Stockwinners Market Radar for September 19, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:26 EDT FedEx says without cyberattack FY18 guidance would not have changed - Comments are from the company's Q1 earnings conference call.

18:23 EDT FedEx says without cyberattack FY18 guidance would not have changed - Comments are from the company's Q2 earnings conference call.

17:58 EDT Treasury exits stake in Xenith Bankshares - Xenith Bankshares disclosed in a regulatory filing: "On December 31, 2008, Xenith Bankshares entered into a Letter Agreement and Securities Purchase Agreement - Standard Terms with the United States Department of the Treasury, pursuant to which the Treasury purchased (i) shares of the company's preferred stock and (ii) a warrant to purchase shares of the company's common stock . On August 12, 2010, the company entered into an Exchange Agreement with the Treasury, pursuant to which (i) the Treasury exchanged the Original Preferred Shares for newly issued shares of the company's preferred stock, which the Treasury immediately converted into shares of the company's common stock , and (ii) the terms of the Warrant were amended. The Treasury subsequently sold the Exchanged Shares in an underwritten public offering. On September 13 , the company repurchased the Warrant from the Treasury for an aggregate cash purchase price of $1,671,000, the fair market value of the Warrant as agreed upon by the company and the Treasury, and cancelled the Warrant. Following the company's repurchase of the Warrant, the Treasury has no remaining equity stake in the company.

17:50 EDT Walter Investment says Barclays to increase financing available - On September 13, Walter Investment Management entered into a commitment letter with Barclays Bank . Pursuant to the Commitment Letter, Barclays has agreed to increase the financing available to the company under the following facilities: 1. the Amended and Restated Master Repurchase Agreement, dated as of April 23, 2015 among Barclays, as purchaser and agent, and Ditech Financial LLC, as seller, and the Amended and Restated Master Repurchase Agreement, dated as of May 22, among Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc., as a seller, RMS REO BRC, LLC, as a seller, and Barclays, as purchaser and agent.Barclays has committed to provide the company with an upsize of the Facilities with a maximum increase amount of $300,000,000 on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Commitment Letter, with a closing date any time between the date of the Commitment Letter and January 25, 2018. The company may effectuate the Upsize as an increase of up to $150,000,000 to the Ditech Facility and up to $150,000,000 to the RMS Facility, up to a total of $300,000,000. In conjunction with any amendment to effectuate the Upsize, the termination date of each Facility being amended will be extended to August 25, 2018, provided that, after May 21, 2018, the Maximum Aggregate Purchase Price (as such term is defined on the date hereof in the RMS Facility or the Ditech Facility, as applicable) will equal the amount of the Upsize with respect to the related Facility.The company has experienced reductions in availability under its warehouse and advance facilities, through reductions in the company's advance rates, changes to the terms of such facilities and otherwise, which has negatively impacted the company's available liquidity and capital resources. The Upsize is expected to better position the company to ensure it has sufficient liquidity in the near-term, though no assurance can be given that the company will be successful in maintaining adequate financing capacity with its current or prospective lenders.

17:43 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - HIGHER: Gemphire Therapeutics (GEMP), up 10.1% after announcing plans to advance Gemcabene into Phase 3 clinical development. LOWER: Ocean Rig UDW (ORIG), down 6.95% after announcing it will effect a 1-for-9,200 reverse stock split of its common shares... Iovance Biotherapeutics (IOVA), down 5.2% after filing to sell $50M of common stock. LOWER AFTER EARNINGS: Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY), down 11.7% after reporting Q2 earnings and giving FY17 guidance that fell short of analyst expectations... FedEx (FDX), down 2% after reporting disappointing Q1 earnings due to a June 27 cyberattack and the impact of Hurricane Harvey, and giving FY18 guidance that was below the analyst consensus... Adobe (ADBE), down 3.2% after reporting Q3 earnings and giving Q4 guidance.

17:36 EDT Granite Construction awarded $23M contract in San Diego - Granite Construction announced it has been awarded a $23M runway rehabilitation contract by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. The contract will be included in Granite's Q3 backlog. Scope of the work on the Runway 9-27 and Cross Taxiways B1, B4-B7, C3 Rehabilitation Project at the San Diego International Airport includes milling and replacing approximately 2.5 million square feet of asphalt concrete pavement, reconstruction of a new taxiway, upgrading of lighting and signage, and new striping and marking. Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2017 and conclude in September 2018.

17:26 EDT Bed Bath & Beyond sees online furniture business quadrupling over next few years

17:14 EDT Altisource Residential sees impact of Hurricane Irma to be relatively minor - Altisource Residential provided an update on the impact of Hurricane Irma. RESI has approximately 1,130 rental homes in Florida. Property managers are working to establish contact with all tenants in order to identify and resolve issues and will continue to assess the overall impact of the storm as the situation evolves. The Company maintains comprehensive property and casualty insurance policies that cover wind and flood damage as well as specified business interruption costs subject to certain deductibles and exclusions. RESI therefore anticipates that the ultimate financial impact to its portfolio will be relatively minor.

17:09 EDT Select and Rockwater extend date for merger to December 31 - Select Energy Services announced that Select and Rockwater Energy Solutions have agreed to extend the end date in the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger from November 1 to December 31. Completion of the Company's merger with Rockwater remains subject to satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, including the mailing of Select's information statement describing the proposed merger to Select's stockholders following completion of the SEC review of the information statement. Select and Rockwater expect the merger to close during the Q4.

17:05 EDT Twitter names Patrick Pichette to Board of Directors - Twitter (TWTR) announced the appointment of Patrick Pichette to the company's Board of Directors as a new independent director, effective December 1, 2017. Pichette is expected to join both the Audit and Compensation Committees of the Board. Separately, Hugh Johnston has accepted a new director role on the Board of Directors at Microsoft (MSFT), and will resign his seat on the Twitter Board, effective October 1, 2017. Pichette has nearly 20 years of experience in financial operations and management in the technology and telecommunications sector. He most recently served as CFO of Google (GOOG, GOOGL) a role he held from August 2008 until his retirement in May 2015.

17:03 EDT Darling expects $4.5M negative impact to Q3 EBITDA from fire incident - Darling Ingredients announced a temporary work stoppage due to a fire incident at its Rendac production plant on Wednesday afternoon, September 13 located in Son, The Netherlands. As a result of this fire, part of the production process at the Son facility is non-operational and is expected to be down for approximately 2 to 3 weeks. Until that time, substantially all tonnage will be diverted to other Company-owned assets. While in the long-term, the Company ultimately expects to largely recover its losses from property and business interruption insurance, in the near term the Company expects a negative impact to EBITDA of up to $4.5M in the Q3.

16:56 EDT Fifth Third increases quarterly cash dividend 14% - Fifth Third Bancorp declared a cash dividend on its common shares of 16c for Q3. The dividend is payable on October 16 to shareholders of record as of September 29.

16:48 EDT Vornado provides information regarding its investment in Toys 'R Us - Vornado announced that Toys 'R Us yesterday filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Vornado had previously fully reserved for its 32.5% investment in Toys 'R Us, and carries this investment on its balance sheet at zero. For income tax purposes, it carries this investment at approximately $420M which could result in a tax deduction in future periods. Further, Vornado does not hold any debt of Toys 'R Us and does not guarantee any of their debt and has no further liability.

16:45 EDT Axar Acquisition announces redemption of outstanding shares and dissolution - Axar Acquisition announced that it will redeem all of its outstanding shares of common stock that were included in the units issued in its initial public offering, effective as of the close of business on October 2 because the Company will not be able to consummate an initial business combination within the time period required by its amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Pursuant to the Charter, if the Company is unable to complete its initial business combination by October 1 or if prior to October 1, the Company publicly discloses that an extension past October 1 will not prevent the Company from maintaining the listing of its securities on NASDAQ, December 31, the Company will: cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Company's trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to the Company to pay its franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders' rights as stockholders, subject to applicable law, and as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company's remaining stockholders and its board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company's obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. The per-share redemption price for the public shares will be approximately $10.14.

16:35 EDT Equity Lifestyle provides update on Hurricane Irma impact, reaffirms guidance - Equity LifeStyle Properties provided an update on the impact of Hurricane Irma on its Florida properties. Efforts to restore affected properties are underway, with some already substantially complete. All Florida mainland properties are open for business and have staff onsite. The company has been onsite to assess its two RV resorts in the Florida Keys: Fiesta Key in Long Key and Sunshine Key in Big Pine Key. Electrical service has been restored to Fiesta Key, and the company expects that both of these properties will be open for business once utility services are fully restored. Equity LifeStyle Properties is in the process of estimating costs associated with cleanup and restoration efforts, and the company believes that it has adequate insurance, subject to deductibles, including business interruption coverage. At this time, the company does not believe that Hurricane Irma will significantly impact its results of operations or its financial condition on a consolidated basis and, accordingly, the company reaffirms previously issued 2017 guidance.

