250M accordion, and has the same pricing and a similar covenant package to the previous facility. The total leverage ratio financial covenant, as defined in the credit agreement, was increased from 5.00 to 1.00 to 5.50 to 1.00 in exchange for including a new senior secured leverage ratio financial covenant of 3.75 to 1.00.

08:33 EDT Cidara Therapeutics announces presentations at ASM Microbe, EHA - Cidara Therapeutics announced that data from preclinical studies of its novel echinocandin antifungal CD101 will be presented at two upcoming, major medical meetings. CD101 abstracts have been accepted for presentation at both ASM Microbe 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana from June 1-5 and at the 22nd Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association in Madrid, Spain from June 22-25. ASM Microbe 2017 will also feature a presentation of a study evaluating the real-world utilization of echinocandins in hospitalized patients with invasive fungal infections, providing insight into the unmet need for a novel echinocandin. "These presentations highlight the potential of our novel echinocandin CD101 to treat and prevent a broad range of deadly fungal infections in critically ill patients where unmet needs exist," said Jeffrey Stein, Ph.D., president and CEO of Cidara. "Especially for those patients with hematologic diseases or for those undergoing transplantation, CD101 could significantly simplify antifungal prophylaxis regimens versus currently available options, which tend to complicate care due to drug-drug interactions, toxicities and resistance."

08:33 EDT Iteris awarded $934,000 contract award by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District - Iteris announced a $934,000 contract award for design services from AC Transit for a corridor travel time improvement project. The project includes the implementation of transit signal priority, bus stop improvements, real-time passenger information system, and deployment of an Adaptive Signal Control Technology system. This contract continues Iteris' involvement on AC Transit's popular Line 97, which spans 12.5 miles along a number of major corridors in the San Francisco Bay Area. The design phase of the project is underway with deployment anticipated in 2018. Iteris has provided transit signal operations for over 30 agencies covering more than 1,000 intersections nationwide. The company is currently involved in similar transit projects in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Orange County, California.

08:28 EDT Ensco trading resumes

08:27 EDT Janus Capital trading halted, news dissemination

08:20 EDT Ensco to acquire Atwood Oceanics in all-stock merger transaction - Ensco (ESV) and Atwood Oceanics (ATW) jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Ensco will acquire Atwood in an all-stock transaction. The definitive merger agreement was unanimously approved by each company's board of directors. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Atwood shareholders will receive 1.60 shares of Ensco for each share of Atwood common stock for a total value of $10.72 per Atwood share based on Ensco's closing share price of $6.70 on May 26. This represents a premium of approximately 33% to Atwood's closing price on the same date. Upon close of the transaction, Ensco and Atwood shareholders will own approximately 69% and 31%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of Ensco plc. Ensco expects to realize annual pre-tax expense synergies of approximately $65M for full year 2019 and beyond. Upon closing, Ensco will add six ultra-deepwater floaters, including four of the most capable drillships in the industry, and five high-specification jackups. The combined company will have a fleet of 63 rigs, comprised of ultra-deepwater drillships, versatile deep- and mid-water semisubmersibles and shallow-water jackups, along with a diverse customer base of 27 national oil companies, supermajors and independents. The combination is expected to be accretive on a discounted cash flow basis. The estimated enterprise value of the combined company is $6.9B, based on the closing price of each company's shares on May 26. The combined company will have approximately $3.7B in revenue backlog. The balance sheet of the combined company will remain "strong," the companies said. Adjusted for the expected retirement of Atwood's outstanding revolving credit facility with cash and short-term investments on hand, total available liquidity was $3.9B on March 31 and included $1.6B of cash and short-term investments. The transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of Ensco and Atwood, as well as other customary closing conditions. The transaction is not subject to any financing conditions. Ensco and Atwood intend to file a joint proxy statement/prospectus with the SEC as soon as possible. The companies anticipate that the transaction could close as soon as calendar third quarter 2017.

