Stockwinners Market Radar for May 01, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:50 EDT Rio Tinto chairman says 2018 'promises to be more challenging' - Says the mining industry faces rising cost inflation and geopolitical uncertainties in relation to trade. Says Rio Tinto is well prepared. Says the company is excited by the opportunities and prepared for the challenges. Comments from Rio Tinto's annual shareholder address. Reference Link

19:00 EDT Tortoise Energy Independence reports total assets about $247.8M at April 30 - Tortoise Energy Independence announced that as of April 30, the company's unaudited total assets were approximately $247.8M and its unaudited net asset value was $182M, or $12.46 per share.

18:47 EDT Tortoise Pipeline reports unaudited total assets about $251.2M on April 30 - Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund announced that as of April 30, the company's unaudited total assets were approximately $251.2M and its unaudited net asset value was $180.4M, or $18.01 per share.

18:40 EDT Tortoise MLP reports unaudited total assets approximately $1.3B as of April 30 - Tortoise MLP announced that as of April 30, the company's unaudited total assets were approximately $1.3B and its unaudited net asset value was $771M, or $16.29 per share.

18:35 EDT FERC approves Energy Transfer Partners placing facilities on Rover pipeline - Energy Transfer Partners announced that Rover Pipeline, LLC received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to place additional Phase 2 facilities into service. Last week, FERC granted Rover permission to place a segment of Phase 2, which included Mainline Compressor Station 3 located in Crawford County, Ohio, and a section of the line between Mainline Compressor Station 2, in Wayne County, Ohio, and Mainline Compressor Station 3, in service for additional throughput opportunity. The approval from FERC granted today allows for the full commercial operation capability of the Market Zone North Segment. Phase 1 of the project was also placed into service in segments, with the first portion going into service August 31, 2017, and the remaining segment of Phase 1 going into service in December of 2017. Since December 2017, Rover has been capable of transporting up to 1.7 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas.

18:23 EDT JBG SMITH sells Bowen Building to JPMorgan - JBG SMITH (JBGS) announced the sale of the Bowen Building to JPMorgan Chase (JPM) for $140M. The building will serve as JPMorgan Chase's first regional headquarters. The Bowen Building is a Class-A office asset located at 875 15th St. NW at the corner of McPherson Square in the Central Business District submarket of Washington, DC. The 12-story building is 86.1% occupied and consists of approximately 231,000 SF with 101 parking spaces. JBG SMITH will continue to provide property management services for the asset.

18:05 EDT Howard Hughes reports Q1 NOI $46.8M - Q1 NOI increased $2.2M or 5.0% compared to $44.5M in Q1 of FY17. Adjusting for the impact of the transfer of 110 North Wacker and Ward Warehouse to development, NOI would have increased by an additional $3.0M for a total increase of $5.2M or 11.7%, as a result of increased banquet and events revenue, coupled with strong occupancy across our hospitality assets of 68%.

17:45 EDT Apple says company thinks about healthcare opportunity 'broadly'

17:37 EDT Raytheon awarded $387.2M U.S. Defense Department contract modification - Raytheon Missile Systems is being awarded a sole-source, not-to-exceed $387,187,200 undefinitized contract action modification to previously awarded contract to allow RMS to procure a limited subset of items necessary to maintain schedule for eventual manufacture, assembly, test and delivery of 20 Standard Missile-3 Block IIA missiles and related efforts, and up to four additional foreign military sales missiles, for a potential total of 24 missiles. The contract action also increases the transition to production UCA not-to-exceed value by $28,224,052 from $59,775,948 to $88,000,000 to continue developing engineering manufacturing readiness level 3 compliance, achieving sustained rate capability of producing two all-up rounds per month, demonstrating EMRL 4 compliance, and achieving Tactical Configuration Readiness. This modification increases the total cumulative face value of the contract by $415,411,252. The work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an expected completion date of April 2022.

