Stockwinners Market Radar for March 12, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

23:06 EDT Broadcom responds to executive order from President Trump blocking Qualcomm deal - Broadcom Limited issued the following statement: Broadcom (AVGO) is reviewing the Order. Broadcom strongly disagrees that its proposed acquisition of Qualcomm (QCOM) raises any national security concerns.

23:02 EDT Verifone partners Ezetap in digital payment solutions - To meet the needs of the rapidly evolving and growing payments technology landscape in India, Verifone and Ezetap, one of Asia's software and payment processing players, announced a partnership to enable merchants to more quickly and easily adopt both instore and online payment acceptance. The scope and scale of the collaboration will bring together Verifone's best-in-class payment solutions and services, and Ezetap's excellence in software and payment processing, to deliver simple and secure checkout experiences for merchants and their customers in any sector.

19:23 EDT Cemex becomes first cement industry company to operate plants by remote control - CEMEX announced that it is the first company in the cement industry to successfully operate plants by remote control. From its central location in Monterrey, Mexico, CEMEX's monitoring and remote control system, Centro de Control Cemento , operates in real time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, tracking live data for the operation of 14 cement plants, 25 kilns, and 86 grinding mills in Mexico, coupled with monitoring a cement plant in Colombia and another one in the United States. The system's uninterrupted monitoring provides information about each stage of the production process, as well as the performance of equipment installed in the cement plants. This enables C3 operators to not only monitor but also take immediate corrective actions in coordination with the company's local operations staff and have access to the installed intelligent control systems to minimize any deviation from safety, environmental, efficiency, and product quality targets.

18:19 EDT Iridium announces 10 of its NEXT satellites have arrived for launch - Iridium reported earlier today that all 10 Iridium NEXT satellites for its fifth launch have arrived and are in processing at SpaceX's west coast launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This launch will increase the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in space to 50 and is the second Iridium launch to use a "flight-proven" SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Iridium-5 is currently targeted for March 29, 2018 at 7:19 am PDT.

18:14 EDT Apollo Endosurgery: FDA approves termination of LBMI Study - Apollo Endosurgery announced that the FDA has approved the termination of the LAP-BAND Lower Body Mass Index Post-approval study. As of the end of 2017, the study had enrolled 181 subjects from a total of 13 clinical study sites. The early termination of LBMI Study is expected to result in a cost savings of approximately $5.1M dollars over its remaining term.

18:07 EDT Stitch Fix falls 4.6% after-hours after Q2 gross margin and EBITDA drop - Net revenue per active client for the 12 months ended January 27 was $437, a decrease of 3.9% compared to the 12 months ended January 28, 2017. "This decline was primarily driven by our continued and growing strategic expansion into Men's and lower price point merchandise. Although our male clients on average have a lower purchase frequency, which dilutes our overall net revenue per active client, we continue to be pleased with the revenue contribution and profitable unit economics of the Men's category. Similarly, we've been encouraged by our ability to serve lower price point clients effectively and plan to further penetrate this market." Gross Margin for Q218 gross was 43%, compared to 44.9% in Q217, a decrease of 190 basis points. The largest drivers of this margin decline were the result of our planned investments in Men's, Plus-size, and Premium Brands, as well as increased shrink.Q2'18 adjusted EBITDA was $18.2M, or 6.2% of net revenue, compared to Q217 adjusted EBITDA of $24.1M.

18:01 EDT OnDeck names Kenneth Brause CFO - OnDeck (ONDK) announced that the company will appoint Kenneth A. Brause as its CFO effective March 26, 2018, as part of a mutually agreed upon transition process between the company and current CFO, Howard Katzenberg. Katzenberg will serve as an advisor to OnDeck until April 13, 2018, working closely with Brause to facilitate a smooth transition. Most recently, Brause served as Executive Vice President and Treasurer of CIT Group (CIT) and CIT Bank with responsibility for all areas of CIT's Treasury function, including funding & liquidity, investments, balance sheet management, and capital management.

17:46 EDT MVC Capital reports NAV $13.42 per share as of January 31 - Compared to $13.24 per share as of October 31, 2017.

17:37 EDT Hawaiian Airlines ups FY18 cost per ASM ex-items view to 1%-4% from (0.5%)-2.5% - Cuts FY18 ASMs view to 4%-7% from 5%-8%.

17:34 EDT W&T Offshore enters joint exploration, development pacts with group of investors - W&T Offshore announced that it has entered into joint exploration and development agreements with a group of investors to drill up to 14 specified projects in the Gulf of Mexico over the next three plus years. Key Highlights of the Drilling Program: Anticipated project level commitment of up to $419.6M, including W&T Offshore's commitment, for development of 14 identified projects in the Gulf of Mexico with potential to upsize over time with additional projects; W&T initially receives 30.0% of the net revenues from the drilling program wells for contributing 20.0% of the total well costs plus associated leases and providing access to available infrastructure; Upon the Investor Group achieving certain return thresholds, W&T's share of well net revenue increases to 38.4%; Allows W&T to develop its drilling inventory at a faster pace and with a greatly reduced capital outlay; W&T receives an initial cash reimbursement of approximately $20M for costs already incurred in relation to the drilling of some of the initial wells that had already commenced drilling or where some work activity had commenced on wells that are included in the drilling program. W&T and the initial Investor Group have formed a joint venture investment entity that will jointly participate in the drilling and development of a specified group of wells on W&T-held leases and producing acreage in the Gulf of Mexico. The Investor Group is led by an entity owned and controlled by funds managed by HarbourVest Partners, a Boston based private equity fund sponsor with over $40B of assets under management. The initial Investor Group will also include a minority investment by an entity owned and controlled by Mr. Krohn and his family. The Krohn entity will invest on the same terms and conditions as were negotiated with HarbourVest Partners and its investment will be limited to 4% of total invested capital of the joint venture. The initial Investor Group and W&T have agreed to an aggregate initial capital commitment of $230.5M, subject to increase up to a maximum commitment of $275.9M upon additional investors joining the Drilling Program, which is sufficient to fund the drilling, completion and tie-in of a number of the project wells. W&T expects that more institutional investors will join the Drilling Program shortly which would increase the total cash commitment to drill the full complement of 14 projects. W&T is contributing 88.94% of its working interest in the 14 projects to the joint venture entity and retaining an 11.06% working interest. The group of wells is from W&T's existing drilling inventory and is expected to be drilled over the next three years. W&T has also agreed to make a cash commitment to the joint venture entity for approximately 8.94% of the total cash commitments to the entity. The total initial W&T cash commitment to the Drilling Program, including its commitment with respect to its retained working interest, is $46.1M.

17:31 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Bovie Medical (BVX), up 9.9%... American Vanguard (AVD), up 5.4%... 21Vianet (VNET), up 4.5%... Akebia (AKBA), up 1.7%. ALSO HIGHER: Proteostasis Therapeutics (PTI), up 36.5% after it said that the FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation for PT-428 in cystic fibrosis... Altimmune (ALT), up 18.4% after it said it was "encouraged" by data from its SparVax-L anthrax vaccine program. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Commercial Vehicle (CVGI), down 17.7%... Tilly's (TLYS), down 15.3%... Liberty Oilfield Services (LBRT), down 12.8%... Kura Oncology (KURA), down 11.8%... National CineMedia (NCMI), down 10.4%... Stitch Fix (SFIX), down 3.6%... InnerWorkings (INWK), down 2.8%. ALSO LOWER: Advaxis (ADXS), down 24.4% after it said the FDA put a clinical hold on its combination study of axalimogene filolisbac... Sabre (SABR), down 1.4% after it filed to sell 15M shares of common stock for holders.

17:22 EDT Kanen Wealth reports 6.7% stake in New York & Co.

