Stockwinners Market Radar for February 08, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:21 EDT Allegiant Travel reports January traffic up 9.3% - Reports January passengers up 8.7%. Reports January ASMs up 6.1%. Reports January load factor up 2.4 points.

18:47 EDT Amgen: Results from Phase 3 XGEVA study successfully met primary endpoint - Amgen announced results from the XGEVA Phase 3 '482 study, the largest international multiple myeloma trial for the prevention of skeletal-related events ever conducted, were published in The Lancet Oncology. In this study, XGEVA successfully met the primary endpoint, demonstrating non-inferiority to zoledronic acid in delaying the time to first on-study skeletal-related event in patients with multiple myeloma (HR=0.98, 95 percent CI: 0.85-1.14). The median time to first on-study skeletal-related event was 22.8 months for XGEVA and 24 months for zoledronic acid. Approximately 60 percent of all first skeletal-related events occurred within the first three months, and 81 percent occurred within the first six months. Overall survival, a secondary endpoint of the study, was similar between the XGEVA and zoledronic acid arms, with a hazard ratio of 0.90 (95 percent CI: 0.70-1.16). Progression-free survival, an exploratory endpoint not powered for statistical significance, was 46.1 months (95 percent CI: 34.3 months-not estimable, n=219) for XGEVA and 35.4 months (95 percent CI: 30.2 months-NE, n=260) for zoledronic acid on top of standard of care anti-myeloma therapy.

18:19 EDT Thermo Fisher CFO sells 5,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Thermo Fisher senior VP and CFO Stephen Williamson disclosed the sale of 5,000 common shares of the company at a price of $209.26 per share.

18:09 EDT Volaris reports January traffic up 0.4%, capacity up 5.5% - During January, Volaris increased total capacity, as measured in Available Seat Miles, by 5.5% year over year. Total demand, as measured in Revenue Passenger Miles, in January increased 0.4% year over year, reaching 1.4B. Volaris transported a total of 1.5M passengers during the month, a decrease of 2.1% year over year. In January, Volaris increased domestic and international ASMs by 5.3% and 5.8%, respectively. Network load factor for January was 80.1%.

17:44 EDT Aclaris Therapeutics to present data on ESKATA at AAD - Aclaris Therapeutic announced that data will be presented from two Phase 3 clinical trials for ESKATA for the treatment of raised seborrheic keratoses. For the first time, detailed findings from SEBK-302 and SEBK-303 will be presented to attendees at the 2018 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting taking place February 16-20 in San Diego, California. ESKATA, formerly known as A-101 40% topical solution, is the first and only FDA-approved topical, non-invasive treatment for raised seborrheic keratoses.

17:40 EDT Seattle Genetics commences tender offer for Cascadian Therapeutics - Seattle Genetics (SGEN) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Valley Acquisition Sub, has commenced its previously announced tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock of Cascadian Therapeutics (CASC) at a price of $10.00 per share net to the seller in cash, without interest, less any applicable withholding taxes. The Offer is being made in connection with the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of January 30, 2018, among Seattle Genetics, Valley Acquisition Sub, and Cascadian Therapeutics. The board of directors of Cascadian Therapeutics has determined that the offer is advisable, fair to and in the best interests of Cascadian Therapeutics and its stockholders and unanimously recommends that the stockholders of Cascadian Therapeutics tender their shares. The Offer is scheduled to expire at midnight, New York City time, on March 9, 2018 (one minute after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 8, 2018), unless the Offer is extended or earlier terminated in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and the merger agreement governing the Offer and the related transactions.

17:29 EDT Web.com sees ARPU falling in Q1 similarly to Q4 but rise in subsequent quarters

17:25 EDT Spectra Energy Partners increases quarterly dividend - Spectra Energy Partners announced that the board of the general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution to unitholders of 73.875c per unit, an increase of 1.25c over the previous level of 72.625c per unit. The cash distribution is payable on February 28 to unitholders of record at the close of business on February 20. This quarterly cash distribution equates to $2.955 per unit on an annual basis.

17:16 EDT Nvidia says Q4 Auto down 8% from Q3, cites commoditization

17:13 EDT Web.com says 'made great strides' across vertical offerings - Says seeing positive results from launch of new company website, which aligns with corporate strategy and simplifies customer buying experience. Says ended the year with improved product portfolio. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:08 EDT Expedia sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA growth of 6%-11% - "I am excited to report that Expedia began 2018 firmly on a path toward faster growth and greater share gains in the $1.6 trillion travel industry. Over the past several months, we have made key organizational changes, aligned our company around common objectives and began executing on a new direction aimed at accelerating the geographic expansion of our global travel platform," said CEO Mark Okerstrom. "We are now operating with a clear focus on our highest priority markets, making concentrated investments across the platform including a step function change in our pace of adding new properties to our marketplace. These efforts combined with the impact of our ongoing cloud migration result in expectations for full year 2018 Adjusted EBITDA growth of 6% to 11%"

17:05 EDT Activision Blizzard: Pipeline also about new content for existing games - Says games pipeline about more than just new games, it's also about new content for existing live games. Says had "impressive" audience per minute on opening day of Overwatch League. Says happy that so many brands partnered with Overwatch League teams. Says "pleased" with Overwatch League viewership so far.

16:58 EDT Activision Blizzard sees Overwatch League profitable in 2018 - Says heading into 2018 with a "strong" balance sheet. Says tax reform allows company to repatriate cash more efficiently. Sees each segment growing in 2018. Sees in-game net bookings growth in 2018. Sees Blizzard growing year-over-year due to the release of a "World of Warcraft" expansion. Sees Overwatch League being profitable in 2018.

16:54 EDT Cohen & Steers reports preliminary AUM $61.3B as of January 31

16:50 EDT Johnson Controls Federal Systems partners with U.S. Army - Johnson Controls Federal Systems is partnering with the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center to implement energy conservation measures at the U.S. Army Garrison Kwajalein as part of a multi phased program to provide much needed Energy Resiliency and Facility upgrades to the installation. The $40M Energy Savings Performance Contract awarded for this Phase 1 project includes the design, implementation and long term operation of an island wide Solar PV/Lithium-ion Battery Storage/Microgrid control system and the installation of LED lighting systems at the site. The LED upgrades will reduce existing lighting energy costs by 64% and the Solar PV/Battery Storage application will reduce diesel usage by 55% for the island of Meck. The Johnson Controls Distributed Energy Storage team developed an integrated battery solution that can be replicated across the Department of Defense. The project enables the site to facilitate the use of renewables inside an existing utility grid that relied primarily on fossil fuel-based solutions.

16:48 EDT Activision Blizzard says had 7 of top 20 games on Twitch in 2017 - Says Blizzard's (ATVI) "Hearthstone" gaining more DAUs. Says had 7 of the top 20 games on Twitch (AMZN) in 2017. Says King subsidiary biggest contributor to net bookings in 2017. Says Blizzard segment reported record annual segment revenues and operating income for a year with no major game release.

16:47 EDT TimkenSteel announces price increase on certain bar products - TimkenSteel announced it will increase prices on special bar quality hot-rolled bar products by $40 per ton, as well as on SBQ hot-rolled and thermal-treated bar products by $50 per ton. This increase is effective with shipments beginning April 1, 2018. All surcharge mechanisms remain in effect.

16:43 EDT Activision Blizzard says next 'Call of Duty' game to be made by Treyarch - Says saw strong "Call of Duty" momentum. Says King subsidiary returned to growth in Q4. Says builing Overwatch League for the long-term. Says "Call of Duty" series continues to be "healthy" and "vibrant." Says next "COD" game to be made by Treyarch, who made the "Black Ops" games. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

16:41 EDT SandRidge Energy announces departures of CEO and CFO - The independent directors of SandRidge Energy announced that, "in light of our new strategic direction, discussions with large shareholders and robust deliberation among the independent members of the Board, now is the right time to begin transitioning to a new leadership team." James Bennett, the company's President and CEO, will depart from the company, effective February 8. Bill Griffin, who currently serves as an independent director, has agreed to serve as Interim President and CEO while the company conducts a full review of internal and external candidates. While serving as the Interim President and CEO, Griffin will continue to serve as a member of the Board. Julian Bott, the company's CFO, will also depart from the company, effective at the close of business on the date of filing the company's 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Mike Johnson, the company's Chief Accounting Officer, has agreed to serve as Interim CFO. John Suter will continue in his role as Chief Operating Officer and Philip Warman will remain as General Counsel with an expanded role as an Executive Vice President. The Board has accepted the recommendation of its Nominating and Governance Committee to appoint Sylvia Barnes as an independent member of the Board. The Board will continue to have four independent directors with the appointment of Barnes, who "has valuable experience in capital markets, the energy industry and serving as a director on a public board," the company said.

