Stockwinners Market Radar for September 14, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:21 EDT Extra Space Storage says 219 stores have been reopened in FL, GA, SC - Extra Space Storage announced that 219 stores totaling approximately 20 million net rentable square feet and approximately 173,000 units have been reopened in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. However, for the safety of our customers and our employees, eight properties totaling approximately 575,000 net rentable square feet and approximately 6,200 units remain temporarily closed due to impact related to Hurricane Irma. Three of the eight closed stores are owned by the Company and the other five are managed on behalf of third-party owners. Conditions at the closed properties are being evaluated for safety and accessibility due to damage and/or power loss. These eight stores will be opened as soon as they are safe and operable. Rent credits to customers' accounts will be made on a case by case basis depending on the level of interruption at the various locations. For the month of September, Extra Space Storage will be providing the first month of rent free on new rentals in the state of Florida.

19:01 EDT Super Micro Computer receives non-compliance letter from Nasdaq - Super Micro Computer announced that the company received a notification letter from Nasdaq stating that the company is not in compliance with Nasdaq listing rule 5250c1, which requires timely filing of reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The September 14, 2017 letter was sent as a result of the company's delay in filing its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ending June 30, 2017. The Form 10-K was due on August 29, 2017. The company filed a Form 12b-25 on August 29, 2017, the effect of which was to extend the due date for the Form 10-K to September 13, 2017.

18:11 EDT Duke Energy restores power to over 1M customers in Florida - Duke Energy has restored more than 1M customers who lost power as a result of Hurricane Irma in Florida. Nearly 375,000 Duke Energy customers are still without power in the state. More than 12,700 workers are working to quickly and safely restore service.

18:02 EDT Celanese to raise prices of acetyl intermediates, vinyl acetate monomer - Celanese Corporation will increase list and off-list selling prices for acetyl intermediates, vinyl acetate monomer and emulsion polymers. The price increases will be effective October 1, 2017, or as contracts otherwise allow, and are incremental to previously announced increases, specifically regarding VAM price increases in China and Asia outside China dated September 6 and September 13.

17:50 EDT Oracle says sees Q2 cloud up 41%-45% in U.S revenue

17:45 EDT BioTime patents protecting OpRegen upheld in Europe - BioTime announced the conclusion of the challenge to two key patents before the European Patent Office Opposition division. The patents were upheld on March 28 during the opposition proceeding and the appeals have now concluded. The two European patents cover the proprietary directed differentiation methods to produce pluripotent stem cell-derived cell replacement therapies being developed to treat retinal degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration.

17:37 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: LightPath (LPTH), up 9.1%. ALSO HIGHER: Tonix Pharmaceuticals (TNXP), up 13.3% after it received a European patent for Tonmya for PTSD treatment... Genworth (GNW), up 7.8% after a Virginia regulator approved the company's sale of its Virginia-domiciled insurance companies. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Oracle (ORCL), down 5.3%. ALSO LOWER: T2 Biosystems (TTOO), down 21.2% after it filed to sell common stock... Marinus Pharmaceuticals (MRNS), down 2.7%... Lantheus (LNTH), down 1.4% after director Derace L. Schaffer disclosed the sale of 15,000 common shares.

17:33 EDT Lantheus director sells 15,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Lantheus Holdings director Derace L. Schaffer disclosed the sale of 15,000 common shares of the company at a price of $17.50 per share.

17:33 EDT Oracle's Ellison says not a lot of 'obvious' companies to buy in cloud space - Says expects margins to increase.

17:21 EDT InterDigital raises stock repurchase program by $100M - InterDigital said its board of directors has increased its existing stock repurchase program by $100M. The board of directors authorized a $300M stock repurchase program in June 2014, and in June 2015 increased the authorization to $400M. Today's increase brings the total authorization under the program to $500M. From June 2014 through today, InterDigital has bought back 6.7M shares for approximately $314M, leaving a total of approximately $186M remaining under the authorization.

17:19 EDT Oracle says expects Q2 cloud bookings to be stronger than Q1 - Sees FY18 cloud booking rate "quite strong."

17:10 EDT Oracle says effects of currency movements slightly better than expected in Q1 - Comments from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:05 EDT Unterberg reduces stake in Fusion Telecommunications to 2.5%

16:56 EDT Melrose Bancorp expands repurchase plan by 130,037 shares - On September 14, the Board of Directors of Melrose Bancorp authorized an increase in the number of shares that may be repurchased pursuant to the company's stock repurchase plan that was previously announced on November 12, 2015. Under the expanded repurchase plan, the company is authorized to repurchase an additional 130,037 shares, representing approximately 5.0% of the company's issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of September 14. As of September 14, the company had 11,200 shares remaining to be purchased under its previously announced share repurchase plan of 283,000.

16:51 EDT Verizon: New iPhone preorders available tomorrow - Verizon (VZ) said that, starting at 3:00 am ET tomorrow, customers can order the new generation iPhone 8 (AAPL) and iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and Apple Watch Series 3, which adds built-in cellular to the device, on Verizon. For a limited time, customers can get up to $300 back on iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus with device payment when one signs up for Verizon unlimited and trade in select phones. "You can pre-order iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus and order Apple Watch Series 3 beginning September 15 on the My Verizon app, online and in Verizon stores, and all will be available in stores starting on September 22," Verizon said. "iPhone X - the future of the smartphone - will be available to pre-order at Verizon on October 27."

16:41 EDT Spirit Airlines sees significant financial impact from Hurricane Irma in Q3, Q4 - "Florida and the Caribbean account for approximately 45% of our network. It is too soon to assess the financial impact of Hurricane Irma on our third and fourth quarter results but we do expect it to be significant," said Robert Fornaro, Spirit's President and CEO.

16:38 EDT TherapeuticsMD submits additional safety info to the NDA for TX-004HR - TherapeuticsMD announced the submission of the additional endometrial safety information that was requested by the FDA in its recent general advice letter to the company to the new drug application, or NDA for TX-004HR. The company has scheduled a formal meeting with the FDA for November 3, at which the company expects to learn if this additional endometrial safety data addresses the lack of long-term safety identified in the complete response letter for the NDA for TX-004HR. The company currently plans to re-submit the NDA for TX-004HR shortly after the meeting. The submission includes a comprehensive, systematic review of the medical literature on the use of vaginal estrogen products and the risk of endometrial hyperplasia or cancer, including the safety data from the recently published Women's Health Initiative Observational Study of vaginal estrogen use in postmenopausal women and information on the relevance of the first uterine pass effect for low-dose vaginal estrogen products.

16:34 EDT Actuant announces consolidation in leadership structure - Actuant Corporation announced a change to its executive leadership structure as part of its ongoing plan to drive profitable growth. The company has made the decision to consolidate the executive leadership of the Energy and Industrial segments to drive further scale and leverage across the organization. On an interim basis, Randal Baker, president and CEO, will lead the combined segments. The company will conduct a comprehensive search for a permanent replacement. In conjunction with this consolidation, Stephen Rennie will be leaving the organization. As a result of this segment combination, further consolidation and streamlining of various functional roles within these segments are expected to occur to de-layer, speed decision making, and improve the cost structure. The above changes have no impact on Actuant's external financial reporting structure. The company will continue to report three segments - Industrial, Energy and Engineered Solutions. Actuant expects to record severance and other termination charges in Q1 of FY18 financial results in concert with this and other previously announced leadership changes. An update to restructuring efforts will be provided with Actuant's Q4 financial results which will be released on September 27.

16:32 EDT TechnipFMC awarded integrated EPCI contract from Hurricane Energy - TechnipFMC has been awarded an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation contract from Hurricane Energy PLC. The contract covers the provision of subsea equipment including umbilicals, risers, flowlines and the subsea production system for the Lancaster Early Production System Project. In addition, TechnipFMC will also install the subsea equipment, turret buoy and mooring system. The contract will be executed as an integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation project.

16:28 EDT BRT Apartments reports impact of hurricanes Harvey and Irma - BRT Apartments announced that preliminary reports indicate that Hurricanes Harvey and Irma did not have a material adverse effect on its 26 Texas and Southeast area properties with an aggregate of 7,871 units, other than the 260 unit Cinco Ranch property located in Katy, Texas, which suffered significant damage to approximately 96 first floor units. Based on these preliminary reports, the company believes that the damage sustained at Cinco Ranch, including loss of rental income while this property is being repaired, is substantially covered by insurance.

16:27 EDT Sabre, Avianca Airlines renew technology partnership - Sabre announced a renewed partnership with Avianca for Sabre AirCentre Flight Explorer, its comprehensive flight tracking and monitoring solution. In conjunction with Flight Explorer, Avianca will utilize the Surface Manager module to provide full awareness of aircraft location on the ground, even before takeoff and after landing. Avianca will also rely on Flight Explorer's Surface Manager module for gate-to-gate monitoring, which delivers even more comprehensive decision support, improves efficiency and reduces the risk of error.