17:34 EDT Allstate reports Q1 catastrophe losses $361M vs. $781M last year - Q1 Property and casualty insurance premiums earned increased 4.1%. Q1 Life premiums and contract charges increased 3.9%. Q1 Net investment income increased 5.1%.

17:32 EDT Brown & Brown to acquire SPI's operations in Hawaii - Brown & Brown has entered into an agreement to acquire the Servco Pacific Insurance, or SPI, operations in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. The transaction is expected to close in June 2018, subject to certain closing conditions. With annual revenues of $24M, SPI is a multi-line insurance brokerage firm with multiple offices in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest, offering a suite of insurance solutions including commercial and personal property & casualty, employee benefits and multiple specialties, including marine, construction and professional liability.

17:27 EDT United Technologies' Reynolds acquires 9,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, United Technologies director Fredric G. Reynolds disclosed the acquisition of 9,000 common shares of the company at a price of $121.5834 per share.

17:21 EDT Apple says iPad growth strong in Europe and Asia

17:19 EDT HubSpot to integrate with Workplace by Facebook - HubSpot (HUBS) announced the launch of a new integration with Workplace by Facebook (FB). The new integration delivers notifications from HubSpot right in Workplace, ensuring that sales reps never miss a beat. Sales reps have to manage many channels, and when they're stretched thin, it can be hard to jump on opportunities when they arise. In fact, according to a report from HubSpot Research, sales reps only spend about 34% of their day actually selling. With new productivity channels becoming more ubiquitous, it will become even harder for reps to effectively divide their attention. Through HubSpot's new Workplace integration, sales reps won't have to spend precious time switching between platforms.

17:17 EDT Apple says U.S. tax reform makes it possible to execute capital returns - Says narrowing site selection for new campus in U.S.

17:14 EDT Hyster-Yale Materials sees FY18 global lift truck market growing 'modestly' - The company states: "The overall global lift truck market is expected to grow modestly in 2018 compared with 2017. However, the Company anticipates that benefits from expected unit and parts revenue increases, driven by continued investments in the Company's strategic initiatives, is expected to be mostly offset by material cost inflation and higher operating expenses resulting in a modest increase in 2018 operating profit compared with 2017. Nevertheless, net income in 2018 is expected to increase substantially over 2017 as a result of the absence of the tax adjustments made in 2017 for U.S. tax reform legislation. The Company anticipates that commodity costs will continue to increase as the year progresses, although these costs, particularly for steel, remain volatile and sensitive to changes in the global economy. The Company will continue to monitor these costs closely and adjust pricing accordingly."

17:13 EDT Snap says it is 'better able' to optimize overall advertising business - Says better able to manage and optimize overall advertising business and auction dynamics, which has accelerated the pace with which can improve ROI for advertisers. Says in Q1, both the average cost per app install and the average cost per swipe in the United States were well under half of what they were the year before.

17:04 EDT VSE Corp. declares quarterly dividend of 8c per share - VSE Corporation reported that the company's Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of 8c per share, an increase of 14%, for an annual payout rate 32c per share as compared to the prior annual payout rate of 28c per share. The dividend will be paid on August 1 to stockholders of record as of July 18.

17:03 EDT Ashland announces program to cut $120M in expenses - Ashland announced a program to eliminate a total of $120M of existing corporate and Specialty Ingredients SG&A expenses, along with facility- related costs. Under this program: approximately $70M of corporate costs allocated to the Composites business and to the butanediol manufacturing facility in Marl, Germany, are expected to be offset or eliminated through transfers and reductions; approximately $50M of costs are expected to be eliminated to drive improved profitability in Specialty Ingredients and accelerate achievement of its adjusted EBITDA margin target of 25%-27%. "As we work to position Ashland with a more streamlined portfolio focused on specialty ingredients, we are also taking the opportunity to create a leaner, more competitive cost structure. Under this program, we will be taking action to drive fundamental change across our global organization and redefine how our teams work together. We believe these actions will speed decision making, improve operating efficiency and drive a more customer-centric organization while lowering costs. We expect to achieve the full run-rate savings by end of calendar year 2019, leading to improved margins that should generate enhanced value for shareholders," Wulfsohn said.