17:16 EDT Ultra Petroleum sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA $539M - The company's estimate of 2018 full-year adjusted EBITDAis $539M. Using the February 20 strip price and including our increased respective hedge positions, the price realization in 2018 is estimated to be $2.84 per thousand cubic feet equivalent .This compares to the estimate of $2.82 per Mcfe shown in our February 28, 2018 Investor Presentation which specifically addresses the impact of basis hedges during the summer months of 2018. Using the production guidance midpoint of 285 Bcfe, adjusted is estimated at $539M

17:01 EDT Chase Freedom adds PayPal as new category for 5% cash back rewards - Chase Freedom (JPM) added a new quarterly category, PayPal (PYPL), and brings back "customer favorites," including Chase Pay and grocery stores, from April through June. This new category is the latest way that Chase and PayPal continue to utilize the two companies' partnership to deliver new benefits to consumers. "We keep adding ways to make Chase Freedom even more rewarding for our cardmembers," said BJ Mahoney, General Manager of Chase Freedom. "They can earn cash for every day expenses whether they pay with their phone, on the internet or in store with their familiar blue Chase Freedom card." From April through June, Chase Freedom customers will earn 5% cash back on up to $1500 in combined purchases in these categories: PayPal - which can be used online, on mobile or in-app across more than 18M large, mid-sized and small businesses around the world; Chase Pay using the app, online or in 3rd party apps; Grocery stores, including traditional brick-and-mortar food retailers and online delivery services.

16:55 EDT Goldman Sachs Asset Management reports 19% passive stake in Huami

16:48 EDT I.D. Systems launches industrial truck telematics solution targeting SMEs - I.D. Systems announced that the Keytroller division has developed a new class of industrial truck telematics platforms aimed at small to medium sized fleets in use in Manufacturing, Distribution, Logistics, and Retail centers. This same platform can also secure & track construction heavy equipment. The 106 is being introduced a LogiMat in Stuttgart, Germany today and will be commercially available, in volume, in early summer.

16:41 EDT Evoqua Water acquires Pacific Ozone Technology, terms not disclosed - Evoqua Water announced it has acquired privately held Pacific Ozone Technology, a leading manufacturer of advanced ozone disinfection systems, testing products and support services for a wide range of industrial applications. The acquisition adds a new technology - ozone disinfection - to the Evoqua portfolio and further underscores the company's industry-leading capabilities in the water treatment market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

16:37 EDT Virtusa acquires eTouch for $140M in cash - Virtusa announced that it has entered into an equity purchase agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of eTouch Systems Corp and eTouch Systems Pvt. Ltd. The company completed the acquisition of eTouch US on March 12, 2018 and expects to complete the acquisition of eTouch India in the next several days, pending the final settlement of eTouch India shares. Headquartered in Fremont, CA, eTouch provides cutting edge digital engineering, digital marketing, cloud, analytics, and data security solutions, primarily to tech companies. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, Virtusa will acquire all of the outstanding shares of eTouch for approximately $140.0 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments, with up to an additional $15.0 million set aside for retention bonuses to be paid to eTouch management in equal installments on the first and second anniversary of the transaction. The purchase price will be paid in three tranches with $80.0 million paid at closing, $42.5 million on the 12-month anniversary of the close of the transaction, and $17.5 million on the 18-month anniversary of the close of the transaction, subject in each case, to certain adjustments. Virtusa will use $70.0 million of a delayed draw term-loan from its existing credit facility and $10.0 million of cash on hand to make the payments due at closing. For Q4, Virtusa management currently expects eTouch to contribute revenue of approximately $5.0 million and to be approximately 4c dilutive to Virtusa's earnings per share on a U.S. GAAP basis, inclusive of approximately $1.2 million of acquisition related charges net of $0.4 million of tax adjustments, and neutral to earnings per share on a Non-GAAP basis. Virtusa expects the eTouch acquisition to be dilutive to GAAP earnings per share for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019 and accretive to non- GAAP earnings per share for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019.

16:35 EDT Altimmune 'encouraged' by SparVax-L anthrax vaccine program data - Altimmune announced data from a pre-clinical study comparing SparVax-L and BioThrax against anthrax infection. Data from the study showed a 67% survival rate in animals challenged with a lethal dose of anthrax after a single dose of SparVax-L, an anthrax vaccine currently being developed through funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and previously through funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. The study compared SparVax-L to BioThrax, the currently approved vaccine against anthrax infection. SparVax-L uses a well-accepted adjuvant formulation with a clear regulatory pathway for safety and efficacy. The results of this study showed a 67% survival rate after a single dose of SparVax-L, and a 100% survival rate after two doses at day 0 and day 14 when challenged at Day 28, which was comparable to BioThrax's 96% survival rate after two doses. The dose of SparVax-L used in this study was low compared to what is supported by existing safety and toxicology studies which indicates that better single dose protection may be achieved with a higher dose. Additionally, SparVax-L showed significantly more toxin neutralizing antibodies after the two doses when compared to BioThrax. TNA is the key surrogate for protection in clinical studies of anthrax vaccines.

16:33 EDT Amarin's Vascepa showed reductions in atherogenic lipids, inflammatory markers - Amarin Corporation plc presented an analysis showing that, consistent with overall study results from the ANCHOR trial, in statin-treated patients with persistent high triglycerides and elevated hsCRP greater than or equal to2.0 mg/L, prescription pure EPA Vascepa 4 g/day significantly reduced TGs, other potentially atherogenic lipids and inflammatory parameters without increasing LDL cholesterol vs. placebo. The poster was presented at the American College of Cardiology 67th Annual Scientific Session and Expo in Orlando, Florida. The poster, "Icosapent Ethyl Reduces Potentially Atherogenic Lipid, Lipoprotein, Apolipoprotein, and Inflammatory Parameters in High-Risk, Statin-Treated Patients With Persistent Elevated Triglycerides and High-Sensitivity C-reactive Protein: A Post hoc Subanalysis of the ANCHOR Study," reported that in statin-treated patients with TGs 200-499 mg/dL and hsCRP greater than or equal to2.0 mg/L, icosapent ethyl 4 g/day significantly reduced TGs and other potentially atherogenic and inflammatory parameters without increasing LDL-C vs. placebo. There was an 18%, statistically significant reduction of hsCRP as compared to placebo in this 12-week ANCHOR post-hoc analysis. Safety results were comparable to placebo, also consistent with overall ANCHOR study results.

16:32 EDT Lattice Semiconductor CEO Darin Billerbeck to retire - Lattice Semiconductor Corporation announced that its CEO, Darin Billerbeck, has decided to retire and will also step down from the company's board on March 16. The board has appointed Glen Hawk, the company's COO since November 2015, as interim CEO, effective March 16. The board will conduct a thorough search process for a permanent CEO, including both internal and external candidates, and has retained Egon Zehnder, a leading executive search firm. Billerbeck will remain with the company until May 31 to help ensure a smooth transition.

16:30 EDT AKCA announces results from phase 1/2 trial from AKCEA-APOCIII-L - Akcea Therapeutics announced the presentation of a poster summarizing results from the completed Phase 1/2 clinical study of AKCEA-APOCIII-L an antisense drug that uses Ionis' advanced LIgand Conjugated Antisense technology. It is designed to reduce the production of apolipoprotein C-III, or apoC-III, for the broad population of patients who have cardiometabolic disease due to their elevated triglyceride levels and ApoC-III. A total of 67 healthy volunteers and patients with elevated triglycerides were treated with multiple doses of AKCEA-APOCIII-L. Treatment resulted in significant, dose-dependent reductions in ApoC-III protein of up to 84% after six weeks of treatment and in triglycerides of up to 71%. Significant dose-dependent reductions of up to 30% in apolipoprotein B and increases of up to 100% in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were also observed. Both decreased levels of apoB and increased levels of HDL-C are associated with decreased cardiovascular risk. ApoC-III protein levels remained reduced by up to 50% for 90 days after the last dose. There were no serious adverse events or adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation. There were no hepatic or renal signals, injection site or flu-like reactions and no clinically significant findings in routine hematology or biochemistry, including no platelet reductions.

16:25 EDT Highbridge Capital reports 7.91% passive stake in Aytu BioScience

16:23 EDT Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners II reports 8.9% passive stake in Endocyte

16:22 EDT Eminence Capital reports 6.5% passive stake in Papa John's

16:22 EDT Terra Nitrogen announces intent to delist voluntarily from NYSE - Terra Nitrogen has elected to exercise the right, assigned to TNGP by TNCLP, to purchase all of the issued and outstanding Common Units not already owned by TNGP or its affiliates on April 2, 2018 for a cash purchase price of $84.033 per Common Unit in accordance with TNCLP's partnership agreement. As a result of the purchase, TNCLP will become a wholly owned subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc., and there will no longer be a public market for the Common Units. TNCLP announced that it has submitted written notice to the New York Stock Exchange of its intention to withdraw voluntarily its common units representing limited partner interests from listing on the NYSE and from registration on the NYSE under Section 12b of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. TNCLP intends to file a Form 25 with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 22, 2018 to delist the Common Units and withdraw the Common Units from registration. The Common Units will continue to be listed through April 1, 2018 and will no longer be listed on April 2, 2018. TNCLP intends to file a Form 15 with the SEC on April 2, 2018 to notify the SEC of the suspension of its reporting obligations under the Exchange Act.

