Stockwinners Market Radar for April 03, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:03 EDT Medidata to partner with NHMRC in Australia on platform and analytics - Medidata announced that the National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trial Centre, University of Sydney, will now use Medidata's unified platform and analytics for all major new studies starting in 2018. The agreement will result in the NHMRC Clinical Trial Centre consolidating multiple electronic data capture solutions to the Medidata eClinical platform. This includes the use of Medidata Rave eCOA/ePRO and Medidata Rave EDC, which enable the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre to manage and ingest the widest array of clinical trial data, with the potential to include sensors, mobile apps, genomics and RWE. NHMRC Clinical Trial Centre will also improve data quality and risk reduction in randomization and trial supply management with a single source of data from Medidata Rave RTSM. These solutions allow streamlined collaboration for researchers across sites and simplify how patients involved in the trials can report their data.

19:06 EDT ViaSat expands Dublin office - Viasat opened its new expanded office in Dublin, Ireland, which is expected to house up to 250 Viasat team members focused on developing next-generation software and technology for Viasat's target broadband markets. At today's official office opening, Rick Baldridge, Viasat's president and chief operating officer will be joined by Minister John Halligan T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Education and Skills, and other distinguished guests, including IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, as well as customers, partners and the growing Viasat team.

18:59 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Aehr Test Systems (AEHR) up 5.7%... ALSO HIGHER: EDAP TMS (EDAP) up 9.9% after reporting promising outcome for HIFU system... Warrior Met Coal (HCC) up 9.4% after declaring a special dividend. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Cloudera (CLDR) down 25.4%... Dave & Busters (PLAY) down 6.6%. ALSO LOWER: Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings (CCO) down 1.1% after delaying the filing of its 10-K.

18:34 EDT Beecken Petty O'Keefe & Company to sell Paragon Medical to NN, Inc. - Beecken Petty O'Keefe & Company announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell PMG Intermediate Holding Corporation, the parent company of Paragon Medical, to NN, Inc. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018 and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval.

18:21 EDT FrontFour provides advance notice nominating four directors for Obsidian board - FrontFour Capital Group LLC, together with its affiliates, a significant shareholder of Obsidian Energy with an ownership interest of roughly 6.3% of the company's outstanding shares, announced that it has formally provided advance notice to the company of the nomination of a slate of four candidates for election to the board of directors at the company's 2018 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 11, 2018. FrontFour said that the current board's recent strategic review announcement validate's FrontFour's strategy, is "reactionary" and represents "yet another about-face" on strategy. "We strongly disagree that Obsidian's stated strategy as of June 2017 represents "progress" when it has led to anemic production and cash-flow growth, a track record of blown operating targets and disastrous hedge losses culminating in the receipt of a NYSE delisting notice," the notice reads.

18:01 EDT VF Corp. sees Icebreaker acquisition immediately accretive to earnings - VF Corporation announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Icebreaker Holdings, Ltd., a privately held company based in Auckland, New Zealand. As a result of the transaction, Icebreaker Holdings has become a wholly owned subsidiary of VF Corporation. Terms of the agreement were not announced. The Icebreaker brand is expected to be immediately accretive to VF's earnings per share.

17:54 EDT Rex Energy discloses forbearance pact with lenders - In a regulatory, filing the company said, On April 3, Rex Energy Corporation, and the subsidiary guarantors under the Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated as of April 28, 2017 (the "Credit among the company, as borrower, certain subsidiaries of the company, as guarantors, Angelo, Gordon Energy Servicer,, as administrative agent and collateral agent, and the lenders party thereto , entered into a forbearance agreement with the Agent and the requisite Lenders. Under the Forbearance Agreement, the Agent and the Lenders have agreed to forbear from exercising their rights and remedies under the Credit Agreement in respect of certain defaults and alleged defaults thereunder, which include a cross-default as a result of the Company's failure to make an interest payment due on April 2 pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing the Company's 1.0%/8.0% senior secured notes due 2020 and certain financial reporting defaults by the Company under the Credit Agreement. Under the Forbearance Agreement, that forbearance will continue through April 16, 2018, unless certain specified circumstances cause an earlier termination of that forbearance. Subject to the terms of the Forbearance Agreement, as a result of the existing defaults referred to above, the Agent and the Lenders have the right to exercise their rights and remedies under the Credit Agreement, including, but not limited to, the right to enforce their security interest in the Company's and the subsidiary guarantors' assets pledged as collateral to secure obligations under the Credit Agreement and to pursue collection from the Company and the subsidiary guarantors.

17:46 EDT Triumph Group reaches agreement with Gulfstream Aerospace - Triumph Group announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with Gulfstream Aerospace that would optimize Triumph's role in the supply chain of Gulfstream's business jet wings, leading edges, stringers, skins, flaps, and composite components. The agreement includes a plan for reallocation of work between Triumph's Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Nashville, Tennessee, facilities and Gulfstream's Savannah, Georgia, operation based on where the work is best performed.

17:32 EDT Nektar says strategic collaboration with Bristol-Myers now effective - Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) announced that the waiting period has expired under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and the previously-announced Strategic Collaboration Agreement between Nektar and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) is now effective. The global development and commercialization collaboration for Nektar's CD122-biased agonist, NKTR-214, was announced on February 14, 2018. Upon the collaboration agreement becoming effective on April 3, 2018, Bristol-Myers Squibb made a non-refundable upfront cash payment of $1B to Nektar. In addition, Bristol-Myers Squibb paid the purchase price of $850M to Nektar for the sale and issuance by Nektar of 8,284,600 shares of its common stock to Bristol-Myers Squibb pursuant to a share purchase agreement entered into concurrently with the collaboration agreement.

17:01 EDT OMA Airports appoints Ruffo Perez Pliego CFO - Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V., known as OMA, announced that its board appointed Ruffo Perez Pliego to be CFO; his appointment is effective immediately. Porfirio Gonzalez, OMA's CEO, had exercised the CFO responsibilities on an interim basis.

16:47 EDT JBG SMITH Properties sells Summit office buildings for $95M - JBG SMITH (JGBS) announced the sale of Summit I and Summit II to Brookfield Property Partners (BPY) for $95.0M. Summit is a 100% occupied, two-building office project prominently situated on the Dulles Toll Road in Reston, VA. The project consists of over 290,000 rentable square feet and approximately 700,000 square feet of additional density. In addition, in the first quarter of 2018, JBG SMITH closed on the sale of land and temporary construction easements associated with the Summit site to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for $2.2M.

16:40 EDT EDAP TMS sees promising outcomes from study results for focal HIFU system - EDAP TMS announced that preliminary results of the first U.S. clinical cohort study of focal therapy, using the company's Ablatherm Robotic HIFU system for partial-gland ablation demonstrated promising outcomes for prostate cancer patients. Patients participating in the study, conducted by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, experienced fewer side effects of incontinence and impotence commonly associated with prostate cancer treatments such as surgery and radiation therapy. In a presentation at the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association on March 22, 2018, lead investigators Bruno Nahar, MD and Dipen Parekh, MD showed the initial results of 50 patients enrolled in the study. All patients had been diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and were eligible for focal HIFU therapy, which involves ablating only the diseased part of the prostate, thus preserving healthy prostate tissue and minimizing common side effects.

16:33 EDT Akamai appoints Scott Lovett SVP Global Web Sales - Akamai Technologies announced the appointment of Scott Lovett as Senior Vice President, Global Web Sales.

16:26 EDT Riot Blockchain discloses delay of 10-K filing - After the market close on Monday, April 2, Riot Blockchain disclosed that it would delay its Form 10-K filing with the SEC, saying "The compilation, dissemination and review of the information required to be presented in the Form 10-K for the relevant period has imposed time constraints that have rendered timely filing of the Form 10-K impracticable without undue hardship and expense to the registrant. The registrant undertakes the responsibility to file such report no later than fifteen days after its original prescribed due date."

16:21 EDT Cloudera added 132 net new Global 8000 customers in FY18 - Subscription revenue was up 50% year-over-year to $301M. Non-GAAP subscription gross margin for the year was 85%, more than 300 basis points higher than fiscal year 2017. International revenue grew 62% year-over-year in FY18.