16:34 EDT Maxwell enters into Amended and Restated Agreement with Viex - Maxwell Technologies announced that it entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement with Viex Capital Advisors and its affiliates, which amends and restates a prior agreement with Viex. In connection with entering into the new Agreement, including the removal by Viex of certain restrictive covenants in the Agreement, Maxwell agreed to provide a cash payment in the amount of $600,000 to Viex upon the closing of a successful convertible debt financing; provided, however, that if Viex is eligible to participate in the Qualified Financing, then Viex has agreed to re-invest the cash consideration into the Qualified Financing. Additionally, Viex agreed to support certain initiatives related to the Company's 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, including, notably, the nomination and election of directors standing for election at the meeting.The complete agreement between Maxwell and Viex will be included as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be filed with the SEC.

16:30 EDT HFF Inc. announces sale of office in Raleigh-Durham, NC for $105.5M - Holliday Fenoglio Fowler announces the $105.5M sale of a seven-property office portfolio totaling 581,619 square feet within the Perimeter Park business park in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

16:27 EDT Correction: Best Buy not taking transformational initiatives - This corrects 16:17 story regarding Best Buy (BBY). Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) is taking transformational initiatives, not Best Buy.

16:22 EDT Harsco gets orders from D.C and Sacramento, CA for safety systems - Harsco Corporation's Protran Technology unit, part of the Harsco Rail division, announced new orders from the regional transit districts serving Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, CA to install enhanced safety systems that alert railway track workers on the ground before trains enter their work zones. The orders are scheduled for delivery through the end of this year. Terms were not disclosed.The installations will include Protran's Enhanced Employee Protection System, the first of its kind in the railway safety industry to incorporate three-way communication among track workers, train operators and dispatchers in the central office. With the Protran system, all three parties are automatically alerted when a train is approaching a designated work zone, giving workers as well as train operators an added layer of accident protection not found in other systems. These latest orders from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and the Sacramento Regional Transit District join a growing list of Protran customers nationwide - including some 25 metropolitan transit networks - who have selected Protran safety equipment for their track workers as well as vehicle fleets.

16:22 EDT Sabra to acquire 49% equity interest in senior housing managed by Enlivant - Sabra Health Care, Enlivant and TPG Real Estate, jointly announced today that Sabra has entered into definitive agreements to acquire a 49% equity interest in entities that collectively own 183 senior housing communities managed by Enlivant. The transaction values the portfolio at $1.62B and Sabra's 49% minority interest investment at $371M. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals and lender consents, is expected to close prior to year end.

16:20 EDT Bed Bath & Beyond sees over $150M in savings from transformational initiatives - The company believes the initiatives to drive operational excellence, as well as opportunities for added efficiencies, should produce savings in excess of $150M over the next few years, a portion of which may be strategically reinvested toward future growth.

16:17 EDT Best Buy to take number of transformational initiatives - The company is undertaking a number of transformational initiatives to drive operational excellence and further its mission to be its customer's first choice for the home and heart-felt life events. These initiatives will be discussed in further detail on the company's conference call with analysts and investors to be held today at 5:00 pm (ET).

16:13 EDT Marrone Bio and Elephant Vert sign distribution agreement in North Africa - Together, these two pioneering players of the biological crop protection market have the products and knowledge to bring sustainable solutions for improving both yield and quality to farmers in North Africa. Elephant Vert will develop and market two of MBI's products in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria: The biofungicide Reysana is currently labeled for use by growers of tomatoes, peppers, grapes and cucurbits. Reysana contains the same ingredients as MBI's Regalia Maxx Biofungicide, which is already marketed and sold in more than 10 countries worldwide. The bionematicide Majestene, which protects crops from yield-robbing nematodes. The product is inside the registration process.

16:13 EDT Abraxas Petroleum provides operational update - In Ward County, Texas, the Caprito 98-201H, a 4,880 foot lateral targeting the Wolfcamp A1 zone, averaged 1,036 Boepd over the well's first 30 days of production. The Caprito 98-301HR, a 4,880 foot lateral targeting the Wolfcamp A2 zone, averaged 999 Boepd over the well's first 30 days of production. Abraxas flowed both wells back using a more conservative choke management protocol after observing the practices of offsetting operators. While an uplift compared to earlier results is expected, its magnitude will not be fully measurable until the new wells reach maximum pressure drawdown. Abraxas owns a working interest of approximately 98% in the Caprito 98-201H and 98-301HR. In McKenzie County, North Dakota, Abraxas recently drilled and cased a replacement well in the Yellowstone 4HR. The Yellowstone 2H-4HR three-well pad, in which Abraxas owns a 52% working interest, is scheduled for completion in October. Abraxas recently spud the first well on the Yellowstone 5H-7H pad in which the company will hold a 52% working interest. Abraxas' producing assets in South Texas sustained no damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Sales volumes were temporarily reduced due to the shuttering of third party midstream facilities and Gulf Coast refineries. Wells with associated production of approximately 700 Boepd were curtailed for a period of one to three weeks. All wells are now on production and producing at full rates. Abraxas was also informed that the Company's scheduled frac date on the Shut Eye 1H has been postponed to mid-October 2017 as a result of delays associated with the storm.

16:05 EDT Gemphire anounces plans to advance Gemcabene into Phase 3 clinical development - Gemphire Therapeutics announced plans to advance its product candidate gemcabene into Phase 3 development in 2018. Gemcabene successfully achieved the primary endpoint in two recently completed Phase 2b studies, COBALT-1 and ROYAL-1, and the Company is now preparing for end of Phase 2 meetings with both the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, anticipated to take place in early 2018. The primary focus of these meetings is to reach agreement on the design of the Phase 3 development programs for its hypercholesterolemia indications. Twenty clinical studies have shown gemcabene to be safe and effective as monotherapy or in combination with all current treatments for hypercholesterolemia, including the highest intensity statins, PCSK9 inhibitors and ezetimibe, and thus appears to be beneficial for high-risk patients that have not achieved lipid goals.

15:15 EDT Calithera says CB-839 combo with Opdivo accepted for SITC presentation - Calithera Biosciences announced that data for its drug candidate CB-839, an orally bioavailable glutaminase inhibitor, will be presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, SITC, which is being held from November 10 to November 12, at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Clinical results to be presented include data from Calithera's trial of CB-839 dosed in combination with Opdivo in patients with advanced melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, or non-small cell lung cancer.The trial is the subject of a clinical collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb.

15:02 EDT S&P downgrades Uniti Group to 'B' on downgrade of Windstream - S&P Global Ratings earlier announced it lowered its corporate credit rating on U.S. telecom real estate investment trust Uniti Group (UNIT). "We recently lowered our corporate credit rating on U.S. telecom service provider Windstream Holdings Inc. to 'B' from 'B+' with a negative outlook based on its deteriorating operating and financial performance, intense competitive pressures, and slower-than-expected ramp-up of its enterprise business. Since we view the credit quality of U.S. telecom real estate investment trust Uniti Group Inc. as tethered to that of Windstream, we are also lowering the corporate credit rating on Uniti to 'B' from 'B+'," S&P stated.

14:59 EDT RadNet VP Linden sells 18,000 shares of company stock - RadNet VP Jeffrey Linden disclosed in a filing on Tuesday that he had sold 18,192 shares of company stock at an average price of $10.95 per share on September 19. The total transaction value of the sale was $199,202.

14:31 EDT iShares MSCI Mexico dips after report of earthquake near Mexico City

13:55 EDT PetMed lower after unverified Twitter user mentions SEC investigation - Unverified Twitter user Andrew Ross, who has 551 followers and describes himself as a "Former Floor trader NYSE, former principal NYSE, NASD, retired attorney, stockholder rights activist," tweeted earlier, "$pets no position; close to mgmt.; under investigation by SEC and PBSO for possible illegal drug sales!" Shares of PetMed Express are down 3%, or $1.25, to $34.56 in afternoon trading. It is unclear if the move lower is connected to the tweet by Andrew Ross. PBSO stands for Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office as PetMed is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida.

13:53 EDT PetMed lower after unverified twitter user mentions SEC investigation - Unverified Twitter user Andrew Ross, who has 551 followers and describes himself as a "Former Floor trader NYSE, former principal NYSE, NASD, retired attorney, stockholder rights activist," tweeted earlier, "$pets no position; close to mgmt.; under investigation by SEC and PBSO for possible illegal drug sales!" Shares of PetMed Express are down 3%, or $1.25, to $34.56 in afternoon trading. It is unclear if the move lower is connected to the tweet by Andrew Ross. PBSO stands for Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office as PetMed is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida.