16:25 EDT Mirati Therapeutics trading halted, news pending

16:25 EDT Allscripts launches prescription price transparency initiative - Allscripts is delivering a first-to-market workflow solution that empowers clinicians and patients with complete information, at the point of care and in real time, to optimize the clinical and financial impact of prescription workflow. Allscripts is the first major healthcare information technology supplier to deliver such a solution. Allscripts Real-Time Health System aims to work with partner companies to enable technology that will deliver real-time information on: the medication price from the health plan or pharmacy benefit manager, the cash price, what alternative therapies and their cost, and competitive prices at different pharmacies. With multiple Payer/PBM and technology partners, Allscripts will focus on automatically embedding real-time prescription pricing information into the prescribing workflow, enabling healthcare providers to see what patients will pay for their medication at the point of care. Providers can then choose to communicate various savings methods and discounts based on their patients' needs, increasing consumer knowledge and satisfaction, and improving the likelihood of medication adherence.

16:23 EDT Avista and Hydro One file applications for regulatory approval of merger - Avista and Hydro One requested regulatory approval of the proposed merger of the two companies announced on July 19. The applications have been filed with state utility commissions in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Alaska, as well as with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, requesting approval of the transaction on or before Aug. 14, 2018. To complete the transaction, approvals must be obtained from the agencies named above, as well as the Federal Communications Commission. Also required is clearance by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and compliance with applicable requirements under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act . The filings with these agencies will be made in the coming months. The transaction is expected to close in 2H18.

16:20 EDT Genworth's sale of Virginia-domiciled insurance companies approved by regulator - Genworth and China Oceanwide Holdings announced that the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance, approved the proposed acquisition of control by Oceanwide of Genworth's Virginia-domiciled insurance companies, Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Company and Jamestown Life Insurance Company, as contemplated under the merger agreement entered into by Genworth and Oceanwide on Oct. 21, 2016. The Virginia Bureau of Insurance's approval is conditioned on (i) the completion of the merger transaction on the terms and conditions as set forth in the merger agreement; (ii) receipt of all other required regulatory approvals; and (iii) the continued protection of, and limited access to, certain personally identifiable information held by Genworth. The closing of the proposed merger transaction also remains subject to other conditions, including clearance by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and receipt of other required regulatory approvals in the U.S., China and other international jurisdictions.

16:16 EDT EdR reports minimal damage from hurricanes Harvey and Irma - EdR experienced only minor impact from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Most importantly, there were no injuries reported by its residents or on-site employees. While the company's three communities in Florida experienced power outages, all but one of EdR's communities in Florida and Texas are open and operational. The lone exception is the community in Miami which reopens Friday, Sept. 15.

16:15 EDT PC Connection director sells 20,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, PC Connection director David Beffa-Negrini disclosed the sale of 20,000 common shares of the company at a price of $26 per share. The transaction brings Beffa-Negrini's total direct common stock ownership in the company to 129,800 shares.

16:13 EDT Rapid7 chairman sells 52,770 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Rapid7 chairman Alan Matthews disclosed the sale of 52,770 common shares of the company at a price of $17.2154 per share. The transaction brings Matthews' total direct common stock ownership in the company to 3,152,177 shares.

16:12 EDT Klondex Mines provides underground drill update at Fire Creek - Klondex Mines provided an update on the underground drill results at its Fire Creek Mine located in northern Nevada, USA. The following drill results are not included in the current mineral resource estimate. Assay results have been received for 165 underground drill holes totaling 127,720 ft. This drilling focused primarily on increasing the confidence level in the current mineral resource estimate as well as extending mineralization to the north, south and up-dip. Assay results continue to support high grade mineralization continuity along strike and vertically. Drilling continued to test the northern and down dip extensions of veins 31, Honeyrunner and Karen from the northernmost portion of the mine workings. Results show high grades and wide drilled widths offering an opportunity for future bulk tonnage mining. Continuous mineralization on multiple veins has been extended to the north along strike by approximately 750 ft and 500 ft down dip. The up-dip drilling along Joyce, Joyce Splay, Karen, Honeyrunner and Vein 21 has returned significant assay results along a cumulative strike of approximately 1,000 ft. Mineralization has been extended up-dip above the existing mine workings by 50 to 200 ft. Assays suggest mineralization continues with similar grades and widths to what has traditionally been mined along these veins. The drilling to the southwest has shown a cluster of significant assays on previously known and unknown veins. These veins are approximately 200 ft from current mine workings and will be an area of focus in the 2018 drill program.

16:11 EDT TransMontaigne granted first offer for ArcLight interest in Olympic Pipeline - TransMontaigne has been granted a right of first offer to purchase ArcLight's interest in the entity that owns the Olympic Pipeline. The announcement is conected to a transaction in which an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners has acquired a 30% interest in the entity that owns the Olympic Pipeline from ARCO Midcon, an affiliate of BP Pipelines North America. The Olympic Pipeline is a regulated interstate refined products pipeline system that spans approximately 400 miles across the states of Washington and Oregon. BP Pipelines North America will continue to operate the pipeline under a multi-year operating agreement.

16:10 EDT Hydro One and Avista file applications for regulatory approval of merger - Hydro One Limited and Avista filed applications requesting regulatory approval of the proposed merger of the two companies that was announced on July 19.The applications have been filed with state utility commissions in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Alaska, as well as with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, requesting approval of the transaction on or before Aug. 14, 2018. "The filing of the Applications for an order approving the proposed merger is an important milestone in the proposed transaction to bring together Hydro One and Avista," said Mayo Schmidt, President and CEO, Hydro One Limited. "Together, we are growing, diversifying and strengthening our business. This is allowing us to gain further efficiencies through enhanced scale and increased purchasing power that will provide a strong foundation for the future with material benefits to all of our stakeholders most importantly the customers and communities we serve."

16:08 EDT Dermira announces early termination of waiting period for lebrikizumab license - Dermira (DERM) announced that it has received early termination of the waiting period required by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, related to its license to lebrikizumab. The early termination of the HSR waiting period satisfied the only condition to the closing of the previously announced licensing transaction with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (RHHBY), pursuant to which Dermira would obtain exclusive, worldwide rights to develop and commercialize lebrikizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin 13 , for atopic dermatitis and all other indications, except Roche would retain certain rights, including exclusive rights to develop and promote lebrikizumab for interstitial lung diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The transaction closed on September 14, 2017.

16:07 EDT Oracle reports Q1 non-GAAP operating margin 41% - Reports Q1 GAAP operating margin 31%.

16:04 EDT Amicus announces Canadian approval of Galafold - Amicus Therapeutics announced that Health Canada has approved the oral precision medicine Galafold for long-term treatment of adults with a confirmed diagnosis of Fabry disease and who have an alpha-Gal A mutation determined to be amenable by an in vitro assay. Following the Health Canada approval, Amicus expects to make Galafold available to Canadian patients in the coming weeks.

15:57 EDT DuPont Fabros trading resumes

15:18 EDT Brown-Forman to modernize barrel making facility, cut jobs in 2019 - Brown-Forman announced today that it will invest $45M in the Brown-Forman Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky. The investment will modernize the Cooperage, reduce operating cost by improving efficiency, and allow the continued production of high quality barrels in Louisville. The new equipment will be focused in the Heading and Staving departments and necessitate the elimination of 70 hourly positions once fully implemented in early 2019. The Cooperage will continue to employ approximately 205 individuals. "As the only distilling company to craft its own barrels, making this investment will help ensure the long-term viability of our Cooperage in Louisville, reduce injuries, and preserve our unique competitive advantage of barrel-making. While the improvements will result in the loss of some hourly positions, we believe this will strengthen the long-term viability of the Cooperage in Louisville," said chief production officer Alex Alvarez.