16:20 EDT Ashford announces senior management appointments - Ashford (AINC) announced several senior management promotions and changes in executive titles at Ashford as well as the company's two advised REIT platforms, Ashford Hospitality Trust (AHT) and Ashford Hospitality Prime (AHP), effective immediately. J. Robison Hays III, formerly Ashford's Chief Strategy Officer, has been appointed Co-President & Chief Strategy Officer at Ashford. He will retain the position of Chief Strategy Officer at both Trust and Prime. Jeremy J. Welter, formerly Executive Vice President of Asset Management for all three companies, has been appointed Co-President and COO at Ashford and has been named COO at both Trust and Prime. David A. Brooks, formerly COO for all three companies, has been appointed to the newly created position of Chief Transaction Officer for all three companies. Brooks will continue in his role as General Counsel and Secretary for all three companies as well. Douglas A. Kessler, formerly the President of Ashford, has been appointed to the newly created position of Senior Managing Director at Ashford. He will continue to be the CEO and President of Ashford Trust.

16:18 EDT AllianceBernstein reports preliminary AUM $555B as of February 28 - AllianceBernstein L.P. and AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. announced that preliminary assets under management decreased to $555B during February 2018 from $569B at the end of January. The 2.5% decline was predominantly due to market depreciation, though firmwide net outflows contributed as well. By channel, net outflows from Retail and Institutions were partly offset by net inflows to Private Wealth.

16:16 EDT Waddell & Reed reports February AUM of $81.4B - Waddell & Reed Financial reported preliminary assets under management of $81.4B for the month ended February 28, 2018, compared to $84.3B on January 31, 2018.

16:13 EDT Proteostasis says FDA grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation for PTI-428 - Proteostasis Therapeutics announced that the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for PTI-428, the company's cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator amplifier. FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation is intended to expedite the development and review of a drug aimed at treating a serious or life-threatening disease where there is a significant unmet need and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may offer substantial improvement over existing therapies. Less than half of the drugs submitted for Breakthrough Therapy under the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act have been granted the designation since the inception of the program. In the CFTR modulator category, Breakthrough Therapy Designation was granted to Kalydeco and Orkambi.

16:11 EDT Stitch Fix adds Vail Resorts Chief Marketing Officer Kirsten Lynch to board - Stitch Fix (SFIX) announced that Kirsten Lynch will be joining the company's board of directors, effective March 14th. Lynch is the chief marketing officer and executive vice president at Vail Resorts (MTN) where she leads all marketing, sales and communications efforts for the global mountain resort company, including driving revenue for the company's lines of businesses.

16:09 EDT Flagstar Bancorp closes on mortgage warehouse portfolio from Santander Bank - Flagstar Bancorp (FBC) reported that its wholly owned subsidiary Flagstar Bank, FSB, has closed its previously announced transaction to purchase the mortgage warehouse loan portfolio from Santander Bank (SAN), including approximately $1.7B in mortgage warehouse loan commitments. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to reduce the company's Tier One leverage ratio by approximately 40 basis points and should be moderately accretive to 2018 earnings.

16:07 EDT Advaxis places clinical hold on Axalimogene Filolisbac Phase 1/2 study - In the evening of March 9, 2018, Advaxis (ADXS) received notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that its Investigational New Drug application for its Phase 1/2 combination study of axalimogene filolisbac with IMFINZI for the treatment of patients with advanced, recurrent or refractory human papillomavirus-associated cervical cancer and HPV-associated head and neck cancer was placed on clinical hold. The clinical hold pertains to a recent submission of a safety report to the FDA regarding a Grade 5 Serious Adverse Event on February 27, 2018 involving respiratory failure which occurred following the sixth combination cycle in the trial. Enrollment and further dosing are on hold in this trial while the company, its partner and the FDA work closely with the site investigator to review this event in detail and to resolve this clinical hold. Enrollment and dosing in all other Advaxis clinical programs are unaffected at this time. IMFINZI is a registered trademark of AstraZeneca (AZN).

16:02 EDT Former Newell Brands Director indicates support for Starboard's efforts - Starboard Value, a significant shareholder of Newell Brands, which together with the other participants in its solicitation beneficially owns approximately 4% of the company's outstanding shares, commented on the public support for Starboard's efforts provided by Kevin Conroy - the 5th director to resign from Newell's Board of Directors since late January. Jeffrey C. Smith of Starboard stated, "We thank Kevin Conroy for the strength of his convictions and willingness to support change for the best interest of the Company and its shareholders. We believe the resignation of five well respected directors of Newell, several of whom were on the legacy Newell Rubbermaid Board, is astonishing and a serious indication that significant change is necessary. Kevin's public statement of support for our efforts is much appreciated and even further validation, we believe, that our director candidates are the right ones to deliver the material change required for the benefit of the company and its shareholders."

16:00 EDT Advaxis trading halted, news pending

15:51 EDT American Express, Discover dip after report of Amazon plans for small-biz card - Bloomberg reports that Amazon (AMZN) is fielding bids for a potential co-branded credit card it plans to offer to its small business customers.

15:03 EDT Navigant announces new offices in Australia - Navigant announced the expansion of its global Construction practice into Australia, with new offices in Perth and Sydney. The expansion of Navigant's global Construction practice, a practice within the company's Disputes, Forensics, and Legal Technology (DFLT) segment, is another step in expanding Navigant's global, industry-leading expert and advisory services work for high-stakes legal and regulatory proceedings. "Our formal expansion to add Australian offices is a great example of our commitment to investing and growing where there is sustainable demand from our clients as we have been working intensely there with global construction clients for years," said Lee Spirer, executive vice president and chief growth and transformation officer. "We are excited to continue our growth on a new continent."

14:22 EDT MicroStrategy to invest $6M in capital improvement, add 300 jobs - Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced that MicroStrategy has renewed its headquarters lease at 1850 Towers Crescent Plaza in Fairfax County and plans to invest $6M in capital improvements. Virginia successfully competed against Washington, D.C. for the project, which retains over 800 existing jobs and involves plans for an additional 300 jobs. MicroStrategy has been based in the Tysons Corner area of Fairfax County since 1994 and is one of the most prominent headquarters operations in Tysons Corner.

13:58 EDT Alkermes says launch preparations underway for depression treatment - Alkermes CFO Jim Frates says at today's Cowen conference that launch plans are underway for ALKS 5461, a treatment for major depressive disorder. A new drug application was completed in January and the company plans on hiring around 200 sales reps in mid-2018, Frates said at the conference. He expects publication of data and "comprehensive scientific education" throughout 2018.

13:31 EDT Pico slips after ending strategic review with no deals - Shares of Pico Holdings (PICO) slipped after the company provided an update on its strategic review announced in October 2017, saying its board directed financial advisor JMP Securities to conclude the review process and determined that the company should continue to execute its current business plan. WHAT'S NEW: Pico announced on October 2, 2017, that its board engaged JMP Securities to explore strategic alternatives after the company was approached by a "large and well-respected institution" that indicated an interest in exploring potential financial and strategic partnerships or purchasing the company. JMP approached over 160 possible financial and strategic investors, including private equity funds, publicly traded entities, infrastructure investors, endowments and other institutions, and family offices, Pico said. Of these parties, 34 executed non-disclosure agreements and were provided with detailed materials regarding the company's assets and operations. After the review, however, Pico's board concluded that it did not believe any such expressions of interest would provide adequate value to Pico's shareholders for the company or its assets. Therefore, the board directed JMP to conclude the strategic review process and determined the company should continue to execute its current business plan of monetizing assets and returning proceeds to shareholders. Pico said it will continue to explore additional initiatives designed to increase current cash flows, including the company's ongoing cost-cutting, monetization of non-core assets, creative exploitation of core assets and consideration of transactions that present sound economic and strategic value that might arise in the course of the current business plan. BOARD CHANGES: In addition, Pico announced today that lead independent director Daniel Silvers informed the company that he will not seek re-election as a director when his annual term ends at the company's annual meeting that is being held on May 3. The company also said that the board appointed, with immediate effect, two new directors: Nicole Weymouth, an environmental planner, and Dorothy Timian-Palmer, president and chief executive officer of the company's wholly-owned subsidiary Vidler Water Company. Additionally, Weymouth and Timian-Palmer were nominated for election by shareholders at the annual meeting. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Pico fell 13.1% to $10.78.