13:34 EDT Western Digital jumps 1% after Reuters says Toshiba favoring bid for chip unit

13:18 EDT FDA advisory committee split on benefit-risk profile for Pfizer's SUTENT - Pfizer announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee voted six in favor and six against the benefit-risk profile for SUTENT as adjuvant treatment of adult patients at high risk of recurrent renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy. The role of the Advisory Committee is to provide recommendations to the FDA. The ODAC discussions were based on the supplemental New Drug Application currently under review by the FDA. The FDA decision on whether or not to approve the sNDA is anticipated by January 2018. The sNDA under review by the FDA is based on results from the S-TRAC trial, a randomized double-blind Phase 3 trial of adjuvant SUTENT vs. placebo in 615 patients with locoregional, resected RCC at high risk of recurrence. The study met its primary endpoint of improving disease-free survival, and the results were published by The New England Journal of Medicine in October 2016. The ODAC is an independent panel of experts that evaluates data concerning the efficacy and safety of marketed and investigational cancer treatments and makes recommendations to the FDA. Its vote is not binding, but is considered by the FDA in its decision making process.

12:49 EDT FCA US recalling 443,712 U.S.-market heavy-duty pickups, medium-duty trucks - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 443,712 U.S.-market heavy-duty pickups and medium-duty trucks to inspect and replace, if necessary, their water pumps. Affected are model-year 2013-17 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups; and 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs. FCA US is unaware of any related injuries or accidents. The company no longer equips its vehicles with the subject water pump. Compromised water-pump function may activate a warning light in an affected vehicle's instrument cluster. The recall is limited to trucks equipped with 6.7-liter engines. Affected customers will be advised when service becomes available.

12:37 EDT Lexicon announces European Commission approves Xermelo - Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (LXRX) announced that the European Commission has approved Xermelo 250 mg as a first and only orally administered therapy for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea in combination with somatostatin analog therapy in adults inadequately controlled by SSA therapy. This approval allows for the marketing of Xermelo by Lexicon's collaborator, Ipsen (IPSEY), in the above indication in all 28 member states of the European Union, Norway and Iceland, the company stated.

12:32 EDT Acacia Research shares trade higher amid insider buying - A number of insiders at Acacia Research disclosed in filings on Tuesday that they had purchased shares of the company's stock on September 15. Board members, including Frank E. Walsh and chairman Louis Graziadio bought 25,000 shares and 32,900 respectively on September 15. Members of the management team at Acacia Research also purchased shares on the same day, with General Counsel Joseph Treska acquiring 2,500 shares and president Robert Stewart acquiring 5,000 shares. The CFO Clayton Haynes also purchased 2000 shares on September 2015. The purchase price of shares acquired by insiders at the firm on that day ranged in price from $3.98 to approximately $4.01 per share. Shares of Acacia Research are off their intra-session high of $4.95, up 16% to $4.70 per share in midday trading.

12:03 EDT Ipsen receives EU approval for Xermelo for treatment of CSD with SSA therapy - Ipsen announced that the European Commission has approved Xermelo 250 mg three times a day for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea in combination with somatostatin analogue therapy in adults inadequately controlled by SSA therapy. This approval allows for the marketing of Xermelo in the above indication in all 28 member states of the European Union, Norway and Iceland. The approval is based on the results of two randomized Phase 3 trials, TELESTAR and TELECAST.

11:21 EDT NuVasive slides as GlassHouse Research sees 'profusion of accounting red flags' - GlassHouse Research noted in a report this morning that NuVasive's (NUVA) President/COO and CFO are leaving abruptly at a time when "there is a profusion of accounting red flags" at the company. "Our analysts do not believe in coincidences at this scale and based on our own expertise, we believe this will turn out badly for all involved at NuVasive," GlassHouse contended. Further, GlassHouse Research believes the accounting issues at NuVasive are worse than those at Electronics for Imaging's (EFII), and that the company will "miss badly to the downside" in the upcoming one to three quarters. The medical device company is trading down almost 4% to $55.70 in late morning trading.

11:11 EDT Siemens, PAS announce partnership to provide monitoring for control systems - Siemens and PAS Global announced an agreement to provide fleet-wide, real time monitoring for control systems. By leveraging the unique capabilities of both companies, this partnership will provide customers with: (1) deep analytics required to identify and inventory proprietary assets; and (2) visibility to detect and respond effectively to attacks across the operating environment.

11:07 EDT Intrexon's Oxitec plans to build centralized mosquito egg production unit - Oxitec, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intrexon announced plans to build its first centralized Friendly Aedes egg production unit, with the capacity to generate one billion mosquito eggs per week, in Oxfordshire, UK.."This facility will enable egg shipments to various locations across the globe, where they will be reared and then released as part of Oxitec's environmentally-responsible Friendly Aedes programs to suppress Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary vector of Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. The new UK facility will deliver a 20-fold increase in Oxitec's existing egg production to support increasing global demand for Aedes aegypti control programs to reduce wild populations worldwide. "This investment is a reflection of the increasing interest and traction we are now seeing for Oxitec's Friendly Aedes programs, and represents a new phase in the company's development," said Mark Carnegie-Brown, Oxitec CEO. "Oxitec's technology represents a paradigm change in combating dangerous Aedes aegypti that threaten more than half of the world's population, and this factory will better position us to help countries in need of superior solutions in the fight against this invasive mosquito that carries Zika, dengue and other harmful viruses."

11:03 EDT M&T Bank enters community-focused strategic partnership with NY Jets - The New York Jets and M&T Bank announced a new, multi-year partnership naming M&T the "Official Community Bank of the New York Jets" and establishing several initiatives that will extend far beyond the field and into the surrounding community. M&T Bank will be the exclusive provider of New York Jets branded debit cards at 781 retail branches, including more than 150 M&T branches across the New York Tri-State region. In addition, the partnership will support youth football, power the New York Jets Generation Jets Kids Club and highlight the importance of small businesses in local economies.

11:01 EDT U.S. Bancorp boosts quarterly dividend by 7% to 30c - U.S. Bancorp said its board approved a 7.1% increase in the dividend rate on common shares to 30c on a quarterly basis, payable October 16, to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 29. At this quarterly dividend rate, the annual dividend will be equivalent to $1.20 per common share.

10:54 EDT Before the Move: Best Buy in focus ahead of first investor meeting in five years - Shares of Best Buy (BBY) are in focus this morning ahead of the retailer's first investor meeting in five years. Best Buy will provide an overview of its Best Buy 2020 strategy and discuss its long-term financial outlook at the meeting, which will begin at 2:00 pm ET. BACKGROUND: When Best Buy unveiled its Renew Blue transformation strategy in November 2012, the company was faced with negative comparable sales and a declining operating income rate. Under Renew Blue, comp sales and operating income have increased, adjusted earnings per share have gained at a compound annual growth rate of 8% and total shareholder return was 263% over the last five years, Best Buy noted. Best Buy Chairman and CEO Hubert Joly said Renew Blue was not only about improving the customer experience, but "fixing what was broken." "Five years ago the times were different," Joly told CNBC in an interview. "We had negative comps. Our margins were going down. There were questions about whether we were going to survive." Earlier this year, Joly decided that after four years of positive comps and expanding margins, the transformation was complete. "We've become relevant again," he acknowledged. BEST BUY 2020: At today's meeting, Best Buy is expected to discuss its new growth strategy, called Best Buy 2020: Building the New Blue. Commenting on areas where he sees potential growth, Joly called out the connected home market and smartphones. While Renew Blue was about "fixing what was broken," the new strategy is "focused on growth," He told CNBC. Moving forward, the company believes it is operating in an opportunity-rich environment, driven by innovation and customers' need for help. Best Buy plans to pilot Assured Living, a new service that helps adult children remotely check in on the health and safety of their aging parents, and launch Total Tech Support, a new Geek Squad offering that provides ongoing support for a customer's tech, "no matter where or when they bought it." Best Buy is also looking to improve the customer experience within and across channels, and noted that it recently expanded its In-Home Advisor program to all major U.S. markets. LONG-TERM OUTLOOK: Best Buy is also expected to discuss its long-term financial outlook for fiscal 2021. The retailer estimates its adjusted earnings will be $4.75-$5.00, an 8%-9% compound annual growth rate from fiscal 2017, and forecast FY21 Enterprise revenue of $43B vs. $39.4B in FY17. Best Buy also sees adjusted operating income of $1.9B-$2B vs. $1.7B in FY17. "We've taken the time to look at the strategic landscape. And we think that we are operating in a very attractive environment that's full of growth opportunities," Joly told CNBC. Best Buy also plans to drive an incremental $600M in annualized cost savings by the end of FY21. WHAT'S NOTABLE: In June, Best Buy said it was adding Amazon (AMZN) Alexa and Google Home (GOOG) "experiences" to roughly 700 stores nationwide. These enhanced experiences are unique to Best Buy and show all the ways you can use voice technology... In collaboration with Amazon and Google, these experiences will help people understand and use this groundbreaking technology," the company said. Best Buy has also announced a smart phone partnership with Blackstone's (BX) Vivint. By the end of October, 450 Best Buy stores will have a smart home powered by Vivint section. In August, Best Buy reported better-than-expected quarterly results, but CEO Joly cautioned that comp sales, which were up 5.4%, were not expected to be the "new normal." PRICE ACTION: Ahead of this afternoon's investor meeting, Best Buy is down 8.7% to $52.38. Year-to-date, however, shares are up 22.7%. "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.