16:39 EDT Glu Mobile sees Q1 bookings $72M-$74M - Sees FY18 bookings $325M-$335M.

16:38 EDT SandRidge board approves 2018 budget with capital expenditures of $180M-$190M - SandRidge Energy issued a letter to update shareholders on its strategic objectives, stating in part: "The Company's Board of Directors has approved the Company's budget for 2018, which includes $180-$190 million in total capital expenditures, down from $247 million in 2017. The Company will continue a one-rig program in the NW STACK of the Mid-Continent substantially funded by a development agreement that provides an initial $100 million of capital from our financial partner. The Company will also continue a one-rig drilling program in North Park Basin. Both programs are designed to delineate and advance our NW STACK and North Park Basin assets to full field development...Consistent with the need for superior financial discipline, the Company is in the process of instituting changes in the organization structure to efficiently execute our strategic objectives. These changes are expected to reduce our ongoing G&A cash expenses by one-third to $36-$39 million per year. At these new levels of expense, G&A will have been cut by more than half since the Company's emergence from bankruptcy in October 2016."

16:34 EDT Crispr announces Chief Scientific Officer Bill Lundberg stepping down - Crispr Therapeutics announced that Bill Lundberg, MD, is stepping down as Chief Scientific Officer of CRISPR. Going forward, Lundberg will serve as a Senior Advisor to the company and has been named head of Crispr's Scientific Advisory Board.

16:31 EDT Sensient to acquire natural color business of GlobeNatural - Sensient Technologies announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the natural color business of GlobeNatural, a natural food and ingredient company based in Lima, Peru, owned by the Michell Group. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018. The new entity will operate as Sensient Natural Colors Peru S.A.C.

16:28 EDT Wolverine World Wide sees FY17 remediation costs of $30M-$35M - Over the last year, the Company has been working through a legacy issue related to its former Tannery operation and related disposal sites. The Company is cooperating with local, state, and federal authorities to evaluate these sites for the presence and impact of PFOA and PFOS, two of the family of compounds known as per- and polyflouroalkyl substances. PFOA and PFOS were used for many decades in commercial products like firefighting foams and metal plating, and in common consumer items like food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, Teflon, carpets, and 3M's Scotchgard(TM). Due to their widespread use over such a long period of time, PFOA and PFOS can be found virtually everywhere and in everyone to some degree. Like thousands of other companies and millions of consumers, the Company purchased Scotchgard(TM) from 3M and relied on 3M's assurances to Wolverine, the EPA, FDA, scientific bodies, and the public that there were no adverse effects on human health from Scotchgard(TM) containing PFOA and PFOS - a position 3M maintains today. Despite decades of study and millions of dollars of research, human health effects from PFOA and PFOS are unknown, and no human studies have proven that exposure by an individual to PFOA or PFOS causes any illness. Wolverine's former tannery operations closed in 2009, and over the last year the Company has been working with state, local, and federal authorities to test area groundwater for the possible presence of PFOA and PFOS. Wolverine has taken proactive and immediate steps to provide drinking water solutions for impacted residents in our community while more testing and evaluation is completed. The actions taken by the Company have been beyond those voluntarily taken by other companies or the federal government facing similar circumstances. The Company is working in full cooperation with federal, state and local officials to address these legacy issues, and it will continue to be part of the long-term solution to provide our community the confidence it deserves in its drinking water. Based on the actions taken and the ongoing testing and monitoring currently expected to take place in the future to comply with recent regulatory actions, the Company expects to accrue environmental remediation costs of $30 million to $35 million ($0.24 to $0.28 per share) in fiscal 2017, of which $13 million to $16 million is expected to be paid in fiscal 2018 with the remainder to be paid in 2019 and beyond. In addition to environmental remediation costs estimated here, the Company expects to incur $8 million to $12 million in fiscal 2018 for legal, consulting and other costs related to this legacy environmental issue. The environmental costs discussed are estimates and actual amounts could differ significantly in the future as circumstances evolve. The Company has not reserved amounts for any non-remediation related legal claims related to this matter, as such amounts cannot be estimated at this time. The Company intends to pursue recovery of environmental remediation costs incurred from other parties including insurance carriers that provided coverage during the relevant periods. The above cost estimates do not include any possible future recovery from these parties.

16:26 EDT Civitas Solutions approves stock buyback of up to $25M - On February 7, 2018, Civitas Solutions' board approved a stock repurchase program under which the company is authorized to repurchase up to $25M of the company's outstanding common stock from time to time in the open market, through negotiated transactions or otherwise. The stock repurchase program will expire on August 12, 2018. The company intends to conduct any open market stock repurchase activities in compliance with the safe harbor provisions of Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act.

16:25 EDT Ternium announces agreement with NSSMC regarding Usinas governance - Ternium announced that its subsidiary Ternium Investments entered into a binding and immediately effective agreement with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, establishing certain new governance rules for Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais S.A. - Usiminas as well as certain undertakings for the settlement of legal disputes. The new governance rules for Usiminas include, among others, an alternation mechanism for the nomination of each of the CEO and the chairman of the board, as well as a new mechanism for the nomination of other members of Usiminas' executive board. In addition, the agreement incorporates an exit mechanism. The agreement includes an exit mechanism consisting of a buy-and-sell procedure. Such buy-and-sell procedure would allow either Ternium or NSSMC to purchase all or a majority of the Usiminas shares held by the other party. As part of this agreement, Ternium and NSSMC will take all necessary steps to amicably terminate or resolve all pending judicial and administrative disputes involving Ternium, NSSMC, their affiliates or Usiminas, as well as current and former members of Usiminas' managerial bodies, that have arisen in the past few years in connection with Usiminas, with a view to rebuilding their mutual trust and strengthening their joint partnership in Usiminas. Usiminas has been steadily improving its profitability and financial strength, as shown in recent financial statements, after overcoming certain financial difficulties by actively implementing various measures, including the optimization of its production structure, a capital increase and a debt restructuring. Ternium, together with NSSMC, is committed to moving forward with the turnaround of Usiminas and the enhancement of its competitiveness and corporate value in the best interest of Usiminas and all of its stakeholders.

16:25 EDT Hartford Financial sees 2018 Commercial Lines combined ratio 93-95.5

16:21 EDT REGENXBIO completes dosing of third cohort in Wet AMD trial - REGENXBIO announced it has completed dosing of the third cohort of six patients in a Phase I clinical trial evaluating RGX-314 for the treatment of patients suffering from wet age-related macular degeneration."We are excited about the progress that we have made in the clinical development of our lead product candidate, RGX-314," said Stephen Yoo, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of REGENXBIO. "Completing enrollment of the third cohort in the Phase I clinical trial brings us one step closer toward delivering on the promise of a one-time treatment with rapid and sustained therapeutic effects for patients with wet AMD, one of the largest indications for which gene therapy is being developed." Six leading retinal surgery centers across the United States are participating in the Phase I trial of RGX-314. This multi-center, open-label, multiple-cohort, dose-escalation clinical trial is designed to assess the safety and tolerability of RGX-314 as a one-time therapy for patients with previously treated wet AMD. REGENXBIO plans to share topline results from the Phase I trial in late 2018.

16:20 EDT NCR Corp. announces plans for $300M in share repurchases in 2018 - During 2018, NCR plans to repurchase up to $300M of its common stock under its previously authorized share repurchase programs, and has repurchased shares of its common stock for approximately $125M through the date of this release.

16:19 EDT Mercury Systems receives $2M order - Mercury Systems announced it has received an initial $2.0M order for an Electro-Optic/Infra-Red image processing subsystem from a major defense prime contractor. The subsystem is an enterprise architecture solution designed to apply to multiple programs and missions. The order was booked in the company's Q2 and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters.