16:20 EDT Cloudera reports Q4 subscription revenue up 50% y/y to $84.3M - Q4 highlights: Non-GAAP subscription gross margin for the quarter was 86%, more than 200 basis points higher than the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017. Dollar-based net expansion rate was 136% for the quarter. International revenue grew 66% year-over-year. 32 net new Global 8000 customers added. Non-GAAP operating loss improved approximately 3,000 basis points as compared to the year-ago quarter.

16:17 EDT Cooper Companies acquires LifeGlobal Group for $125M - The Cooper Companies announced that CooperSurgical has acquired the assets of The LifeGlobal Group and its affiliates, a leading global provider of in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, devices. The transaction is valued at approximately $125M and is expected to be neutral to earnings per share in FY18 and accretive thereafter, excluding one-time charges and deal-related amortization. LifeGlobal had annual revenues of approximately $24M in calendar 2017, and is forecasted to grow in the mid to upper single digits over the coming years.

16:17 EDT Urstadt Biddle Properties acquires Tanglewood Shopping Center in Yonkers - Urstadt Biddle Properties announced that it has acquired Tanglewood Shopping Center, located in Yonkers, NY. Tanglewood is a 27,000 square foot shopping center consisting of two retail buildings. The primary building, which fronts Central Park Avenue, consists of approximately 22,300 square feet and is anchored by a new AutoZone. Other tenants in the primary building include Dunkin' Donuts, WingStop, T-Mobile, State Farm, a pizzeria, a cleaners, a deli, a stationery store and a hair salon. The secondary building consists of approximately 4,700 SF and is tenanted by CKO Kickboxing, a nail salon and a market. The property is currently 100% leased.

16:13 EDT Chubb reports Q1 preliminary net catastrophe losses of $380M pre-tax - Chubb announced preliminary net loss estimates in the first quarter of 2018 attributable to natural catastrophes, including the California mudslides, of $380M pre-tax, or $305M after tax. Losses from the California mudslides are estimated at $125M pre-tax. The company also reported that net losses in the first quarter from the northeast winter storms that struck the East Coast on January 3 and March 1 are estimated at $115M and $80M pre-tax, respectively. All other net losses from natural catastrophes to date globally in the first quarter are estimated at $60M pre-tax. These estimates are net of reinsurance, include reinstatement premiums and comprise losses generated from the company's commercial and personal property and casualty insurance businesses as well as its reinsurance operations.

16:12 EDT Alcoa signs group annuity contracts to transfer Canadian pension obligations - Alcoa Corporation has signed group annuity contracts to transfer approximately $555M in obligations, and related assets, of defined benefit pension plans in Canada. The transfer, which will be complete later this month, is aligned with Alcoa's strategic priority to strengthen its balance sheet by lowering the company's risk to volatility from its pension plan obligations. The group annuity contracts with three Canadian insurance companies will cover approximately 2,100 retirees or beneficiaries. The companies will begin making benefit payments to the affected plan participants by July 2018. The timing and amounts of retirees' current monthly benefit payments will not change. In the second quarter of 2018, Alcoa expects to record a non-cash settlement charge of approximately $175M due to these annuity transactions. As part of the annuity agreements, Alcoa will contribute approximately $95M in mid-April 2018 to facilitate the annuity transaction and maintain the funding level of the remaining plan obligations. This amount represents a portion of the $300M in incremental contributions the Company anticipates making in 2018 to the U.S. and Canadian defined benefit pension plans, as previously announced on January 17.

16:09 EDT Dave & Buster's sees FY18 comparable store sales down low-to-mid single digits

16:07 EDT Owens Realty Mortgage announces amendment to management agreement - Owens Realty Mortgage announced that, as part of the previously announced effort to address the management compensation structure of the Company and improve corporate governance, the Company and Owens Financial Group, have entered into Amendment No. 1 to the Management Agreement, dated May 20, 2013, by and between the Company and the Manager. The Amendment was unanimously approved by the Company's Board of Directors and by the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of the Board, each of which committee is composed exclusively of independent Board members. In connection with its consideration of the terms of the Amendment and related matters, the Compensation Committee considered input received from stockholders, independent financial advisors, independent legal counsel and management, and the analysis of multiple options relating to the Company's internal and external management compensation structure.

16:06 EDT IESO hires ICF International for multimillion dollar contract - The Independent Electricity System Operator has selected ICF for a multimillion dollar contract to provide sales and customer support for its Industrial Accelerator Program. IAP is an incentive program tailored to fast-track capital investment in major energy conservation projects at transmission-connected industrial facilities across Ontario. Under the agreement, which was awarded in the fourth quarter of 2017, ICF will deploy its team of accomplished industrial energy efficiency experts across Ontario to work directly with companies within the most energy-intensive industries including mining, steel, pulp and paper and manufacturing. The team will assess energy waste and develop customized projects designed to maximize energy savings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, gain operational efficiencies and ultimately reduce the costs associated with energy use and cap and trade compliance.

16:06 EDT PCTEL opens wireless product development center - PCTEL opened its Wireless Product Development Center at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Akron today. The Wireless Product Development Center is dedicated to the development of devices for the Industrial IoT and other enterprise-class applications. It provides comprehensive integration, design, and planning of complete products such as access points and routers, including radios, computing hardware, sensors, and antenna systems. In addition, the Center will provide in-house testing, regulatory certification assistance, and manufacturing capabilities to PCTEL's customers.

16:03 EDT Express Scripts appoints Ron Guerrier as Chief Information Officer - Express Scripts Holding announced that Ron Guerrier will join the company as Chief Information Officer, effective April 16. He will be responsible for the company's strategic investments in and application of technology to improve affordability and access to prescription drugs for the 80 million people the company serves. Guerrier will join Express Scripts from Farmers Insurance Group, where he was most recently Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. During his tenure, he was responsible for leading a team of more than 5,300 people who helped develop and drive technology as a competitive advantage for the company.

16:01 EDT Warrior Met Coal declares special dividend of $6.53 per share - The Special Dividend, totaling an aggregate payment of $350 million, will be paid on April 20, 2018, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 13, 2018.

15:57 EDT Celadon Group trading resumes

15:04 EDT Cisco denied inter partes review of Finjan patent claims - Cisco Systems (CSCO) filed a petition requesting inter partes review of claims 10, 11, and 14-16 of U.S. Patent No. 8,677,494 held by Finjan Holdings (FNJN). In a decision dated April 3 that was posted to the site of the USPTO, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board stated in part: "we are not persuaded that Petitioner demonstrates a reasonable likelihood of prevailing in showing the unpatentability of any of the challenged claims on the asserted grounds. Accordingly, we deny Petitioner's request to institute an inter partes review."

14:56 EDT Greenlight Capital says theses intact despite recent results - The Greenlight Capital Funds retuned (13.6)%, net fees and expenses, in the first quarter of 2018, while the S&P 500 index returned (0.8)%. In a letter to investors, David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital lamented over its losses that "were broad throughout the portfolio, but generally shallow." He added, "We had nine positions -- six longs and three shorts -- that each cost more than 0.5% and only one, Micron Technology (MU), that generated a gain of over 0.5%, despite out portfolio having a decent earnings season." Despite recent results, Greenlight said it believes its investment theses remain intact. MARKET REACTION TO EARNINGS: Looking at its 20 largest longs and 20 largest shorts and their earnings report, Einhorn's Greenlight Capital pointed out that given the market's reaction, there were 22 companies that beat expectations, including Netflix (NFLX), five that met expectations, and 13 that disappointed, including Tempur Sealy (TPX). However, Greenlight noted that the longs that met or exceed expectations wound up losing 4% and those that missed fell 17%, while shorts that exceeded expectations finished the quarter up 19% and the shorts that missed expectations also finished up 5%. "It is difficult to fully explain what caused the results," the letter read. General Motors (GM), for example, advanced 6% on the day of the earnings release, before rolling over and falling 18% from its peak to the end of the quarter. "We just don't see what the market may be saying, and we believe that GM is more likely to exceed near and intermediate-term forecasts than to disappoint." INVESTMENTS REMAIN INTACT: Nonetheless, Einhorn's Greenlight Capital believes its "investment theses remain intact. Despite recent results, our portfolio should perform well over time." In the letter, Greenlight also noted that it exited a number of positions during the quarter, including Chemours (CC). At quarter-end, the largest disclosed long positions in Greenlight Capital Funds were AerCap (AER), Bayer (BAYRY), Brighthouse Financial (BHF), General Motors and gold.