14:47 EDT Before the Move: Watch Axovant ahead of Phase 3 Alzheimer's data - Jefferies analyst Michael Yee believes the recent selloff in shares of Axovant Sciences (AXON) presents a "unique" buying opportunity and sees "significant" potential upside if the company's upcoming Phase 3 Alzheimer's data is positive. Meanwhile, his peer at Cowen says she remains cautious on the MINDSET trial, from which top-line data expected in the third quarter, most likely around late September. MINDSET TRIAL: Axovant is expected to announced MINDSET data in the third quarter. MINDSET is a Phase 3 multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of intepirdine, or RVT-101, in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. 'VERY INTRIGUING': Jefferies' Yee told investors that he believes the recent selloff in shares of Axovant Sciences presents a "unique" buying opportunity. At around $20 per share, the stock looks "very intriguing," Yee contended. The analyst argued that he sees "significant" potential upside, to $40-$100 per share, if the Phase 3 Alzheimer's data this month is positive. Yee pointed out that he thinks the study has a 50%-60% chance of being positive. Importantly, if data shows statistical significance on both co-primary endpoints and even if only a modest benefit, investors may ascribe multi-billion sales opportunity and M&A as the drug would fit easily into the portfolio of another large pharma or specialty pharma company, he argued. If negative, the stock may initially fall to $3-$10 and partially recover off the lows as investors buy the dip. The analyst believes investors "should and will" buy any large selloff on negative data because CEO David Hung is likely to pivot the company, bring in more assets, and create value from there "pretty quickly." He reiterated a Buy rating and $40 price target on Axovant shares. CAUTIOUS ON MINDSET: Meanwhile, Cowen analyst Ritu Baral told investors in a note published last month that she'd recently hosted a group investor meeting with Axovant management, with the discussion focused primarily on the highly anticipated upcoming pivotal Phase 3 MINDSET trial. The analyst noted that she remains cautious on MINDSET, while noting the trial is rigorously designed and well powered. Baral highlighted that management said that the SPA in place with Food and Drug Administration only requires a statistically significant benefit on both co-primary endpoints and does not specify a requirement for numeric benefit on either the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale or the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Activities of Daily Living Inventory. Management also believes that a statistically significant hit on a single endpoint could very well drive FDA approval, but would require discussion with FDA and an advisory committee, she pointed out. The analyst reiterated an Outperform rating and $30 price target on the shares when the note was published on August 13. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Axovant have dropped 3.5% to $19.14. Year-to-date, the stock has gained over 50%. "Before the Move" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive stories that identify potentially market moving events, along with analyst predictions, ahead of the news.

14:40 EDT General Motors jumps after analyst presents $50 'bull case' scenario - Shares of U.S. automaker General Motors (GM) are getting a lift on Thursday after Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said the auto maker has the potential to unlock "sum of parts value." UP BIG SINCE MAY LOWS: GM is up a whopping 22% since late May when it hit its year-to-date low of $31.92 per share. Shares are up about 11.4% since January. The move down in May coincided with a letter from activist investor Greenlight Capital, saying that "GM's board of directors has been unwilling to take the steps Greenlight believes are necessary to unlock billions of dollars of shareholder value either by embracing Greenlight's plan to split the company's common stock into two classes of common equity or by putting forth any other plan to help fix the company's significant valuation problem." Greenlight Capital, run by famed investor David Einhorn, sent the letter prior to GM's annual shareholder meeting in June, urging investors to vote for the hedge fund's plan and director nominees. The plan was ultimately rejected by shareholders along with the Greenlight nominees. Greenlight holds a 3.6% stake in General Motors. UNLOCK SUM OF PARTS VALUE: Somewhat in-line with Greenlight's thesis, Jonas pointed out in his report today that Morgan Stanley has a $50 bull case for GM shares, "underpinned by unlocking sum of parts value... Implied in this scenario are strategic moves to seed a separate auto tech portfolio and a fundamental repositioning of Cadillac as a 'captive Tesla.' The remaining businesses could generate substantial cash flow that could be used to restructure/exit loss-making passenger car operations," said Jonas and his team. PRICE ACTION: Shares of General Motors are outperforming a tepid broader market today, up 1.67% to $38.85 per share.

14:22 EDT Microsoft introduces Azure confidential computing - Mark Russinovich CTO, Microsoft Azure said in a blog post: "Microsoft spends one billion dollars per year on cybersecurity and much of that goes to making Microsoft Azure the most trusted cloud platform. From strict physical datacenter security, ensuring data privacy, encrypting data at rest and in transit, novel uses of machine learning for threat detection, and the use of stringent operational software development lifecycle controls, Azure represents the cutting edge of cloud security and privacy. Today, I'm excited to announce that Microsoft Azure is the first cloud to offer new data security capabilities with a collection of features and services called Azure confidential computing. Put simply, confidential computing offers a protection that to date has been missing from public clouds, encryption of data while in use. This means that data can be processed in the cloud with the assurance that it is always under customer control. The Azure team, along with Microsoft Research, Intel, Windows, and our Developer Tools group, have been working on confidential computing software and hardware technologies for over four years. The bottom of this post includes a list of Microsoft Research papers related to confidential computing. Today we take that cutting edge one step further by now making it available to customers via an Early Access program." Reference Link

13:59 EDT Just Energy launches operations in Ireland - Just Energy announced that it has officially launched operations in Ireland under the Just Energy brand. This latest expansion into the European energy market brings electricity and gas supply to residential and commercial customers, which will be sold through a variety of sales channels. Consumers gain flexible product options to meet their unique needs, including an unlimited tariff plan that allows them to pay one flat amount every month, regardless of their electricity and natural gas use. Depending on their regular consumption, customers can choose from a range of usage bands and pay a fixed fee.

13:30 EDT Nobilis Health acquires DeRosa Medical for $915,000 in cash - Nobilis Health Corp. announced the acquisition of DeRosa Medical. DeRosa Medical is a primary care practice that specializes in health and wellness, medically supervised weight loss, and chronic health condition management. DeRosa Medical has 10,000 active patients, and serves these patients with its nine primary care providers, comprised of physicians and nurse practitioners. The practice has three locations in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area: Scottsdale, Chandler, and Glendale. These locations complement Nobilis' existing surgical facilities in North Phoenix, Chandler and Scottsdale. The acquisition of DeRosa Medical allows the company to enhance its ability to serve patients across the continuum of care, from primary care needs to surgical procedures, utilizing its concierge care delivery model. The DeRosa Medical purchase price is $915,000 cash, which represents 3x adjusted EBITDA.

13:23 EDT Bank analyst Mike Mayo says banks have lower risk profile, more resilient - Wells Fargo analyst Mike Mayo is speaking in a CNBC interview. Publicly traded companies in the space include Bank of America (BAC), Citi (C), Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan (JPM), Morgan Stanley (MS), U.S. Bancorp (USB) and Wells Fargo (WFC).

13:17 EDT Facebook Messenger head Marcus says 1.3B people use Messenger every month - David Marcus, who leads Messenger at Facebook, says in a social media post, "There are now 1.3 billion of you actively communicating and engaging with the people and businesses that matter in your life on Messenger every month. Thank you! We will continue to work hard to make our product better and better for you." Reference Link

13:05 EDT FDA approves Bayer's Aliqopa for relapsed follicular lymphoma - The FDA said it granted accelerated approval to Aliqopa for the treatment of adults with relapsed follicular lymphoma who have received at least two prior treatments known as systemic therapies. Aliqopa is made by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals.

13:02 EDT Atossa: All objectives successfully met in Phase 1 study of topical Endoxifen - Atossa Genetics reported preliminary results from its Phase 1 dose escalation study of its proprietary topical Endoxifen. All objectives were successfully met: There were no clinically significant safety signals and no clinically significant adverse events in participants receiving topical Endoxifen; Topical Endoxifen was well tolerated at each dose level and for the dosing duration utilized in the study; Topical Endoxifen crossed the skin barrier when applied daily to the breast, as demonstrated by low but measurable Endoxifen blood levels detected in a dose-dependent fashion. These data demonstrate the suitability of topical endoxifen for further clinical development. Atossa expects to announce results from the oral arm of the Phase 1 study in the next 30-60 days.

12:43 EDT Houston American Energy trading halted, news pending

12:41 EDT Palihapitiya calls Amazon his favorite stocks of the FAANGs - Chamath Palihapitiya is speaking on CNBC.

12:37 EDT AstraZeneca says Bydureon EXSCEL trial demonstrates favorable CV safety profile - AstraZeneca announced full results from the EXSCEL trial that showed cardiovascular safety with Bydureon in patients with type-2 diabetes at a wide range of CV risk. Exenatide once-weekly did not increase the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events, a composite endpoint of CV death, non-fatal heart attack or non-fatal stroke, compared to placebo. There were also fewer CV events observed in the exenatide arm of the trial, although the primary efficacy objective of a superior reduction in MACE narrowly missed statistical significance. The direction of the cardiovascular outcomes results in EXSCEL was consistent with those seen in recently completed outcomes trials within the GLP-1 receptor agonist class. Additionally, in a prespecified secondary analysis, patients on exenatide had a 14% lower incidence of death from all causes. Multiple sensitivity analyses for MACE, recalculating the outcome under alternative assumptions to determine the potential impact of different variables, were consistent with primary analyses. No safety issues were identified during the EXSCEL trial and data were consistent with the known safety profile of exenatide. Specifically, there was no imbalance in retinopathy, a microvascular complication that commonly occurs from type-2 diabetes and can lead to serious visual disability and blindness.The EXSCEL trial enrolled the largest and most inclusive patient population of any CV outcomes trial of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist class conducted to date, having included more than 14,500 patients at 687 trial sites across 35 countries, incorporating usual care and wide-ranging eligibility criteria. Reference Link

12:23 EDT Poage Bankshares says uncovered evidence of fraud by employee - On September 12, Town Square Bank, the wholly-owned bank subsidiary of Poage Bankshares uncovered evidence of suspected fraud involving the origination of fictitious loans by an employee of the Bank. The Bank has terminated the employee, and the employee is under custody of law enforcement as of the filing date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. The Bank has informed its fidelity blanket bond insurer of the suspected fraud and engaged an outside firm to perform a forensic audit. To date, the Bank believes it has identified suspected fraudulent loans totaling approximately $1.4M, but this amount may change based on the results of the ongoing investigation. The Bank believes that it may recognize losses on the loans involved in the suspected fraud, but it is not possible at this time to determine the amount and timing of such losses.