17:02 EDT Paychex announces collaboration with Workplace by Facebook - Paychex (PAYX) announced it is collaborating with Workplace by Facebook (FB) to introduce a social collaboration tool to the company's HCM suite, Paychex Flex. The announcement comes on the opening day of Facebook's annual F8 Developer Conference, taking place at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif.

17:01 EDT MDA, Nanowave to produce radar transceiver payload - MDA, a Maxar Technologies company, announced that it has signed a multi-million dollar contract with Nanowave Technologies Inc., a designer and manufacturer of advanced microwave, millimeter-wave and electro-optic multi-function modules and subsystems. MDA will provide satellite components in addition to engineering support to integrate and test a Nanowave radar transceiver satellite payload. Radar transceivers provide the capability to transmit and receive radio frequency signals between the ground and space for imaging.

16:57 EDT Snap planning for Q2 growth rate deceleration from Q1 - Says as the company thinks about year-over-year revenue growth rates, it is planning for Q2 growth rate to decelerate substantially from Q1 levels, with growth in auction impressions, partially offset by pricing for both Snap Ads and Creative Tools. Says planning for infrastructure costs to increase modestly in the short-term as it continues to test and rollout further changes to the application, partially offset by hosting cost efficiency programs.

16:57 EDT STAG Industrial reports Q1 cash NOI of $64.2M, up 13.6% vs last year

16:55 EDT Kforce CEO sees 'continued strength' heading into Q2 - CEO David Dunkel says: "We are very pleased with our first quarter results as our year-over-year growth rates in our largest business, Tech Flex, meaningfully accelerated to 6.7% from 5.4% in the fourth quarter of 2017. As we head into Q2 2018, we are experiencing continued strength in our Tech Flex business as companies continue to invest in technology to more effectively and efficiently meet the needs of their customers. Clients are continuing to look to a flexible human capital model to meet this demand, particularly given the project-based nature of technology. We continue to have success in improving our operating leverage as operating margins increased 80 basis points year-over-year. In addition, our guidance for the second quarter indicates our expectation of attaining our operating margin target of 6.3% when quarterly revenues reach $350 million. As stated previously, we expect to make continued incremental improvements in meeting our next milestone of 7.5% in a quarter, without seasonality impacts, where revenues reach $400 million."

16:54 EDT Snap says Android performance is still 'a weakness - Says Android performance is still a weakness, but are making significant progress. Says given the volume of changes made with the redesign, a number of performance regressions contributed to a disproportionately negative impact among Android users and are currently working on addressing them. Comments taken from prepared remarks ahead of the company's Q1 earnings conference call.

16:51 EDT Nanometrics spikes after quarterly results, CEO cites market share wins - "We are very pleased to report stronger-than-expected financial results for the first quarter, in which we achieved new records in revenue, gross margin, earnings per share, and free cash flow," commented Dr. Pierre-Yves Lesaicherre, president and CEO of Nanometrics (NANO). "Our first-quarter revenues reflected both the strength of the capital spending environment for memory devices, as well as our recently-announced significant market share wins, which were immediately impactful to our product sales. Customer demand from both the NAND and DRAM market segments is reflecting that our customers' ramp in investments is both faster and stronger than we previously forecast, improving our results for the first quarter as well as our outlook for the full year. Further, our results demonstrate that we are executing well toward our financial model targets. While there were a couple of key factors driving our gross margin outperformance that were unique to the first quarter, normalized margins of approximately 56% for the period indicate the company is ahead of schedule in achieving its gross margin targets."Our outlook for 2018 has strengthened since last quarter, both in terms of revenue growth and profitability. Our greater market share, higher revenue volume, and increased gross margin are enabling us to make investments in R&D and our global sales organization in support of future growth, while delivering strong profits and cash flows." Dr. Lesaicherre concluded, "2018 is off to a very strong start, and we are looking forward to delivering a fifth straight year of double-digit revenue growth, with expanding gross and operating margins, increased earnings per share, and significant free cash flow generation. As we invest in new technologies, we are also excited to deliver on our R&D investments, and introduce new products to drive continued growth and outperformance in the years to come." Shares of Nanometrics are up 8% in after-hours trading to $28.50 per share. Shares of peer Lam Research (LRCX) are up over 1% in after-hours trading.