12:35 EDT Citron's Left would scale back Netflix short position amid share rally - Andrew Left of Citron Research is speaking on CNBC.

12:31 EDT Left says Netflix short interest at 10 year low - Andrew Left of Citron Research is speaking on CNBC.

12:21 EDT Nvidia, AMD may see bump from upcoming sci-fi film 'Ready Player One' - Time Warner's (TWX) Warner Bros-produced, Steven Spielberg-directed "Ready Player One" is opening in theaters later this month. The film, based on a novel by Ernest Cline, is a science fiction thriller set in a near future dystopia where everyone spends most of their time logged into a virtual reality world called the Oasis. CATALYTS FOR GPUS?: In a research note from Jefferies analyst Mark Lipacis, he opines that this film could drive sales of virtual reality headsets that use GPUs from Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD) due to the film's positive portrayal of virtual reality escapism. VR HARDWARE MAKERS: According to Statista.com, Sony (SNE) shipped 2.6M units of its Playstation VR, while HTC Vive and Oculus Rift shipped 950K and 850K, respectively. The PlayStation VR uses an AMD processor, while HTC Vive and Oculus Rift use NVDA or AMD GPU-cards. Oculus is a Facebook (FB) subsidiary. MODEST MOVIE EXPECTATIONS: Early expectations for "Ready Player One" are for an opening weekend debut of $35M+, which is below Warner Bros. expectations of $50M. Jefferies' Lipacis noted that despite the modest projections, he believes the movie "has the potential to appeal to a electronics game savvy audience that is motivated to have a more immersive experience." PRICE ACTION: Shares of Nvidia are up 2.7% in afternoon trading, while shares of AMD are down fractionally. Time Warner shares are higher by 1.6%.

12:11 EDT Marathon Patent Group jumps 33% after beginning bitcoin mining in Quebec - Shares of Marathon Patent Group are jumping after an earlier announcement that it has commenced bitcoin mining at its new facility in Quebec. On February 8, the company announced it had purchased 1,400 Bitmain Antminer S9 miners on February 15 the company announced it had leased 26,700 square feet of data center space in Quebec, Canada. The company is pleased to announce the completion of its installation and the commencement of operations which are expected to utilize approximately 2.0 MW and deliver approximately 19 Ph/s of ASIC mining capacity. The Antminer S9s are presently mining Bitcoin, but are able to mine other digital assets/cryptocurrency using the SHA256 algorithm.Marathon is seeking to add up to an additional 3.9 MW of power. If successfully completed, this is expected to provide capacity for up to 2,800 additional Antminer S-9s that if acquired, could be located at this facility. Merrick Okamoto, Marathon's Interim CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors, stated, "Today's announcement represents a milestone for the Company. I'd like to thank everyone that worked so hard to make this day a reality for our shareholders." Shares of Marathon Patent Group are up 32.77% to $2.03 per share in midday trading.

11:48 EDT Blue Apron falls over 6% after FMR reduces passive stake - Shares of Blue Apron are down over 6% this morning after investment manager FMR reported earlier that it had reduced its stake in Blue Apron to 18.2% from the 31.5% reported back on February 12. Shares are currently down 6.11% to $2.15 per share.

11:40 EDT Apple acquires digital magazine subscription service Texture - Apple announced it signed an agreement to acquire Texture, the digital magazine subscription service by Next Issue Media, which gives users unlimited access to titles for one monthly subscription fee. "Texture brings over 200 of the world's best magazines to life, providing an easy way for users to read high-quality stories and entire issues of their favorite titles. With Texture, users enjoy the magazines they know and love, while discovering new content that fits their passions and interests," Apple said in a statement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

11:03 EDT Toyota Connected North America announces multi-year partnership with Avis Budget - Toyota Connected North America, the global technology strategy business unit for Toyota (TM), announced a multi-year partnership with Avis Budget Group (CAR) that will add 10,000 Toyota vehicles to Avis Car Rental's expanding fleet of connected cars. Avis Budget Group will utilize Toyota's proprietary Mobility Services Platform to enable greater operational and rental fleet efficiency while creating a more seamless rental experience for customers. The Toyota vehicles will deliver increased benefits to Avis customers by tapping into Toyota's proprietary MSPF, a suite of advanced software and connected services that support mobility businesses. The platform's telematics data API will enable customers to receive real-time rental information via the Avis mobile app, which includes virtual odometer readings and fuel levels, and will assist them in locating the vehicle. The connected services provided by the telematics interface will also allow for greater fleet management capabilities, improve informatics, and enable shorter vehicle check-in and check-out processing times.

10:31 EDT MoviePass confirms naming Laguintas Bewing CEO Stipp to board - MoviePass, a majority-owned subsidiary of Helios and Matheson Analytics, confirmed that Maria Stipp, CEO of Lagunitas Brewing Company, has been elected to its Board of Directors.

10:27 EDT Monarch files preliminary proxy statement to elect slate to Resolute board - Monarch Energy Holdings LLC, together with the other participants named therein, the beneficial owners of approximately 9.75% of the outstanding shares of Resolute Energy Corporation, has filed a preliminary proxy statement and accompanying proxy card with the SEC for the election of its slate of director nominees at Resolute's 2018 annual meeting of stockholders. On January 26, Monarch sent a letter to Resolute's board of directors and management outlining a series of steps necessary to maximize value for all stockholders. These proposed steps included increasing stockholder representation on the Board, forming a committee of the Board to explore strategic transactions to maximize value, and engaging a reputable financial advisor to assist in that endeavor. Since then, according to media reports, other stockholders have expressed their concerns with the current strategic approach of the Resolute Board and management. "As described in greater detail in our preliminary proxy statement, on February 7, 2018, representatives of the Company and Monarch met to discuss Monarch's proposed changes to the Board. Since then, other than contacting Monarch to schedule interviews of its director nominees in the ordinary course of preparing for the 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, the Company has not initiated contact or made any attempt at furthering a constructive dialogue with Monarch to resolve our proposals without a proxy fight. While Monarch remains open to engaging in further discussions toward a consensual agreement, Resolute's failure to communicate with Monarch over the last month with respect to our proposed steps suggests that it has embarked on an ill-advised scorched-earth policy that is not in the best interests of the Company's stockholders and reflects an entrenched Board. We believe the Company may have no genuine interest in pursuing the meaningful changes necessary to maximize stockholder value."

09:58 EDT AstraZeneca says data from CVD-REAL study confirms CV benefits of SGLT-2i - AstraZeneca announced results from a new analysis of its landmark CVD-REAL study, the first large real-world evidence study of its kind evaluating the risk of all-cause death, hospitalization for heart failure, heart attack and stroke in patients with type-2 diabetes receiving treatment with SGLT-2 inhibitors, including Farxiga versus other glucose-lowering medicines. The results were presented as a late breaker at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The new analysis assessed data from more than 400,000 patients across six countries, 74% of whom did not have a history of established cardiovascular disease. Results showed that across this broad population of patients with T2D, treatment with an SGLT-2i - including Farxiga, empagliflozin, ipragliflozin, canagliflozin, tofogliflozin or luseogliflozin - was associated with a 49% lower risk of ACD, 36% of hHF, 19% of MI and 32% of stroke compared to other T2D medicines. There was also a 40% lower risk of the composite endpoint of hHF or ACD, AstraZeneca said.

09:33 EDT Metropolitan Bank announces resignation of CFO Sangeeta Kishore - In a regulatory filing on Friday, Metropolitan Bank disclosed that on March 6, Sangeeta Kishore tendered her resignation as EVP and CFO for Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. and Metropolitan Commercial Bank effective immediately. Kishore's resignation is not the result of any dispute or disagreement with the company or the bank or any matter relating to the company's accounting practices or financial statements. The company is conducting a search to appoint a replacement CFO. On March 7, the Board of Directors of the company and the bank designated Gerard Perri as Principal Financial Officer of the company for SEC reporting purposes.

09:31 EDT Surgery Partners names Thomas Cowhey as CFO, effective April 2 - Surgery Partners (SGRY) announced that Thomas Cowhey has been appointed Executive Vice President and CFO, effective April 2. Cowhey has more than 20 years of experience in a range of financial and strategic roles in the healthcare services sector, most recently having served as CFO of the Institution Business portfolio at Aetna (AET).