16:17 EDT Skechers authorizes up to $150M share buyback program - In February 2018, Skechers' board of directors authorized a stock repurchase program, under which the company plans to repurchase up to $150M of its Class A common stock through February 8, 2021 in the open market at prevailing prices. Under the repurchase program, repurchases can be made from time to time using a variety of methods, which may include open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, all in accordance with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. The specific timing, price and size of purchases will depend on prevailing stock prices, general economic and market conditions, and other considerations. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of Class A common stock, and the repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at the Company's discretion.

16:14 EDT Barnes & Noble Education expands relationship with McGraw-Hill - Barnes & Noble Education announced an expanded relationship with McGraw-Hill Education, which will provide students, faculty and institutions with greater access to more affordable course materials. The companies will partner on two initiatives: the distribution of McGraw-Hill Education e-content through inclusive access models on campuses served by BNED, and the distribution of McGraw-Hill Education's new rental titles through BNED channels. Inclusive access models, including Barnes & Noble College's First Day model, offer course materials at reduced prices through a course materials fee for participating courses or programs. These models ensure students receive their materials on or before the first day of class, and have a proven track record of driving positive outcomes for students. Barnes & Noble Education and McGraw-Hill Education will partner to make McGraw-Hill Education content available through inclusive access programs offered at the nearly 1,485 schools served by Barnes & Noble Education.

16:13 EDT Expedia reports Q4 adjusted EBITDA down 9% y/y - Reports Q4 adjusted net income down 28% y/y; free cash flow down 90% y/y.

16:11 EDT Monolithic Power increases dividend to 30c from 20c per share - Monolithic Power announced that its Board of Directors has approved an increase in its quarterly cash dividend from 20c per share to 30c per share. The first quarter dividend of 30c per share will be paid on April 13 to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 30.

16:06 EDT Qiagen's QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus gains approval in Japan - QIAGEN N.V. announced that Japan's Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare has approved QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus as an in vitro diagnostic to detect tuberculosis infection. QFT-Plus is the fourth generation of QIAGEN's market-leading QuantiFERON-TB technology, combining innovative CD4+/CD8+ design for comprehensive immune response detection with the most flexible blood collection workflow for efficient screening in large-scale TB control programs. Japan's approval of QFT-Plus follows 2017 approval in the United States and successful uptake of the test in more than 75 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America, where nearly two million of the new tests have already been used. QFT-Plus builds on the foundation of QuantiFERON-TB Gold, the third generation of QIAGEN's world-leading interferon gamma release assay.

16:05 EDT Expedia reports Q4 gross bookings up 14% y/y

16:02 EDT Align Technology patent affirmed by panel - Align Technology announced that on February 5, a three-judge panel of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board entered its decision refusing to institute an inter partes review trial proceeding sought by ClearCorrect to challenge the patentability of Align's patent no. 8,038,444, entitled "Automated Treatment Staging for Teeth." The decision found that ClearCorrect had failed to show a reasonable likelihood that any of the 42 claims in the '444 patent were unpatentable, and thus the panel unanimously refused to institute the trial proceeding requested by ClearCorrect.

15:52 EDT CME Group CEO sells 20,000 Class A common shares - In a regulatory filing, CME Group chairman and CEO Terrence A. Duffy disclosed the sale of 20,000 shares of Class A common stock at a price of $151.66 per share.

14:09 EDT Lockheed Martin receives $524M for PAC-3 missiles - The United States and allied military forces will upgrade their missile defense capabilities under a $524M contract modification for production and delivery of Lockheed Martin Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors. This modification is in addition to the $944M contract awarded on Dec. 21, 2017 for PAC-3 and PAC-3 MSE production and delivery. The contract modifications include PAC-3 and PAC-3 MSE missile deliveries, launcher modification kits, associated equipment and spares.

13:48 EDT Moody's says tronc sale of LATimes and San Diego Union-Tribune credit positive - Moody's Investors Service said that it views tronc announced sale of the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune and other titles in the California News group to Nant Capital as a credit positive and expects tronc to use a material portion of asset sale proceeds towards debt repayment. Combined with the acquisition of BestReviews, the announced transactions strengthen tronc 's digital strategy and provide for de-levering opportunity. There is no immediate impact on the company's credit ratings.

13:21 EDT Analysts positive on Take-Two after Q3 earnings despite revenue miss - Shares of Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) slid after the game maker reported lower than expected quarterly results last night. Following the report, however, several analysts gave positive views on the stock. WHAT'S NEW: After the market close on Wednesday, Take-Two reported third quarter GAAP earnings per share of 21c on net bookings, its adjusted revenue metric, of $653.9M, compared to analysts' estimates for 98c and $663.83M, respectively. In addition, the company guided for fourth quarter GAAP EPS of 73c-83c on net bookings of $410M-$460M, compared to the consensus estimates of 59c and $442.08M, respectively. Take-Two also updated its outlook for fiscal 2018, raising its FY18 EPS view to $1.50-$1.60 from 55c-80c and boosted its FY18 revenue view to $1.8B-$1.85B from $1.74B-$1.84B. Analysts currently expect the company to report FY18 EPS of $3.07 and revenue of $2.02B. WHAT'S NOTABLE: The quarterly report comes a week after the company's Rockstar division delayed the release of its upcoming Western action game "Red Dead Redemption 2" to October 26, 2018, from its prior launch window of Spring 2018. On its quarterly earnings conference call, Take-Two Chief Executive Officer Strauss Zelnick said that he is "confident" that October 26 will be the game's release date. STREET RESEARCH: Following the earnings report, Barclays analyst Ryan Gee backed an Overweight rating on Take-Two and raised his price target on the shares to $128 from $121. The analyst said that the higher run-rate for both "Grand Theft Auto Online" and "NBA 2K18" exiting Q3 provides a larger base of high-margin revenue to layer additional titles and content, and that he thinks the company is well-positioned to approach the margins level of its peers once the title slate really begins to fill out in fiscal 2019 with "Read Dead Redemption 2" and a new 2K title. In addition, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter reaffirmed a Neutral rating on the stock, but raised his price target on the share to $126 from $95, saying that Take-Two has consistently delivered upside to guidance and consensus, making its shares attractive over the near term. Pachter noted, however, that his firm is not willing to recommend the shares due to an unclear long-term release slate. Meanwhile, Baird analyst Colin Sebastian reiterated his Outperform rating and $137 price target on Take-Two shares and recommended being a buyer on any weakness. The analyst said that the game maker reported solid Q3 results and added that the fundamentals remain positive given the digital transition and strong product sales. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Take-Two is down 9.4% to $106.25. OTHERS TO WATCH: Rival Electronic Arts (EA), which reported quarterly results last week, fell 2.5% in afternoon trading, while Activision Blizzard (ATVI) is down 3.3% ahead of its quarterly report after today's market close.

12:59 EDT Primecap reports 5.63% passive stake in Spectrum

12:36 EDT Wellington Management reports 8.93% passive stake in Dave & Buster's - In a regulatory filing, Wellington Management disclosed an 8.93% stake in Dave & Buster's, representing 3,635,488 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

12:28 EDT NYT says total digital-only subscription revenue for Q4 was $96M - During its Q4 earnings conference call executives for the company said that total digital-only subscription revenue for Q4 was $96M The quarter had 14 weeks. Once adjusted, so it can be compared like-for-like with the 13 quarter a year earlier, that represents an increase of 40% year-over-year. Print subscription and single copy revenue was $173M, less than 0.5% point year-over-year decline on the same adjusted like-for-like basis.Digital advertising performed slightly better than expected, ending the quarter at $84 million, which represented -- represents an adjusted like-for-like increase of 1%.

12:15 EDT Abeona Therapeutics treatment of CLN1 granted FDA orphan status - Abeona Therapeutics' treatment of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 1 or CLN1, was granted FDA orphan designation, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

12:02 EDT Wellington Management reports 5.76% passive stake in FleetCor - In a regulatory filing, Wellington Management disclosed a 5.76% stake in FleetCor Technologies, representing 5,167,686 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

11:20 EDT Correction: Thor Industries did not issue FY18 revenue guidance this morning - Thor Industries (THO) announced yesterday that the preliminary date for its fiscal 2018 second quarter earnings release will be March 7 after market close. The final release date will be confirmed approximately one week prior to the release, the company stated. This note corrects a prior one that was issued regarding Thermon Group (THR) that was erroneously tagged as being related to Thor.