16:47 EDT T-Mobile sees closing coverage gap with Verizon by end of year

16:43 EDT T-Mobile says has suspended further buybacks due to Sprint deal

16:42 EDT Insulet enters into partnerships with Theras Group, Nordic Infucare - Insulet announced that it has entered into partnerships with two diabetes distributors, Theras Group and Nordic Infucare, to provide full-service distribution of the Omnipod System in Italy and the Nordic markets beginning July 1. These partnerships are key milestones for Insulet's transition to direct operations in Europe to fully support its Omnipod System. Under the agreements, Theras Group and Nordic Infucare will provide sales, marketing and customer support for Omnipod System users and healthcare professionals beginning July 1.

16:41 EDT T-Mobile CEO Legere says 'customers staying longer than ever'

16:40 EDT T-Mobile CEO: New company to be 'pro-consumer, strongly disruptive force' - T-Mobile (TMUS) CEO John Legere said on the company's Q1 earnings conference call that the carrier had "record-low" Q1 postpaid churn of 1.07%, down 11bps y/y. T-Mobile said three-year CAGRs for net cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow from FY16-FY19 adjusted expected to be 7%-12% and unchanged at 46%-48%, respectively. T-Mobile said it now covers 322M people with 4G LTE and is targeting 325M people by year-end 2018. Sees FY leasing revenues of $0.6B-$0.7B. Commenting on the Sprint (S) deal, says deal to allow robust competition in 5G era. Says new company to be a "a pro-consumer, strongly disruptive force." Says T-Mobile will "continue to be an aggressive disruptor, unafraid to challenge the status quo." Believes regulators will agree that deal is beneficial.

16:37 EDT Olin announces $500M share repurchase program - On April 26, Olin's Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program for up to $500M of Olin common stock.

16:35 EDT Harvard Bioscience unit launches two telemetry implants - Data Sciences International,DSI, a subsidiary of Harvard Bioscience and the global leader in wireless physiologic monitoring, launched two telemetry implants, the PhysioTel Digital L03 and L04, to meet the changing needs of neuroscience researchers focused on large animal models. These implants are designed to acquire data from conscious, freely moving laboratory animals-providing stress-free data collection while enhancing animal welfare. The L03 and L04 are expected to support numerous areas of research including sleep, seizure, affective disorders, movement disorders and neurodegenerative disorders.The L03 and L04 implants allow researchers to record any combination of up to four biopotential channels (typically EEG, EMG or, temperature and activity in large animal models. They are compatible with social housing environments and feature an automated configuration to minimize human error while providing fast study start-up. Jeffrey Duchemin, President and CEO of Harvard Bioscience, said, "DSI is committed to providing solutions for researchers that can improve the collection of high-quality physiologic signals from unrestrained, conscious experimental animals in a low-stress environment. DSI's PhysioTel Digital platform has been adopted by researchers involved with cardiovascular studies, and we anticipate its latest products will be an essential tool for scientists who aim to solve complex neurological diseases."Neuroscience research funding is growing in the United States. In Alzheimer's research alone, funding by the National Institutes of Health grew from $504 million in 2013 to $1.35 billion in 2017. The prevalence of Alzheimer dementia in the U.S. stands at 5.3 million, with an additional 2.2 million having other forms of dementia, for a total of about 7.5 million, or 2.4 percent of the general population, according to the American Neurological Association.