09:23 EDT GTT Communications acquires Accelerated Connections - GTT Communications announced the acquisition of Accelerated Connections, a provider of managed networking, voice-over-IP and colocation services, serving large distributed Canadian enterprises. The acquisition of ACI creates one of the largest non-incumbent network footprints in the Canadian market and extends GTT's market presence and unique network assets in Canada, including its landing station for GTT Express, the lowest latency transatlantic cable system. It will also contribute complementary connectivity, VoIP and managed service offerings to GTT's cloud networking service portfolio

09:15 EDT Cogentix Medical trading resumes

09:08 EDT Skechers to launch Garfield collection - SKECHERS USA announced that it will introduce a collection within the BOBS from Skechers division featuring the massively popular Garfield character. The Garfield collection from BOBS by Skechers for women will be initially available in select SKECHERS retail stores across the United States and Canada and online. Availability will expand to third-party retail partners and around the globe for back-to-school season later this year. Products in the line will be designed, developed and marketed through a multi-year licensing partnership between SKECHERS and Garfield licensing manager, Paws, Inc.

09:05 EDT Avis Budget Group announces multi-year deal with Toyota for connected fleet - Avis Budget Group (CAR) announced a multi-year deal that will add 10,000 Toyota (TM) vehicles to Avis Car Rental's expanding fleet of connected vehicles. The services provided through Toyota's MSPF will benefit both Avis customers - through an enhanced and more personalized experience - and the vompany through improved informatics, fleet management and operational efficiency. Avis Budget Group has committed to operating a fully connected global fleet by 2020, and will have 100,000 fully connected cars in the United States this year. As part of this effort, earlier this month, Avis Budget Group commenced installations of 50,000 Unified Telematics Platform devices, provided by I.D. Systems, more than doubling Avis Car Rental's existing fleet of connected vehicles. Connected Toyota vehicles are expected to be available this September as 2019 vehicle models are introduced into the fleet.

09:03 EDT Nucor to build rebar micro mill in Frostproof, Florida - Nucor announced that it will build a rebar micro mill in Frostproof, Florida, which is located in Polk County. This is a $240M investment and is the second rebar micro mill Nucor is constructing. In November 2017, Nucor announced a rebar micro mill project in Sedalia, Missouri. The rebar micro mill is expected to employ approximately 250 people and pay an average annual salary of $66,000. The micro mill will have an estimated annual capacity of 350,000 tons and construction is expected to take two years, pending permit and regulatory approvals.

09:03 EDT Harvey Schwartz to retire from Goldman Sachs

09:01 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher to acquire Palmer Atlantic Insurance, terms not disclosed - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Palmer Atlantic Insurance, located in New Brunswick, Canada. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1976, Palmer Atlantic is a retail property/casualty broker specializing in the transportation and logistics sector, and a leading trucking insurance specialist in Atlantic Canada.

09:00 EDT Dunkin' Donuts announces plans for three new restaurants in Missouri - Dunkin' Donuts announced the signing of a multi-unit store development agreement with new franchise group Hope and Destiny, to open three Dunkin' Donuts restaurants throughout Kansas City, Missouri. Development plans for the restaurants are currently underway, which are slated to open over the next several years throughout the Warrensburg and Sedalia areas. The first of the three restaurants is scheduled to open in 2019, with future development plans throughout the state thereafter.

08:50 EDT Cogentix Medical to be acquired by Laborie Medical for $3.85 per share in cash

08:39 EDT Link Motion to change name, ticker symbol from 'NQ Mobile Inc.' on March 14 - Link Motion announced the effective date for the change of its corporate name from "NQ Mobile Inc." to "Link Motion Inc." and ticker symbol for its ADS traded on the New York Stock Exchange from "NQ" to "LKM," effective at the opening of trading on March 14.

08:36 EDT iBio issued patent in China describing control of protein glycosylation - iBio announced the expansion of its intellectual property portfolio with the issuance of a patent in China describing control of protein glycosylation. The new patent, serial number ZL 201280037381.X, is entitled "PNGASE F CO-EXPRESSION" and was issued January 30, 2018. The patent includes claims covering a method for generating deglycosylated proteins of interest in plants by co-expressing a bacterial PNGase-F enzyme.

08:35 EDT T. Rowe Price reports preliminary AUM $1.02T at Feb. 28 - Client transfers from mutual funds to other portfolios, including trusts and separate accounts, were $4.8B for the month-ended February 28.

08:32 EDT CPI ASD to acquire ViaSat's limited-motion satellite antenna family - The Antenna Systems Division of Communications & Power Industries, announced it has signed an agreement to purchase the limited-motion satellite antenna family from global communications company. CPI ASD will acquire Viasat's 6m to 18m multi-band antennas, providing a valuable extension of CPI ASD's larger-diameter antenna product line, while enabling Viasat to focus on antenna and communications technologies for the growing broadband services market. The purchase price for the antennas was not disclosed. Per the agreement, Viasat will transfer a range of limited-motion antennas at sizes including 6m, 7.3m, 9.1m, 11.3m, 13.5m and 16/18m, plus a 3.9m truck-mounted antenna, all designed for multi-band operation at C, Ku and DBS frequency bands. These products will be integrated into the CPI ASD satcom product line, which currently extends from nomadic 2.5m antennas up to 9.4m multi-band earth stations. CPI ASD will manufacture the large-diameter antenna products at its facilities in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. The sale of the limited-motion GEO Satcom antennas will allow Viasat to exit a non-core business in antenna manufacturing to focus on its Ka-band services business and related technologies. As part of the agreement, CPI will serve as a source for Viasat in the fulfillment of satellite ground system orders. The agreement is focused on the purchase of antenna technologies and is not expected to have an impact on employee headcount at either company. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close within thirty days.

08:31 EDT Navios Maritime Partners adopts annual distribution policy of 8c per common unit - Navios Maritime Partners announced that its board of directors has adopted a distribution policy of 8c per common unit annually. Navios Partners announced its board of directors has adopted a distribution policy under which it intends to declare quarterly cash distribution in the amount of 2c per unit, or 8c annually. Based on its current capitalization, Navios Partners expects to distribute approximately $3.4M quarterly and $13.7M annually. The first quarterly distribution of 2c per unit for the first quarter of 2018 will be payable on May 14, 2018 to all unit holders of record on May 10, 2018. Navios Partners will review its distribution policy regularly, and future distributions will be at the discretion of the board of directors after taking into account Navios Partners' cash flow, earnings, financial position, among other relevant matters.

08:30 EDT JA Solar announces shareholder approval of merger agreement - JA Solar Holdings announced that at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, the company's shareholders voted in favor of the proposal to authorize and approve the previously announced agreement and plan of merger, dated as of November 17, among the company, JASO Holdings, JASO Parent Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and JASO Acquisition Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, pursuant to which the Merger Sub will be merged with and into the company, with the company continuing as the surviving company and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Parent. Approximately 56.5% of the company's total outstanding ordinary shares presented in person or by proxy at today's extraordinary general meeting. The Merger, the Plan of Merger, and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger, were approved by over 90% of the ordinary shares voted at the extraordinary general meeting.

08:26 EDT Check-Cap initiates EU post approval study using Advanced C-Scan system - Check-Cap announced it has initiated an EU post approval study using its Advanced C-Scan system, which has demonstrated significant improvement in average colon imaging coverage compared with the C-Scan version used in the multi-center clinical study that supported the company's CE Mark approval received in January 2018.

08:19 EDT GasLog orders a newbuild LNG carrier from Samsung Heavy Industries - GasLog (GLOG) announced the order of a newbuild 180,000 cubic meter Flex Plus vessel with XDF propulsion from Samsung Heavy Industries (SSNLF). The newbuild vessel, Hull No. 2274, is scheduled to deliver in 2Q20 and is currently unchartered. The company has also agreed options with Samsung for additional newbuild vessels.

08:16 EDT Selecta Biosciences doses first patient in SVP-Rapamycin/LMB-100 Phase 1 trial - Selecta Biosciences announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial of SEL-403, Selecta's product candidate consisting of SVP-Rapamycin in combination with LMB-100. The trial, is enrolling patients with malignant pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma who have undergone at least one regimen of chemotherapy, and it is being conducted under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, or CRADA, with the National Cancer Institute, or NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health.