14:31 EDT CynergisTek says health system selects its MPS program - CynergisTek announced that a health system in the Northwest has selected its Managed Print Services, or MPS, program. Under the terms of the multi-million dollar, five-year agreement, CynergisTek will evaluate the organization's current print program and provide the healthcare system with a customized strategy to optimize its print environment, reduce costs, and enhance overall security while also alleviating constraints on internal resources. The health system turned to CynergisTek as it needed to partner with an expert that could optimize and secure its print environment after implementing a new electronic health record system. CynergisTek will help the organization systematically transform its fleet of print devices to meet its future print and security needs, as well as provide on-site service management.

13:57 EDT Euronet sinks after Walmart launches global wire transfer service - Shares of Euronet Worldwide (EEFT) are moving lower after Walmart (WMT) this morning announced a new global money wiring service called Walmart2World. The retailing giant is teaming with MoneyGram (MGI) to launch the service in all of its 4,700 U.S. stores this month. "Wherever you are in the United States, and to wherever you are sending money, the new, low fees for Walmart2World are the same - $4 to send up to $50, $8 to send $51 to $1,000, and $16 to send $1,001 to $2,500," the company noted. It added, "Compared to other international wire services that can take up to three days, Walmart2World will deliver funds in 10 minutes or less, whether the receiver opts to pick up the money at any one of MoneyGram's agent locations in 200 countries, or an international bank or mobile wallet account." Shares of Euronet, which specializes in money transfers, are down 5.5%, or $4.21, to $71.90 following the news. MoneyGram, on the other hand, is up 6% to $8.67.

12:59 EDT Lemelson Capital reports 8.4% stake in Geospace

12:43 EDT Game On: Microsoft's 'Sea of Thieves' fastest-selling new IP of this generation - Welcome to "Game On," The Fly's weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks. NEW RELEASES: This week's major game release is Bethesda's "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR," a virtual reality version of the popular role-playing game that originally launched in 2011. "Skyrim VR" rolled out on PC yesterday after originally rolling out on PlayStation (SNE) VR in November 2017. GAMESTOP RESULTS: Last Wednesday, GameStop (GME) reported fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share of $2.02 on revenue of $3.5B, exceeding analysts' estimates for $1.97 and $3.27B, respectively. The game retailer also reported a global same-store sales increase of 12.2% in Q4, which the company attributed to "compelling" Black Friday and holiday promotions, driving growth in hardware, particularly the Nintendo Switch (NTDOY), PS4 Pro, and Xbox One X (MSFT). GameStop, however, provided a conservative outlook, guiding for adjusted EPS of $3.00-$3.35, a revenue decline of 2%-6%, and comparable sales flat to down 5% for fiscal 2018. MOBILE 'FORTNITE' OPEN EVERYWHERE: The mobile version of Epic Games' popular title "Fortnite" became available everywhere on iOS (AAPL) yesterday, according to the game's official Twitter account. The mobile version of "Fortnite" was initially invite-only. "Fortnite" is currently the top downloaded free game on the App Store, while Tencent's (TCEHY) "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" is in second place in that category. Meanwhile, Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson noted last week that investor concerns around the popularity of "Fortnite" and lack of specific near-term catalysts has created a buying opportunity for shares of video game publishers. Olson maintained Overweight ratings on Activision Blizzard (ATVI), Electronic Arts (EA), Take-Two (TTWO) and Zynga (ZNGA). 'SEA OF THIEVES' SALES: Last week, Microsoft said in a blog post that "Sea of Thieves," the multiplayer pirate simulator that launched on Xbox One and PC on March 20, is the fastest-selling first-party new intellectual property of this generation. Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg noted in a tweet that this statistic applies purely to Microsoft. The game, which has received largely mixed reviews, also launched as part of Microsoft's Game Pass service, where subscribers can pay $9.99 a month to access a catalog of games for download.

12:24 EDT Square peer-to-peer Cash app is available in U.K. - Reference Link

11:53 EDT Tesla rises after 'good enough' update includes pledge of no 2018 capital raise - Shares of Tesla (TSLA) are on the rise after the electric carmaker reported an uptick in Model 3 output, but still short of CEO Elon Musk's goal of 2,500 vehicles a week. Tesla also said it will not require an equity or debt raise this year. Following the announcement, Baird analyst Ben Kallo told investors he sees the update as "good enough," while his peer at KeyBanc noted that the automaker's delivery report was "better than feared" and showed that significant improvement has been made in Model 3 production. PRODUCTION, DELIVERIES: In a regulatory filing, Tesla said that first quarter production totaled 34,494 vehicles, a 40% increase from the fourth quarter and "by far the most productive quarter in Tesla history. 24,728 were Model S and Model X, and 9,766 were Model 3. The Model 3 output increased exponentially, representing a fourfold increase over last quarter. [...] We were able to double the weekly Model 3 production rate during the quarter by rapidly addressing production and supply chain bottlenecks, including several short factory shutdowns to upgrade equipment. In the past seven days, Tesla produced 2,020 Model 3 vehicles. In the next seven days, we expect to produce 2,000 Model S and X vehicles and 2,000 Model 3 vehicles. [...] Given the progress made thus far and upcoming actions for further capacity improvement, we expect that the Model 3 production rate will climb rapidly through Q2. Tesla continues to target a production rate of approximately 5,000 units per week in about three months, laying the groundwork for Q3 to have the long-sought ideal combination of high volume, good gross margin and strong positive operating cash flow. As a result, Tesla does not require an equity or debt raise this year, apart from standard credit lines. Q1 deliveries totaled 29,980 vehicles, of which 11,730 were Model S, 10,070 were Model X, and 8,180 were Model 3." The company added that its Q1 performance keeps it on track for its previously communicated full-year 2018 Model S and X delivery guidance. 'GOOD ENOUGH': Commenting on Tesla's production and delivery update, Baird's Kallo reiterated an Outperform rating and $411 price target on the carmaker's shares as he believes the announcement was "good enough." The analyst highlighted that Tesla has indicated no capital raise will be needed in 2018, which has been a recent bear argument, as cash flow should increase along with Model 3 production. Importantly, Kallo believes that the growing Model 3 production rate should allow the company to have significantly higher volumes in the third quarter onward, which should drive solid gross margins and operating cash flow. Meanwhile, KeyBanc analyst Brad Erickson told investors in a research note of his own that he believes Tesla shares should see a relief rally after the company's first quarter delivery report came in "better than feared" and showed that significant improvement has been made in Model 3 production. Tesla bears will "almost certainly question" the company's pledge that it needs no more capital raises this year, but Erickson thinks if Model 3 production approaches 4,000-5,000 per week, Model 3 gross margins should turn profitable. While Model S and X deliveries were below the Street's sell-side estimates, they were likely "good enough" for the buy-side, Erickson added. Nonetheless, he reiterated a Sector Weight rating on the stock as he ultimately struggles with investor perceptions of the company's innovative superiority in the areas of manufacturing, batteries, software, AI, and competition. PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Tesla have gained over 3% to $261.01.

11:27 EDT NASA selects Lockheed Martin Skunk Works to build X-plane - NASA awarded Lockheed Martin Skunk Works a contract to design, build and flight test the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, an X-plane designed to make supersonic passenger air travel a reality. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works will build a full-scale experimental aircraft, known as an X-plane, of its preliminary design developed under NASA's Quiet Supersonic Technology effort. The X-plane will help NASA establish an acceptable commercial supersonic noise standard to overturn current regulations banning commercial supersonic travel over land. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and NASA have partnered for more than a decade to enable the next generation of commercial supersonic aircraft. NASA awarded Lockheed Martin Skunk Works a contract in February 2016 for the preliminary design of the supersonic X-plane flight demonstrator. The aircraft will be built at the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, and will conduct its first flight in 2021.

11:22 EDT Honda reports March U.S. sales up 3.8% to 142,392 units - Honda reports its U.S. sales grew 3.8% in March compared to the prior year to 142,392 units. Honda brand sales set a new March record, gaining 2.6% on sales of 128,855, the company noted. Acura brand sales grew 15.7% from the same month of last year to 13,537 units.