08:16 EDT Masimo announces FDA 510(k) clearance of O3 Regional oximetry - Masimo announced FDA 510(k) clearance for the pediatric indication for O3 regional oximetry with the O3 pediatric sensor. Regional oximetry, also referred to as tissue or cerebral oximetry, may help clinicians monitor cerebral oxygenation in situations in which peripheral pulse oximetry alone may not be fully indicative of the oxygen in the brain. With the clearance of the O3 pediatric sensor, O3 regional oximetry monitoring, which was already available for adult patients in the U.S., is now also available for pediatric patients weighing more than 5 kg and less than 40 kg.

08:16 EDT Lightbridge receives notice of allowance in China for key patent - Lightbridge announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance in the People's Republic of China for another key patent covering a tri-lobe variant of its extruded metallic fuel rods used in Russian-type VVER reactors. The actual grant of the patent is contingent upon payment of the issuance fee which has since been paid by Lightbridge. The patent is expected to be issued in the coming weeks. China has 36 nuclear power reactors currently in operation and 21 under construction. Additional reactors are planned.

08:14 EDT G1 Therapeutics to present CDK4/6 inhibitor trilaciclib data at ASCO - G1 Therapeutics announced that Phase 1b data from the ongoing Phase 1b/2a study of its lead CDK4/6 inhibitor trilaciclib as a first-line combination treatment in patients with extensive stage small-cell lung cancer, or SCLC, will be presented in a poster session at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, to be held June 2-6 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

08:12 EDT Xactly to be acquired by Vista Equity for $15.65 per share cash - Xactly announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm focused on investments in software, data and technology-enabled businesses. Under the terms of the agreement, affiliates of Vista will acquire all outstanding shares of Xactly common stock for a total value of approximately $564M. Xactly stockholders will receive $15.65 in cash per share, representing an approximately 17% premium to the closing price as of May 26 and an approximately 31% premium compared to the 3-month volume weighted average price of Xactly's common stock. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of Xactly's stockholders and antitrust approval in the U.S. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of the 2017 calendar year.

08:10 EDT Xactly to be acquired by Vista Equity for $564M or $15.65 per share cash

08:08 EDT InVivo Therapeutics announces update to Contemporary Thoracic SCI Registry Study - InVivo Therapeutics announced that data from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation NACTN Registry will be included in the Contemporary Thoracic SCI Registry Study, a complement to the ongoing INSPIRE study of the Neuro-Spinal Scaffold. The CONTEMPO Registry Study is intended to provide comprehensive natural history benchmarks for INSPIRE study results that include spinal cord injury patients with similar baseline characteristics treated since 2006. The NACTN registry is derived from a network of academic neurosurgical departments of hospitals that have a strong focus on SCI, especially in the acute injury phase. The NACTN Registry includes acute patient data such as pre- and post-operative data, post-injury complications and treatments, MRI data, and follow-up neurological exams. Because the NACTN registry contains acute care data, it will allow for the close matching of registry patient characteristics with INSPIRE inclusion and exclusion criteria, and will be highlighted in the CONTEMPO Registry Study as a well matched natural history benchmark comparator for INSPIRE results. The CONTEMPO Registry Study will provide a robust evaluation of the recent natural history of acute, complete thoracic SCI patients across North American and European populations. InVivo has submitted a protocol for the CONTEMPO Registry Study to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and does not expect this study to affect clinical or regulatory timelines. InVivo believes that the combined information in the INSPIRE study and the CONTEMPO Registry Study will provide a rigorous body of evidence for the demonstration of safety and probable benefit as required by the Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) approval process, and plans to submit the two studies together for HDE approval.

08:07 EDT ARRIS selected by Stofa to transform cable broadband network - Danish TV and Internet service provider Stofa has selected ARRIS International to transform its cable broadband network to deliver gigabit broadband speeds and new, enhanced services including future Ultra HD TV channels, streaming and digital services. The strategic collaboration between Stofa and ARRIS centers on a full technology migration across all Stofa's sites in Denmark.