16:35 EDT Yum China sees FY18 annual new build to reach 600-650 units - "We are pleased to start 2018 with positive system sales and same-store sales growth for the Company. The strong operational and financial performance of KFC is particularly encouraging as it successfully lapped two strong first quarters in 2017 and 2016. During the quarter, while Pizza Hut had some challenges with same-store sales growth and restaurant margin, we remain committed to our revitalization plan and key focus areas to drive sales growth. We believe our focus on food innovation and customer experience, together with the execution of strategic priorities in digital and delivery, has enabled us, and will continue to enable us, to build a stronger Yum China," said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China. "As part of our capital allocation strategy to invest in and grow our core brands, we acquired an additional 36% interest in Wuxi KFC, increasing our total equity interest to 83%. In 2018, we now expect our annual new build to reach 600-650 units, increasing from the previously announced 550-600 units. We will continue to invest in digital and delivery, which we believe will drive long-term growth," remarked Jacky Lo, CFO of Yum China.

16:35 EDT Siga Technologies Inc trading resumes

16:34 EDT Yum China reports Q1 total system sales up 6% y/y - Total system sales grew 6% year over year, with 9% growth at KFC partially offset by 1% decline at Pizza Hut, excluding F/X. Same-store sales grew 3% year over year, with an increase of 5% at KFC partially offset by a 5% decrease at Pizza Hut, excluding F/X.

16:33 EDT Yum China opened 203 new restaurants during Q1 - Opened 203 new restaurants during the quarter, bringing total store count to 8,112 across more than 1,200 cities. Online delivery contributed 16% to Company sales, up from 13% in the prior year period. Delivery services now available in 970 cities, up from 700 cities in the prior year period. As of March 31, 2018, the KFC loyalty program had more than 120 million members and the Pizza Hut loyalty program had over 40 million members. Mobile payment accounted for approximately 56% of Company sales in the first quarter of 2018, as compared to 31% in the prior year period.

16:31 EDT Apple reports new $100B share buyback, boosts dividend by 16%

16:31 EDT Glu Mobile sees FY18 bookings $360M-$370M

16:30 EDT Concho Resources raises FY18 production growth outlook - Concho's outlook excludes the pending RSP Permian transaction. Concho expects second-quarter 2018 production to be 226 MBoepd to 230 MBoepd. For full-year 2018, the Company raised its production growth outlook to a range of 18% to 20%, as compared to the prior range of 16% to 20%. Also, the Company updated its guidance for crude oil price realizations for full-year 2018. The updated guidance range of ($1.50) to ($2.00) per barrel reflects pricing deductions and excludes the regional Midland-Cushing price differential.

16:28 EDT Bridgepoint Education reports total students enrollment 41,253 at March 31 - Compares with total student enrollment of 46,383 at March 31, 2017.

16:25 EDT Natures Sunshine Products CEO Gregory Probert will retire - Nature's Sunshine Products announced Gregory L. Probert, Chairman and CEO, will retire as CEO after transitioning his responsibilities to a successor to be identified by the Board of Directors. Mr. Probert will continue in his roles as CEO and Chairman of the Board, and as Chairman will be deeply involved in the selection and on-boarding of his successor. The Board of Directors has engaged a leading national executive search firm to identify Mr. Probert's successor as CEO. Upon transitioning his responsibilities to his successor, Mr. Probert will continue to serve as Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors.

16:22 EDT Newfield Exploration sees FY18 total domestic production 175-185 mboepd

16:20 EDT Western Gas Partners sees FY18 CapEx $1.35B-$1.45B - The company said, "These projects are outstanding business opportunities given our outlook for Permian Basin oil production relative to takeaway capacity. We are updating our 2018 outlook for capital expenditures, including equity investments, to a range of $1.35B-$1.45B to reflect our expected participation in these projects. Furthermore, we expect to fund our capital program without accessing the equity capital markets while maintaining investment grade credit metrics."