10:47 EDT Rent-A-Center rises 7% to $9.30 after TheStreet reports on takoever bids

10:33 EDT CNN to Trump: CNN employees' pursuit of the truth 'our only concern' - CNN responded to President Trump's tweet this morning that said "Check out the fact that you can't get a job at ratings challenged @CNN unless you state that you are totally anti-Trump? Little Jeff Zuker, whose job is in jeopardy, is not having much fun lately. They should clean up and strengthen CNN and get back to honest reporting!" In a tweet, CNN commented "Once again, false. The personal political beliefs of CNN's employees are of no interest to us. Their pursuit of the truth is our only concern. Also, Jeff's last name is spelled Z-U-C-K-E-R. Those are the facts. #FactsFirst." Reference Link

10:29 EDT Street Fight: Analysts split on Intel after report Apple plans Mac chip switch - Commenting on Bloomberg's report saying Apple (AAPL) plans to replace Intel (INTC) processors in Mac computers with its own chips, several Wall Street analysts said they see the weakness in the semiconductor makers' shares as a buying opportunity. However, not all were as bullish. Jefferies analyst Mark Lipacis believes the report adds to the competitive pressure already facing Intel, while Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon thinks the biggest risk for Intel is not direct financial impact but whether this could be "the first crack" in its story. APPLE SAID TO PLAN OWN MAC CHIPS: Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that Apple is planning to replace processors from Intel that it currently uses in Mac computers with its own chips. The change, which could begin as early as 2020, is part of a larger strategy to make all of Apple's devices work more similarly and seamlessly together, the report noted. BUYING OPPORTUNITY?: Reports of Apple potentially using its own chips in the Mac are not new, JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur noted, adding that he estimates Apple has about 7% PC market share and currently represents about 3%-4% of Intel's total revenues and operating profitability. However, Sur believes Apple's PC compute platforms will represent less than 3% of Intel's total revenues and operating profitability in the 2020 timeframe. More importantly, the analyst expects Apple will continue to buy Intel's flagship Xeon processors to power its current and future datacenters and continue to use Intel's cellular modem portfolio to power its iPhone/iPad product lines. The analyst recommended buying shares of Intel amid the pullback. Voicing a similar opinion, Citi analyst Christopher Danely told investors to use the pullback in shares of Intel as a buying opportunity. The analyst thinks Apple may try to install some internal chips in its low-end notebooks but believes the "difficulty in using them will render the experience miserable." He also estimates the maximum downside risk from Apple's in-house chips at 2c to Intel's 2020 earnings. Danely reiterated a Buy rating and $58 price target on Intel's shares. COMPETITIVE RISK: Not as bullish, Jefferies' Lipacis said he would expect Intel to fight aggressively and creatively to keep Apple as a customer, and estimates that Apple is only about a 5% customer for Intel. The analyst noted that the new report is consistent with his argument that semis would see vertical integration by customers and that Intel faces risk of increased competition and lower margins. While Intel already faces higher competition from Nvidia (NVDA), AMD (AMD) and Cavium (CAVM), the Apple report suggests added competitive risk, the analyst contended, reiterating an Underperform rating and $38 price target on Intel shares. Also voicing concern, Bernstein's Rasgon told investors that this latest market speculation "feels more real." With Apple not being a huge PC vendor, Rasgon does not think direct financial impact is the biggest potential concern. Rather, the bigger risk is whether this could simply be, if true, the first crack to the Intel story that could conceivably develop into a chasm. Further, Rasgon pointed out that if Apple can prove that its own architecture can credibly replace what have likely been high-end SKUs from Intel, an existence proof for the potential viability of ARM in the PC space will have been provided, as well as throwing the door open for other, more damaging competition down the road. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Intel have slid about 0.5% to $48.65 after seeing their biggest drop in two years on Monday by falling 6%.

10:24 EDT Snap introduces group video chat - In a blog post, the company said, "We designed Chat to feel less like texting and more like hanging out. That's why when a friend opens Chat, their Bitmoji pops up to say 'I'm here!' - and why your Chat conversations aren't saved forever, by default. Today, we're making Chat even more fun. Now you can video chat with up to 16 of your friends at one time. Just tap the video camera icon in a Group Chat to get your friends together! Friends in the Group Chat will receive a notification inviting them to join.How you express yourself is up to you. You can use Lenses, join only with your voice, or simply send messages that others can read while they talk. Every conversation is unique! Group Video Chat will begin rolling out to Snapchatters globally this week."

10:10 EDT Booz Allen announces award of $179M contract to support U.S. Navy - Booz Allen Hamilton announced that the company was awarded a $179M indefinite delivery/indefinite quality re-compete contract in November of 2017 for up to five years to provide professional services and subject matter expertise in support of the U.S. Navy's Commander, Navy Installations Command in the areas of program management, technology, analytic, and administrative support across the Command's entire portfolio of installation programs.

10:06 EDT Ford sees total March industry SAAR in mid-17M vehicle range - Sees total industry SAAR in the mid-17M range, with sales of about 1.6M-1.7M vehicles for the month. Says industry was up roughly 3% from last year, adds that it "may even go over that number." Comments taken from Ford's March U.S. sales conference call. Ford is up 1.7% to $11.04 in morning trading.

10:01 EDT DSW names Drew Domecq as Chief Information Officer - DSW (DSW) announced that Drew Domecq has joined the organization as senior vice president and chief information officer, effective April 2. Domecq will report to CEO Roger Rawlins. Domecq joins DSW from Bob Evans Restaurants and prior to that he was responsible for all restaurant technology and enterprise application development as vice president of technology solutions at The Wendy's Company (WEN).

09:59 EDT President says he's 'right' about Amazon costing USPS 'many billions' - President Donald Trump tweeted: "I am right about Amazon costing the United States Post Office massive amounts of money for being their Delivery Boy. Amazon should pay these costs (plus) and not have them bourne by the American Taxpayer. Many billions of dollars. P.O. leaders don't have a clue (or do they?)!" Reference Link

09:53 EDT LHC, Amedisys rally after CMS approves Medicare Advantage plan - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services yesterday afternoon released final policy and payment updates to the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs through the 2019 Rate Announcement and Call Letter. The final policy includes an increase in payments to privately run health plans for the elderly by an average of 3.4% in 2019, which is above the 1.84% previously estimated. Following the news, shares of LHC Group (LHCG) are up 8% to $68.06 while Amedisys (AMED) is up 3% to $61.88. Reference Link

09:44 EDT Engine Capital 'deeply concerned' over delay of Navigant's annual meeting - Engine Capital, a shareholder of Navigant Consulting, with an ownership of approximately 4.4% of the company, issued a statement regarding the company's apparent delay in taking the steps to schedule and hold its 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Arnaud Ajdler, managing member of Engine Capital, said, "We are deeply concerned that Navigant may be seeking to delay holding its Annual Meeting, as the company has yet to provide public notice of the record date or meeting date. Historically, the company has held its annual meetings in mid-May going back to 2012, with a corresponding record date between March 25th and March 31st. Navigant set a record date of March 30, 2017 for last year's "virtual-only" annual shareholder meeting through a notification to Broadridge Financial Solutions on or around January 24, 2017. As of today, more than two months after the one-year anniversary of its notification to Broadridge of the 2017 record date, we understand that the company has yet to provide Broadridge with notice of its 2018 record date. At this stage, given the SEC requirement that Navigant provide 20 business days' advance notice of the record date to banks and brokers, we believe the earliest the Company could possibly set the record date under applicable SEC and NYSE rules would be in May. We are troubled by this development and hope the company is not delaying its annual meeting in an attempt to improperly perpetuate the status quo. We remain open to a constructive dialogue with the company in order to avoid a proxy contest, but rather than engage with us, the Board has rejected our settlement offers out of hand and now appears to be delaying the shareholder vote on directors. We urge the Board not to pursue entrenchment tactics, such as delaying the annual meeting or seeking to unilaterally add self-selected directors in an effort to reactively appease other shareholders and avoid real change. We remain confident that our slate of highly qualified director candidates would, if elected, revitalize the Board and help put the company on the right path towards delivering long-term shareholder value. We call on the company to announce its 2018 Annual Meeting date without further delay."