10:47 EDT Gap rises after Credit Suisse notes improvements in supply chain - Shares of Gap (GPS) gained in morning trading after a Credit Suisse analyst upgraded the stock and raised his price target following the firm's brick-and-mortar real estate analysis. In a note, Credit Suisse cited the closing of about 200 "low quality" stores and improvements in the company's supply chain. GAP BETTER POSITIONED THAN THOUGHT: Credit Suisse analyst Christian Buss upgraded Gap to Neutral from Underperform and raised his price target for the shares to $30 from $23. In a note to clients, the analyst said his analysis indicates that Gap is better positioned than he thought with the retailer scoring 57.1% versus the group average of 50% through higher scores in the mall exposure and mall quality categories. He views Gap's real estate positioning as attractive. In addition, Buss said he is encouraged by Gap's plans to close roughly 200 low quality Gap and Banana Republic locations and focus on its Old Navy and Athleta brands as well as digital sales. RECENT ANALYST COMMENTARY: On September 12, Jefferies analyst Randal Konik raised his price target for Gap to $39 and added shares to his firm's Franchise Pick list. With management divulging divisional margins for the first time and allocating capital toward growth brands like Old Navy and Athleta and away from specialty brands like the Gap and Banana Republic, the analyst argued that he sees the market underappreciating pieces of the organization, with his sum-of-the-parts analysis implying 50%-plus upside to the current share price. Investment changes will drive improved stability, predictability and stronger free cash flow, which should lead to upward earnings per share and multiple expansion, Konik contended. GROWTH PLANS: On September 6, Gap said that over the next three years, it expects to close about 200 underperforming Gap and Banana Republic locations and add about 270 Old Navy, Athleta locations. The company also said it expects Old Navy, a consistent bright spot for the retailer, to exceed $10B and Athleta to exceed $1B in net sales in the "next few years," driven by growth in online and mobile channels, U.S. store expansion, and continued market share leadership in loyalty categories. The company expects about $500M in savings over the next three years by better leveraging its scale. PEERS: Gap's focus on growth comes amid a slowdown of mall traffic that has hurt many mall-based retailers reflecting a shift to fast-fashion retailers like Zara, Forever 21 and H&M as well as an increase in online shopping on sites such as Amazon (AMZN). While Gap reported upbeat second quarter results in August, other retailers like Macy's (M) and Kohl's (KSS) reported a quarter of declining comp sales, though their EPS and revenue were above analysts' estimates. In addition, J.C. Penney (JCP) reported a larger than expected loss for the quarter, with its comp sales dropping 1.3%. While Urban Outfitters (URBN) reported a quarterly earnings beat, its comp sales declined. Additionally, Nordstrom (JWN) is reportedly nearing a deal to select private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners to help fund a buyout of the department store chain. PRICE ACTION: Gap increased 1% to $28.21 in morning trading, off earlier highs. Year-to-date, shares are up nearly 26%.

10:39 EDT Centene, Molina fall as new repeal and replace proposal possible - Shares of Medicaid exposed health insurers including Centene (CNC) and Molina (MOH) are lower in early trading on Tuesday, as a proposal known as "Graham-Cassidy" is gaining traction as the latest entry in the efforts to repeal Obamacare. Shares of Centene are down 6.3% to $88.66 while Molina is lower by over 55 to $62.50 in morning trading.

10:34 EDT Disney, Chase renew co-brand card relationship - Chase Card Services (JPM) and The Walt Disney Company (DIS) announced a multi-year extension of the Disney Visa Card, Disney Premier Visa Card and Disney Visa Debit Card programs. "Disney Visa Credit and Debit Cardmembers have access to amazing perks 365 days a year, including special savings at Disney's U.S. Theme Parks and Resorts, Disney Store and DisneyStore.com exclusive photo opportunities with Disney Characters at Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort, and the opportunity to choose from a variety of unique Disney card designs.3 Disney Visa Credit Cardmembers earn Disney Rewards Dollars on all card purchases which can be redeemed toward almost anything Disney."

10:26 EDT AutoZone expects to open 150 new stores in 2018 - Says June was weakest period as it was cooler than normal. Expects to open 150 new stores in 2018. Sees great growth opportunities outside the U.S. Says making ongoing investments to capture data on customers. Expects loyalty program to help mine data and grow sales in 2018. Expects to open 10 more megahubs in 2018. Says had more than 600 stores closed due to hurricanes. Says saw minimal damage from hurricanes and doesn't expect material impacts to Q1 earnings. Says trustworthy advice and sense of immediacy makes business well-positioned amid e-commerce shift. Comments taken from Q4 conference call.

10:12 EDT Twitter says removed 299,649 accounts in 1H for 'promotion of terrorism' - Twitter, in a blog post, says "With our 11th biannual Twitter Transparency Report, Twitter has expanded on work announced in our last #TTR to share more information about government Terms of Service requests we receive and how we handle such requests. In March of 2017, we introduced a new section covering government TOS reports, but it was limited to government requests to remove content under our prohibition of the promotion of terrorism. Today, we have expanded this section to cover a broader array of categories under the Twitter Rules, adding: abusive behavior, copyright, and trademark. Twitter's continued commitment to eliminate such activity from our platform has resulted in an 80% reduction in accounts reported by governments compared to the previous reporting period of July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. Notably, government requests accounted for less than 1% of account suspensions for the promotion of terrorism during the first half of this year. Instead, 95% of these account suspensions were the result of our internal efforts to combat this content with proprietary tools, up from 74% in our last Transparency Report. Between accounts surfaced by both our internal tools and government reports, Twitter removed 299,649 accounts during this reporting period, a 20% drop from the previous reporting period. Notably, 75% of these accounts were suspended before posting their first Tweet. We have suspended a total of 935,897 accounts for the promotion of terrorism in the period of August 1, 2015 through June 30, 2017. We've also updated the remainder of our biannual report with data covering January through June, 2017. During this time, Twitter received 6% more global government requests for account information that affected 3% fewer accounts than in the previous period, including requests that originated from four new countries: Nepal, Paraguay, Panama, and Uruguay. In addition, we received approximately 10% more global legal requests to remove content impacting roughly 12% more accounts compared to the previous reporting period. These included requests from nine new countries: Bahrain, China, Croatia, Finland, Nepal, Paraguay, Poland, Qatar, Ukraine, and Uruguay." Reference Link

10:02 EDT Altice USA extends low-cost broadband service across the U.S. - Altice USA announces that its 'Economy Internet' low-cost broadband service is available in both its Optimum and Suddenlink footprints, providing eligible families and senior citizens with access to fast, high-quality internet connectivity at an affordable price. The $14.99 per month service, which offers broadband speeds of up to 30 Mbps downstream and free in-home WiFi, is now available across the entire Optimum footprint after launching in select areas of the New York region late last year.

09:56 EDT Kohl's jumps on plans to accept free Amazon returns in stores - Kohl's (KSS) gained in early trading after the retailer said it will offer free Amazon (AMZN) returns in 82 stores starting in October. AMAZON RETURNS TO KOHL'S STORES: Kohl's said in a statement on Tuesday that customers can return select merchandise bought from Amazon.com at 82 stores in Los Angeles and Chicago beginning in October. Kohl's said it will package and transport all returned items to Amazon return centers. "We are thrilled to launch this unprecedented and innovative concept, allowing customers to bring in their unpackaged Amazon returns to Kohl's and we will pack them, ship them, and return them to Amazon for free," Richard Schepp, Kohl's Chief Administrative Officer, said. "This is a great example of how Kohl's and Amazon are leveraging each other's strengths," he added. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Earlier this month, Kohl's announced plans to roll out a "smart home experience" in 10 stores across the Los Angeles and Chicago areas. Beginning in October, shoppers at these stories will be able to purchase Amazon devices, accessories and smart home devices and services directly from Amazon. Kohl's said 1,000-square-foot "zones" within its stores will be dedicated to Amazon products, including the Echo, Echo Dot, Fire TV and Fire tablets. Earlier this year, Amazon partnered with Sears (SHLD) to integrate the full line of Kenmore Smart appliances with Amazon Alexa. Following its acquisition by Amazon, Whole Foods also sells Echo devices in its stores, and Best Buy (BBY) sells some Amazon and Alexa-enabled items in its stores. In August, Kohl's said it will open four small format, 35,000-square-foot stores in the third quarter in support of efforts to enhance store profitability. By the end of 2017, nearly half of Kohl's stores will be operationally smaller, it said. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, Kohl's is up 4.5% to $46.90. Year-to-date, however, shares remain down about 5%.