12:17 EDT Stanley Black & Decker says recent storms a neutral in the 'short term'

12:05 EDT Mylan announces U.S. launch of generic Minastrin 24 FE Tablets - Mylan (MYL) announced the U.S. launch of Norethindrone Acetate and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets USP, and Ferrous Fumarate Tablets, 1 mg/20 mcg, which is indicated for use by women to prevent pregnancy. Mylan's subsidiary, Mylan Laboratories Limited, received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Abbreviated New Drug Application, or ANDA, for this product, which is a generic version of Allergan's (AGN) Minastrin 24 FE Tablets.

11:55 EDT Poage Bankshares trading halted, news pending

11:54 EDT Amgen biosimilar of Roche's Avastin approved - The FDA has granted Amgen (AMGN) approval for its Biologic License Application for bevacizumab-awwb, the company's biosimilar to Roche's (RHHBY) Avastin, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

11:36 EDT Weibo advances after Citi raises price target - The shares of Chinese social network operator Weibo (WB) are rising after Citi increased its price target on the stock to $126 from $102. The company's revenue should beat expectations going forward, driven by stronger user engagement trends and other positive catalysts, the firm stated. CATALYSTS: Multiple catalysts should drive Weibo's user engagement higher, according to Citi analyst Alicia Yap. Among these catalysts are continued product innovation and increased demand for Internet video, which will in turn increase demand for Weibo's video ads, the analyst stated. Moreover, consumers who have previously left Weibo should return, the analyst believes. Yap also contended that advertisers are poised to spend more on the platform as its bidding, targeting, and ROI assessments become more efficient. Other catalysts for Weibo include improved monetization and greater collaboration with Alibaba (BABA) on "social commerce," she added. Specifically, larger companies that sell products on Alibaba's platforms will probably look to spend more money to promote their wares on Weibo, Yap believes. The analyst kept a Buy rating on the shares. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Chinese Internet company SINA (SINA) held 49.8% of Weibo's ordinary shares, representing 74.9% of its total voting power, as of March 31, 2017, according to the company's most recent annual report to the SEC. Alibaba also holds a significant stake in the social network. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, Weibo rose about 1% to $107.04.

11:30 EDT United Technologies CFO: 'Aggressive' cost cuts in UTAS, CCS units

11:23 EDT United Technologies CFO says 'fully on track' for 2020 goals

11:22 EDT SEC charges SunTrust with improperly recommending higher-fee mutual funds

11:15 EDT Hooker Furniture COO Revington sells 5,200 shares - The Hooker Furniture COO George Revington disclosed in a filing, that he had sold 5,200 shares at an average price of $43.52 on September 13, for a total transaction value of $226,039.

11:06 EDT GE's Joyce says can keep margin rates flat despite engine ramp - GE Aviation chief David Joyce, says they can keep margins flat as costs of the Leap engine initiation comes down and because of the strength of the unit's service franchise.

11:01 EDT GE Aviation's Joyce says 'ramp' for Leap engine 'daunting' - The ramp-up for the engine is going to be a 'tremendous challenge,' said David Joyce, Vice Chairman, President & CEO, GE Aviation.

10:58 EDT Analysts skeptical of potential for outright sale of Tenet - Shares of Tenet Healthcare (THC) are on the rise after yesterday's media reports saying the company is looking into strategic options, including a potential sale. Commenting on the news, several Wall Street analysts argued that an outright sale seems unlikely, given the company's debt level and the lack of obvious suitors. SALE SEEN AS UNLIKELY: While Citi analyst Ralph Giacobbe is not dismissing the idea of a sale after Tenet's announcement of a CEO change and board refresh, he would be "somewhat surprised" if the company is sold outright given the current operating backdrop as well as the company's high leverage and higher relative valuation. Further, the analyst told investors that he does not believe there is "appetite" from the publicly traded hospitals to do a deal and he also sees little private equity interest. Giacobbe noted, however, that he cannot dismiss the possibility of "vertical M&A," and would not be surprised if Tenet has already attempted to engage Managed Care Organizations, which he sees as unlikely buyers. His peer at RBC Capital voiced a similar opinion, saying that all of Tenet probably will not be acquired given its "significant" debt level. Analyst Frank Morgan views the Ambulatory segment as likely the most valuable asset to a potential buyer or as a spinoff once Tenet affects full USPI ownership. While Conifer could be interesting to the right buyer, the valuation might be challenged by the fact that it has one highly concentrated customer. Additionally, the analyst pointed out that HCA Holdings (HCA) may be interested in certain markets, but does not believe it would want to buy the entire hospital portfolio. Morgan does not expect any deals made by Tenet to cause its share price to increase unless it manages to sell its hospitals for rates above their current market value. Meanwhile, KeyBanc analyst Jason Gurda told investors in a note of his own that he also believes it is unlikely Tenet will find a buyer for the whole company due to its high level of debt and the likely lack of interest from potential strategic buyers. However, Gurda noted that Tenet could expand its effort to divest individual hospitals and/or its Conifer subsidiary at multiples that would be accretive to where the shares are currently trading and would accelerate de-leveraging. But it is not clear at the moment how far management is willing to go in breaking up the business, he added. All three firms have Neutral-equivalent ratings on Tenet shares. POTENTIAL TAKEOUT VALUES, SUITORS: Also commenting on the news of a possible sale, Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Rigg argued that Tenet's leverage makes for an "extremely wide" takeout price range of $21-$41 per share. The analyst noted that also difficult is determining who would actually be interested and capable of buying the company. While HCA has the financial wherewithal to undertake the deal, the companies have significant overlap and it is unclear whether there would be antitrust issues, he contended, adding that a private equity firm or an existing private equity backed hospital chain would likely make more sense. Rigg reiterated a Buy rating and $24 price target on Tenet's shares. His peer at SunTrust also views potential public suitors for tenet as "limited," as its free cash flow "remains sluggish." Analyst David MacDonald highlighted, however, that non-hospital operations generate almost 40% of adjusted EBITDA, which he would argue warrants a higher multiple. Further, MacDonald told investors that he thinks recent industry transactions suggest "potential unrealized value" and provide downside support. Overall, the analyst does not view ongoing speculation as surprising given recent news flow, the company's "intriguing collection of assets" and increased focus on shareholder value creation. He reiterated a Hold rating and a $16 price target on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Tenet have risen 5% to $17.07.

10:54 EDT GE says meshed with Boeing's plan to increase 787 production

10:49 EDT Sprint CEO: iPhone X could stimulate new phone buying cycle

10:45 EDT Sprint CEO says 'heavily' advised not to comment on any potential M&A - Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure says "heavily" advised by attorney not to comment on any potential M&A. Says runs business "like we're always going to be a standalone company." Says network performing at "best-ever levels." Says feels "very good" about Q3 subscriber gains. Expects to beat 2016 customer addition numbers this year. Says unlimited the "sweet spot" for Sprint, "we are huge believers in unlimited." Comments taken from the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference. Sprint is up about 0.7% to $7.90 in morning trading.

10:43 EDT GE says commercial aviation is strong across the board - Says commercial market is very strong across the board. Airlines will do well as long as fuel cost remains low. Comments from David Joyce, Vice Chairman, President & CEO, GE Aviation.

10:37 EDT Battleground: Citi, Morgan Stanley split on steelmaker Nucor - Two research firms disagreed on the outlook for steelmaker Nucor (NUE) in new notes to investors, as Citi upgraded the stock to Buy today and Morgan Stanley cut its rating on the shares to Equal Weight yesterday. Citi cited valuation and Chinese steel mill closures as the key reasons for its upgrade, while Morgan Stanley downgraded the shares based on its concerns about the company's margins. BULLISH TAKE: There is a "disconnect" between the performance of Nucor's stock, which has dropped 10% this year, and the company's fundamentals, according to Citi analyst Alexander Hacking. Steel capacity reductions in China are the primary reason for his upbeat view of Nucor's fundamentals, and he remains upbeat on the outlook for steel prices in "key products." Hacking kept a $65 price target on the name. BEARISH TAKE: Morgan Stanley analyst Adam DeStefano agrees that reduced Chinese steel exports will be a positive catalyst for steel prices in the U.S. However, the analyst noted that U.S. scrap prices have jumped about $100 per long ton since October, and he now expects scrap prices to remain higher for longer than he previously expected. De Stefano increased his 2018 estimate for scrap prices to $300 per long ton from $230 per long ton. Meanwhile, after analyzing non-residential permits, the analyst reported that spending by the private sector on non-residential structures dropped year-over-year last month, marking the first year-over-year decline in about four years. According to the analyst, 40%-45% of U.S. steel demand is generated by the U.S. He contends that the crosscurrents of higher U.S. steel and scrap pricing and weaker non-residential and auto demand are a drag on "mini mills" such as Nucor and peer Commercial Metals (CMC). PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, Nucor added 0.5% to $53.90. Over the last three months, Nucor shares have declined about 9%.