08:14 EDT Ekso Bionics president and CEO Thomas Looby departs - Ekso Bionics Holdings (EKSO) announced that it has named Jack Peurach as president and CEO effective March 9, 2018. Peurach, a member of the Ekso Bionics Board of Directors since January 2011 and a co-founder of the company, succeeds Thomas Looby, who is leaving the company and the board to pursue other interests. Peurach will remain a member of the Ekso Bionics' Board of Directors.Prior to joining Ekso Bionics, Peurach was the EVP, products for SunPower (SPWR), where he was responsible for all aspects of SunPower's PV modules and residential, commercial and utility PV systems. The company also announced that Howard Palefsky and Amy Wendell stepped down from the Board of Directors effective March 9, 2018. Charles Li, Ph. D., a senior analyst at Puissance Capital Management, has joined the Board of Directors effective March 11, 2018. In connection with his appointment as the president and CEO of Ekso, Peurach resigned his positions as the chair and a member of the Compensation Committee of the Board and as a member of the Audit Committee of the Board. Li has filled Peurach's position as a member of the Audit Committee of the Board, and Sherman was appointed as the Chair of the Compensation Committee of the Board. Sherman was also appointed as the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board to replace Palefsky.

08:13 EDT ParkerVision receives favorable venue ruling in patent infringement case - ParkerVision (PRKR) announced that on March 8, Judge Brian Davis of the Federal Court in the Middle District of Florida denied Qualcomm's (QCOM) motion to transfer to the Southern District of California and denied Apple's (AAPL) motion to dismiss for improper venue pertaining to ParkerVision's patent infringement suit against Qualcomm and Apple. On January 9, 2018, the Magistrate Judge, at the request of Judge Davis, filed a report and recommendation with the court regarding the motion to transfer filed by Qualcomm and the motion to dismiss filed by Apple, recommending denial of both motions. Qualcomm filed the only objection to the report and recommendation. The court had the ability to accept, reject or modify in whole or in part the findings or recommendations of the magistrate judge.

08:10 EDT Immune Design reports data update for CMB305, G100 trials - Immune Design (IMDZ) announced updated data from two separate trials evaluating its lead product candidates, CMB305 and G100. CMB305 is a novel prime-boost immunotherapy targeting NY-ESO-1+ cancers, and G100 is a novel synthetic TLR4 agonist for intratumoral immunotherapy. Evidence of clinical benefit continued to mature with both agents, providing not only further support for the advancement of both programs, but also supporting the view that an immunotherapy may provide additional clinical benefit with time. Immune Design initially presented data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2017 Annual Meeting from 25 NY-ESO-1+ soft tissue patients, including 14 synovial sarcoma patients. The median follow up at the time was 11.4 months, in a patient population where 92% had relapsed or refractory metastatic disease, 52% had received greater than or equal to2 lines of chemotherapy, and 56% had actively progressing disease at study entry, an unfavorable prognostic factor. As of the time of the most recent data analysis, median follow up of patients was 17.7 months. Observations are as follows: Median overall survival across all STS patients has been reached at 23.7 months. The median OS for the subset of synovial sarcoma patients, the targeted patient population in the company's planned Phase 3 trial, has still not yet been reached. These survival data compare favorably to the reported median OS for approved second line and later agents, which are only 12.4-13.5 months for STS patients, and 11.7 months for synovial sarcoma patients specifically. Patients who develop an anti-NY-ESO-1 immune response on CMB305 therapy have better survival. CMB305 continues to be well tolerated, with only one Grade 3 adverse event. Immune Design initially presented data at the 2017 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting from a randomized Phase 2 trial of 26 follicular lymphoma patients, pursuant to a collaboration with Merck (MRK).. Patients were randomized evenly to one of two treatment arms: G100 with fractionated, low-dose radiation or G100+XRT with pembrolizumab combination therapy. The data have matured as of the most recent data analysis, with observations as follows: Additional responses have been observed in the combination arm. This is an improvement from the ASH 2017 data, which showed an ORR of 39% in the combination arm. The patient population with high TLR4 expression in the tumor continue to receive greater benefit, with an updated 75% ORR on the combination arm, an increase from the 57% ORR reported at ASH 2017. These data compare favorably to pembrolizumab monotherapy presented at ASH 2017, which showed an 11% ORR in a separate follicular lymphoma study. 77% of patients in the combination arm experienced abscopal tumor shrinkage in un-injected tumors, compared to 54% of patients in the G100+XRT arm. Patients in the combination arm demonstrated a greater increase of CD8 T cells within the tumors, as compared to the G100+XRT arm. The safety profile continues to appear favorable when compared to recently approved therapies for patients with relapsed/recurrent disease.

08:08 EDT Anthera says Sollpura did not achieve primary endpoint of CFA in Phase 3 trial - Anthera Pharmaceuticals announced that Sollpura did not meet the non-inferiority margin of the CFA primary endpoint in the RESULT Phase 3 clinical study of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI, due to cystic fibrosis. The design of the RESULT study was based on the outcome of the previous Phase 3 SOLUTION study and included a higher starting dose and more aggressive dose optimizations based on clinical signs and symptoms of malabsorption. In the RESULT study, all patients randomized to Sollpura received a starting dose that was approximately 25% higher than their pre-study porcine pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, or PERT, dose and 59% of subjects received further dose adjustments, yielding a mean Sollpura dose that was both substantially higher than the comparator Pancreaze mean dose and higher than the Sollpura dose in the previous SOLUTION study. Although a proportion of patients randomized to Sollpura maintained or improved their CFA from baseline, a higher proportion of patients experienced a worsening. The mean treatment difference in CFA change from baseline was 14.3%, with upper and lower 95% confidence intervals of -18.22 and -10.39. In contrast, the treatment difference in CNA change from baseline was well within the 15% non-inferiority margin. In comparison to the earlier SOLUTION study, the presence or absence of concomitant gastric acid suppressants had no meaningful effect on CFA.

08:06 EDT Immune to detail Bertilimumab data at Pre-IID Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Symposium - Immune Pharmaceuticals announced the acceptance of an abstract for a poster presentation at the 2018 Pre-IID Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Symposium: "A New Era of Translation and Clinical Science," being held May 15-16, 2018 in Orlando, FL. The poster, entitled "A Pilot Phase 2a Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Bertilimumab, an Anti-Eotaxin-1 Antibody, in Bullous Pemphigoid," detailing interim results from the company's ongoing phase 2a trial, will be available for viewing during the poster sessions. In addition, results of the study will be presented by Neil Korman, MD, PhD, Director Clinical Trials Unit and the Murdough Family Center for Psoriasis, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, and Professor of Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, in an oral presentation entitled "Targeting eosinophils in bullous pemphigoid," on Tuesday, May 16, at 2:45 p.m. ET. Dr. Korman is a member of the Company's Scientific Advisory Board.

08:02 EDT Mersana Therapeutics names David Spellman CFO - Mersana Therapeutics (MRSN) announced that David Spellman has joined the company as CFO. Spellman joins Mersana from Vertex (VRTX) where he has spent the past 12 years in roles of increasing responsibility across all aspects of their finance function. Most recently, he served as VP of corporate, commercial and international finance responsible for global financial planning across the company.

08:00 EDT Civista trading resumes

07:45 EDT Biogen announces increased motor function for infants treated with Spinriza - Biogen announced new interim Phase 2 results from NURTURE, the ongoing open-label, single-arm study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Spinraza among pre-symptomatic infants with spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA. In NURTURE, all infants treated with Spinraza were alive, did not require permanent ventilation and showed improvement in motor function and motor milestone achievements as of July 5, 2017, compared to the disease's natural history. This study, along with a case series demonstrating Spinraza's effectiveness among teens and young adults, will be presented at the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In the NURTURE study, Spinraza was administered to infants six weeks old or younger, who were in the pre-symptomatic stage, genetically-diagnosed with SMA and had two or three copies of the SMN2 gene for three copies. At the time of this interim analysis, infants had been followed for up to 25.6 months - well beyond the typical timeframe when most infants with Type 1 SMA would have required permanent ventilation or died. The interim analysis, titled, "Nusinersen in Infants Who Initiate Treatment in a Pre-Symptomatic State of SMA: Interim Efficacy and Safety Results from the Phase 2 NURTURE Study," showed that all infants were alive and none required tracheostomy or permanent ventilation.