09:48 EDT Schneiderman sends data security inquiries to Equifax, TransUnion - New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that his office has sent formal inquiries regarding data security to Experian (EFX) and TransUnion (TRU), the two other major credit reporting agencies, following the Equifax data breach that exposed the personal information of millions of New Yorkers. In letters sent to the CEOs of the two companies, the Attorney General's office asks them to detail the security measures that were in place before they learned of the Equifax breach; steps the companies have taken since learning of the breach to ensure that they haven't already suffered similar intrusions and won't experience breaches moving forward; and how they will further assist consumers in protecting their personal information. Attorney General Schneiderman opened an investigation immediately after learning of the Equifax breach. "The Equifax breach has left millions of New Yorkers vulnerable to identity theft and major financial issues," said Attorney General Schneiderman. "Credit reporting agencies have a fundamental responsibility to protect the personal information they're entrusted with. As we continue our investigation into the Equifax breach, it's vital to ensure that consumer data at the other major credit reporting agencies is safe."

09:34 EDT Peltz says Procter & Gamble should have bought Method Soap - Nelson Peltz of Trian Partners is speaking on CNBC.

09:31 EDT Xplore Technologies secures Android rugged tablet order - Xplore Technologies announced that one of the largest broadband and wireless telecommunications companies in the United States has placed a new $2.6M follow-on order for Xplore XSLATE D10 tablets to support the ongoing expansion of its Fiber Optic Services Division workforce, which first standardized on the custom-engineered tablet platform in August 2016. It is the only fully rugged Android mobile device that offers full computing capabilities and the HDMI-in port technicians need to conduct high speed network quality tests at the time of install. This latest order follows a $2.7M order for XSLATE D10 "mobile office" bundles in August 2017 to support growth of this customer's field-based Construction division technicians.

09:28 EDT Ubiquiti CEO to host Investor Update on September 26 - In a regulatory filing, Ubiquiti Networks disclosed that Chairman, CEO and Founder, Robert Pera, will host an Investor Update on September 26 at 12:30 p.m. ET. At the meeting, Pera expects to discuss the company's strategy and outlook that was provided, including its guidance of between $1.0B-$1.15B in revenue and diluted earnings per share of between $3.70 and $4.30 for FY18, the filing stated.

09:22 EDT Landec provides update on impact from extreme weather events - Landec provided an update on its operations at Apio, Inc., Landec's packaged fresh vegetable subsidiary, following a series of recent, extreme weather events. Currently, Landec does not believe that these weather events will have a significant impact on its fiscal 2018 results. In late August, Hurricane Harvey ravaged through South and Southeast Texas and parts of Louisiana with devastating winds and flooding causing pro-longed power outages and destruction to infrastructure. Fortunately, the Apio business was not affected by this storm as Apio green bean plantings in Texas were just outside of Harvey's reach. Starting in June of this year until recently, a series of tropical storms generated high humidity and excessive moisture in several growing regions within Mexico and California. This, in combination with record-breaking high temperatures, has impacted yields for many fresh produce items, including broccoli and cauliflower. While supplies remain very tight for many commodities, Apio is working closely with its diverse network of growers to minimize any disruption to our customers. Earlier this month, Hurricane Irma hit Florida as well as the Caribbean Islands, Georgia and the Carolinas. Hurricane winds and widespread flooding have caused power outages and vast damage to infrastructure. Apio has a small manufacturing and distribution facility in Vero Beach, Florida, which escaped the hurricane undamaged but was shut down for several days waiting for power in the area to resume. While the Vero Beach facility was not operating, Apio's facility in Bowling Green, Ohio was able to meet most of the green bean customer demand typically produced by Vero Beach. Florida is the primary growing region for Apio's green bean production during the winter season. Irma has forced a delay of plantings in Southern Florida of at least a week. This gap will be filled by product plantings proactively diverted into other regions. As Irma moved inland, significant winds and considerable rain impacted the fall transition crop of beans in North Florida and Georgia. While complete losses were avoided, we do expect a tight green bean supply market through October.

09:19 EDT Peltz says not asking for P&G CEO David Taylor to step down - Nelson Peltz of Trian Partners is speaking on CNBC.

09:16 EDT Air Products awarded oxygen supply contract by South Korean chemical company - Air Products has been awarded the oxygen supply for the new production facility of LG Chem, Korea's number one chemical company. The oxygen will be used for the production of materials used in secondary batteries.

09:14 EDT AeroVironment's TUrboCord selected as official EV charging accessory by BMW - AeroVironment (AVAV) announced its selection as an official North American provider of BMW (BMWYY) and MINI-branded TurboCord accessory EV chargers. AeroVironment began shipping TurboCord as a premium charging accessory for BMW in May.

09:10 EDT United Fire Group trading halted, news pending

09:06 EDT Advaxis to present two abstracts on Lm-based candidates at STIC meeting - Advaxis announced two abstracts were selected for presentation at the 32nd annual Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer meeting. The conference is renowned for its scientific exchange, education and mission to improve patient outcomes through advancement of science and the cancer immunotherapy field. Both poster presentations feature Advaxis' proprietary Listeria monocytogenes-based technology. The first presentation, "ADXS-PSA immunotherapy increases the magnitude and quality of prostate cancer antigen-specific T cell responses in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer," will feature data from Advaxis' clinical trial with ADXS-PSA. The presentation examines the frequency and functionality of the T cell response not only specific to its target antigen, but to other prostate cancer antigens. This data builds on what was presented at CICON 2017 and is the first time that an Lm-based vector targeting a self protein - PSA - can increase the frequency and functionality of T cells reactive to PSA as well as to other prostate cancer antigens. As one of Advaxis' four focus franchises, prostate cancer could be a significant value creator to expand the Lm platform into new tumor types. The data will be presented by Sandy Hayes, Ph.D., senior director of research and biomarker lead at Advaxis. The second poster presentation, "Listeria monocytogenes-based immunotherapies alter the suppressive phenotype of intratumoral regulatory T cells," spotlights preclinical data pointing to a potential key mechanism for inducing and sustaining infiltration of tumor-specific T cell effectors. The data will be presented by Rachelle E. Kosoff, Ph.D., senior scientist of research at Advaxis.

09:05 EDT Jamba receives Nasdaq staff determination letter, intent to request hearing - Jamba, Inc. received a letter from the Staff of the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market notifying the Company that since it remains delinquent in filing its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2017 and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended April 4, 2017 and July 4, 2017, it has not regained compliance. Previously, Nasdaq granted the company an extension until September 18, 2017 to file all delinquent periodic reports. The company fully intends to timely request a hearing before the Panel to present its plan for regaining compliance with the Rule and request continued listing pending its return to compliance. The hearing request automatically stays the delisting for a period of 15 calendar days from the date of the deadline to request a hearing. The company will present to the Panel, which will make a decision based on the plan for regaining compliance submitted and the company's presentation, to grant the company an extension of time within which to regain compliance with the Rule for a period of up to 360 days from the original due date of the company's first late filing.

09:04 EDT Amazon announces new Fire HD 10 - Amazon announced the all-new Fire HD 10, the next-generation of Amazon's largest tablet, now with a 10.1" widescreen 1080p Full HD display with over 2 million pixels. The new Fire HD 10 is 30% faster with 2x the RAM and an ultra-fast quad-core processor, plus 32GB internal storage and up to 10 hours of battery life-now only $149.99. Fire HD 10 also introduces Alexa hands-free for the first time on a Fire tablet-just ask Alexa to play or pause a video, find music, dim the lights, set a timer, show your calendar, and more, simply by using your voice. The all-new Fire HD 10 is available for pre-order starting today. With a 10.1" widescreen 1080p Full HD display, fast quad-core processor, and up to 10 hours of battery life, Fire HD 10 is the perfect tablet for enjoying entertainment, including your favorite movies, TV shows, books, magazines, apps, and games. With options for 32GB or 64GB of storage, plus up to 256GB of additional storage via microSD card, you have plenty of space to store offline video downloads from Amazon Video, Netflix, and Showtime. Should you forget to download your favorite show before you leave the house, On Deck has you covered with a selection of TV shows and movies already downloaded and ready to watch. Fire HD 10 also includes For You, a new personalized page on the tablet home screen that makes it easy for customers to quickly get back to reading, watching, playing or listening-and to quickly find what's next. For You learns what a customer loves to do on the tablet, and then presents personalized recommendations across a variety of entertainment categories like books, videos, songs, and apps to help customers get the most out of their tablet. Customers can also quickly access family photos from Prime Photos and see their local weather right from the For You home screen. The new For You page is also now available for customers on previous generation Fire tablets.