10:09 EDT AMC Networks says content investment is key priority - AMC Networks president and CEO Josh Sapan says content investment increasingly important to drive advertising sales. Says consolidation of distributor space has resulted in subscriber increases. Says spending upwards of $1B a year on content. Comments taken from the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference.

10:02 EDT Daimler Trucks launches first all-electric trucks in series production - Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, part of Daimler Trucks (DDAIF), announced the global launch of the FUSO eCanter in New York City. The FUSO eCanter is the world's first series-produced all-electric light-duty truck and will be delivered to customers starting this year in the US, Europe and Japan. MFTBC is planning to deliver 500 units of this generation to customers within the next two years. Larger scale production is intended to start in 2019. At the global launch, FUSO also announced the company's first U.S. commercial partner for the eCanter: UPS (UPS) will use the zero-emission trucks with an eye to moving their fleet toward being more sustainable.

09:58 EDT Virginia Supreme Court affirms decision to freeze Dominion rates - Reference Link

09:49 EDT Ipsen to present five abstracts on abobotulinumtoxinA data at AACPDM meeting - Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals announced that five abstracts regarding abobotulinumtoxinA data have been accepted for three oral presentations and two poster presentations at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine on September 13-16, 2017 in Montreal, Canada. "The data being presented at AACPDM bring to life the efficacy and safety, as well as the potential benefit that abobotulinumtoxinA may bring to children aged 2 and older with lower limb spasticity," said David Cox, VP North American Medical, HEOR & Regulatory Affairs, Ipsen. "A recent retrospective study of a managed Medicaid database analyzed the epidemiology, treatment patterns, resource utilization and associated costs of children with Cerebral Palsy. As the only botulinum toxin manufacturer in the U.S. with an approval for pediatric patients with lower limb spasticity, we are excited to contribute to data that helps the medical community better understand the role of abobotulinumtoxinA," he added.

09:34 EDT Kroger introduces restaurant concept Kitchen 1883 - The Kroger Co.'s Culinary Development team announced a new restaurant concept, Kitchen 1883, which offers a "fresh take on new American comfort food." Kitchen 1883's "New American Comfort" menu is a melting pot of American and international flavors. Located at 9003 U.S. Highway 42 in Union, KY, the restaurant will operate daily offering lunch and dinner along with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant is scheduled to open in late October.

09:29 EDT L3 Technologies acquires Doss Aviation, terms not disclosed - L3 Technologies announced that it has acquired Doss Aviation. The acquisition was completed on September 12, and the terms were not disclosed. Doss Aviation is projected to generate approximately $50M in annual sales for the calendar year ending December 31 and to be accretive to L3's earnings. The business will be renamed L3 Doss and will be integrated into L3's Electronic Systems business segment. Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Doss Aviation is the sole provider of initial flight training for U.S. Air Force pilots and was recently authorized to train international military pilots. Doss owns and operates a full-service, turnkey training facility in Pueblo, Colorado, where it offers curriculum coursework and flight training for both fixed-wing and unmanned aircraft pilots and weapons officers. Doss also provides instructor pilots for rotary-wing aircraft for the U.S. Army, as well as global airfield service support activities at U.S. government bases, including aircraft and bulk refueling services and aircraft component repair and modification.

09:20 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: United Natural Foods (UNFI), up 7.1%... Lakeland Industries (LAKE), up 5.1%. ALSO HIGHER: Halozyme (HALO), up 18.4% after raising its fiscal 2017 guidance... Tenet Healthcare (THC), up 7.5% after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company is exploring options. LOWER: New York REIT (NYRT), down 8.4% after announcing that it has entered into a purchase agreement in which it intends to sell a 48.7% interest in Worldwide Plaza to a joint venture managed by SL Green Realty Corp. and RXR Realty for an agreed-to value of the property of $1.725B... Seadrill (SDRL), down 10% after the court overseeing the company's chapter 11 restructuring proceedings has granted the relief requested by the company in its key first-day motions related to ordinary course business activities... US Foods (USFD), down 3.3% after its 40M share Spot Secondary priced at $27.50.

09:13 EDT Vantiv and Visa launch FastAccess Funding settlement service for small business - Vantiv (VNTV) and Visa (V) are launching FastAccess Funding, a product that will allow merchants to receive settlement payout in minutes to their debit card once funded, versus the standard of one to three days via ACH. The product is the first merchant solution to launch on Vantiv's new push-to-card platform. FastAccess Funding combines Vantiv and Visa Direct functionality to speed up the small- to medium-sized businesses' access to funds from their daily sales.

09:09 EDT SEI Investments selected by Delaware Community Foundation as investment officer - SEI has been hired by Delaware Community Foundation to serve as outsourced chief investment officer for approximately $180M of the foundation's assets. The strategic partnership has also resulted in the creation of three distinct investment pools that the foundation can now offer its existing and potential donors. These pools include the Flagship Long-Term Growth Pool, Intermediate-Term Index Pool, and Socially Responsible Pool.

09:07 EDT Facebook introduces new center for crisis response - Facebook announced that their crisis response tools, including Safety Check, Community Help, and Fundraisers, will be accessible in a new center on Facebook called Crisis Response. Beginning September 14, people will also be able to see more crisis-related content, such as links to articles, photos and videos posted by the Facebook community, from crises around the world where Safety Check has been activated. As part of the the single resource hub, Facebook will also include links to articles, photos, and videos from public posts so people have access to more information about a crisis in one place. Safety Check activations and related information may also appear in News Feed to help provide additional details about a crisis.

09:05 EDT Apple iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus to be available at T-Mobile September 22 - T-Mobile (TMUS) announced it will offer the new generation iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, and Apple (AAPL) Watch Series 3, which adds built-in cellular to the world's number one watch. To help Apple Watch Series 3 customers get started, T-Mobile will also offer customers a special introductory cellular trial. If you snag an Apple Watch Series 3, get 3 months of free service. After the promotion ends, it's just $10 a month with AutoPay. Customers will be able to pre-order iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus and order Apple Watch Series 3 beginning on September 15 online and at T-Mobile stores when open, and all will be available in stores starting on September 22. For complete pricing details, please visit www.t-mobile.com/apple. In addition, T-Mobile announced a new iPhone upgrade program. Customers just trade in their current iPhone when 50% is paid off, and T-Mobile will wipe out their remaining payments so they can upgrade to their next iPhone free and clear - with no hassles, no crazy hoops and no lump sum payments. T-Mobile customers who buy or pre-order their new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X on the Un-carrier's interest-free installment plan automatically get this one-time benefit for free. On top of that, customers who trade in their iPhone 6 or newer at the Un-carrier will get up to $300 off their new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X via 24 monthly bill credits on T-Mobile's interest-free installment plan.

09:03 EDT DuPont Fabros trading halted, news dissemination

09:01 EDT Energy Recovery awarded $1.4M for desalination projects in Saudi Arabia - Energy Recovery announced total awards of $1.4M to supply its turbocharger technology for desalination projects in Saudi Arabia. The orders are expected to ship in Q4.

08:48 EDT Valero, Magellan Midstream form JV to expand Pasadena marine terminal - Valero (VLO) and Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (MMP) announced the expansion and joint development of the marine storage facility currently under construction along the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena, Texas. The Pasadena facility, which will handle petroleum products, including multiple grades of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, and renewable fuels, will be owned by a limited liability company that is owned 50/50 by Magellan and Valero Terminaling and Distribution Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Valero, or VTDC, and will initially include five million barrels of storage, truck loading facilities, and two proprietary ship docks. As Magellan previously announced in July 2016, phase 1 of this facility, which is already under construction, includes approximately 1 million barrels of storage and a new marine dock capable of handling Panamax-sized ships or barges with up to a 40-foot draft. This first phase will now be owned by the jointly-owned company. Further, this facility will be expanded by an incremental four million barrels of storage, a three-bay truck rack and a second marine dock capable of handling Aframax-sized vessels with up to a 45-foot draft. After completion of this expansion, the Pasadena facility will be connected via pipeline to Valero refineries in Houston and Texas City, Texas and the Colonial and Explorer pipelines in addition to the already planned connection to Magellan's Galena Park terminal facility. Combined, phases 1 and 2 of the Pasadena marine terminal are currently estimated to cost approximately $820 million, which will be funded equally by capital contributions from Magellan and Valero. Both phases are fully contracted with long-term customer commitments. Magellan currently serves as construction manager and will serve as operator once construction is complete. Phase 1 of the new terminal is expected to be operational in early 2019, with phase 2 expected to come online in early 2020, subject to receipt of necessary permits and regulatory approvals.