08:06 EDT Eazy Financial Services selects NCR for payment services - Eazy Financial Services will introduce the region's first Biometric Payment Network powered by NCR Corporation that will allow consumers to register their fingerprint through their participating bank and then use that at any device to initiate a transaction rather than using a card. In the first phase, NCR will help Eazy to develop the necessary payment infrastructure to serve participating financial institutions in Bahrain and over time expand to target the Middle East region. Customers will be required to enroll through participating financial institutions by registering their fingerprints, allowing them to make payments literally at the touch of a fingertip. This holistic payment network will allow customers of any bank linked to Eazy's network to conduct payments through multiple access points at their disposal, not restricting them to specific banks - introducing a new level of accessibility and customer convenience.

08:03 EDT Genomic Health to present eight Oncotype DX studies at ASCO meeting - Genomic Health announced that the company will present results from eight Oncotype DX studies at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, which will take place June 2-6 at McCormick Place in Chicago. These presentations represent data across multiple tumor types including invasive breast, ductal carcinoma in situ, prostate and renal cancers.

08:01 EDT JCP responds to ISS recommendation regarding Fiesta Restaurant meeting - JCP Investment Management, LLC, together with its affiliates and the other participants in its solicitation, collectively one of the largest stockholders of Fiesta Restaurant Group, with aggregate ownership of approximately 9.0% of the company's outstanding shares, responded to Institutional Shareholder Services Inc.'s recommendation regarding the election of director candidates to Fiesta's Board of Directors at the company's upcoming Annual Meeting to be held on June 7, 2017. JCP is pleased that ISS recognized many of the areas of concern that JCP raised in its campaign for change, including the Board's ineffective oversight and lack of restaurant industry experience that resulted in the destruction of significant value over the past several years. However, JCP believes that ISS failed to recognize that Fiesta's reactive responses to JCP's involvement does not make the incumbent directors any less culpable for the destruction of stockholder value that occurred under their watch.

07:51 EDT Atwood Oceanics trading halted, news pending

07:39 EDT ADMA Biologics' stockholders approve acquisition of assets from BPC - ADMA Biologics announced that its stockholders voted to approve ADMA's previously announced acquisition of certain assets from Biotest Pharmaceuticals Corporation, or BPC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Biotest AG, at ADMA's annual meeting of stockholders held on May 25. ADMA is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and intends to commercialize specialty plasma-based biologics for the proposed treatment of immune deficiencies and prevention of certain infectious diseases.

07:33 EDT BioCryst appoints Robert Ingram as Chairman of its Board of Directors - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) announced the appointment of Robert A. Ingram as Chairman of its Board of Directors. Following the Company's annual meeting on May 24 Robert A. Ingram will serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and George B. Abercrombie will serve as a member of the Company's Board of Directors. Ingram was appointed to the Board of Directors in August 2015. He began his career in the pharmaceutical industry as a professional sales representative and rose through a series of roles with increasing responsibility to ultimately become CEO and Chairman of GlaxoWellcome. He co-led the merger and integration that formed GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and served as Vice Chairman Pharmaceuticals of GSK until January 1, 2010.

07:23 EDT Lonestar Resources announces acquisitions in Eagle Ford for $116.6M - Lonestar Resources announced that it has entered into definitive agreements with unaffiliated parties to acquire oil and gas properties in the Eagle Ford Shale play for a total purchase price of approximately $116.6M, consisting of $106M in cash and 2.6 million Lonestar Class A common shares. The properties, which are located in Karnes, Gonzales, DeWitt, Lavaca and Fayette Counties, Texas, have Proved reserves of approximately 25.4 million barrels of crude oil, 3.1 million barrels of natural gas liquids, and 17.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas, equating to 31.4 million barrels of oil equivalent as estimated by Lonestar, as of December 31, 2016. Based on the NYMEX Strip at December 31, 2016, these Proved reserves have PV-101 of $260M. Lonestar currently expects to close the acquisitions in late June. Lonestar has also entered into definitive agreements that fully fund the purchase of the properties. Upon closing of the purchases, Lonestar will acquire 115 gross / 80.3 net producing oil and gas wells, and estimates Proved Developed Producing reserves associated with these wells of 6.3 MMBOE. Lonestar will own an average 70% working interest in the producing wells, and operates 81 of them with a 93% working interest. Based on information provided by the sellers, the Company estimates that the production for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was 2,052 BOE per day. The leasehold to be acquired totals 30,219 gross / 21,238 net acres, of which 94% is Held By Production. Upon closing of the acquisitions, Lonestar will own an average 70% working interest in this leasehold. Lonestar has identified 85 gross / 73 net Proved Undeveloped drilling locations in the Lower Eagle Ford Shale which Lonestar internally estimates contain Proved Undeveloped reserves of 25.1 MMBOE. The Company has identified an additional 34 gross / 24 net drilling locations in the Lower Eagle Ford Shale to which Proved reserves have not been assigned. After consummating these acquisitions, Lonestar reaffirms its spending plan of $62 to $72 million on drilling and completion operations in 2017. Importantly, the acquisitions also provide Lonestar with the visibility to set an initial drilling plan for 2018 of 18 gross / 16 net wells, with an estimated cost of $85 to $95 million. The 2017 capital budget will be funded by cash flow and proceeds from the financing. Looking to 2018, based on current strip prices and budgets currently in place, we expect our projected capital budget will be fully funded by internally generated cash flow.