09:02 EDT Citi says to be 100% powered by renewable energy by 2020 - Citigroup announced that it will source renewable power for 100% of its global energy needs by 2020. Citi says, "This is an important next step in the bank's continued commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its operations and finance $100B in clean energy, infrastructure and technology projects that build a more sustainable economy." To accelerate this transition to sourcing 100% renewable energy, Citi will consider onsite power generation, power purchase agreements for energy-intensive properties such as data centers, and appropriate use of renewable energy credits, as well as continuing to focus on energy efficiency as a critical component of its strategy. Citi owns or leases over 57 million square feet of real estate in 94 countries, consisting of over 7,900 properties. Its new global headquarters currently under construction in New York City is being targeted for LEED Platinum, the highest level of certification under the U.S. Green Building Council.

09:01 EDT Agilent announces expanded use of cancer diagnostic in the U.S. - Agilent Technologies (A) announced that the U.S. FDA has approved the cancer diagnostic known as PD-L1 IHC 28-8 pharmDx for use in cases of urothelial carcinoma and of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The test had previously been approved for melanoma as well as non-squamous, non-small-cell lung cancer. PD-L1 IHC 28-8 pharmDx, developed in collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), has a broad utility with more clinically validated tumor indications than any other commercially produced PD-L1 assay currently on the U.S. market.

08:37 EDT Ray Dalio says bitcoin 'is a bubble' - Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates is speaking on CNBC.

08:35 EDT Nxt-ID subsidiary Fit Pay to provide payments for Bee by Radiius - NXT-ID's wholly-owned subsidiary Fit Pay is providing payment capabilities for Bee, a new biometric payment key fob by financial technology company, Radiius. Radiius officially launched Bee through an Indiegogo campaign this month. The payment key fob can make contactless transactions with up to 20 payment and loyalty cards. Bee will be integrated with the FitPay payment platform, enabling it to make contactless payment transactions at NFC-enabled retail point-of-sale locations. Radiius estimates that Bee will begin shipping in February 2018.

08:33 EDT Best Buy sees adjusted EPS of $4.75-$5.00 for FY21, 8%-9% CAGR from FY17 - Best Buy delivered $1.4B in cost savings over the last five years. And, as previously announced, it plans to drive an incremental $600M in annualized cost savings by the end of fiscal 2021. As discussed earlier this year in March, with Best Buy 2020, the company aspires to solve the following financial equation: gradually increase its rate of topline growth, create efficiencies to help fund investments and offset potential pressures, and build more predictable revenue streams from recurring revenues and stickier customer relationships. Best Buy is setting new long-term financial targets for fiscal 2021: Enterprise revenue of $43B versus $39.4B in fiscal 2017, which was the last year of the company's Renew Blue transformation Non-GAAP operating income1 of $1.9B-$2B versus $1.7B in fiscal 2017. Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $4.75-5.00, which represents an 8%-9% compound annual growth rate from fiscal 2017.

08:32 EDT UQM Technologies announces order from Sinotruk for PowerPhase DT systems - UQM Technologies announced that Sinotruk has made an initial purchase of UQM PowerPhase DT systems for implementation and evaluation in their commercial vehicles. This is the first step towards the long term strategy of utilizing UQM electric drive products across Sinotruk's portfolio of commercial vehicles. Sinotruk is a leading heavy-duty commercial vehicle manufacturer in China and one of the largest commercial vehicle groups in the world, and this order signals the beginning of the commercial partnership with UQM. UQM and Sinotruk plan to form a joint venture for the manufacture and sales of electric propulsion systems in China. The parties expect Sinotruk to be a significant purchaser of electric propulsion systems from the JV for Sinotruk's commercial vehicles and other customers will be identified for sales as well.

08:32 EDT Best Buy to provide detailed overview of Best Buy 2020 strategy - Best Buy will host an investor conference this afternoon to provide a more detailed overview of its Best Buy 2020: Building the New Blue growth strategy and discuss the company's long-term financial outlook. Best Buy Chairman and CEO Hubert Joly and other members of the executive team will discuss key insights gained from the company's successful Renew Blue transformation, share the company's analysis of the strategic landscape in which it operates and provide a closer look at key growth initiatives. "Our Renew Blue transformation was about improving the customer experience and fixing what was broken," Joly said. "Building on what we have accomplished, we are excited by the opportunities we have in this next chapter to grow the company by helping customers pursue their passions and enrich their lives with the help of technology, which is a much bigger idea and one that is rich with opportunities." Looking ahead, the company believes it is operating in an opportunity-rich environment, driven by innovation and customers' need for help. Meanwhile, Best Buy is evolving how it sells to focus not on just selling products but solving customers' underlying needs. The company will seek to accelerate its growth by continuing to improve the customer experience within and across channels, more effectively addressing customer needs in underpenetrated categories and building its in-home channel. To that end, Best Buy recently expanded its In-Home Advisor program to all major U.S. markets. It now has 300 advisors who are specially trained to provide free in-home consultations to help customers find the right technology solutions for their unique needs.

08:17 EDT Energy Transfer Partners receives FERC approval to resume HDD operations - Energy Transfer Partners is pleased to announce that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the company's request to resume Horizontal Directional Drilling operations along the Rover Pipeline Project. Drilling operations on nine HDD locations approved by the FERC are expected to begin within the week with an emphasis on the Captina Creek HDD in Belmont County, Ohio. The completion of the Captina Creek HDD will allow the full Phase 1 portion of Rover from Seneca, Ohio, to Defiance, Ohio, to be placed into service by the end of the year. Phase 1a of the Rover Project from Cadiz, Ohio, to Defiance, Ohio, was successfully put into service on August 31.The Rover Pipeline Project will continue to work with the FERC to adhere to the requirements outlined in its approval and look forward to successfully placing the full project into service in the end of 1Q18.

08:16 EDT Bob Evans up 5.8% after being acquired by Post Holdings

08:15 EDT Teligent announces FDA approval of Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream USP, 0.1% - Teligent announced it has received approval of the company's abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, from the FDA of Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream USP, 0.1%. This is Teligent's fifth approval for 2017, and its sixteenth approval from its internally-developed pipeline of topical generic pharmaceutical medicines.

08:05 EDT Marriott Vacations provides Hurricane Irma update - Marriott Vacations is still in the process of assessing the impact on its operations resulting from Hurricane Irma. However, the company expects Hurricane Irma to adversely impact sales operations at several of its locations, primarily St. Thomas in Florida and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The company also expects rental and ancillary revenues will be impacted adversely across these locations. All of the impacted resorts and sales centers have re-opened, either fully or partially, except for the company's two resorts and sales center on St. Thomas, one resort and sales center in each of three locations in Florida, and two resorts on Hilton Head Island. The company expects all of its resorts and sales centers will be fully or partially open by the end of September, except for its two resorts and a sales center on St. Thomas. The company now expects its 2017 contract sales and rental and ancillary revenues could be negatively impacted by approximately $16M-$20M and $2M-$3M, respectively. Further, the company expects its 2017 net income, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income could be negatively impacted by $6M-$8M, $6M-$8M and $4M-$6M, respectively. In addition, the company expects both its 2017 net cash provided by operating activities and adjusted free cash flow could be negatively impacted by approximately $10M-$13M. The company expects a portion of the adverse impact to its contract sales and rental and ancillary revenues will be mitigated through business interruption insurance; however, it cannot quantify the extent of any such mitigation at this time, and any business interruption insurance income would most likely not be recognized in 2017.The company is also still estimating the impact of the property damage to all of its resorts; however, it expects any significant damage to the resorts will be covered by property insurance and that any remaining costs and deductibles will not have a material impact on the company's results or the relevant owners associations.

08:04 EDT HCI Group subsidiary approved to write flood insurance in Texas - HCI Group announced that its wholly-owned insurance subsidiary, Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance Company, has received regulatory approval to write flood insurance in Texas. Homeowners Choice may begin selling its flood insurance product there once regulators approve rates and policy forms.

08:03 EDT Vonage names Bob Crissman Channel Chief - Vonage has named Bob Crissman Senior Vice President and Channel Chief. Prior to joining Vonage, Crissman served as the Vice President of Global Channel Sales, Channel Chief at Alfresco Software, where he was responsible for building a new partner program, which grew partner revenue from 50% of the business to 70% in just two years.