08:40 EDT Verizon CEO says not updating financial guidance until January - Says capital priorities haven't changed. Says goal is to be able to fund dividend through cash savings in 2022. Says still planning to pay down debt, pay dividends, invest in network.

08:38 EDT Verizon CEO says 'encouraged by discipline of iPhone promotions'

08:35 EDT Verizon: 5G network 'will be very different from what we've done in the past'

08:33 EDT Micronet Enertec receives $1.65M purchase order for its TREQr5-SmartHub - Micronet Enertec's Mobile Resource Management subsidiary Micronet received a purchase order valued at approximately $1,650,000 for its recently released TREQr5-SmartHub product. The TREQr5-SmartHub is a ruggedized telematics, Android on-board computer optimized for Internet of Things and fleet management applications.

08:32 EDT Stratus Properties commences construction on Santal Phase II - Stratus Properties (STRS) announced that it has obtained $26.4M in additional financing from Comerica Bank (CMA) for the construction of Santal Phase II, a 212-unit, garden-style, multi-family development located in Section N of Barton Creek. Santal Phase II will be located adjacent to Santal Phase I in the upscale, highly populated Barton Creek community. Phase II will consist of ten three-story buildings including 212 garden-style luxury apartments and a resort-style pool and clubhouse. Santal Phase I was completed within budget in August 2016, and nearly 100% of the 236 units are currently leased. Construction of Santal Phase II has commenced. The lease of units is expected to commence in 3Q18 and the project is expected to be completed in 4Q18.

08:30 EDT RiceBran trading resumes

08:22 EDT New York REIT sells about 49% interest in Worldwide Plaza - New York REIT announced that it has entered into a purchase agreement in which it intends to sell a 48.7% interest in Worldwide Plaza to a joint venture managed by SL Green Realty Corp. and RXR Realty for an agreed-to value of the property of $1.725B. Based on this value, along with a debt refinancing of the property that will occur concurrently with the closing, NYRT will receive cash at the closing of approximately $346.2M which is net of $116.5M of defeasance cost, as currently estimated and subject to change prior to closing, and a $90.7M capital reserve to conservatively cover potential future capital and leasing costs at the property. As part of the agreement, the Purchaser has agreed to place a $50M deposit in escrow. As a result of the acquisition, the company will maintain a 50.1% membership interest in Worldwide Plaza, and WWP Sponsor, LLC will continue to own the 1.2% of the membership interests in Worldwide Plaza it currently owns.

08:12 EDT Kimberly-Clark to purchase wind power for its North American mills - Kimberly-Clark announced agreements to annually purchase approximately 1,000,000 MW hours or 245 MW of electricity from two new wind power projects in Texas and Oklahoma. The renewable energy supplied by the wind farms is equivalent to about one-third of the electricity needs of Kimberly-Clark's North American manufacturing operations and will enable the company to surpass its greenhouse gas reduction goal four years earlier than anticipated.Kimberly-Clark has entered long-term power purchase agreements to take 120 MW or 78% of electricity to be generated by the Rock Falls Wind project being developed by EDF Renewables in northern Oklahoma and 125 MW or 42% of the electricity to be generated by the Santa Rita Wind Energy Center being built by Invenergy in West Texas. The Rock Falls Wind project will become operational by the end of 2017, and the Santa Rita facility is expected to begin commercial operation by 2Q18.

08:11 EDT Umpqua Holdings raises quarterly dividend to 18c per share from 16c per share - Umpqua Holdings, the parent company of Umpqua Bank and Umpqua Investments, announced that its board has approved a quarterly cash dividend in the amount of 18c per common share, an increase of 12.5% from the prior quarterly cash dividend of 16c per common share. The dividend is payable on October 16, shareholders of record as of September 30.

08:08 EDT Hailiang Education signs cooperation agreement with ELS American Education - Hailiang Education's affiliate, Hailiang Foreign Language School has entered into a Cooperation Agreement with ELS American Education Consulting (Shanghai) Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of ELS Educational Services, to offer the ELS English for Academic Purpose Program which marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the Company and ELS. The Hailiang School and ELS have agreed to collaborate on offering the EAP Program to high school students at the School preparing them at a much younger age towards their study abroad goals.

08:07 EDT Catabasis to present MoveDMD Phase 2 trial results at World Muscle Society - Catabasis Pharmaceuticals announced that the company will present results from the open-label extension of the MoveDMD trial following 24 and 36 weeks of edasalonexent treatment in boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the 22nd International Congress of the World Muscle Society. The late breaking abstract and results will be available in the late breaking poster session starting at 10:30am CEST on Wednesday, October 4. The International Congress of the World Muscle Society is being held October 3 - 7, 2017, at the Palais du Grand Large in Saint Malo, France. Edasalonexent is an investigational oral small molecule that is being developed as a potential disease-modifying therapy for all patients affected by DMD, regardless of their underlying mutation. Edasalonexent inhibits NF-kB, a protein that is activated in DMD and drives inflammation and fibrosis, muscle degeneration and suppresses muscle regeneration. We are currently conducting the MoveDMD trial, a three-part clinical trial investigating the safety and efficacy of edasalonexent in boys enrolled at ages 4 - 7 affected with DMD. The third part of the trial, an open-label extension with edasalonexent, is ongoing. The FDA has granted orphan drug, fast track and rare pediatric disease designations and the European Commission has granted orphan medicinal product designation to edasalonexent for the treatment of DMD.

08:06 EDT Real Industry reports restart of Real Alloy's Morgantown UBC recycling operation - Real Industry announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Real Alloy, is restarting its UBC recycling operation at its Morgantown, Kentucky facility as a result of increasing customer demand and a new contract. The UBC recycling operation has been idle since December 2015. On an annualized basis, Real Alloy expects to process approximately 50,000 tonnes at this facility, which represents more than 6% of Real Alloy North America's total annual volume. The company also said that it has retained Jefferies to assist in refinancing Real Alloy's $305M of senior secured 10.0% notes coming due in January 2019.

08:05 EDT Raytheon BBN Technologies awarded $10M contract - An undisclosed Gulf nation recently awarded a direct commercial sales contract to Raytheon BBN Technologies valued at more than $10M for the delivery of approximately 2,000 Boomerang Warrior-X systems during the next 12 months. Raytheon BBN Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon.

08:05 EDT Yacktman announces support for election of Peltz to Procter & Gamble board - Yacktman Asset Management publicly released a letter to the Board of Directors of Procter & Gamble, in which Yacktman expressed its support for the election of Nelson Peltz of Trian Fund Management to the company's board. The letter states in part: "We are writing today because we intend to vote our shares in favor of the election of Nelson Peltz of Trian Fund Management, L.P., to Procter & Gamble's board of directors. As of June 30, 2017, Yacktman Asset Management owned 15,456,696 shares of P&G, which represents more than $1.3 billion in value...Since our founding in 1992, this is the first time we have written about an election of directors for one of our portfolio investments. We feel compelled to do so because of the depth of our conviction that it is in the best interest of all P&G investors to have Nelson Peltz join the board."

08:03 EDT Talend announces plans to open new European Data Center - Talend unveiled plans to open a new European Data Center for Talend Integration Cloud, the company's multi-tenant, scale-out, iPaaS solution. The center will support Talend's global expansion and customers that are working to comply with the forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation, a directive designed to strengthen data protection for individuals within the European Union. Talend expects the new Data Center to begin hosting customers in Q4.

08:02 EDT Continental Grain acquires 16% equity interest in RiceBran Technologies - RiceBran Technologies announced that Continental Grain Company, one of the oldest food and agribusiness companies in the world, has entered into an agreement to purchase 2.7M shares of RiceBran Technologies common stock from the company for $2.9M. The total number of shares issued to Continental Grain Company represents 16% of RBT's issued and outstanding common stock on a post transaction basis.

08:01 EDT Intelsat, Grupo Televisa extend partnership to leverage galaxy satellites - Intelsat S.A. announced that Mexican multimedia company, Grupo Televisa, will distribute its premium, over-the-air television networks via Intelsat's Galaxy satellites to Digital Terrestrial Television stations, reaching many homes throughout Mexico. Under a new, multi-year and multi-transponder agreement, Televisa will use C-band services on Intelsat's Galaxy 16 and Galaxy 19 satellites to deliver program distribution, contribution and affiliate connectivity in Mexico. Galaxy 16, located at 99 degrees West, and Galaxy 19, located at 97 degrees West, are part of Intelsat's leading Galaxy satellite neighborhood, delivering broadcast network distribution services across North America.