16:14 EDT Associated Banc-Corp: ABRC to acquire Anderson Insurance & Investment Agency - Associated Banc-Corp announced that Associated Benefits and Risk Consulting has entered into an agreement to acquire Anderson Insurance & Investment Agency, an independent insurance agency based in Minneapolis. The transaction is expected to close next month. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:13 EDT Siga Technologies announces favorable FDA outcome in support of TPOXX - SIGA Technologies announced a favorable outcome of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee meeting on oral TPOXX, a small molecule antiviral treatment for smallpox. The panel, comprised of independent medical experts, voted unanimously, 17 to 0, that the benefits of TPOXX outweigh its risks."We are pleased that the advisory panel believes strongly in the benefits of TPOXX. We are confident that the robust data package and safety profile with no drug-related serious adverse events positions TPOXX for favorable FDA review of its pending New Drug Application (NDA)." said Dr. Phil Gomez, Chief Executive Officer of SIGA Technologies, Inc. "The support of the independent medical experts that comprise the advisory committee panel provides valuable additional feedback reflecting the strength of our application for TPOXX. We believe that safety and efficacy data contained in the NDA support TPOXX's future use as a medical countermeasure in response to a smallpox outbreak." The FDA has previously announced that its target final action date for the oral TPOXX NDA is August 8, 2018. The U.S. government's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority funded the advanced development of oral TPOXX in partnership with SIGA. Additionally, under Project Bioshield, BARDA has acquired two million courses of oral TPOXX and such courses have been delivered to the Strategic National Stockpile.

16:12 EDT Five9 names Rowan Trollope CEO - Five9 announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Rowan Trollope as CEO effective May 3rd. Trollope was formerly SVP & General Manager of Cisco's Applications Group. Mike Burkland, who transitioned from CEO to Executive Chairman last December due to health reasons will continue as Executive Chairman. Barry Zwarenstein, Five9's CFO, who served as Interim CEO during the transition, will continue as Chief Financial Officer. Dan Burkland will remain President overseeing Five9 customer facing functions which include Sales, Marketing and Services.

16:10 EDT Galapagos NV announces initiation of MOR 106 Phase 2 trial - Galapagos NV (GLPG) and MorphoSys AG (MPSYY) announced that the first patient has been screened in IGUANA, a Phase 2 study with MOR106, an investigational antibody directed against IL-17C, in atopic dermatitis patients. At least 180 patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) are planned to be treated over a 12- week period with one of three different doses of MOR106 or placebo using two different dosing regimens in this Phase 2 trial in multiple centers across Europe. The placebo controlled, double-blind study will evaluate the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) of MOR106. Dosing at 2 or 4-week intervals will be evaluated over the 12-week treatment period, followed by a 16-week observation period. The primary objective will be assessed by the percentage change from baseline in Eczema Area and Severity Index score at week 12.

16:08 EDT T-Mobile reports Q1 total net additions 1.4M - Reports Q1 total branded postpaid net additions 1M. Reports Q1 branded postpaid phone net additions 617,000. Reports Q1 branded prepaid net additions 199,000.

16:06 EDT Cisco to acquire Accompany for $270M - Cisco announced its intent to acquire Accompany, a privately held company based in Los Altos, Calif. The company provides an AI-driven relationship intelligence platform for finding new prospects, navigating the selling process, and strengthening relationships. Accompany Founder and CEO Amy Chang will join Cisco as senior vice president in charge of the Collaboration Technology Group. The acquisition of Accompany will enable Cisco to take collaboration to the next level with even more intelligence. Accompany's AI technology and talent will help Cisco accelerate priority areas across its collaboration portfolio, such as providing user and company profile data in Webex meetings. Together, Cisco and Accompany will continue to power the future of work in a smarter way to enhance customer experiences. Cisco will acquire Accompany for $270 million in cash and assumed equity awards. The Accompany team will join the Cisco Collaboration Technology Group under Chang's leadership. The acquisition is expected to close in Cisco's fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018, following customary closing conditions.