10:53 EDT Tesla sliding despite better than expected quarter as Model 3 concerns remain - Shares of Tesla (TSLA) are slipping despite announcing smaller than expected quarterly losses and saying it is sticking to its latest Model 3 production targets. While some Wall Street analysts raised their price targets on the shares following the electric carmaker's report of results, other remain concerned over the ramp-up of the Model 3 and the company's cash burn. RESULTS: Last night, Tesla reported a fourth quarter loss per share of ($3.04) and revenue of $3.29B, above consensus of ($3.12) and $3.28B, respectively. Tesla also announced fourth quarter deliveries of 29,967 vehicles, including 1,542 Model 3s, and said it still targets weekly Model 3 production rates of 2,500 by end of the first quarter and 5,000 by the end of the second quarter. The carmarker added that Model 3 net reservations remained stable in Q4, and notes it sees Model S and Model X deliveries of about 100,000 in 2018. PRICE TARGET RAISED: Following the quarterly report, Piper Jaffray analyst Alexander Potter raised his price target for Tesla to $385 from $362 saying he thinks most of the news in the fourth quarter was positive. Model 3 production delays had already been disclosed last quarter, and apparently no new problems have arisen in recent months, Potter noted, adding that this suggests a production run-rate of 5,000 units per week may be achievable in 2018. Additionally, the analyst pointed out that cash flow was "solid," with Tesla seeming confident that positive operating income can be achieved at some point in 2018. He reiterated an Overweight rating on the shares. His peer at Deutsche Bank also raised his price target for Tesla to $365 from $310, highlighting that its cash burn subsided in the quarter. One of the more noteworthy financial developments was that Tesla ended Q4 with $3.4B in cash, down just slightly from the $3.5B in Q3, analyst Rod Lache told investors. The analyst also believes that if Tesla's targets are reached, the company can achieve $28 per share in earnings by 2020. He reiterated a Hold rating on the shares. MODEL 3, CASH BURN CONCERNS REMAIN: In a research note to investors, UBS analyst Colin Langan argued that Tesla's fourth quarter beat was due to several one-time items, including ZEV credits and one-time working capital benefits, and said he is still cautious on the company's cash burn rate and Model 3 production ramp. Langan reiterated his Sell rating and $195 price target on the stock. His peer at Cowen voiced a similar opinion. Analyst Jeffrey Osborne said he believes production targets remain too aggressive, while pointing out that Model 3 deposits were flat quarter over quarter. Osborne reiterated an Underperform rating on the stock, but raised his price target on the shares to $200 from $180. Meanwhile, Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois told investors in a research note of his own that he views Tesla's fourth quarter numbers as "reassuring overall" since free cash flow was better. However, the analyst believes the quarter is "somewhat reflected" in the recent share price recovery. He reiterated an Underperform rating and $240 price target on the stock. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Tesla have dropped about 3.5% to $332.73.

10:25 EDT Woodward jumps 13%, halted for volatility after report of Boeing takeover talks

10:22 EDT NuStar Energy sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA $600M-$650M - Sees FY18 CapEx $360M-$390M. Comments taken from the Q4 earnings conference call. NuStar Energy is down 17.6% in morning trading to $25.50.

10:01 EDT Peapack-Gladstone to give $1,000 bonus to FT employees below exec. leadership - Peapack-Gladstone Financial announced that as a result of the reduction in corporate taxes from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as previously announced in the company's Form 8-K dated January 18, 2018, the Company will reinvest up to 25% of that tax benefit in the company's people, processes, systems, client services and/or communities it serves. These benefits include, but are not limited to: Salary adjustments for the lower 25th percentile of staff based on salary level; A bonus of $1,000 to all full-time employees below the Executive Leadership Team level, with $500 given to all part-time employees; Approximately 20% increase in contributions and community support spending; Enhancing the company's online and mobile banking capabilities; Streamlining and automating our commercial loan origination and underwriting processes; and Expanding the Company's data analytics.

09:58 EDT Salesforce to invest $2B in Canadian business over next five years - Salesforce plans to invest $2B over the next five years to fuel the growth of its Canadian business, the company announced ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau. As part of this investment, Salesforce plans to increase its headcount, real estate footprint and data center capacity to support its rapidly-growing customer base in the country.

09:42 EDT Kellogg says confident in return to 'solid, sustainable growth' - Says confident company will return to solid, sustainable growth. Says finished year on "sound financial footing", delivered on financial outlook. Says continues to expand Pringles across the globe. Says saw strong stabilization of core developed international cereal markets in 2H. Says expanding in emerging markets, eCommerce. Says 2018 plan includes completing Project K initiatives, boosting U.S. snacks post-DSD, increasing brand investment, integrating and growing RxBar, Parati, and investing to grow joint ventures. Says expects to achieve mid-single-digit operating profit growth and margin expansion target. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:34 EDT UPS announces new Worldwide Express Freight Midday service - UPS announced the introduction of UPS Worldwide Express Freight Midday, an extension of the current UPS Worldwide Express Freight service, offering a commit time of 12 p.m. or 2 p.m. from all 71 origin countries to 35 key destination countries that represent over two-thirds of global GDP. This addition to the UPS Worldwide Express package portfolio provides guaranteed, time-definite delivery for urgent, international palletized shipments over 150 lbs. Delivery is door-to-door in as few as 1-3 days, with customs brokerage included. UPS Worldwide Express Freight services include many of the same features as UPS Worldwide Express package service, allowing customers to leverage UPS speed, reliability, and visibility to reach global markets faster, now before end of day. Also new for 2018, UPS Worldwide Express Freight service has expanded to Lebanon, Latvia, and Lithuania and added outbound service to Saudi Arabia. UPS also announced expansion of the UPS Worldwide Express product to more than 7,000 postal codes in 57 countries. UPS Worldwide Express service offers guaranteed midday delivery (by 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., or 2 p.m. depending on the destination) to 124 countries globally. It is a part of a portfolio of products that offer global express delivery in 1-3 days depending on the destination. UPS Express service offers guaranteed midday delivery, while Express Plus offers guaranteed morning delivery, and UPS Express Saver offers guaranteed end of day delivery, all with the same days in transit.

09:21 EDT Viacom: Fox, Disney deal increases value of Paramount Studios

09:17 EDT Tyler's Odyssey solution selected by state of Kansas in over $20M deal - Tyler Technologies signed an agreement with the Kansas Judicial Branch for a suite of Tyler's Odyssey solutions, including Odyssey Case Manager, Odyssey Financial Manager, Odyssey Supervision and Odyssey Judge Edition. The agreement, valued at more than $20M, was signed in the fourth quarter and includes project management, implementation consulting, training, and go-live assistance for a multitiered rollout plan throughout the state of Kansas, as well as long-term maintenance and support.

09:09 EDT NYSE announces April 30 launch of NYSE National

09:08 EDT CVS Health says has begun planning for Aetna transaction - Says still expects the deal to close in 2H18.

09:07 EDT Viacom says 'actively working' to address ratings softness at Nickelodeon

09:05 EDT GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer venture files patent infringement litigation against Gilead - ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority-owned by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), with Pfizer (PFE) and Shionogi Limited as shareholders, announced that it has filed patent infringement litigation against Gilead Sciences (GILD) over bictegravir in the United States and Canada. The United States case is filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and the patent is U.S patent No. 8,129,385. The Canadian case is filed in the Canadian Federal Court in Toronto and the patent is Canadian Patent No. 2,606,282. ViiV Healthcare will seek to prove that Gilead Sciences' triple combination HIV drug containing the HIV integrase inhibitor bictegravir infringes ViiV Healthcare's patent covering ViiV Healthcare's dolutegravir and many other compounds that include dolutegravir's unique chemical scaffold. ViiV Healthcare said it will seek "financial redress" for the patent infringement.