07:19 EDT ISS supports election of two Engaged Capital nominees to Rent-A-Center board - Engaged Capital, which has a 20.5% economic exposure to Rent-A-Center, announced that Institutional Shareholder Services, an independent proxy voting advisory firm, has recommended that RCII stockholders vote on the blue Engaged Capital proxy card to elect two of Engaged Capital's director candidates, Mitchell Fadel and Christopher Hetrick, at the company's upcoming 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on June 8. Engaged Capital urges all RCII stockholders to vote the blue proxy card for all three Engaged Capital nominees and restore stockholder value.

07:15 EDT Calgon Carbon wins DPA Title III Program award - Calgon Carbon Corporation has been awarded up to $15.4M from the U.S. Government as part of the Defense Production Act Title III Program. The Title III Program funding awarded to Calgon Carbon is dedicated to mitigating the supply chain risk associated with the manufacture of activated carbon products used in military personal protection equipment and collective protection equipment. The award allows for the construction of a manufacturing facility at the company's Pearl River plant in Bay St. Louis, MS, which will provide the capability to assure uninterrupted supply of the critical military materials. Currently, these U.S. Department of Defense materials are only produced at Calgon Carbon's Neville Island plant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The DPA funding, awarded based on Calgon Carbon's manufacturing capability and experience, became effective September 21, 2016. Project construction is expected to begin in January 2018 following completion of engineering and permitting activities. The new capability is expected to be operational by March 2019. Project construction is expected to generate approximately 25 jobs, while the operation of the new facility is expected to create 18 full-time jobs in the state of Mississippi.

07:08 EDT Concert Pharmaceuticals CFO Ryan Daws to depart - Concert Pharmaceuticals announced that Ryan Daws, CFO, will be leaving the company in early June to return to investment banking. He will be joining Baird as managing director in the firm's Life Sciences and Biotechnology Group. Daws will continue to consult with the company, including through the closing of the pending asset purchase agreement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX). Daws served as CFO of Concert since January 2014. Concert has initiated a search to appoint a new CFO.

07:07 EDT CASI Pharmaceuticals announces presentation at ASCO on ENMD-2076 - CASI Pharmaceuticals announces a poster presentation on ENMD-2076 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting being held June 2 - 6, 2017 in Chicago. ENMD-2076 is currently in a Phase 2 trial for the treatment of clear cell ovarian carcinoma at Princess Margaret Hospital Centre in Toronto.

07:06 EDT Canadian Solar supplies 268MW Dymond modules for DEWA project in Dubai - Canadian Solar announced it has been selected as the sole module supplier to provide 268 MW of double-glass Dymond modules for the first phase of the 800 MW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. When completed in 2020, the three-phase DEWA Project will be one of the world's largest single-location solar parks. The EPC Joint Venture Consortium consists of Acciona, Gransolar and Ghella. The first phase of the DEWA project will use more than 800,000 double-glass modules upon its completion. The production and delivery has started this month.