09:37 EDT General Motors reports March U.S. sales up 15.7% to 296,341 vehicles - General Motors reported 296,341 car, crossover and truck deliveries in the United States in March. Sales were up 16% year over year, driven by Buick's best March since 2004, Chevrolet's best March since 2007 and Cadillac's best March since 2014. It was GMC's best March in the brand's history. GM's retail sales in March were up 14% year over year, and the company's estimated retail market share was 17.7% - the highest since 2009 - driven by a 0.7 percentage point gain by Chevrolet. Chevrolet was the industry's fastest-growing full-line brand. In the first quarter, GM sales were up 4%, ahead of an estimated industry increase of about 2%. Retail deliveries for GM and the industry were up about 1% versus a year ago. "March was an exceptional month for us. A growing economy and strong new products helped us execute a very successful plan to conquest customers from other brands," said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president, Sales Operations. "Once customers purchase a GM product, they tend to stay in the family as we deliver an award-winning ownership experience that is hard to beat."

09:31 EDT General Motors reports March U.S. sales up 15.7% to 296,341 vehicles

09:20 EDT Tyler Technologies signs agreement with Fort Worth for electronic citations - Tyler Technologies signed an agreement with the city of Fort Worth, Texas, for Tyler's Brazos electronic citation solution. The city's police, code enforcement, and parking enforcement departments will all use the public safety solution to streamline citations by moving from paper to electronic processes. The city of Fort Worth was familiar with Tyler's Brazos implementation in the nearby city of Arlington, Texas, and chose Tyler after its bid through the National Joint Powers Alliance,or NJPA. The police department will receive 150 handheld ticket writer units, which will be used with Brazos' electronic citation solution. The solution will interface with the court's software as well as with its active directory, allowing for real-time communication between departments. Brazos will also allow for a user to run a query about a resident on the handheld device, validate any possible warrants on that person, and automatically populate information directly into a citation. Also, the electronic tickets will be able to print in English and Spanish.

09:18 EDT Curtiss-Wright completes acquisition of Dresser-Rand Government Business - Curtiss-Wright (CW) announced that it has completed the acquisition of the Dresser-Rand Government Business, a business unit of Siemens Government Technologies which is a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG (SIEGY) in Germany, for $212.5M in cash. Dresser-Rand is a designer and manufacturer of mission-critical, high-speed rotating equipment solutions, including reciprocating compressors, steam turbines and steam system valves, supporting most major U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs. In addition, Dresser-Rand is the sole supplier of steam turbines and main engine guard valves on all aircraft carrier programs. The business will operate within Curtiss-Wright's Power segment and its sales are principally to the naval defense market, with additional sales to the power generation market. The acquisition supports our long-term financial objectives for increased sales growth, margin expansion and strong free cash flow generation. Excluding the effects of purchase accounting, it is expected to be accretive to Curtiss-Wright's 2018 earnings per share and produce a free cash flow conversion in excess of 100%.

09:15 EDT Ford reports March U.S. sales up 3.4%, with 244,306 vehicles sold

09:11 EDT Delta Air Lines sees Q1 EPS 65c-75c, consensus 73c - Sees total Q1 unit revenue up about 5%, non-fuel unit costs up about 4% y/y. Sees Q1 pre-tax margin 6.5%-7.5%, TRASM up about 5%, capacity up about 3%.

09:07 EDT Tesla says 'on track' for FY18 Model S, X delivery guidance

09:06 EDT Radiant appoints Jennifer Deenihan as Director of Marketing and Communications - Radiant Logistics announced the appointment of Jennifer Paige Deenihan as Director of Marketing and Communications with oversight of the Company's multi-brand strategy and corporate communications efforts. Deenihan will report to Chief Commercial Officer, Arnold Goldstein. Jenn is a seasoned marketing veteran with over 15 years of progressive experience, with the last number of years spent in the logistics industry leading the strategic marketing efforts at BTX Global Logistics.

09:05 EDT Tesla: Net Model 3 reservations 'stable' through Q1

09:05 EDT Digi International to streamline manufacturing operations - Digi International announced it will transfer the manufacturing functions of its Eden Prairie operations facility to existing contract manufacture suppliers. The move further leverages the manufacturing strength of its vendors and further focuses Digi on new product introduction. The move to outsource falls in line with industry practices. The current facility will continue to house the operations team, which will support contract manufacturers as well as oversee the planning and procurement of finished goods and product fulfillment, logistics and quality.

09:04 EDT Synchrony, Mahindra announce multi-year agreement - Synchrony announced a multi-year agreement to provide consumer financing for Mahindra's powersports division in the U.S. As the preferred financing partner for Mahindra Vehicle sales and service, Synchrony will provide the company's fast-growing U.S. dealer network with promotional financing options for new and used powersports vehicles and accessories, including the brand new ROXOR side-by-side off-road vehicle. Dealers will have access to a variety of Synchrony's financial tools, including its installment loan estimator which can help consumers with financing decisions.

09:04 EDT Adamas Pharmaceuticals enrolls first patient in ADS-5102 Phase 3 trial - Adamas Pharmaceuticals announced that the first patient has been enrolled in its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of ADS-5102 extended release capsules in multiple sclerosis, or MS, patients with walking impairment. The three-arm, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is expected to enroll up to 540 MS patients with walking impairment in the United States.

09:04 EDT Tesla says produced 2,020 Model 3 vehicles in past seven days

09:03 EDT Delta Air Lines reports March traffic up 4.3%, capacity up 3.0% - Reports March load factor up 1.1 pts.

09:02 EDT Johnson Controls appoints Nancy Berce as Chief Information Officer - Johnson Controls (JCI) announced Nancy Berce has joined the company as its Chief Information Officer succeeding John Repko who is leaving the company to pursue other East Coast opportunities after completing a two-year commitment to lead the Company's IT function. Berce most recently served as vice president of Business and Technology Services for Abbott Laboratories (ABT). She joined Abbott in 1996 and has held a number of leadership positions including serving as the company's chief information officer where she was responsible for the IT, cybersecurity, digital and analytic services organizations.

09:02 EDT Gevo appoints Tim Cesarek as Chief Commercial Officer - Gevo announced the appointment of Tim Cesarek to the newly created position of Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. Cesarek brings over 20 years of knowledge and experience in strategic and commercial transactions, with 15 years in the field of renewable resource based fuels and chemicals. In addition to overseeing Gevo's commercial development of its fuel and chemical products, Cesarek is expected to develop and close deals with strategic customers and partners.

09:01 EDT NN, Inc. to acquire Paragon Medical for $375M in cash - NN, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire PMG Intermediate Holding Corporation, the parent company of Paragon Medical, for $375M in cash. Paragon Medical is a medical device manufacturer which focuses on the orthopedic, case and tray, implant and instrument markets. NN anticipates the transaction will close in the second quarter of 2018 and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval.

08:51 EDT Puma Biotechnology enters into Nerlynx agreement with Pint Pharma for $34.5M - Puma Biotechnology and Pint Pharma have entered into an agreement for Pint Pharma to commercialize Nerlynx in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and the rest of Latin America. Nerlynx is not approved currently for commercialization outside of the United States. Pint Pharma will be responsible for seeking the requisite regulatory approvals and, once approved on a country by country basis, Puma will receive an upfront payment as well as potential regulatory and commercial milestone payments totaling up to $34.5M. In addition, Puma will receive significant double-digit royalties on Nerlynx sales in Latin America.

08:46 EDT Stratasys announces formation of Vulcan Labs - Stratasys Ltd announced a new spin-off designed to advance innovation of Powder-Bed Fusion additive manufacturing -- Vulcan Labs, Inc. Stratasys says: "Vulcan's solutions are engineered to meet the complex demands of end-use production applications -- aimed at significantly overcoming typical deficiencies of productivity, quality, and certification. The company's primary focus is advancing the quality, repeatability and efficiency of PBF technology -- initially focusing on metals." In the coming months, Vulcan will engage with partners and customers to evaluate and further develop Vulcan's solutions.

08:36 EDT Maglan Capital delivers letter to Consolidated's CEO Robert Udell - Maglan Capital, together with its affiliates, a significant, long-term shareholder of Consolidated Communications Holdings, with beneficial ownership of approximately 2.2% of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock, announced that it has delivered a letter to C. Robert Udell Jr., Consolidated's CEO and to the other members of the Company's Board of Directors. Letter included: "The facts are clear: the Company's share-price has effectively not risen in 15 consecutive months. The current share price stands below $11, which reflects an eye-popping 14.65% yield, a 50%+ decline since the Company's announced purchase of FairPoint Communications, and the lowest share price since 2009. Additionally, the Company's bonds have traded down from par to below 90c on-the-dollar. Regardless of whatever progress there has been operationally at the Company, the Board and management must immediately begin a program to repurchase its bonds at a discount. Any thought that "over time, fundamentals will prevail," is naive; by the time the fundamentals are undeniable, the Company's share price could easily be in single digits, and regaining lost ground would be impossible because of a percentage price-growth cap that investors will place on the upside to the stock price."