16:04 EDT Nanometrics trading halted, news pending

16:02 EDT CareTrust REIT announces addition of two new provider relationships - CareTrust REIT announced that it has added Trio Healthcare, Inc. and Hillstone Healthcare to its growing portfolio of quality post-acute care providers. In the process, CareTrust successfully completed its previously-announced plan to re-tenant the remaining nine Ohio skilled nursing and assisted living facilities formerly leased to affiliates of Pristine Senior Living. On February 27, 2018, CareTrust announced that it entered into a lease termination agreement with Pristine for the nine properties, with a target completion date of April 30, 2018. The transactions were timely completed, and on May 1, 2018, Trio took over operations in the seven facilities based primarily in the Dayton area, while Hillstone assumed the operation of the two facilities in Willard and Toledo, each under a new 15-year master lease. Pristine previously relinquished operations at seven CareTrust facilities in the Cincinnati area to another CareTrust tenant, Trillium Healthcare, Inc., which has been operating those facilities since December 1, 2017.

16:00 EDT Ultimate Software CFO Dauerman to step down, Alvaro named next CFO - Ultimate Software announced its succession plan for chief financial officer. Mitchell K. Dauerman, who has served as Ultimate's CFO since September 1996, will step down tomorrow. He will continue his service at Ultimate, focusing on investor relations and strategic initiatives. Felicia Alvaro, vice president of finance and 20-year veteran in Ultimate's finance and accounting department, will succeed Dauerman in the role of CFO.

15:54 EDT Quotient Technology authorizes $100M stock buyback program - The company's Board of Directors authorized a new stock buyback program of up to $100.0M of the company's common stock, effective May 5, 2018, through a combination of a new 10B5-1 plan and an open window 10B-18 plan.

15:46 EDT Quotient Technology trading halted, news pending

15:15 EDT Resolute Forest, Unifor agree to ratify labor agreement in Canada - Resolute Forest Products announced the renewal of the collective agreements at eight of its pulp and paper operations in Canada. A tentative agreement was reached between Unifor and Resolute on April 16, 2018, to renew the collective agreements for a four-year period. The master agreement was accepted by the majority of union members at each mill during the ratification process. "We are pleased with the support expressed by our employees. The company and the union have invested a great deal of time and resources over the last several years addressing public policy issues facing our company and industry. The collaborative environment we enjoy today is built on mutual trust and transparency," said Yves Laflamme, president and chief executive officer. "Our employees and their union leaders are committed to help keep our Canadian pulp and paper mills competitive, while providing stability for our customers, shareholders, communities and other partners." The collective agreements cover approximately 1,100 hourly employees represented by Unifor at Resolute's Amos, Baie-Comeau, Dolbeau, Gatineau, Kenogami and Saint-Felicien mills in Quebec, and Thunder Bay mill and indefinitely idled Thorold facility in Ontario. The eight operations account for about 40% of the company's total pulp and paper capacity.

15:14 EDT Federal Signal raises quarterly dividend 14% to 8c per share - The board of directors of Federal Signal Corporation declared a quarterly cash dividend of 8c per share on its common stock. This represents an increase of 1c per share, or approximately 14%, compared to the dividend declared in the prior quarter, and the third double-digit increase since the beginning of 2015. The dividend is payable on May 29, 2018 to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 15, 2018.

14:01 EDT Match Group plummets after Facebook announces new dating feature - Shares of Match Group (MTCH), the owner of dating services Match, Tinder, PlentyOfFish and OkCupid, and IAC (IAC), the media and Internet company that owns Match, are both sliding after Facebook (FB) announced plans to launch a new dating feature. F8 CONFERENCE: During his keynote address to start the F8 conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will be rolling out a new dating feature for non-friends. The feature will be opt-in, will not suggest users' friends to date and is "not just for hookups" but to build "meaningful, long-term relationships," the CEO said. Zuckerberg also stressed that the new tool was built with privacy and security in mind. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Match have dropped almost 17% to $39.28, while IAC's stock has slipped about 12% to $143.16.