07:04 EDT Protagonist enters agreement with Janssen to co-develop PTG-200 for IBD - Protagonist Therapeutics (PTGX) announced that the company has entered into a worldwide license and collaboration agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), for the co-development and commercialization of PTG-200, Protagonist's first-in-class, oral peptide IL-23 receptor antagonist for all indications including inflammatory bowel disease. PTG-200 is expected to enter Phase 1 clinical testing in normal healthy volunteers in the second half of 2017. The agreement builds upon a Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, Inc. Series B venture financing from 2013 in support of the discovery and development of Protagonist's pipeline of oral peptide therapeutics.Under the terms of the license and collaboration agreement, Protagonist will receive an upfront payment of $50 million from Janssen, and will also be eligible to receive up to an additional $940 million in development, regulatory, and sales milestones. The development milestones represent significant payments that Protagonist would receive upon completion of each component of the Phase 2a/2b clinical trial in Crohn's disease if Janssen elects to retain its license following each of those events. Janssen will receive exclusive, worldwide rights to develop and commercialize PTG-200, and Protagonist will receive double-digit tiered royalties on net product sales. Protagonist Therapeutics and Janssen will jointly conduct the development of PTG-200 through Phase 2 clinical proof-of-concept in Crohn's disease, after which time Janssen will be responsible for development and commercialization. Per the terms of the agreement, Protagonist will have the right to co-detail PTG-200 in the United States. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to customary closing conditions.

07:03 EDT Alkermes names Craig Hopkinson chief medical officer - Alkermes (ALKS) announced the appointment of Craig Hopkinson as chief medical officer, and senior VP of clinical development and medical affairs. Hopkinson will be responsible for the advancement and implementation of the clinical development programs for Alkermes' pipeline of drug candidates. He will serve on the executive management team of Alkermes and report to Elliot Ehrich, executive VP of research and development. Ehrich will transition his role as chief medical officer to Hopkinson and will focus on advancing the company's product pipeline and pharmaceutical development strategy. Most recently, Hopkinson held the position of senior VP and head of global medical affairs for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX).

07:02 EDT FRNP joint venture selected by DOE to lead Paducah Deactivation and Remediation - Fluor announced that the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, has selected Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, or FRNP, a joint venture comprised of CH2M, Fluor and BWX Technologies, to lead the Paducah Deactivation and Remediation, or D&R, Contract at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky. The performance-based contract is valued at approximately $1.5B over 10 years. The base term is five years valued at approximately $750M followed by 3-year and 2-year option periods valued at an approximate total of $750M combined. The Paducah site is situated on approximately 3,500 acres in western Kentucky, approximately 8 miles west of Paducah, and 3.5 miles south of the Ohio River.

07:02 EDT Advaxis, Bristol-Myers announce clinical collaboration - Advaxis (ADXS) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) announced a clinical development collaboration to evaluate ADXS-DUAL, an investigational immunotherapy targeting HPV-associated cancers, and Bristol-Myers Squibb's PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, Opdivo, as a potential combination treatment option for women with metastatic cervical cancer. Expected to start by the end of this year, the study will evaluate this combination regimen in women with persistent, recurrent or metastatic carcinoma of the cervix who have failed at least one prior line of systemic chemotherapy. Under the terms of the agreement, each party will bear their own internal costs and provide its immunotherapy agents. Advaxis will sponsor the study and pay third-party costs.

07:01 EDT Advaxis, Bristol-Myers announce clinical collaboration

07:00 EDT Bristol-Myers, Array BioPharma announce strategic collaboration

06:47 EDT Innovative Industrial Properties closes acquisition of property in Maryland - Innovative Industrial Properties announced that it closed on the previously announced acquisition of the property located at 9220 Alaking Court in Capitol Heights, Maryland, which is currently under development and expected to comprise approximately 72,000 square feet upon completion. As previously disclosed, the initial purchase price for the property was $8M, and the seller will be responsible for completing certain development milestones, for which the seller is expected to be reimbursed $3M. Holistic Industries, the tenant at the property, is also expected to complete tenant improvements for the building, for which the Company has agreed to provide reimbursement of up to $4M. Assuming full payment for each step of the development, the Company's total investment in the property will be $15M. Concurrent with the closing of the purchase, the Company entered into a long-term, triple-net lease agreement with Holistic, which intends to use the facility as the only medical cannabis cultivation facility in Prince George's County. The initial term of the lease is 16 years, with three options to extend the term for three additional five-year periods.