08:34 EDT Ampio retains PAREXEL to assist in preparing BLA for Ampion - Ampio Pharmaceuticals announces the company has retained PAREXEL to assist in preparing and presenting the Biologics License Application for Ampion for the treatment of osteoarthritis-of-the-knee to the FDA.

08:33 EDT Hersha Hospitality acquires the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel for $41.5M - Hersha Hospitality Trust announced the purchase of the 150-room Annapolis Waterfront Hotel, an Autograph Collection Hotel, for $41.5M. The Annapolis Waterfront Hotel was converted to an Autograph Collection in 2015 and is in close proximity to a number of demand generators including the United States Naval Academy, St. John's College, the Maryland State House and the State Capitol complex. The property boasts 15,000 square feet of function space, half of which is allocated to the hotel's outdoor terrace, along with a leased waterside restaurant and bar. In addition to the F&B lease, the asset also generates lease income through onsite parking, slip rental fees and various antenna leases.

08:32 EDT ReShape Lifesciences announces approval of ReShape Balloon in Saudi Arabia - ReShape Lifesciences announced approval of the Company's ReShape Balloon by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Congruent with this approval, the Company received an initial stocking order from Dar Al Zahrawi Medical, KSA.

08:32 EDT Points International engages Liolios to lead strategic investor relations - Points International has engaged Liolios Group to lead a new strategic investor relations and financial communications program. Liolios will work closely with management to develop and execute a comprehensive capital markets strategy, which will include messaging and corporate positioning, strategic advisory and introductions to new investors and key influencers across the financial community.

08:20 EDT Solitario and Teck Resources approve jointly funded budget on Lik zinc project - Solitario (XPL) announced that, through its 100%-owned subsidiary Zazu Metals and Teck American Incorporated , a wholly owned subsidiary of Teck Resources (TECK), Canada's largest diversified resource company, have approved a jointly funded budget for a new work program on the Lik zinc project in Alaska. This is the first time that project work has been jointly funded, as previously, Zazu Metals, acquired by Solitario in July 2017, had sole-funded the project as part of an option earn-in agreement. Solitario believes this is a positive step for future exploration and development activities for the Lik project. Potentially amenable to open pit mining, the Lik project hosts an indicated resource of approximately 17.3M tonnes grading 80% zinc, 2.7% lead and 51 grams/tonne silver and an additional 2.9M tonnes of inferred resource at 8.6% zinc, 2.6% lead and 37 grams/tonne silver. The project is situated approximately 14 miles northwest of Teck's operating Red Dog mine, one of the world's largest and lowest cost zinc mines.

08:14 EDT TiVo signs long-term intellectual property license with Starz Entertainment - TiVo (TIVO) announced that Starz Entertainment (LGF.A, LGF.B), a media distribution company that owns several TV networks in the U.S., signed a long-term intellectual property license. Starz is acquiring a license to the TiVo patent portfolios and the over-the-top assets of the intellectual ventures patent portfolio under the TiVo/IV licensing partnership.

08:13 EDT CB&I awarded contract by CNOOC for polypropylene plant in China - CB&I announced it has been awarded a contract by CNOOC Ningbo Daxie Petrochemical for the license and process design engineering of a 300 kta polypropylene plant in Ningbo, China. The plant will use CB&I's Novolen technology and proprietary Novolen High Performance catalyst to produce a full range of polypropylene products, with a focus on high-end copolymers.

08:10 EDT Henry Schein and Internet Brands announces joint venture - Henry Schein and Internet Brands announced the creation of a joint venture designed to deliver integrated dental technology to help the profession improve practice management and marketing as well as patient communication. Henry Schein Practice Solutions is the leading dental practice management software company and will bring to the venture its market-leading suite of practice management systems. Internet Brands is the market leader in web-based software applications used by dental offices to attract and retain patients and manage online reputation. Henry Schein will have majority ownership of the joint venture and Internet Brands will own a minority interest, with senior management from Henry Schein and Internet Brands serving on the board of Henry Schein One. The combined entity, which will serve markets globally, had pro-forma 2017 sales of approximately $400M. Henry Schein expects the transaction to be neutral to the balance of its FY18 EPS, excluding the impact of one-time transfer taxes of approximately $4.5M, or 3c per share, related to completing the transaction, and to be accretive thereafter. The joint venture expects to realize between $20M-$30M in annual synergies by the end of year three. The companies expect to complete the transaction in the Q2, subject to certain pre-closing conditions. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

08:07 EDT Starz acquires license to TiVo patent portfolios - TiVo announced that Starz Entertainment, a media distribution company that owns several TV networks in the U.S., signed a long-term intellectual property license. Starz is acquiring a license to the TiVo patent portfolios and the over-the-top assets of the intellectual ventures patent portfolio under the TiVo/IV licensing partnership.

08:07 EDT Pfizer to hold 25% ownership stake in Allogene Therapeutics

08:06 EDT CB&I awarded contract by Hainan Huasheng for DPC petrochemical unit in China - CB&I announced it has been awarded a contract by Hainan Huasheng New Material Technology for the license and engineering design for a diphenyl carbonate, or DPC, petrochemical unit in Hainan Province, China. The unit will use Versalis' DPC technology licensed by CB&I to produce diphenyl carbonate intermediate, which is used for the production of polycarbonate.

08:06 EDT ReWalk Robotics launches clinical study of ReStore soft exo-suit system - ReWalk Robotics announced the official launch of its clinical study of the ReStore soft exo-suit system for the rehabilitation of individuals with lower limb disability due to stroke. The first clinical study participant began using a ReStore last week at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts where the study is being led by a team of researchers from the Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College. The study seeks to enroll 40 participants at five of the top rehabilitation hospitals in the U.S.

08:05 EDT CB&I awarded conttract by CNOOC for polypropylene plant in China - CB&I announced it has been awarded a contract by CNOOC Ningbo Daxie Petrochemical for the license and process design engineering of a 300 kta polypropylene plant in Ningbo, China. The plant will use CB&I's Novolen technology and proprietary Novolen High Performance catalyst to produce a full range of polypropylene products, with a focus on high-end copolymers.

08:05 EDT Kala Pharmaceuticals names Eric Trachtenberg as general counsel - Kala Pharmaceuticals (KALA) announced the appointment of Eric Trachtenberg as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining Kala Pharmaceuticals, Trachtenberg served as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary of Aralez Pharmaceuticals (ARLZ) since February 2016

08:03 EDT Everbridge completes voluntary tender offer for Unified Messaging Systems - Everbridge announced that Everbridge Holdings Limited has successfully completed the voluntary offer to acquire the entire issued share capital of Unified Messaging Systems ASA. Payment of the offer price is being made today to the UMS shareholders who accepted the offer. At the same time, 184,746,970 tendered shares are being transferred to Everbridge. As a result, Everbridge now holds 186,484,989 shares representing approximately 94.2% of the total shares in UMS on a fully diluted basis.

08:02 EDT ZixCorp acquires Erado - Zix Corporation has acquired Seattle-based Erado, a provider of archiving, supervision, eDiscovery, and analytics for the financial sector. With the acquisition, Zix strengthens its comprehensive archiving solutions with unified archiving, supervision, security, and messaging solutions for customers that demand bundled services. With more than 18,000 customers across the financial services vertical, Erado's long-time focus on helping its customers comply with FINRA and SEC regulations will help further strengthen Zix's offering for customers with compliance requirements. This acquisition expands Zix's cloud-based email archiving capabilities into more than 50 content channels, including social media, instant message, mobile, web, audio, and video. Zix also believes the acquisition will strengthen its relationship with financial services and legal customers by allowing it to offer a more comprehensive archiving solution that helps customers comply with industry regulations.