09:03 EDT Viacom says to pursue opportunities to delever over 2019 - Expects Paramount to generate meaningful improvement to bottom line in FY18 vs. FY17.

09:02 EDT U.S. Silica increasing prices 4%-14% on industrial and specialty products - U.S. Silica's Industrial and Specialty Products business has increased prices for the majority of its non-contracted silica sand, cool roof granule, aplite and specialty products used primarily in glass, foundry, paints, coatings, elastomers, roofing, chemical, recreation, building products and other applications. The increases were effective for shipments after January 1. Price increases will range from 4% to 14%, depending on the product and grade. The price increases are being made to support the continued investment the company is making in upgrading its capacity to meet the growing demand for its products and to offset rising production costs.

09:00 EDT Exxon Mobil says added 2.7B barrels to reserves in 2017 - Exxon Mobil said it added 2.7 billion oil-equivalent barrels of proved oil and gas reserves in 2017, replacing 183 percent of production. ExxonMobil's proved reserves totaled 21.2 billion oil-equivalent barrels at year-end 2017. Liquids represented 57 percent of the reserves, up from 53 percent in 2016. ExxonMobil's reserves life at current production rates is 14 years. "Our exploration success and strategic acquisitions made during a period of low commodity prices are adding high-quality resources that are among the lowest cost of supply in the industry," said Darren W. Woods, chairman and CEO. "ExxonMobil's portfolio of development opportunities positions us to grow shareholder value as we bring on new supplies of oil and natural gas to meet growing demand." During 2017, proved additions at Upper Zakum in Abu Dhabi totaled more than 800 million barrels of crude oil. Additions from liquids-rich unconventional plays in the United States, mainly in the Permian Basin, totaled approximately 800 million oil-equivalent barrels. Additions in the Permian are supported by ExxonMobil's growth plan and increased drilling activity, expected to increase daily production to more than 600,000 oil-equivalent barrels by 2025. Other significant new proved reserve additions were made in Guyana, where the company funded the first phase of development last year, and in Mozambique, associated with the project funding of the Coral FLNG project in the gas-rich deepwater Area 4.

08:59 EDT Viacom CFO says company to be 'significant beneficiary' of U.S. tax reform - Expects domestic affiliate revenues in March, June quarters to decline in line with last year. Sees September quarter domestic affiliate revenues to decline in low single digits. Says International pacing ahead of original plans. Says company to be "significant beneficiary" of U.S. tax reform.

08:49 EDT Viacom sees growing operating income for Telefe by 40% this year

08:47 EDT Marathon Patent Group announces purchase of 1,400 Bitmain Antminer S9s - Marathon Patent Group announced that the company has purchased 1,400 of Bitmain's Antminer S9 miners. These 1,400 miners are in addition to the previously announced 1,300 Antminer S9s purchased by Global Bit Ventures, Inc. on January 12, 2018 and the 1,000 GPU mining servers which GBV already owns. Once fully deployed, the combined 2,700 Bitmain S9 miners are expected to produce approximately 33 Ph/s of ASIC mining capacity in addition to the 1,000 GPU mining servers owned by GBV which are capable of 250 Gh/s. Merrick Okamoto, Marathon's Interim CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors, stated, "We are continuing to execute on our plan to rapidly grow our mining capacity and revenue."

08:46 EDT Resonant expands relationship with Tier 1 customer - Resonant announced it has signed an extension to a licensing agreement with an existing Tier 1 filter customer. The expanded licensing agreement, which follows the Tier 1's continued traction with phone OEMs, covers the addition of two high-value duplexers. The designs, which leverage Resonant's Infinite Synthesized Network software platform, are high average sales price, high-volume duplexers which are being designed in temperature compensated surface acoustic wave. Upfront payments and licensing terms have been agreed upon, but will not be disclosed due to the confidential nature of such agreements.

08:43 EDT Southwestern Energy trading resumes

08:42 EDT Twitter says 'no update today' on plans to monetize TweetDeck - The company is "looking at opportunities" there, but has no update today on TweetDeck, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said.

08:41 EDT Riot Blockchain invests additional C$3.4M in Coinsquare - Riot Blockchain has invested an additional C$3.4M in one of its portfolio holdings, goNumerical, dba "Coinsquare". The investment is part of a C$30M financing at a C$430M post-money valuation. This valuation for Coinsquare is over fifteen times the valuation from Riot Blockchain's initial investment in September 2017. Riot Blockchain additionally exercised its previously acquired warrants at a C$94M valuation, and now owns approximately 12.5% of Coinsquare after the latest investment.

08:38 EDT Celsius Holdings expands product distribution in Scandinavia - Celsius Holdings has begun distribution of its product line in Norway through its Nordic distribution partner, Func Food. Additionally, this March, Celsius will be introducing a branch-chained amino acids drink to the Finland and Sweden markets. In early January, under the CELSIUS brand name, Nordic distribution partner Func Foods launched five flavors to select fitness channel customers in Norway. Plans are to expand the distribution to other select channels of trade including online, specialty, convenience and grocery.

08:37 EDT Walmart names Square CFO Sarah Friar to board - Walmart (WMT) announced that its board of directors has appointed Sarah Friar, CFO of Square (SQ), as a new independent director to the company's board, effective immediately. Friar becomes the twelfth member of the board and will also serve as a member of the company's Audit Committee and Strategic Planning and Finance Committee.

08:35 EDT WWE promotes George Barrios, Michelle Wilson to co-presidents - In recognition of their contributions to four years of record revenues and the successful transformation to a multiplatform business model, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon announced that George Barrios and Michelle Wilson have been promoted to Co-Presidents and appointed to WWE's Board of Directors. Barrios and Wilson will continue to report directly to McMahon.

08:34 EDT WWE sees Q1 adjusted OIBDA $23M-$27M - The Company evaluates the operating performance of its segments based on financial measures such as revenue, OIBDA and Adjusted OIBDA. To further facilitate the analysis of the Company's operating performance, the Company plans to change its primary measure of performance from OIBDA to Adjusted OIBDA, and to modify its definition of Adjusted OIBDA to exclude stock-based compensation expense. The Company plans to begin reporting results using this revised definition with the communication of first quarter 2018 results In early 2017, management discussed a step-up in capital expenditures to expand the Company's overall production capacity. The related spending to retrofit a recently purchased facility was largely delayed until 2018 as plans were finalized. For 2018, the Company anticipates capital expenditures of $50 million to $70 million, reflecting in part the shift in spending from 2017.

08:33 EDT WWE: Certain distribution agreements to expire in 2019 - The monetization of WWE content is a fundamental element of the company's business model. Certain distribution agreements that represent a significant share of the company's television rights revenue will expire in 2019. These agreements include the licensing of WWE's premier programs, Raw and SmackDown, in the U.S., which will expire on September 30, 2019, as well as in the U.K. and India, which will expire on December 31, 2019. Management currently expects to announce its plan for future distribution in the U.S. sometime between May 2018 and September 2018; for future distribution in the U.K. by year-end 2018; and for future distribution in India in the first half of 2019. Although these announcements could occur either before or after these dates, management believes that these ranges represent the most likely periods for such communication.

08:28 EDT Twitter CFO says no change to thinking on capital use, 'nothing to report there'

08:27 EDT Twitter CFO 'feels good' about where company is on user time spent

08:26 EDT Synchronoss says receives positive Nasdaq panel decision - Synchronoss Technologies announced that it received a positive decision from the Nasdaq Hearings Panel, which granted the company an extension to regain compliance with Nasdaq's listing requirements. Under the extension, the company's common stock will remain listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, subject to the company becoming current with its SEC filings on or before May 10, 2018. The extension is also subject to the company providing the Panel with periodic updates regarding its ongoing restatement of its financial statements and an investor update on or before March 31, 2018.

08:25 EDT Teva says expects Q1 to be 'strongest of the year'

08:23 EDT Teva says expects FY18 tax rate 17%-19%

08:22 EDT Teva says sees FY18 global Copaxone sales of approximately $1.8B

08:20 EDT Twitter CFO, asked about DAU disclosures, says 'high bar' for making changes - Responding to a question about whether the company plans to make a change and begin disclosing a precise DAU figure beyond just a percentage change, Twitter CFO Ned Segal said the company "carefully weigh[s] what we share" and "we have a high bar for making changes and an even higher bar for making changes inside of the year to make sure that you all are able to compare things from one period to another." Segal said the absolute number of MAU gives a sense for a number that's higher up in the funnel and "giving you the percentage growth for DAU gives you a sense for our trajectory in driving usage of Twitter as a daily utility...and so we'll continue to do that."