06:36 EDT Denbury Resources to acquire interest in Salt Creek Field for $71.5M - Denbury Resources announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with certain subsidiaries of Linn Energy, Inc. to acquire their 23% non-operated working interest in Salt Creek Field in Wyoming for $71.5M. Denbury plans to initially fund the acquisition with its bank line, but anticipates this cost would ultimately be offset through the sale of non-productive surface acreage ideally suited for commercial development in the Houston area, which Denbury is currently preparing to market. Net production for the acquired interest is currently estimated at 2,100 barrels per day and is expected to increase over the next several years based on the planned field development. Proved developed reserves for the acquired interest are estimated at approximately 9M barrels of oil, and Denbury expects to recognize an additional 9 MMBbls of proved undeveloped reserves based on current development plans, resulting in estimated finding and development costs of less than $7 per barrel including both acquisition and future development costs. Estimated capital costs for 2017 are approximately $5M.

06:33 EDT Trimble acquires NM Group, terms not disclosed - Trimble announced that it has acquired privately-held Network Mapping Group, or NM Group, headquartered in Knaresborough, United Kingdom. The acquisition expands Trimble's energy solutions portfolio to provide high-value data modeling and 3D visualization services for the utilities industry. Financial terms were not disclosed. The NM Group's business will be reported as part of Trimble's Resources and Utilities Segment.

06:07 EDT Bank of Nova Scotia to repurchase up to 24M of common shares - Bank of Nova Scotia announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, or OSFI, have approved its normal course issuer bid to purchase up to 24M of its Common Shares. This represents approximately two per cent of the 1.2B Common Shares issued and outstanding as of May 25. Under its current normal course issuer bid, which expires on June 1,Scotiabank purchased 10M Common Shares for cancellation at a volume weighted average price of approximately $71.00 per Common Share.

06:05 EDT British Airways: IT systems back up, will operate full flight schedule - British Airways says in a statement, "Our IT systems are now back up and running and we will be operating a full flight schedule at Heathrow and Gatwick on Tuesday 30 May. We are extremely sorry for the frustration and inconvenience customers experienced over the Bank Holiday weekend and thank them for their patience and understanding. We are continuing to work to get delayed bags to customers as quickly as possible." The airline canceled thousands of flights over the weekend, affecting some 75,000 people, according to reports. CEO Alex Cruz blamed a power surge for the disruption.

05:30 EDT Biohaven completes enrollment in SCA clinical trial with trigriluzole - Biohaven Pharmaceutical announced that the company has completed enrollment in its clinical study of trigriluzole in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia, or SCA. Trigriluzole, a novel drug candidate being developed by Biohaven, has received both Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Designation from the FDA as a potential treatment for SCA. SCA is a rare, debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that is estimated to affect approximately 22,000 people in the United States. No medications are currently approved for this often severe condition.

05:17 EDT Celyad obtains additional U.S. patent for cancer treatment - Celyad announced the issuance of United States Patent No. 9,663,763 relating to Celyad's method of treating cancer by administering allogeneic primary human T cells that are engineered to be T-Cell Receptor, or TCR,-deficient and to express a chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR. US Patent 9,663,763 was examined under the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program, also known as the "Patents 4 Patients" initiative, and is the third patent in Celyad's allogeneic intellectual property portfolio awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This new patent claims specifically methods of treating cancer patients with allogeneic TCR-deficient CAR-T immunotherapies. Earlier patents were related to the allogeneic TCR-deficient CAR-T cells per se, and to methods of producing them. The combination of these granted patents strengthens Celyad's position and further confirms its leadership in engineered cell therapy, and in the allogeneic CAR-T space. Allogeneic technology has the potential to broaden the therapeutic applications of CAR T-Cell immunotherapies as it does not depend on cells derived from the patient. TCR-deficient CAR-T cells are aimed at avoiding or greatly reducing adverse immune reactions which would greatly benefit patients.