08:02 EDT Pfizer, Allogene Therapeutics enter into asset contribution agreement - Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and Allogene Therapeutics announced that the two companies have entered into an asset contribution agreement for Pfizer's portfolio of assets related to allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, an investigational immune cell therapy approach to treating cancer. Allogene is co-founded and led by former executives of Kite Pharma (GILD). Arie Belldegrun, M.D., FACS, Founder and former Chairman, President and CEO of Kite, will serve as Executive Chairman, and David Chang, M.D., Ph.D., former Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer of Kite, will serve as President and CEO. Pfizer views this agreement as an attractive opportunity to support the continued development of allogeneic CAR T therapy in a highly focused and skilled manner. Pfizer will continue to participate financially in the development of the CAR T portfolio through a 25% ownership stake in Allogene. Separately, Pfizer continues to have an 8 percent ownership stake in Cellectis through an equity agreement entered into in 2014. Allogene, a Two River portfolio company, was formed with Series A financing of $300M from an investment consortium that includes TPG, Vida Ventures, BellCo Capital, the University of California Office of the Chief Investment Officer and Pfizer, among others. TPG, Vida Ventures, BellCo Capital and Pfizer will be represented on the Allogene Board of Directors. Closing is expected in the second quarter of 2018, subject to closing conditions.

07:47 EDT Jacobs Engineering selected by U.S. Army engineers to work in Africa - Jacobs Engineering Group has been selected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District, to deliver architectural and engineering consulting services for the development, assessment, design, monitoring and evaluation of infrastructure projects in more than 15 African nations. The works falls under the U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, responsible for all U.S. Department of Defense operations, exercises and security cooperation on the African continent, to promote regional security, stability and prosperity. The company's first task order calls for the installation of a high-voltage distribution system and security lighting at selected locations in and around Accra and Tamale, Ghana.

07:34 EDT Good Times Restaurants reports Q2 SSS up 7.1% - Good Times Restaurants announced that its Good Times' same store sales increased 7.1% in Q2 ended March 27, over the prior year's increase of 0.5%, and its Bad Daddy's same store sales increased 0.2% during the quarter over the prior year's increase of 3.2%. Excluding the Cherry Creek location which continues to be impacted by construction in the surrounding area, Bad Daddy's adjusted same store sales increased 0.7% for the quarter. Boyd Hoback, president & CEO, said, "We saw our seventh consecutive quarter of sequential improvement in our same store sales at Good Times, and significantly exceeded our guidance of 3.5% comps during the quarter. We are very pleased with our results during the quarter, as we continue to compete in an environment with significant discounting in both of our competitive segments. The introduction of our Spicy Chicken Sandwich in March helped drive traffic, supported by media during the final three weeks in March, a month when Good Times' same store sales increased 8.9%."

07:34 EDT Ebix agrees to acquire CentrumDirect for about $175M - Ebix announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire India based CentrumDirect Limited, or CDL, for approximately $175M. CDL will be tightly integrated into Ebix's Financial Exchange EbixCash offering in India and abroad, with key CDL business executives becoming an integral part of the combined EbixCash senior leadership. The agreement while approved by the Centrum Board, is subject to its shareholders and other regulatory/commercial approvals. The customary process for such approvals can take a timeline of 45 to 60 days. Ebix believes that the business can continue to grow at the rate of 20% plus annually with operating margins of 30% or more, once fully integrated. Ebix expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to its earnings and forecasts it to generate 25c in increased Diluted EPS.

07:31 EDT Imax announces agreement for thirty new theatres in China - IMAX, IMAX China Holding and Guangzhou JinYi Media announced an agreement for 30 new IMAX theatres to be located in a combination of new and existing complexes across the country. The agreement underscores IMAX's more flexible approach to deal structures in China, designed to help optimize financial performance on a market-by-market basis. The 30-theatre agreement will encompass a variety of different deal structures across Tier One to Tier Four cities based in part on the specific market and anticipated box office performance of the theatre. The theatres are expected to open beginning this year through 2023 with approximately half to be installed by 2019. The agreement brings to 885, IMAX's total number of contracted theatres in Greater China with 543 open and 342 contracted to open.

07:19 EDT Bio-Path says prexigebersen plus LDAC shows early anti-leukemic activity - Bio-Path Holdings announces that interim data from its Phase 2 study of prexigebersen in combination with low-dose cytarabine for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia has demonstrated that the combination therapy continues to be well-tolerated and has shown early anti-leukemic activity in nearly 50% of evaluable AML patients including four patients with complete remission and four with stable disease to date in this study. The open-label Phase 2 study is evaluating the efficacy and safety of prexigebersen in conjunction with LDAC, a therapeutic regimen well established in treatment of AML patients who cannot or elect not to be treated with more intensive chemotherapy. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether the combination of prexigebersen and LDAC provides greater efficacy than what would be expected with LDAC alone in this de novo patient population. The study had a pre-determined decision point at 19 evaluable patients in which the study would be terminated if less than 5 patients responded and the study would be expanded to 54 patients if five or more patients responded. The interim analysis was performed on 17 evaluable patients instead of 19, since criteria to move to the next steps in the study had been met. Of the 17 evaluable patients, there were four patients who achieved complete responses, one patient who achieved a morphologic leukemia free state, two patients who had significantly reduced bone marrow blasts and four patients with stable disease. In total, 47% of the evaluable patients showed some form of response, including stable disease, to the combination treatment. The average age of patients in the study was 73.5 years old. Based on the recommendations of the principal investigators of the study, the company is amending the protocol to change the dosing schedule to that used in the Phase 1b study in relapsed and refractory AML patients in which a higher dose of prexigerbesen was administered prior to LDAC treatment starting at day 10 versus LDAC treatment starting on day four as was the case in the BP1001-201 study to date. In addition, the investigators endorse the inclusion of a decitabine cohort based on relatively new and positive data with this compound.

07:07 EDT Tonix Pharmaceuticals achieves 50% enrollment in Phase 3 HONOR study - Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding announced that 50% of the planned total number of participants have been randomized in the Phase 3 HONOR study evaluating Tonmya, or TNX-102 SL 5.6 mg, for the bedtime treatment of military-related posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Tonmya for the treatment of PTSD has been designated a Breakthrough Therapy by the FDA. Clinical evidence from the Phase 2 study of Tonmya showed a potential improvement over existing therapies used to treat military-related PTSD. The FDA is committed to expediting the development and review of Tonmya for PTSD. An interim analysis of the first 50% of randomized participants will be conducted shortly after the 12-week treatment period has been completed by these participants. Topline efficacy results from the interim analysis are expected in the third quarter of this year.

07:06 EDT Personal Genome announces collaboration with Five Prime - Personal Genome Diagnostics announced it has entered into a collaboration with Five Prime Therapeutics to develop a plasma-based companion diagnostic assay for use with Five Prime's first-in-class investigational drug candidate, bemarituzumab, an anti-FGFR2b antibody. The diagnostic assay will be used in Five Prime's global registrational study of bemarituzumab in combination with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin, as front-line treatment in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer whose tumors overexpress FGFR2b or have FGFR2 gene amplification.

07:05 EDT CBL & Associates announces redevelopment plans at Brookfield Square - CBL Properties announced the first phase of redevelopment plans for the former Sears building at Brookfield Square in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The redevelopment will deliver new dining and entertainment options, including new-to-market entertainment concept, WhirlyBall, and BistroPlex from Marcus Theatres, which combines dining and moviegoing in every auditorium. Construction on the project is set to begin in early April. Planning is underway for additional phases of the redevelopment, which will include new dining options and other non-retail uses. More details will be announced over the coming months.

07:04 EDT Rigel Pharmaceuticals reports results from Phase 2 fostamatinib study in IgAN - Rigel Pharmaceuticals announced topline data from its proof-of-concept Phase 2 study of fostamatinib in patients with IgA nephropathy, an orphan autoimmune disease of the kidneys. The trial did not achieve statistical significance for its primary endpoint, which was mean change in proteinuria comparing fostamatinib dose groups to placebo controls in all patients studied. However, in a pre-specified subgroup analysis of patients with greater than 1 gram/day of proteinuria at baseline, the initial data showed a greater reduction in proteinuria in fostamatinib-treated patients relative to placebo patients (this finding did not reach statistical significance). Patients with greater than 1 gram/day of proteinuria have an increased risk of disease progression and represent an unmet medical need. Current guidance for clinical trials in IgAN recommends studying patients with greater than 1 gram/day of proteinuria at entry. Further analysis, including histology, are expected later in the year.