08:16 EDT T-Mobile CFO sees FY18 ARPU 'generally stable' with FY17

08:14 EDT Teva says Copaxone generic accounts for half of sales forecast fall

08:13 EDT T-Mobile CEO: 90% of cell sites in Puerto Rico have been restored - T-Mobile CEO John Legere says the company remains the "only growth company in U.S. wireless." Says that while Puerto Rico "still has a long way to go," recovery has been "particularly hard," Legere says 90% of cell sites in Puerto Rico have been restored. Says has bought back 12.3M shares for $783M since share repurchase program was initiated in December. Says has captured over 1M net adds for 19 quarters in a row. Expects 2018 to be T-Mobile's "best year yet" and that 2017 was "only the beginning" of expansion efforts. Legere says T-Mobile will focus on expanding in areas where the carrier hasn't traditionally been. Says the Layer3 TV acquisition represents a progression in video strategy. Says believes content is moving to the internet and the internet is "going mobile." Sees opportunity to improve presence in enterprise, where it currently has only a 2%-3% market share. Comments taken from the Q4 earnings conference call.

08:12 EDT Teva says won't be able to keep same pace of debt repayment - Says has repaid $1.1B in debt this year. Comments from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:10 EDT ViaSat to provide connectivity to new United Continental aircraft - Viasat (VSAT) signed a new contract with United Airlines (UAL) to bring Viasat's in-flight entertainment and connectivity system to more than 70 aircraft, including at least 58 of United's new Boeing 737MAX aircraft. Viasat will serve as the direct in-flight internet service provider to United. Viasat's IFEC system will also power United's Private Screening entertainment option.

08:08 EDT Belmond acquires Tuscan resort Castello Di Casole for EUR39M - Belmond announced that it has acquired Castello di Casole, a luxury resort and estate in Tuscany, Italy. The company purchased from the current owner the entire equity capital of two entities that together own Castello di Casole, one of the largest private real estate properties in Tuscany. The purchase price, including transaction costs, is approximately EUR39M, or $48M, with a possible further EUR2.85M, or $3.5M, payable contingent upon certain real estate sales being realized. The property is the latest addition to Belmond's family of 'Italian Icons', which includes Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice and Belmond Hotel Splendido in Portofino.The acquisition has been financed using cash on hand. Upon takeover of management, Belmond will rebrand the resort as Belmond Castello di Casole. Starting in 2018, the Company expects to invest EUR7.3M, or $9M, in a phased refurbishment of the hotel over four years, including the addition of two new villas on two residential plots that will be retained, bringing the resort's total key count to 41. In addition, the Company expects to sell the remaining 14 land plots, including the three that are subject to reservation letters, over the coming years, effectively reducing the Company's net investment in the estate.

08:06 EDT Twitter CEO sees expenses to 'more closely align with revenue' - Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is speaking on the company's Q4 earnings call.

08:05 EDT Aurinia Pharmaceuticals names Regulus CEO Joseph Hagan to board - Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (AUPH) announced the appointment of Joseph P. "Jay" Hagan. to its board of directors. Hagan is currently the President and CEO of Regulus Therapeutics (RGLS).

08:04 EDT Alnylam sees FY18 non-GAAP R&D expenses $400M-$440M - Alnylam expects that its cash, cash equivalents and fixed income marketable securities, restricted cash and restricted investments balance will be approximately $1B at December 31, 2018. The company expects its 2018 annual Non-GAAP R&D expenses to be in the range of $400M to $440M and Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses to be in the range of $280M to $320M. Both Non-GAAP R&D and SG&A expenses exclude stock-based compensation expenses.

08:02 EDT Fat Brands announces initiation of 12c quarterly cash dividend - FAT Brands announced that its Board of Directors has approved its first quarterly cash dividend. The company's Board of Directors declared an initial quarterly dividend of 12c per share of common stock, payable on April 16, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 30, 2018.

08:01 EDT Glu Mobile collaborates with Disney on mobile game - Glu Mobile (GLUU) announced it is collaborating with Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DIS) on the development of an upcoming mobile game. The game is expected to include characters and stories from across Disney and Pixar franchises. Currently in early stages of development, the new title is the first to be led by Glu Senior Vice President and Creative Leader Mike Olsen. The upcoming free-to-play mobile title will be available worldwide on the App Store and Google Play.

07:37 EDT Qualcomm's Snapdragon X50 5G modem selected for mobile 5G NR trials - Qualcomm Technologies, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, announced that its Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem has been selected for use in live, over-the-air mobile 5G NR trials with multiple global wireless network operators in both the sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave spectrum bands. AT&T, British Telecom, China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, KT Corporation, LG Uplus, NTT DOCOMO, Orange, Singtel, SK Telecom, Sprint, Telstra, TIM, Verizon and Vodafone Group will conduct the trials, which will be based on the 3GPP Release 15 5G NR standard. The mobile 5G NR trials will utilize Qualcomm Technologies' 5G mobile test platform and smartphone reference design, which incorporate the Snapdragon X50 chipset and optimize 5G technology within the power and form factor constraints of a smartphone while maintaining interoperability and coexistence with 4G LTE. The planned trials underscore the readiness of Qualcomm Technologies' mobile 5G NR solution in a smartphone form factor and aim to commercialize standard-compliant 5G NR products and services over the coming year.

07:34 EDT Sharing Economy International signs potential Pandoodle acquisition agreement - Sharing Economy International's wholly-owned subsidiary, EC Technology & Innovations, has entered into an exclusivity agreement with the shareholders of Pandoodle, regarding a potential acquisition by ECTI of not less than 51% of Pandoodle. Pandoodle provides video and imaging solutions that increase advertising value through artificial intelligence, video and image analysis and recognition technologies. Pandoodle offers Dolo, a Software-as-a-Service platform that automates the analysis and insertion of branded content, providing advertisers and publishers with personalized branding in real-time.

07:33 EDT Watsco raises annual dividend by 16% to $5.80 per share - Watsco announced that its board has approved a 16% increase in its annual dividend to $5.80 per share on each outstanding share of its Common and Class B common stock. The increase will be reflected in the company's next regular dividend payment beginning in April 2018.

07:20 EDT ITG reports January U.S. trading volume 2.8B shares - ITG announced January 2018 U.S. trading volume of 2.8B shares and average daily volume or ADV was 132M shares, vs. 2.7B shares and ADV of 133M shares in December 2017 and 2.8B shares and ADV of 139M shares in January 2017. There were 21 trading days in January 2018 and 20 trading days in both December 2017 and January 2017.

07:18 EDT Goodyear Tire CEO says 'positive momentum as we head into 2018' - "Our fourth-quarter results were highlighted by our performance in the 17-inch-and-larger segment in consumer replacement, which delivered nearly double the industry growth in the U.S. and Europe," said Richard Kramer, chairman, CEO and president. "Our strong volume recovery in the quarter gives us positive momentum as we head into 2018." "These results reflect the power of the Goodyear brand across all of our regions," Kramer added. "Our strong global brand is integral to Goodyear's connected business model which combines innovation and technology leadership, industry-leading products, aligned wholesale and retail distribution and provides us with a competitive advantage. Looking ahead to 2020, I am very confident in our capability to execute our long-term strategy to capture profitable growth in key market segments and deliver significant growth in earnings," he added.

07:16 EDT Goodyear Tire sees FY18 segment operating income $1.8B-$1.9B - The company expects its full-year 2018 segment operating income to be between $1.8 and $1.9 billion. The company also has updated its 2020 segment operating income target and capital allocation plan: Segment operating income target in 2020 of $2.0 to $2.4 billion. The company's capital allocation plan includes growth capital, restructuring, debt/pension payments and a shareholder return program.