07:38 EDT BP selects McDermott, BHGE for subsea contracts for Tortue/Ahmeyim development - McDermott International (MDR) and Baker Hughes (BHGE) announced the selection of front-end engineering design studies in advance of a substantial engineering, procurement, construction and installation contract for BP's (BP) Tortue/Ahmeyim Field Development, a major gas project located on the maritime border of Mauritania and Senegal. During this initial engineering phase, McDermott will work on defining the subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines scope for the project, while BHGE will focus on the subsea production system scope. The FEED is scheduled to begin and complete this year. The agreement contains a mechanism to allow transition of the contract to a lump sum EPCI contract at a later date. McDermott will work jointly with BHGE to provide an optimized, integrated solution. McDermott expects to use the Project Lifecycle Management module from its new digital platform Gemini XD to deliver advanced technology through project execution and the development of a digital twin of the complete system. Teams from McDermott and BHGE will perform the project management and FEED work from McDermott's Epsom facility in the United Kingdom. The initial subsea infrastructure connects the first four wells consolidated through production pipelines leading to a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel. From here liquids are removed and the export gas is transported via a pipeline to the floating liquid natural gas hub terminal where the gas is liquefied. The Tortue/Ahmeyim Field Development is located in the C-8 block off the shore of Mauritania and the Saint-Louis Profond block offshore Senegal. McDermott defines a substantial contract as between $500M and $750M.

07:35 EDT Arrowhead announces first patients dosed in Phase 1 study of ARO-AAT - Arrowhead announced that it has dosed the first subjects in a Phase 1 clinical study of ARO-AAT, which is being developed as treatment for a rare genetic liver disease associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. ARO-AAT is the first clinical candidate to utilize Arrowhead's proprietary targeted RNAi molecule technology. The second candidate, ARO-HBV, which is being developed as a potentially curative therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, is also on schedule to dose the first subjects in a Phase 1/2 study at the end of March.

07:31 EDT Civista to acquire United Community Bancorp in deal valued at $26.22 per share

07:26 EDT Civista trading halted, news pending

07:13 EDT CyberArk acquires assets of Vaultive - CyberArk announced the acquisition of certain assets of privately-held Vaultive, a cloud security provider. The deal closed today. The CyberArk privileged account security solution is the industry's most comprehensive solution for protecting against privileged account exploitation anywhere -on-premises, in hybrid cloud environments and across DevOps workflows. Building upon the Vaultive technology, CyberArk will deliver greater visibility and control over privileged business users, and Software-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service administrators. By delivering a cloud-native and mobile experience, Vaultive will extend the CyberArk solution to these highly privileged users, which are frequent targets for cyber attacks.

07:11 EDT BlueLinx trading resumes

07:10 EDT BlueLinx agrees to acquire Cedar Creek - BlueLinx announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cedar Creek, a leading building products wholesale distributor, a portfolio company of Charlesbank Capital Partners for a purchase price of $413 million on a debt-free, cash-free basis. The purchase price will consist of approximately $345 million in cash and approximately $68 million as the agreed value of the capital leases. The transaction has been unanimously approved by BlueLinx's board and is expected to be completed within 45 days, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The combination of BlueLinx and Cedar Creek will create a leading building products wholesale distributor with one of the largest product offerings in the building products industry, including over 50,000 branded and private-label SKUs, and a distribution footprint of 70 national locations servicing 40 states. Together with Cedar Creek, BlueLinx will be able to distribute its comprehensive range of structural and specialty products to approximately 15,000 national, regional, and local dealers, as well as specialty distributors, national home centers, industrial, and manufactured housing customers. The transaction will enable the combined entity to serve diverse end markets from new residential and light commercial construction to industrial, as well as residential repair and remodel. BlueLinx and Cedar Creek's combined revenue was $3.2 billion in 2017 and its pro forma LTM Adjusted EBITDA for 2017 would have been approximately $154 million including at least $50 million of annual cost savings.

07:07 EDT Social Reality announces Alpha release of BIG platform - Social Reality's blockchain identification graph platform, BIG, announced the release of the Alpha version of its consumer data management and distribution system to a limited, by invitation only group of users. The announcement represents the first direct engagement for BIG with users and the next step in creating the first consumer-powered data marketplace where people will own, verify and sell access to their data.

07:07 EDT Regeneron, Sanofi announce reduced price for Praluent Injection - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) and Sanofi (SNY) said over the weekend that they will offer U.S. payers that agree to reduce access barriers for high-risk patients a further reduced net price for Praluent Injection in alignment with a new value assessment for high-risk patients from the U.S. Based on the results of the Odyssey Outcomes trial, Institute for Clinical and Economic Review has calculated two updated value-based price benchmarks, net of rebates and discounts, for Praluent in patients with a recent acute coronary event: $2,300-$3,400 per year if used to treat all patients who meet trial eligibility criteria, and $4,500-$8,000 per year if used to treat higher-risk patients with LDL cholesterol greater than or equal to 100 mg/dL despite intensive statin therapy. The drug now costs $14,000 per year, according to Bloomberg.

07:05 EDT Syros Pharmaceuticals appoints Joseph Ferra CFO - Syros Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Joseph Ferra as the company's CFO. Ferra brings significant financial, strategic and leadership experience in the biotechnology industry. Ferra most recently served as managing director and co-head of healthcare investment banking at JMP Securities.

07:04 EDT Ritchie Bros. says Toronto auction hits highest sales total ever in Q1 - Last week Ritchie Bros. had its strongest start to the year ever in Toronto, selling more than 2,850 equipment items and trucks for $28M+, surpassing the Toronto site's previous Q1 sales record by 57%. The two-day auction, March 6 - 7, attracted a site record 5,250+ registered bidders from 58 countries, including 3,100+ online bidders. Approximately 88% of the equipment in the auction was sold to Canadian buyers, with buyers from Ontario purchasing 72%, while international buyers from countries such as the United States, Australia, and Italy purchased 12% of the equipment. Approximately 54% of the equipment in the auction was sold to online buyers.

07:03 EDT Lannett announces three strategic alliance partners - Lannett announced that it has entered into separate agreements with three strategic alliance partners. Under two of the agreements, Lannett will serve as the exclusive U.S. distributor for certain off-patent products manufactured by the partners. Initially, the agreements cover one product from each partner, Diclofenac ER and Fluvastatin ER. Under the third agreement, Lannett will provide five of its currently marketed products to Pharmaceutical Associates for repackaging into unit dose cups and distribution into the managed care and hospital markets. For all the above transactions, Lannett will receive a percentage of the net profits. Other financial terms were not disclosed. For the 12 months ended January, total U.S. generic sales of Diclofenac ER were approximately $8.7M, and total U.S. sales of Fluvastatin ER were approximately $15.5M, according to IMS.

06:51 EDT KKR Real Estate Finance declares dividend of 40c per share - KKR Real Estate Finance Trust announced that the Board of Directors has declared a dividend of 40c per share of common stock and special voting preferred stock with respect to the first quarter of 2018. The dividend is payable on April 13 to KREF's common stockholders and its special voting preferred stockholders of record as of March 29.

06:49 EDT Esperion down 14% following Regeneron, Sanofi cholesterol data - Shares of Esperion Therapeutics (ESPR) are sinking after Regeneron (REGN) and Sanofi (SNY) reported over the weekend that their cholesterol-lowering drug, Praluent, reduced heart risks by 15% in a long-term cardiovascular outcomes study. Sanofi and Regeneron also said they will offer U.S. payers that agree to reduce access barriers for high-risk patients a further reduced net price for Praluent. Shares of Esperion in premarket trading are down 14%, or $10.26, to $65.00.

06:38 EDT Merrimack expands SHERLOC study to 100 patients from 80 - Merrimack announced expansion of the enrollment target from 80 to 100 patients in the SHERLOC study, a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating MM-121 added to standard of care in patients with heregulin-positive non-small cell lung cancer. This augmentation of patient enrollment is driven by the faster than projected enrollment rate seen to date and will result in a strengthened statistical design of the study. Merrimack still expects to report top-line data from this trial in the second half of 2018.