07:03 EDT Mueller Industries acquires Die-Mold Tool - Mueller Industries announced the acquisition of Die-Mold Tool Limited, effective March 31. The Ontario, Canada based company is a manufacturer of plastic PEX and other plumbing related fittings and an integrated designer and manufacturer of plastic injection tooling. This acquisition supports Mueller's strategy to grow and strengthen its flow control product offerings in the area of pressure plastics.

07:02 EDT Main Street announces $40.5M new portfolio investment - Main Street Capital announced that it recently made a new portfolio investment to facilitate the leveraged buyout of California Splendor, a leading provider of frozen natural fruit ingredients. Main Street, along with a co-investor, partnered with the Company's CEO to facilitate the transaction, with Main Street funding $40.5M in a combination of first-lien, senior secured term debt and a direct equity investment. In addition, Main Street is providing California Splendor a revolving credit facility to support its future growth initiatives and working capital needs.

07:01 EDT Boston Scientific acquires Securus Medical Group - Boston Scientific announced the acquisition of Securus Medical Group, a privately-held company that has developed a thermal monitoring system for the continuous measurement of esophageal temperature. Boston Scientific has been an investor in Securus since 2016, and the transaction price for the remaining stake not already owned consists of $40M in cash up-front, as well as up to $10M in contingent payments based on regulatory achievements and commercial milestones. Securus Medical Group is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, with offices in Beverly, Massachusetts. The transaction is expected to be immaterial to Boston Scientific adjusted and GAAP earnings per share.

06:57 EDT Rigel Pharmaceuticals trading halted, news pending

06:53 EDT AstraZeneca says FDA accepts BLA for moxetumomab pasudotox with priority review - AstraZeneca and MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the Biologics License Application, or BLA, for moxetumomab pasudotox, an investigational anti-CD22 recombinant immunotoxin and a potential new medicine for the treatment of adult patients with hairy cell leukaemia who have received at least two prior lines of therapy. The FDA has granted the moxetumomab pasudotox BLA Priority Review status with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act date set for the third quarter of 2018.

06:49 EDT WidePoint announces $900,000 follow-on award from CBP - WidePoint announced a task order follow-on award from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, for $900,000. WidePoint will continue to deliver cellular wireless managed services to CBP through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, Cellular Wireless Management Services, or CWMS, blanket purchase agreement.

06:32 EDT Azure Power wins 200 MW solar project in Gujarat - Azure Power announced that it has won a 200 MW solar project in Gujarat. With this win, the Company now has a total portfolio of 470 MWs in Gujarat with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam, or GUVNL, making Azure Power the largest solar power supplier to the state. GUVNL has been rated AA- by ICRA, a Moody's company, which is one of the highest rated state counterparties in India. Azure Power will sign a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement, or PPA, with GUVNL, at a tariff of INR3.06, or 5c per kWh, which is 25% higher than the lowest tariff of INR2.44, or 4c, in the Indian solar market. The project will be developed by Azure Power outside a solar park and is expected to be commissioned in 2019.

06:25 EDT Google to ban browser extensions that mine crypto from Chrome Web Store - Google announced that it will ban from its Chrome Web Store any and all browser extensions that mine crypto. "Until now, Chrome Web Store policy has permitted cryptocurrency mining in extensions as long as it is the extension's single purpose, and the user is adequately informed about the mining behavior. Unfortunately, approximately 90% of all extensions with mining scripts that developers have attempted to upload to Chrome Web Store have failed to comply with these policies, and have been either rejected or removed from the store. Starting today, Chrome Web Store will no longer accept extensions that mine cryptocurrency. Existing extensions that mine cryptocurrency will be delisted from the Chrome Web Store in late June. Extensions with blockchain-related purposes other than mining will continue to be permitted in the Web Store." Reference Link

06:17 EDT General Motors to begin reporting U.S. sales on a quarterly basis - General Motors announced it will begin reporting its U.S. vehicle sales on a quarterly basis, effective immediately. In 2018, second quarter sales will be released on July 3, third quarter sales on October 2 and fourth quarter sales on January 3, 2019. "Thirty days is not enough time to separate real sales trends from short-term fluctuations in a very dynamic, highly competitive market," said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president, Sales Operations. "Reporting sales quarterly better aligns with our business, and the quality of information will make it easier to see how the business is performing." In the auto industry, monthly sales are subject to many issues that make them more volatile than quarterly sales, including product launch activity, weather, other seasonal factors, the number of selling days and incentive activity.

06:09 EDT Sky: Remedy proposals address any plurality concerns the CMA may have - Sky (SKYAY) notes the publication by the CMA of two alternative remedy proposals submitted by Twenty-First Century Fox (FOX, FOXA) to the CMA, specifically: (1) a legal separation and comprehensive ringfencing of Sky News; or (2) a divestiture of Sky News to The Walt Disney Company (DIS) envisaged to occur only after completion of 21CF's acquisition of Sky -- and irrespective of whether Disney's proposed acquisition of 21CF reaches completion. Sky believes that both of these remedy proposals comprehensively address any plurality concerns the CMA may have, and would guarantee the long-term future of Sky News and its ongoing editorial independence. As the regulatory process remains ongoing, shareholders are advised to take no action at this stage. The Independent Directors of Sky are mindful of their fiduciary duties and remain focused on maximizing value for Sky shareholders. A further announcement will be made as and when appropriate. Reference Link

06:02 EDT Differential Brands announces expansion of its Robert Graham brand - Differential Brands Group announced that Robert Graham has embarked on its largest brand extension in the company's history. These four new licensees, and two license extension partners, will help drive Robert's Graham brand awareness and profitability through 2018 and beyond. The new license partners for Robert Graham include: Prodigy Brands, a luxury footwear company, for the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of men's footwear starting Spring 2018; Nouveau Eyewear, a luxury manufacturer of eyeglass frames and optics, for the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of ophthalmic eyewear and sunglasses starting Spring 2018; Royal Heritage Home, a distinguished home textile company, for the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of a home furnishings collection to include: sheets, comforters, duvets, and decorative pillows starting Fall 2018; and Komar, an industry leader specializing in sleepwear, loungewear, intimates, for the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of men's and women's underwear, sleepwear, loungewear, women's intimate apparel and daywear starting Spring 2019.

05:47 EDT Motif Bio initiates NDA rolling submission for iclaprim - Motif Bio announced the initiation of a rolling submission of a New Drug Application, or NDA, to the FDA for iclaprim, a targeted, Gram-positive investigational antibiotic, for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, or ABSSSI,. The NDA submission is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2018. The company has also received correspondence from the FDA that a small business waiver has been granted for the NDA application fee which is due upon submission of an NDA under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA. As a result, Motif did not have to pay the $2.4M application fee for this NDA submission.

05:38 EDT Amgen announces EC approval of XGEVA for expanded use - Amgen announced that the European Commission has approved an expanded indication for XGEVA for the prevention of skeletal-related events in adults with advanced malignancies involving bone. The indication now covers patients with bone metastases from solid tumors and those with multiple myeloma. The approval is based on data from the Phase 3 '482 study, the largest international trial ever conducted for the prevention of skeletal-related events in multiple myeloma patients.

05:33 EDT Walmart introduces Walmart2World with wire service to MoneyGram locations - Four years ago, Walmart (WMT) introduced Walmart2Walmart - a domestic money transfer service that offered dramatically lower costs that has since saved customers nearly $700M in fees. Now, with MoneyGram International (MGI), Walmart is bringing its game-changing model to the global wire service market, with the launch of Walmart2World. "We think sending money should cost the same regardless of where you send it; that's why we've designed a brand new global wire service to send money to 200 countries with a consistently low fee," said Kirsty Ward, vice president, Walmart Services. "There are millions of people sending money around the world to help loved ones with everyday needs or in times of emergency. Walmart2World, Powered by Moneygram helps customers get money to family and friends across the world in minutes, and the new low fees mean more of their hard-earned cash goes where it's needed most." Scheduled to launch in all of Walmart's 4,700 U.S. stores this month, three key features differentiate Walmart2World from other global wire service offerings:

05:06 EDT Urban Outfitters says Q1 comparable retail sales low double-digit positive - Urban Outfitters disclosed last night in its quarterly filing, "Thus far during the first quarter of fiscal 2019, comparable Retail segment net sales are low double-digit positive."