07:15 EDT Glaukos: iStent reduced IOP, lowered medication burden in patients, study says - Glaukos Corporation announced that a study published in the January 2018 issue of the Journal of Glaucoma showed that a single iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent implanted during cataract surgery in patients with severe open-angle glaucoma achieved mean postoperative intraocular pressure of 14.1 mm Hg and a 28% reduction in the mean number of glaucoma medications used after 36 months of follow-up. The retrospective case series included 59 glaucomatous eyes with cataracts and severe visual field loss. At baseline, the medicated mean IOP was 19.3 mm Hg and the mean number of topical glaucoma medications used per eye was 2.3. In 49 eyes followed for 24 months after iStent implantation and concomitant cataract surgery, mean postoperative IOP decreased to 14.9 mm Hg while the mean number of glaucoma medications used per eye declined to 1.6. In a consistent cohort of 32 eyes with available data through three years postoperative, the IOP reduction was maintained. At three years, this cohort achieved a mean postoperative IOP of 14.1 mm Hg, from a baseline mean medicated IOP of 18.1 mm Hg, and a 28% reduction in mean glaucoma medications used per eye from 2.44 preoperatively to 1.75. "While many prior studies have documented the clinical benefits of combining iStent implantation with cataract surgery in glaucoma patients who are in the mild to moderate stage of the disease, we believe this is the first published study to focus on its use in severe glaucoma patients undergoing cataract surgery," said John Berdahl MD, a South Dakota-based ophthalmic surgeon and one of the article's authors. "Our study showed that severe glaucoma patients experienced sustained reductions in IOP and medication use through three years postoperative."

07:11 EDT Target, Shipt launch same-day delivery across Southwest - Shipt, a leading online grocery marketplace, and Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) today announced they will begin same-day delivery of more than 55,000 groceries, essentials, home, electronics, toys and other products across twelve Southwest cities. Beginning February 15, 2018, Shipt will deliver from Target stores in the following metro areas: Arizona: Phoenix metropolitan area; Oklahoma: Oklahoma City, Tulsa; Texas: Austin, College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, greater Houston, Killeen, Temple, and greater San Antonio.

07:10 EDT Cato Corp. reports January SSS down 6% - The Cato Corporation reported sales for the five weeks ended February 3, 2018 of $54.2 million, a 19% increase from sales of $45.5 million for the four week period ended January 28, 2017. The fiscal year ended February 3, 2018 contains 53 weeks versus 52 weeks in fiscal year ended January 28, 2017 and January 2018 contains five weeks versus four weeks in January 2017. On a comparable five-week basis, total sales decreased 7% and same-store sales for the month decreased 6%. Sales for fiscal fourth quarter ended February 3, 2018 were $211.1 million, a decrease of 3% over sales of $218.2 million for the fourth quarter ended January 28, 2017. On a comparable 14-week basis, total sales for the quarter decreased 8% and comparable store sales decreased 8% from last year. For the year, the Company's sales decreased 11% to $842.1 million from 2017 sales of $947.4 million. On a comparable 53-week basis, total sales for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2018 decreased 12% and comparable store sales decreased 12% from last year.

07:06 EDT Twitter rises 10% to $29.70 in pre-market after earnings report

07:04 EDT Cardinal Health CEO sees FY18 operating performance 'as expected' - "Overall, we are very pleased with the quarter," said Mike Kaufmann, CEO of Cardinal Health. "Our Pharmaceutical Distribution business performed better than expected, and we continue to see strong growth in Specialty Solutions. In the Medical segment, the integration of the Patient Recovery business is progressing as planned, and we are excited by the opportunities in that business. In addition, we remain encouraged by how well our value proposition is resonating with customers. "As we look to the remainder of the year," Kaufmann continued, "we anticipate our overall operating performance to be as expected."

07:02 EDT CVS Health updates adj. consolidated operating profit view to down 1.5%-up 1.5% - CVS Health CEO Larry Merlo stated, "We enter 2018 with the foundation to propel us to win across all of our businesses. I'm very pleased with the strong PBM selling season we had, with gross client wins of $6.2 billion, and our retail collaborations are expected to drive solid performance in our pharmacies. I'm also pleased with the progress we've made in providing superior value for patients, payors, and providers, and we look forward to the opportunities ahead to improve upon our progress." The Company revised its 2018 guidance to reflect the effects of the tax reform achieved through the TCJA. In addition to debt reduction, the Company is dedicating a portion of the benefits to additional investments in employees, data analytics, care management solutions, and service offering enhancements, a portion of which will be capitalized. The impact to the Company's 2018 consolidated operating profit is expected to be at least $275 million. Executive Vice President and CFO David Denton stated, "With $1.2 billion in cash benefits from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we will be able to make strategic investments in our business in 2018 to stimulate greater growth over the longer term, and our updated guidance reflects this. These investments will accelerate our ability to continue to improve health outcomes and lower costs for patients. Additionally, we will spend at least half of the benefits on debt reduction as we look to lower our leverage ratio." As a result of these investments, the Company's previous adjusted consolidated operating profit growth guidance of 1.0% to 4.0% for the full-year 2018 has been updated to down 1.5% to up 1.5%. The Company expects to deliver adjusted consolidated operating profit growth of 0.5% to 4.5% for the first quarter of 2018.

07:02 EDT Cardinal Health board approves new $1B share repurchase authorization

07:01 EDT Twitter sees Q1 adjusted EBITDA of $185M-$205M - Sees Q1 adjusted EBITDA margin to be between 33% and 34% and stock-based compensation expense to be in the range of $100M-$110M.

06:59 EDT CVS Health reports Q4 SSS up 0.1% - Same store sales increased 0.1% and pharmacy same store sales increased 0.4% in the three months ended December 31, 2017. For the year ended December 31, 2017, both same store sales and pharmacy same store sales decreased 2.6%. Pharmacy same stores sales were negatively impacted by approximately 340 and 390 basis points due to recent generic introductions in the three months and year ended December 31, 2017, respectively. Front store same store sales declined 0.7% in the three months ended December 31, 2017, and were positively impacted 80 basis points by seasonal cough and cold. Front store same store sales were negatively impacted by softer customer traffic and efforts to rationalize promotional strategies, partially offset by an increase in basket size. For the year ended December 31, 2017, front store same store sales declined 2.6%. For the three months ended December 31, 2017, the generic dispensing rate increased approximately 80 basis points to 86.9% in our Pharmacy Services Segment and increased approximately 160 basis points to 86.8% in our Retail/LTC Segment, compared to the same quarter in the prior year.

06:54 EDT NuStar Energy, NuStar GP Holdings expect to reset quarterly distribution to 60c - In anticipation of the merger between NuStar Energy (NS) and NuStar GP Holdings (NSH), the partnership announced that management anticipated recommending to board of directors, and the board of directors expects to adopt, a reset of its quarterly distribution per common unit to 60c, or $2.40 on an annualized basis, starting with the Q1 distribution payable in May 2018. After giving effect to the issuance of partnership common units in connection with the merger, this distribution reset is anticipated to reduce annual distribution outflow by approximately $200M per year.

06:52 EDT NuStar Energy and NuStar GP Holdings announce merger agreement - NuStar Energy (NS) and NuStar GP Holdings (NSH) announced a definitive agreement that would result in the merger of NSH with a wholly owned subsidiary of the partnership through a unit-for-unit exchange. The merger would result in NSH becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the partnership and the cancellation of the 2% economic general partner interest in the partnership, the incentive distribution rights in the Partnership and approximately 10.2M partnership common units currently owned by NSH and its subsidiaries. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, NSH unitholders would receive 0.55 of a partnership common unit in exchange for each NSH unit they own at closing, representing a premium of approximately 1.7% based on the closing prices of the partnership's common units and of NSH's units on February 7. The transaction would result in approximately 23.6M additional common units being issued by the partnership. In connection with this transaction, William Greehey, the Chairman of the Board of both NSH and the [partnership, who controls approximately 21% of the outstanding NSH units, has executed a support agreement pursuant to which he has agreed to vote the NSH units controlled by him in favor of the merger. The completion of the merger is subject to the approval of holders of at least a majority of the outstanding NSH units and other closing conditions, and is expected to occur during Q2.