08:02 EDT Rite Aid secures clearance to sell 1,932 stores, assets for $4.375B to Walgreens Boots Alliance - Rite Aid Corporation (RAD) announced that it has secured regulatory clearance for an amended and restated asset purchase agreement with Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) whereby WBA will purchase 1,932 stores, three distribution centers and related inventory from Rite Aid for an all-cash purchase price of $4.375B on a cash-free, debt-free basis. Rite Aid also has the option to purchase generic drugs that are sourced through an affiliate of WBA at a cost substantially equivalent to Walgreens for a period of 10 years. The Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period expired for the proposed transaction. Under the amended and restated agreement, Rite Aid will retain approximately 250 additional stores as compared to the prior agreement announced between Rite Aid and WBA in June 2017, resulting in a reduction in the transaction sale price. The decision to retain these stores follows discussions between Rite Aid and WBA, as well as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The 1,932 stores included in the amended agreement are primarily located in the Northeast and Southern regions of the United States. The three distribution centers are located in Dayville, Conn., Philadelphia and Spartanburg, S.C. Under the terms of the amended agreement, Rite Aid will provide certain transition services to WBA for up to three years after the closing of the transaction. The transaction has been approved by the Boards of Directors of Rite Aid and WBA and is still subject to other customary conditions. Approval of the transaction does not require a shareholder vote. Rite Aid and WBA expect to transfer ownership of the stores in phases beginning in October 2017, with the goal of completing the transfer of all stores in spring of 2018. Rite Aid expects to use a substantial majority of the net proceeds from the transaction to repay existing indebtedness which will improve the company's leverage levels. Rite Aid also expects that the gain it will record on the sale of the assets will be largely offset by its net operating loss carryforwards, resulting in a minimal cash tax payment on this transaction. Immediately following the completion of the transaction, Rite Aid will continue to operate approximately 2,600 stores and six distribution centers as well as EnvisionRx, its pharmacy benefit manager, RediClinic and Health Dialog. The company will leverage the capabilities of these subsidiaries to deliver a higher level of care in the communities it serves.

08:01 EDT Bob Evans trading resumes

07:47 EDT Progress: Praesidium's mischaracterization of engagement 'disappointing'

07:46 EDT Jacobs Engineering selected by Aerie Pharmaceuticals as engineering contractor - Jacobs Engineering Group (JEC) has been selected by Aerie Pharmaceuticals(AERI) to provide engineering, procurement and construction management services for Aerie's first pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, located in the Industrial Development Authority's advanced technology building in Athlone, Republic of Ireland. Under the terms of the contract, Jacobs will outfit Aerie's manufacturing facility for commercial processing of sterile ophthalmic solutions. The ophthalmic solutions will be compounded, sterile filtered and filled aseptically. Aerie's lead product candidates are new chemical entities focused on treating patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

07:42 EDT Amicus granted FDA Fast Track Designation for migalastat - Amicus Therapeutics announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation for the oral precision medicine migalastat for the treatment of patients with Fabry disease with amenable mutations. The FDA's Fast Track program is designed to expedite the development and review of drugs and biologics with the potential to treat serious or life-threatening conditions and with nonclinical or clinical data that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs.

07:35 EDT Post Holdings to acquire Bob Evans for $77.00 per share - Post Holdings (POST) and Bob Evans Farms (BOBE) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement in which Post will acquire Bob Evans for $77.00 per share. The highly complementary combination will significantly strengthen Post's portfolio of brands, expand choices for customers and increase Post's presence in higher growth categories of the packaged food market. The addition of Bob Evans' highly complementary portfolio of brands and products will meaningfully enhance Post's refrigerated side dish offering, provide Post with a presence in breakfast sausage and will immediately provide Post with a leading position in the higher growth perimeter of the store. The combination with Bob Evans will also strengthen Post's presence in commercial foodservice, create opportunities for future growth and enhance Post's position as one of North America's largest packaged food companies. The transaction, which was approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to be completed in the first calendar quarter of 2018, Post's Q2 of fiscal year 2018, subject to customary closing conditions including the expiration of waiting periods under U.S. antitrust laws and approval of Bob Evans' stockholders. The equity value of the transaction is approximately $1.5 billion. The acquisition purchase price represents a 15% premium on the 30 day volume weighted average price of Bob Evans shares. Post expects to finance the purchase with cash on hand and through borrowings under Post's existing revolving credit facility. Bob Evans will continue its dividend payments in the ordinary course of business pending closing. Post management expects Bob Evans to contribute approximately $107 million of adjusted EBITDA on an annual basis, which is the midpoint of Bob Evans' current fiscal year 2018 adjusted EBITDA outlook. This outlook is before the realization of cost synergies which Post management expects to be approximately $25Mannually by the third full fiscal year post-closing, resulting from benefits of scale, shared administrative services and infrastructure optimization. One-time costs to achieve synergies are estimated to be approximately $25M. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Post's top-line growth, Adjusted EBITDA margins and free cash flow, excluding one-time transaction expenses.

07:32 EDT Teva completes amendment to credit facilities - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced amendments to its USD and JPY term loan and revolving credit facilities, providing Teva greater flexibility in its financial leverage ratio covenants. The amended leverage ratio covenants in the credit agreements permit a maximum leverage ratio of five times through and including December 31, 2018, gradually declining to 3.5 times by December 31, 2020. As of June 30, the aggregate principal amount collectively outstanding under the USD term loan facility was $5B, the aggregate principal amount outstanding under the JPY term loan facilities was $1.4B and the aggregate committed principal amount under the USD revolving credit facility was $4.5B. The amendments received the support of lenders holding approximately 98% of the aggregate loans and undrawn commitments across the five credit facilities.

07:31 EDT Post Holdings to acquire Bob Evans for $77.00 per share

07:25 EDT Toys"R"Us confirms filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions in U.S. - Toys"R"Us announced that the company and certain of its U.S. subsidiaries and its Canadian subsidiary have voluntarily filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond, VA. In addition, the company's Canadian subsidiary today intends to seek protection in parallel proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The company intends to use these court-supervised proceedings to restructure its outstanding debt and establish a sustainable capital structure. The company has received a commitment for over $3.0B in debtor-in-possession financing from various lenders, including a JPMorgan-led bank syndicate and certain of the company's existing lenders, which, subject to Court approval, is expected to immediately improve the company's financial health and support its ongoing operations during the court-supervised process. "Toys"R"Us is committed to working with its vendors to help ensure that inventory levels are maintained and products continue to be delivered in a timely fashion," the company stated. The company's operations outside of the U.S. and Canada, including its approximately 255 licensed stores and joint venture partnership in Asia, which are separate entities, are not part of the Chapter 11 filing and CCAA proceedings. Jefferies analyst Stephanie Wissink has previously noted that Toys 'R Us is in the top three retailers for Hasbro (HAS), Mattel (MAT) and JAKKS Pacific (JAKK).

07:16 EDT Migdal takes 4.92% passive stake in Mazor Robotics - Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings reports a 4.92% passive stake in Mazor Robotics. The fund owns over 2.5M shares of the company.

07:05 EDT Acceleron, Celgene amend sotatercept development agreement - Acceleron Pharma (XLRN) announced it has amended the sotatercept development and commercialization collaboration agreement with Celgene Corporation (CELG), originally executed on February 20, 2008. The amended agreement provides Acceleron with global access to sotatercept for development and commercialization in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Under the amended and restated collaboration agreement, Acceleron has the right to fund and conduct all research and development activities for sotatercept in the pulmonary hypertension field. Should sotatercept be approved for an indication in the pulmonary hypertension field, Acceleron will be responsible for global commercialization and Celgene will be eligible to receive royalties on global net sales in that field. The original collaboration deal terms will remain in place with respect to development and commercialization outside of the pulmonary hypertension field. Acceleron also updated its cash guidance, announcing that its existing cash, cash equivalents and investments will be sufficient to fund projected operating requirements into mid-2019, versus its earlier guidance of 2H19. Sotatercept is an investigational product that is not approved for use in any country.

07:04 EDT Kohl's: 82 stores across LA, Chicago to offer Amazon returns starting in October

07:03 EDT AutoZone CEO says 'well positioned to grow sales further in 2018' - "I would like to thank our entire organization for their dedication and passion to provide our customers with the service and trustworthy advice they need to maintain and enhance their vehicles. For the fourth quarter, our same store sales rebounded modestly from the previous two quarters. Our 1.0% same store sales were still moderately below our recent historical experience and we attribute this shortfall primarily to the continuing headwinds resulting from two consecutive mild winters. We believe we are well positioned to grow sales further in 2018. For the year, we reached many milestones which included generating a record $10.9 billion in sales, opening 215 AutoZone stores across the Americas and opening two new distribution centers. Additionally, we continued to fine-tune our inventory availability initiatives, including our multi-deliveries per week to stores and we expanded the number of mega hub locations. We expect to continue with these initiatives in 2018 while opening the previously announced Florida distribution center by the middle of the fiscal year. In order to continue to meet our customers' needs across all selling channels, we will continue to prudently invest capital in our product availability initiatives across our businesses. While investing to grow, we will remain committed to our disciplined approach to increasing operating earnings and utilizing our capital effectively," said Bill Rhodes, Chairman, President and CEO.