06:32 EDT W&T Offshore was successful bidder to acquire interest in Heidelberg Field - W&T Offshore announced that it was the successful bidder on an interest in three blocks in the Heidelberg field in the Gulf of Mexico offered in connection with the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings of Cobalt International Energy, Inc. and its subsidiaries. The successful bid covers all of Cobalt's interest in the Heidelberg Field, which includes a 9.375% working interest in each of Green Canyon 859, 903, and 904. The Heidelberg Field is operated by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. W&T's bid was for $31.1M cash. Closing is expected to occur in April 2018, subject to satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including those set forth in the purchase and sale agreement. February's gross production from the field was 33,513 barrels of oil per day and 16,705 Mcf per day or 36,300 Boe per day. Cobalt's production from the field, net to its interest, was 2,749 barrels of oil per day and 1.4 MMcf per day in February 2018 or almost 3,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from 5 wells. The wells flow to the Heidelberg Spar, which is in Green Canyon 860 block.

06:23 EDT ForeScout says DoD validates ForeScout CounterACT for IoT security - ForeScout Technologies announced that the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Information Systems Agency added ForeScout CounterACT to its select list of commercial technology products receiving Security Technical Implementation Guides. The DoD issues STIGs for technology innovation from vendors that meet and help enforce the Pentagon's rigorous security requirements for military agencies and contractors. This announcement reflects ForeScout's strategic role and expanding footprint across DoD customers, helping them gain foundational visibility of devices, including non-traditional Internet of Things devices, connecting to their networks.

06:18 EDT Orexigen files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy - Orexigen Therapeutics announced that it has elected to file a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Orexigen also intends to file a motion seeking authorization to pursue an auction and sale process under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The proposed bidding procedures, if approved by the court, would require interested parties to submit binding offers to acquire substantially all of Orexigen's assets, which would be purchased free and clear of the company's indebtedness and other liens and interests. "The Board and management team have thoroughly assessed all of our strategic options and believe that this process represents the best possible solution for Orexigen, taking into account our financial needs," said Michael Narachi, President and CEO of Orexigen. "While we have been working closely with our noteholders and have the support of a controlling number of senior secured noteholders, our debt covenant requirements and near-term cash flow needs have necessitated the protection afforded by a court-driven process." Orexigen has filed a series of motions with the court seeking to ensure the continuation of normal operations during this process. Orexigen has the support of a controlling number of its senior secured noteholders for this process, who have made a $35M financing commitment. The company believes that this commitment provides it with sufficient liquidity to conduct its business in an uninterrupted manner, fund its chapter 11 case, including the sale of its assets, and to continue to meet its operational and financial obligations, including: continued servicing of distributors, wholesalers and global partners to ensure timely fulfillment of orders and shipments of Contrave/Mysimba; the timely payment of employee wages and salaries; and satisfaction of other obligations to patients and physicians who depend on this important therapy. In addition, to attempt to preserve the value of its net operating losses, Orexigen has filed a motion with the court to establish limitations on trading in Orexigen's common stock by beneficial owners of at least 4.5% of Orexigen's common stock during the pendency of the bankruptcy proceedings.

06:14 EDT Park Hotels & Resorts announces new corporate headquarters - Park announced that as of Monday, March 12th, its new executive offices will be located at 1775 Tysons Blvd., Suite 700, Tysons VA 22102. The new executive offices are in a Class A, LEED-certified office building developed by Lerner Enterprises and opened in 2015.

06:13 EDT 8x8, Inc. partners with Itancia - 8x8, Inc. announced a strategic partnership between its UK subsidiary and Itancia SARL, a pan-European specialist in the distribution of communication solutions to meet increasing customer demand in Europe. The partnership enables Itancia to address European market needs with 8x8's enterprise communications solutions as companies migrating to cloud communication and collaboration systems gains more traction.

06:08 EDT Broadcom redomiciliation to be complete by April 3 - Broadcom (AVGO) issued the following statement: Broadcom is in the final stages of redomiciling to the U.S. and now expects to complete redomiciliation by April 3. Broadcom's proposal to acquire Qualcomm (QCOM) has always been premised on the completion of Broadcom's previously announced plan to redomicile. In both the definitive merger agreement that Broadcom provided to Qualcomm and in the revised version that Qualcomm sent back to Broadcom on February 26, one of the closing conditions was that Broadcom redomicile to the U.S., and notably, in neither party's draft was the closing of the proposed acquisition conditioned on CFIUS clearance. In short, U.S. national security concerns are not a risk to closing, as Broadcom never plans to acquire Qualcomm before it completes redomiciliation. Broadcom recognizes the essential role the member agencies of CFIUS play in ensuring U.S. national security. Broadcom, which is in all important respects a U.S. company, has been repeatedly approved by CFIUS in its previous acquisitions of U.S. companies and has always engaged productively with CFIUS to ensure U.S. national security is protected. Broadcom believes the CFIUS process is an essential aspect of protecting U.S. national security and it is supportive of current efforts, including those of Senator Cornyn, Representative Pittenger, and many of their colleagues, to enhance the CFIUS process. In addition, as a company incorporated in the U.S., Broadcom looks forward to working directly with the U.S. government as a trusted supplier, and continuing Qualcomm's existing engagements. Broadcom's plan to redomicile is and has been a matter of public record since last November and has been addressed multiple times in recent months. This plan was first announced in the White House when Hock Tan, Broadcom's president and CEO, announces the plan alongside President Trump in the Oval Office on November 2.

06:06 EDT Ritter Pharmaceuticals: RP-G28 promotes beneficial adaptation of gut microbe - Ritter Pharmaceuticals announced that its lead drug, RP-G28, promoted beneficial adaptation of the gut microbiome in its Phase 2b study of 377 lactose intolerance patients. In a report prepared by Andrea Azcarate-Peril, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, RP-G28 modified the relative abundance of 28 bacterial species. Specifically, a dramatic increase in species of Bifidobacterium was observed, including some known to metabolize lactose. The understood mechanism of action of RP-G28 for mitigating lactose intolerance symptoms is by increasing lactose-metabolizing bacteria in the colon that compensate for the deficit of endogenous lactase activity. These beneficial bacteria remove the undigested lactose found in dairy products from the gut thus reducing the gas production and water retention that produce lactose intolerance symptoms.

06:05 EDT Lumentum to acquire Oclaro for $1.8B in cash and stock

06:02 EDT DowDuPont Executive Chairman Andrew Liveris to retire, Jeff Fettig to succeed - DowDuPont announced that Andrew Liveris will be transitioning out of the role as Executive Chairman, and then retiring as the Materials Science Division of the company progresses on its succession process. Liveris has informed the Board that he will no longer serve as Executive Chairman of DowDuPont effective April 1, 2018, and Jeff Fettig, current co-Lead Independent Director for DowDuPont, will serve as a non-employee Executive Chairman of the Board of DowDuPont. Liveris will continue as a director of DowDuPont through his previously announced retirement from the company effective July 1, 2018.

05:36 EDT Nutanix agrees to acquire Netsil, terms not disclosed - Nutanix announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Netsil. Netsil provides application discovery and operations management that enables state-of-the-art observability in modern distributed cloud environments. The closing of the acquisition is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

05:31 EDT Biohaven restructures license agreement with Bristol-Myers - Biohaven Pharmaceutical (BHVN) announced a restructuring of its global license agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), referred to as BMS, for Biohaven's small molecule calcitonin gene-related peptide, or CGRP, receptor antagonist platform, which includes its product candidates rimegepant, a potentially best-in-class CGRP receptor antagonist for the acute treatment of migraine, and BHV-3500, a third-generation antagonist for the acute treatment and prevention of migraine. As part of the restructuring, Biohaven will pay BMS an upfront payment of $50M in return for a low single digit reduction in the royalties payable on net sales of rimegepant and a mid-single digit reduction in the royalties payable on net sales of BHV-3500. Under the original license agreement with BMS, Biohaven was obligated to make tiered royalty payments based on annual worldwide net sales of licensed products upon their approval and commercialization, with percentages in the low- to mid-teens. The upfront payment for the restructuring was financed through a private placement of Biohaven common shares to leading institutional investors. The restructuring also removes BMS's right of first negotiation to regain its intellectual property rights or enter into a license agreement with Biohaven following the Company's receipt of topline data from its Phase 3 clinical trials with rimegepant, and clarifies that antibodies targeting CGRP are not prohibited as competitive compounds under the non-competition clause of the agreement, thereby permitting Biohaven to potentially license rimegepant or BHV-3500 to a company with a CGRP antibody program. The license agreement, which was originally executed in July 2016, continues to provide Biohaven with exclusive global development and commercialization rights to rimegepant, BHV-3500 and related CGRP molecules, as well as related know-how and intellectual property. Biohaven's obligations to make development and commercial milestone payments to BMS remain unchanged.