06:47 EDT Canada Goose appoints Jonathan Sinclair as CFO - Canada Goose announced that Jonathan Sinclair will succeed John Black as CFO and Executive VP and is expected to join the company toward the middle of the year. John has informed the company of his intention to retire and will continue as CFO until Jonathan's appointment, and will remain in a senior role until the end of year to ensure a smooth transition. Sinclair currently serves as CFO of Business Operations at Jimmy Choo.

06:46 EDT Sally Beauty sees FY18 SSS approximately flat - For fiscal year 2018, the Company is maintaining its guidance of full year consolidated same store sales to be approximately flat, with more challenging comparisons in the first half of the fiscal year than the second half of the fiscal year. With the addition of new stores from the H. Chalut Ltee acquisition, the Company now expects consolidated year-end store count to increase slightly compared to the prior year. The Company now expects full year gross margin to be approximately flat compared to the prior year. Full year selling, general and administrative expenses (including depreciation and amortization expense) are now expected to be approximately 37.5% of sales versus 37.2% of sales in the prior year. Due to the benefits of U.S. Tax Reform, the Company's expects the consolidated effective tax rate for fiscal 2018 to be in the range of 22% to 24%, including the net benefit from the revaluation of deferred income taxes and the repatriation tax described above. At this time, the Company expects a significant portion of the benefits from U.S. Tax Reform will flow through directly to net earnings as the Company is still evaluating potential investment opportunities afforded by U.S. Tax Reform. In addition, the Company expects incremental cash flow which will allow for the continued strategy of returning capital to shareholders while maintaining appropriate leverage. Full year reported operating earnings are still expected to increase slightly, due primarily to lower restructuring costs in fiscal year 2018. Full year adjusted operating earnings, including the impact of the hurricanes in both years and the strategic investments to drive future growth, are still expected to decline slightly. However, the Company expects full year benefits from its debt refinancing, lower average share count and the benefits of U.S. Tax Reform to result in strong double digit growth in both full year reported and adjusted diluted earnings per share.

06:35 EDT Spectrum Brands sees FY18 CapEx $110M-$120M

06:34 EDT Spectrum Brands backs FY18 adjusted free cash flow view $620M-$640M - "Accordingly, we expect stronger performances in our continuing operations in the out quarters and reaffirm our fiscal 2018 adjusted free cash flow guidance of a record $620-$640 million which includes our discontinued operations."

06:17 EDT T-Mobile says adoption of new accounting standard to negatively impact FY18 ARPU - The company sates: "Under existing revenue accounting standards, T-Mobile continues to expect that branded postpaid phone ARPU in full-year 2018 will be generally stable compared to full-year 2017, with some quarterly variations. The adoption of the new revenue accounting standard will impact the timing, amount and allocation of our revenue and is expected to impact ARPU."

06:10 EDT KBR awarded LBED, proprietary equipment supply contract by CDNM in China - KBR announced it has been awarded both a license and engineering, or LBED, and a proprietary equipment supply contract by Cangzhou Dahua New Materials, or CDNM, to build a new polycarbonate plant in Cangzhou City, China. Under the terms of the two contracts, KBR will provide its proprietary PCMAX(TM) technology, basic engineering design package and proprietary equipment supply for a 100,000 metric tonnes per annum single train plant in Cangzhou. CDNM intends to expand annual production at a later stage to 200,000 metric tonnes. The plant will utilize KBR's phosgene-based interfacial polycarbonate PCMAX technology. KBR's unique PCMAX technology offers a wide range of high quality product grades with minimal capital investment.

06:07 EDT Dunkin' Brands sees low to mid single digit percent revenue growth for 2020 - 2020 guidance includes: Low-single digit percent Dunkin' Donuts U.S. comparable store sales growth accelerating to upwards of 3 percent by 2020. Addition of approximately 1,000 net new Dunkin' Donuts locations in the U.S. by end of 2020, with more than 90 percent of net openings built in markets outside of the Northeast. 75 percent of traditional restaurants expected to be drive-thru locations. Targeting 500-plus DD Green Achievement certified restaurants. Approximately 1,000 NextGen restaurants per year, inclusive of new and remodeled stores, once the new image is released. High-single digit percent growth of Other Revenue driven by consumer packaged goods. Low-single digit percent Baskin-Robbins comparable store sales growth. Zero to 10 net new Baskin-Robbins locations each year. Low to mid-single digit percent revenue growth. Mid to high-single digit percent operating income and adjusted operating income growth.

06:05 EDT Dunkin' Brands plans to grow revenue low to mid single digits over three years - Dunkin' Brands Group will host its 2018 Investor & Analyst Day today and present its three-year strategic plan to grow revenue by low-to-mid single digit percentages and operating income by mid-to-high single digit percentages. The Company intends to achieve these targets by positioning its core Dunkin' Donuts U.S. brand to compete even more effectively in the coffee and beverage segment, driving profitable sales growth, and further expanding westward across the country. Dunkin' Brands announced plans to add approximately 1,000 net new Dunkin' Donuts locations in the U.S. by the end of 2020 and expects that more than 90 percent will be built outside of the Northeast. Lastly, the Company reaffirmed its intention to eventually have more than 18,000 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the U.S. The Company is focused on maintaining and increasing Dunkin' Donuts U.S.' share of the morning daypart before 11 a.m., which accounts for approximately 60 percent of its systemwide sales, as well as unlocking afternoon growth opportunities through menu innovation and national value offers. Dunkin' Donuts is focusing its innovation efforts on beverage items, including a continued focus on Cold Brew, Iced Coffee and Frozen Dunkin' Coffee, which resulted in its highest quarterly beverage comparable sales of the year in the fourth quarter of 2017. The Company also plans to extend its premium tea and frozen beverage lines and introduce more espresso products. Dunkin' Donuts is continuing to evolve its mobile ordering platform by optimizing speed in drive-thru locations. With an estimated 30 percent of crew member time spent taking orders, Dunkin' Donuts expects On-the-Go Mobile Ordering will not only improve order accuracy and speed-of-service, but will also free up crew members' time, enabling them to focus on other operational aspects, including store appearance.

05:59 EDT Bemis raises quarterly dividend to 31c per share from 30c per share - Bemis announced that its board has approved a 3.3% increase in the quarterly cash dividend, increasing it to 31c per share compared to the previous quarterly dividend of 30c per share. The cash dividend is payable on March 1, 2018, to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 20, 2018.

05:41 EDT Novartis receives FDA approval for Cosentyx label update - Novartis announced that the FDA has approved a label update for Cosentyx the first interleukin-17A inhibitor approved to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The updated label includes Cosentyx data in moderate-to-severe scalp psoriasis - one of the difficult-to-treat forms of the disease, which affects approximately half of all psoriasis patients.The label update is effective in the US immediately, and is based on the proven efficacy and consistent safety profile of Cosentyx from a dedicated Phase III scalp psoriasis trial. The updated label for Cosentyx in scalp psoriasis addresses an important unmet need. Scalp psoriasis can be challenging to treat with topical agents or phototherapy due to the presence of hair and other factors. Approximately half of all 125 million patients with psoriasis suffer from scalp psoriasis.

05:38 EDT Amazon begins grocery delivery from Whole Foods with plans for expansion in 2018 - Amazon and Whole Foods Market today announced the introduction of free two-hour delivery of natural and organic products from Whole Foods Market through Prime Now, with plans to expand across the U.S. in 2018. Starting today, Prime customers in neighborhoods of Austin, Cincinnati, Dallas and Virginia Beach can shop through Prime Now for bestselling items including fresh produce, high quality meat and seafood, everyday staples and other locally sourced items from Whole Foods Market. Customers can start shopping from Whole Foods Market selection at www.primenow.com or by using the Prime Now app available on Android and iOS devices. Prime customers can shop thousands of items across fresh and organic produce, bakery, dairy, meat and seafood, floral and everyday staples from Whole Foods Market available for free two-hour delivery. Select alcohol is also available for delivery to customers. Prime members receive two-hour delivery for free and ultra-fast delivery within one hour for $7.99 on orders of $35 or more. Delivery from Whole Foods Market through Prime Now is available daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

05:34 EDT Costco reports January SSS up 6% - Reports January net sales up 8.4% to $12.24B. Reports January SSS, excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, up 2.9%.