07:38 EDT Eldorado Gold receives defficiency arbitration notice from Greek government - Eldorado Gold's Greek subsidiary, Hellas Gold, received a formal notice from Greece's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Environment and Energy initiating Greek domestic arbitration. This arbitration is pursuant to the provisions of the Contract between the Greek State and Hellas Gold and in it the Ministries have named its nominee to the three person arbitral panel. The arbitration notice alleges that the Technical Study for the Madem Lakkos Metallurgical Plant for treating Olympias and Skouries concentrates in the Stratoni Valley, submitted in December 2014, is deficient and thereby is in violation of the Transfer Contract and the environmental terms of the project.

07:38 EDT ZixCorp acquires EMS technology from Entrust Datacard - Zix Corporation announced that the company has acquired the Entelligence Messaging Server echnology, an email encryption solution, and the related business from Entrust Datacard, a provider of identity and secure transaction technology solutions. The EMS acquisition strengthens Zix's email encryption capabilities, demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to deliver the industry's premier email encryption solutions. Zix currently expects the transaction to have no material impact on revenue, new first year orders or EPS.

07:34 EDT BioAmber names Richard Eno as new CEO, effective September 18 - The Board of Directors of BioAmber (BIOA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Eno as its new CEO, and new member of the Board, effective September 18th. The selection of Eno caps a search process facilitated by Spencer Stuart, a global executive search firm which specializes in placing senior management personnel. Eno has over 30 years of related management experience in the energy, chemicals, biotechnology and materials industries, including over five years as President, CEO and Board member of a publicly traded industrial biotechnology company. Rick began his career in Chevron's (CVX) chemical operations with roles of increasing responsibility in engineering, manufacturing and construction operations. He then entered management consulting where he specialized in addressing critical strategic and operational issues facing company leadership in the chemical and energy industries. In 2008, he took up leadership of Metabolix, an industrial biotechnology company commercializing a range of unique bio-based, biodegradable polymers. Most recently, Rick has been a senior partner at a global management consultancy, Roland Berger, focused on the chemicals industry.

07:33 EDT Chesapeake Lodging to rebrand Denver hotel as Hilton Denver City Center - Chesapeake Lodging Trust (CHSP) announced that it has entered into a management agreement with Hilton (HLT) to rebrand its previous 613-room Marriott hotel, located in Denver, Colorado, to the Hilton Denver City Center. The Trust recently completed a multiyear, comprehensive repositioning program for the Denver property, reinvesting in excess of $27M over the past 36 months. The Hilton rebranding and management change is expected to occur on December 1. The new management agreement with Hilton contains customary market terms and conditions.

07:10 EDT Halozyme raises FY17 operating cash flow view to $50M-$60M - An increase from the prior operating cash burn range of $75M-$85M; and year-end cash balance of $380M-$395M, an increase of $135M from the prior range of $245M-$260M, reflecting the total cash expected to be received as upfront payments from the new agreements. Halozyme raised financial guidance for 2017 following the announcement of two new licensing agreements for its ENHANZE drug-delivery technology.

07:06 EDT Bayer, Ginkgo Bioworks confirm new company focused on plant microbiome - Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks will create a new company focused on the plant microbiome. Improving the microbes' ability to make nitrogen fertilizer available for plants offers a major potential benefit to sustainable agriculture. The deal provides a Series A investment of $100M by its parent companies and Viking Global Investors LP. The new company will be co-located with Ginkgo in Boston's thriving biotechnology community and in West Sacramento, California, home of Bayer's R&D activities around plant biologics. The new company will focus on technologies to improve plant-associated microbes with a major focus on nitrogen fixation. In addition to the the initial $100M Series A investment by Bayer, Ginkgo, and Viking Global Investors LP, Ginkgo will provide exclusive access to its technology, laboratory and office spaces, and will build a new facility exclusively for the new company. Bayer will also provide exclusive access to proprietary microbial strains and all necessary development know-how. Dr. Mike Miille will be named interim CEO of the new company. He is the former CEO of AgraQuest and currently Vice President Strategy and Business Management Biologics at Crop Science, a division of Bayer. The Board of Directors of the new company will be composed of two representatives from Ginkgo Bioworks - Dr. Jason Kelly and Dr. Reshma Shetty - and two representatives from Bayer - Dr. Axel Bouchon and Dr. Juergen Eckhardt. The new company will operate out of Ginkgo's Boston Seaport facility. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and expected to occur in the fall of 2017. Hiring for the new company is currently underway.

07:06 EDT Halozyme raises FY17 guidance

07:04 EDT Halozyme to receive $150M from Bristol-Myers for Enhanze technology partnership - Bristol-Myers (BMY) and Halozyme (HALO) announced a global collaboration and license agreement to develop subcutaneously administered Bristol-Myers Squibb immuno-oncology medicines using Halozyme's Enhanze drug-delivery technology. The Halozyme Enhanze technology is based on a proprietary recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme to aid in the dispersion and absorption of other injected therapeutic drugs. Halozyme will receive an initial $105M for access to the Enhanze technology. Bristol-Myers Squibb has an option to select additional targets within five years from the effective date. The collaboration may extend to a maximum of 11 targets. Halozyme has the potential to earn milestone payments of up to $160M for each of the nominated collaboration targets and additional milestone payments for combination products. In addition, Bristol-Myers Squibb will pay Halozyme royalties on sales of products using the Enhanze technology developed under the collaboration. For Bristol-Myers, the transaction is expected to be dilutive to non-GAAP EPS in 2017 and 2018 by approximately 1c, and by approximately 5c in 2019.

07:02 EDT Office Depot names Jerri DeVard Chief Marketing Officer - Office Depot (ODP) announced that Jerri DeVard has joined the organization as EVP and Chief Marketing Officer. She will report directly to Office Depot's CEO Gerry Smith. DeVard will lead the strategy for furthering Office Depot's brand positioning and oversee the integration of all marketing and communications initiatives. She will be responsible for driving the growth and implementation of strategic marketing activities that build brand equity and increase market share. Previously, DeVard was the senior vice president and chief marketing officer for The ADT Corporation (ADT).

06:53 EDT Iron Mountain expands partnership with Virtustream - Iron Mountain announced that Virtustream, the enterprise-class cloud company and a Dell Technologies business, has chosen to expand its cloud footprint by locating in Iron Mountain's Northern Virginia data center. Virtustream cited security, compliance and scalability as reasons for the selection. Virtustream is the enterprise-class cloud company that is trusted by organizations worldwide to migrate and run their mission-critical applications in the cloud. For enterprises, service providers and government agencies, Virtustream xStream Management Platform and Infrastructure-as-a-Service, or IaaS, meets the security, compliance, performance, efficiency and consumption-based billing requirements of complex production applications in the cloud - whether private, public or hybrid.

06:52 EDT Goldfield Corp reports on Florida storm restoration efforts - Goldfield Corporation announced substantially all of its power line construction personnel and related equipment from its Florida and Texas operations are committed to storm restoration work in Florida as a result of Hurricane Irma. Although the company is providing restoration services to most of the major utilities in Florida affected by the hurricane, it is too early to determine the duration of the company's participation in the restoration efforts or to assess the financial impact on its operations. The utilities for which Goldfield is providing these services are still assessing their storm damage. Additionally, these utility customers can discontinue the company's involvement in the recovery work at any time. As soon as they are released from such restoration service, the company's crews will return to previously awarded projects.

06:44 EDT Xunlei appoints Eric Zhou as CFO - Xunlei appointed Eric Zhou as its CFO effective September 18. Eric Zhou will replace Tao Thomas Wu, who tendered his resignation as the CFO for personal reasons, effective September 18. Most recently, Zhou was an interim CFO at ChinaCache International Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed company. Zhou was senior vice president of ChinaCache from September 2015 to June 2016.

06:43 EDT Xunlei appoints Eric Zhou as CFO - Xunlei appointed Eric Zhou as its CFO effective September 18. Eric Zhou will replace Tao Thomas Wu, who tendered his resignation as the CFO for personal reasons, effective September 18. Most recently, Zhou was an interim CFO at ChinaCache International Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed company. Zhou was senior vice president of ChinaCache from September 2015 to June 2016.

06:37 EDT Trump says dreamers brought in country through no fault of their own - President Donald Trump just tweeted, "Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!.... ....They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own - brought in by parents at young age. Plus BIG border security."