07:02 EDT Ophthotech on track to initiate two more Zimura trials before end of the year

07:02 EDT Ophthotech says in the process of modifying dry AMD program

07:01 EDT Ophthotech provides update on Zumra programs for treatment of eye diseases - Ophthotech announced the initiation of an open-label Phase 2a clinical trial of Zimura, the company's complement factor C5 inhibitor, in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration. Zimura will be administered in combination with Lucentis, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, in patients with wet AMD who have not been previously treated with anti-VEGF drugs. A range of Zimura dosing regimens will be assessed. Clinical trial sites have been identified and activated. The company also announced that it remains on track to initiate two additional Zimura clinical trials before the end of the year. The company's strategy in orphan indications will be led by a randomized, controlled clinical trial to assess Zimura monotherapy in Stargardt disease, a devastating orphan retinal disease-causing vision loss during childhood or adolescence. The other trial will be an open-label Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating Zimura in combination with anti-VEGF therapy for idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, an age-related eye disease. Ophthotech is also planning a Phase 2a clinical trial of Zimura monotherapy for intermediate/posterior non-infectious uveitis, an orphan inflammatory disease of the back of the eye. This trial is planned to initiate in 2018. The Company is in the process of modifying its dry AMD program. Following the recent announcements of competitors' conflicting topline results from two clinical trials assessing the role of two different types of complement inhibitors, one blocking the alternative complement pathway and the other blocking all three complement pathways, in the treatment of geographic atrophy, a dry form of AMD, Ophthotech has decided to modify its ongoing Phase 2/3 clinical trial of Zimura monotherapy in geographic atrophy. Ophthotech had originally planned to enroll 300 patients in an initial stage of the ongoing trial, with an interim analysis scheduled for the 18-month time point, and to potentially enroll up to an additional 600 patients thereafter. The trial will be modified to accelerate the anticipated timeline to obtain topline data by reducing the number of patients, shortening the time point for attaining the primary efficacy endpoint and thereby reducing the cost to complete the study. The modified study design will incorporate patients already enrolled in the study.

07:01 EDT AutoZone reports Q4 inventory up 6.9% - The company's inventory increased 6.9% over the same period last year, driven by new stores and increased product placement. Inventory per location at the end of the year was $644,000 versus $625,000 last year and $653,000 last quarter. Net inventory, defined as merchandise inventories less accounts payable, on a per location basis, was a negative $48,000 at the end of the year versus negative $80,000 last year and negative $47,000 last quarter.

06:41 EDT Park Hotels & Resorts reports on hurricane impact on portfolio - Park Hotels & Resorts announced an update with respect to its Florida and Puerto Rico hotels impacted by Hurricane Irma. Park's exposure in Florida consists of seven hotels located in Key West, Miami and Orlando. Additionally, Park owns one hotel in Puerto Rico. Overall, these hotels account for approximately 14% of Park's total portfolio rooms on a pro rata basis. Key West - less than 2% of pro rata portfolio rooms - : Park's two hotels in Key West both remain closed. Neither of these assets sustained significant damage. The company currently anticipates that the hotels will reopen in the next four to six weeks. Access to the area remains restricted and is still closed to tourists. It will be difficult to predict when Key West will return to previous demand and visitation levels. Orlando - 8% of pro rata portfolio rooms -: Park's four Orlando properties remained open during the storm. The three Hilton-branded hotels sustained minor damage, while the Waldorf Astoria Orlando reportedly experienced water infiltration at approximately 90 rooms. These rooms are expected to be back in service within the next week. Miami - 2% of pro rata portfolio rooms -: Park's hotel in Miami sustained minimal damage and is open and operational. Puerto Rico - 2% of total portfolio rooms - : Park's hotel in Puerto Rico remained open throughout the storm and sustained minimal physical damage. The hotel is fully operational. Park's hotels in Texas and Louisiana were minimally impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Damages to all of the hotels are expected to be covered under insurance policies. The two Key West assets are maintained on a separate policy that is subject to a combined $5M deductible.

06:33 EDT BioLife Solutions CryoStor freeze media validated for use in AlloJoin trial - BioLife Solutions (BLFS) announced that Cellular Biomedicine (CBMG) has validated BioLife's proprietary CryoStor freeze media for use in CBMG's planned US Phase I clinical trial of AlloJoin, an off the shelf allogeneic stem cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis.

06:15 EDT AkzoNobel names Maarten de Vries as CFO, effective January 1, 2018 - AkzoNobel (AKZOY) announces Maarten de Vries as CFO, starting January 1, 2018. Maarten has more than 25 years of experience in finance and international business, including 10 years in Asia. Previous roles include CFO and member of the Executive Board of TNT Express (TNTEY), CEO of TP Vision, a Philips (PHG) joint venture, and various positions at Philips including Chief Information Officer and Chief Purchasing Officer. He was most recently CFO and member of the Management Board at Intertrust Group. Once Maarten is onboard, interim CFO Hans De Vriese will move into the role of Director of Planning and Transformation, continuing his key role in the transformation of AkzoNobel into two high-performing businesses; Paints and Coatings and Specialty Chemicals. The appointment of Maarten de Vries to the Board of Management of AkzoNobel is subject to shareholder approval and as such will be added to the agenda of an AkzoNobel Extraordinary General meeting to be scheduled later this year.

06:09 EDT BASF to buy Solvay's global polyamide business for EUR1.6B - BASF (BASFY) and Solvay (SOLVY) have signed an agreement related to the sale of Solvay's integrated polyamide business to BASF. The purchase price on a cash and debt-free basis would be EUR1.6B. According to applicable laws, the intended transaction is subject to consultations with the relevant social bodies of Solvay, following which both companies will enter a binding purchase agreement. Solvay and BASF aim to close the transaction in the third quarter of 2018, after customary regulatory approvals have been obtained and the formal consent of a joint venture partner has been received. The partner has already committed to grant its consent subject to the delivery of definitive documents with BASF. For the full year 2016, net sales of the business to be purchased from Solvay amounted to EUR1.315B and EBITDA to around EUR200M. It has approximately 2,400 employees globally, thereof approximately 1,300 in France. Worldwide, it operates 12 production sites, 4 R&D locations and 10 technical support centers. The business would be integrated into BASF's Performance Materials and Monomers divisions.

06:05 EDT Sprague Resources acquires Coen Energy - Sprague Resources' operating subsidiary, Sprague Operating Resources LLC, has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the membership interests of Coen Energy and Coen Transport as well as assets consisting of four bulk plants and underlying real estate. Coen Energy, located in Washington, PA, provides energy products and complimentary energy field services to over 7,000 Energy Field Services, Commercial, and Residential customers located in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The transaction is expected to contribute an additional $7M-$8M of adjusted EBITDA on an annual basis, and is also expected to be immediately accretive to unitholders. Sprague intends to fund the transaction with borrowings from its senior secured credit facility; closing is expected to occur in Q4.

06:03 EDT Bayer sees closing Monsanto deal in early 2018 vs. previous 2017-end view - Regarding the process and time frame of the Monsanto (MON) acquisition, Liam Condon, Bayer (BAYRY) Management Board member and President of the Crop Science Division, said that the company is making progress. In late June 2017, Bayer filed a submission to obtain antitrust approval from the European Commission. On August 22, the European Commission initiated a Phase II investigation. In consultation with the European Commission, Bayer filed an application on Monday, September 18, to extend the review deadline by ten working days until January 22, 2018, with the aim of facilitating an appropriate evaluation given the size of the transaction. "In view of this, an anticipated closing of the deal in early 2018 is now more likely than end of 2017," Condon said. Bayer has submitted applications for clearance to almost all of the around 30 relevant authorities, and has already received approvals from over one-third of them. Condon emphasized that the proposed acquisition of Monsanto presents a tremendous opportunity to positively shape the future of farming. "It is our responsibility to ensure that innovation is made available to farmers large and small, all over the world. Only then can we make a meaningful contribution to ensuring a sustainable world food system."

05:57 EDT Twitter hires Sriram Krishnan as senior director of product - Sriram Krishnan says in a tweet, "I'm going to be joining Twitter (TWTR) and become a part of #theflock to work with the fantastic product team there." Krishnan previously worked at Facebook (FB) and Snap (SNAP). Reference Link

05:51 EDT Merck to advance bispecific drug candidate developed using Zymeworks Azymetric - Zymeworks (ZYME) announced that Merck (MRK) has provided formal notification of their plans to advance a bispecific drug candidate into preclinical development. The drug candidate was developed by Merck, through a subsidiary, in collaboration with Zymeworks using Zymeworks' proprietary Azymetric and EFECT platforms as part of an existing Research and License Agreement between the two companies. Under the terms of the Research and License Agreement, Zymeworks has granted Merck a worldwide, royalty-bearing license to research, develop and commercialize certain bispecific therapeutic candidates toward Merck's therapeutic targets. For this program, Zymeworks could upon further success of the therapeutic candidate receive development and commercial milestone payments as well as tiered royalties on product sales.

05:22 EDT Florida Community Bank to re-open all retail banking centers - Florida Community Bank announced the following: "We are pleased to announce that all of our 46 retail branches and corporate offices will return to normal operating hours starting Tuesday, September 19. As your community banking partner, we at Florida Community Bank want to ensure our customers and communities are informed on the status of their local banking institution operations now that Hurricane Irma has passed."