06:31 EDT 21st Century Fox response to final decision by UK Secretary of State - 21st Century Fox notes the statement today by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that she intends to refer the combination of 21st Century Fox and Sky plc to the Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, on the grounds of both media plurality and genuine commitment to broadcasting standards. Yesterday we wrote to the Secretary of State expressing disappointment that she had changed her mind and decided not to follow the advice of the independent and expert regulator Ofcom regarding broadcasting standards, but informing her that we did not intend to make further representations and encouraged her to make a prompt referral. We now, therefore, look forward to engaging constructively with the CMA, as independent authority, and hope that the findings of this process will be respected by the Secretary of State. Subject to any further delays in the decision-making process, we anticipate that the transaction will close by June 30, 2018.

06:29 EDT Pfizer, Astellas announce 'positive' top-line results from Phase 3 PROSPER trial - Pfizer (PFE) and Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) announced that the Phase 3 PROSPER trial evaluating XTANDI plus androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT, versus ADT alone in patients with non-metastatic, or M0, Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, or CRPC, met its primary endpoint of improved metastasis-free survival, or MFS. The preliminary safety analysis of the PROSPER trial appears consistent with the safety profile of XTANDI in previous clinical trials. Based on the results of PROSPER, the companies intend to discuss the data with global health authorities to potentially support expanding the label for XTANDI to cover all patients with CRPC.

06:26 EDT Trump says wall will 'continue to be built' - President Donald Trump just tweeted, "The WALL, which is already under construction in the form of new renovation of old and existing fences and walls, will continue to be built."

06:17 EDT Trump says no deal made on DACA, China business tax is 15% - President Donald Trump just tweeted, "No deal was made last night on DACA. Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent. Would be subject to vote." The President last night tweeted, "China has a business tax rate of 15%. We should do everything possible to match them in order to win with our economy. Jobs and wages!" He then turned his focus to Hillary Clinton, saying late last night on Twitter, "Crooked Hillary Clinton blames everybody (and every thing) but herself for her election loss. She lost the debates and lost her direction!" and, "The 'deplorables' came back to haunt Hillary.They expressed their feelings loud and clear. She spent big money but, in the end, had no game!"

06:11 EDT EQT Corporation shareholder D.E. Shaw Group issues letter to board - EQT Corporation stockholder D. E. Shaw & Co., on behalf of certain investment funds advised by it that in the aggregate own an approximately 4.0% interest in the common stock and equivalents of EQT, sent a letter to the EQT board outlining a plan that it claims could unlock $8B of value for the company's shareholders-representing a 50% upside to the current stock price-and that could be completed during 1H18. The letter claims, among other things: "(...) we believe that EQT is substantially undervalued. (...) We also understand why investors are frustrated with the Company and its current strategy. In our view, these frustrations are justified in light of (i) the Company's poor equity performance, particularly given its low leverage and mix of premier midstream and production assets, (ii) the company's outlay of $1.85B (approximately 17% of its current market capitalization) to acquire additional acreage, despite the company's own share price consistently reflecting negative value for undeveloped acreage, and (iii) the uncertain benefits the company stands to achieve through the acquisition of Rice given the lack of a clear plan to unlock value following the transaction (...) In its response to public criticism of the Rice transaction, EQT has missed an opportunity to provide a clear value creation plan to its shareholders. Instead, EQT management has described the potential for an additional $7.5B in synergies without providing a commitment to achieve any portion of them-the kind of communication that puts valuable credibility at risk (...) In the accompanying presentation, we set forth a plan that allows EQT to acquire Rice and to deliver substantial value to shareholders. (...) The plan consists of the following three actions: 1. Carry Out a Separation of Production and Midstream Businesses. (...) 2. Restructure Midstream Businesses Through a Merger of EQM and RMP. (...) 3. Appoint Experienced Midstream Executives to the Board of EQT. (...) We look forward to working constructively together for the benefit of all EQT shareholders".

06:08 EDT CAE comment on Initial Entry Rotary-Wing Instructor Support Services contract - CAE USA has been advised that following the protest of the initial award to CAE USA, the Initial Entry Rotary-Wing Instructor Support Services contract was granted to the incumbent contractor. CAE USA is disappointed with this decision from the United States Army, and following a debrief will determine next steps, which could include further protest. CAE USA was originally awarded this contract in late 2016 and it was announced on January 12, 2017. Because the contract award to CAE USA was protested immediately, CAE USA had not yet begun executing on this contract. Accordingly, this development does not change CAE's outlook for the year, or its expectations for growth in its Defense and Security business.

06:03 EDT LivaNova to explore options for Cardiac Rhythm Management Business Franchise - LivaNova announced it is exploring strategic options for its Cardiac Rhythm Management Business Franchise. "As part of our ongoing efforts to position LivaNova for long-term success, we are sharpening our focus on the Company's areas of strength and market leadership. To that end, we are exploring options to realize the full value of the CRM Business Franchise," said Damien McDonald, CEO. "The CRM Business Franchise is a global business and strong regional player with attractive assets, a robust pipeline and growth potential; however, it is no longer a strategic fit within LivaNova's portfolio. The Board and executive leadership team are committed to driving value for shareholders and customers and will continue to take actions that strengthen LivaNova's position as a leading, innovative medical device company dedicated to extending and improving the lives of patients around the world." CRM generated $249.1M in net sales for the full-year 2016 and is focused on the development, manufacturing and marketing of products for the diagnosis, treatment and management of heart rhythm disorders and heart failure. The Company has not set a timeline for completion of the review process, and it does not intend to disclose further developments unless or until a definitive decision has been reached by the Company or the Company has otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required. For the time being, the Company expects to continue to operate the CRM Business Franchise in the normal course of business.

05:58 EDT Samsung says will not enter car manufacturing business

05:58 EDT Samsung make strategic investment in TTTech; terms not disclosed

05:57 EDT Samsung establishes $300M Samsung Automative Innovation fund - Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., established the Samsung Automotive Innovation Fund, a new $300M fund focused exclusively on the automotive market. The Samsung Automotive Innovation Fund will focus on connected car and autonomous technologies, including smart sensors, machine vision, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, connectivity solutions, automotive-grade safety solutions, security, and privacy. In addition to the fund, HARMAN, which was acquired by Samsung earlier this year, has established a new Autonomous/ADAS Strategic Business Unit. The new HARMAN SBU, which will report to HARMAN's Connected Car division, will work with the Samsung Strategy and Innovation Center Smart Machines team to develop key technologies for safer, smarter, connected vehicles. The SSIC Smart Machines team is an advanced automotive engineering group dedicated to enabling next-generation mobility solutions. The first strategic investment of the Samsung Automotive Innovation Fund will be in TTTech, a leader in functional safety, deterministic networking, real-time systems, and complex software integration for ADAS and automated driving platforms. Earlier investments by Samsung's existing investment funds have included stakes in automotive startups, including AImotive and Renovo for automated driving; Quanergy, TetraVue, and Oculii for sensors; Autotalks and Valens for connectivity; and Graphcore for high-performance computing. To date, Samsung has secured licenses for on-road testing of autonomous driving software and hardware under development in Korea and California. Samsung will not enter the car-manufacturing business, remaining focused on working with automakers and mobility enablers to develop the next generation of automotive innovation.

05:43 EDT Amazon plans new fulfillment center in Michigan, will create, 1,000 new jobs - Amazon.com announced plans to open a new fulfillment center in the Charter Township of Shelby, Michigan. When the site opens in 2018, Amazon will create 1,000 new full-time jobs with benefits.

05:40 EDT Ashford Hospitality provides update on Hurricane Irma - Ashford Hospitality Trust announced that after preliminary inspections, the company's hotels in the path of Hurricane Irma did not sustain any significant damage with a few properties sustaining minor damage. All of the company's properties are open and operating. The affected hotels in Florida represented approximately 13% of the company's year-to-date Hotel EBITDA through the second quarter. Ashford Trust continues to assess the full impact of the damage caused by Hurricane Irma, and all of its properties have comprehensive property, casualty, flood and business interruption insurance, subject to a maximum $10M deductible. The company believes no damage will exceed coverage caps, and will provide additional updates in the event of any material changes.

05:34 EDT Ballard Power announces $264M order backlog of $263.5M as of June 30 - Ballard Power is announcing at its "Investor & Analyst Day" event in New York City that the Company achieved an Order Backlog of $263.5M as of June 30, representing the aggregate value of orders for which customers have made contractual commitments. In addition, Ballard is announcing that it achieved a 12-month Order Book of $97.2M as of June 30, representing the aggregate value of that portion of the Order Backlog the company expects to deliver in the subsequent 12-month period.

05:28 EDT Seadrill receives court approval of 'first day' motions - Seadrill announces today that the court overseeing the company's chapter 11 restructuring proceedings has granted the relief requested by the company in its key first-day motions related to ordinary course business activities. The approved motions give the company the authority to, among other things, continue to pay employee wages and benefits without interruption, continue to utilize its cash management system and continue to pay all suppliers and vendors in full under normal terms. The company intends to meet its obligations in the ordinary course and expects its operations to continue uninterrupted throughout the reorganization process.