13:32 EDT Match Group, IAC slide as Facebook announces move into dating - Shares of Match Group (MTCH), the owner of Tinder, and IAC (IAC) are both sliding after Facebook (FB) announced plans to launch a new dating feature. During his keynote address to start the F8 conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will be rolling out a new dating feature for non-friends. Following the announcement, Match shares have fallen 9% to $42.70 while IAC shares are down nearly 6% to $152.69.

13:27 EDT Radian Group advances after insiders buy common shares - Shares of Radian Group are up 7.5% after company insiders disclosed in filings last night that they had purchased shares. Derek Brummer, a VP, and head of mortgage insurance and risk services had acquired 19,200 shares of Radian Group on April 30. These shares were worth $286,272 and were purchased at an average price of $14.91 each. Herbert Wender, the non-executive chairman of Radian, also bought 5,000 shares on April 30.Shares of Radian are up 7.3% to $14.33 per share in afternoon trading.

13:03 EDT Iovance Biotherapeutics treatment of cervical cancer granted orphan designation - The FDA granted orphan designation to Iovance Biotherapeutics' autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes as a treatment of cervical cancer with a tumor size greater than 2 cm. in diameter, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

12:54 EDT ITC to investigate Nintendo systems after Gamevice complaint - The U.S. International Trade Commission, or USITC, has voted to institute an investigation of certain portable gaming console systems with attachable handheld controllers and components thereof. The products at issue in the investigation are controller systems with parts that attach to two sides of an electronic device, such as a smartphone or tablet, and the parts fit into a user's hands and have gaming controls. The investigation is based on a complaint filed by Gamevice, Inc., of Simi Valley, CA, on March 30, 2018. The complaint alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain portable gaming console systems with attachable handheld controllers and components thereof that infringe patents asserted by the complainant. The complainant requests that the USITC issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders. The USITC has identified the following as respondents in this investigation: Nintendo and Nintendo of America.

12:41 EDT Knauf 'encouraged' by USG entering into discussions - Gebr. Knauf commented on USG Corporation's willingness to enter into a confidentiality agreement to facilitate discussions regarding Knauf's $42 per share cash offer. Knauf issued the following statement: "We are encouraged that the USG Board has authorized management to enter into discussions regarding our $42 per share cash offer. Based on what we know at this time, we continue to believe that our offer reflects full and fair value relative to intrinsic long-term sustainable value through the cycle. We look forward to receiving additional information about the company. We are pleased that the board has acknowledged shareholders want to see a transaction. Signing a confidentiality agreement and entering into discussion is the next natural step. There can be no assurance any transaction will result from these discussions."

12:19 EDT Interactive Brokers reports April DARTs up 26% y/y - Interactive Brokers Group reported its Electronic Brokerage monthly performance metrics for April. Brokerage highlights for the month included: 812,000 Daily Average Revenue Trades, 26% higher than prior year and 10% lower than prior month. Ending client equity of $130.4B, 31% higher than prior year and 1% higher than prior month. Ending client margin loan balances of $29.7B, 36% higher than prior year and 1% higher than prior month. Ending client credit balances of $46.3B, 5% higher than prior year and 1% lower than prior month. 525,000 client accounts, 28% higher than prior year and 1% higher than prior month. 364 annualized average cleared DARTs per client account. Average commission per cleared client order of $3.88 including exchange, clearing and regulatory fees.

12:09 EDT Goldman Sachs fined $54.75M by NY DFS for 'unsafe' conduct in forex trading unit - New York Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo announced that Goldman Sachs Group Inc., parent company of Goldman Sachs Bank USA, agreed to pay a $54.75M fine as part of a consent order with the New York State Department of Financial Services for violating New York banking law, including improperly sharing customer information with other global banks, and other unlawful conduct that disadvantaged customers and potentially affected foreign exchange prices. The violation announced today stems from an investigation by DFS determining that from 2008 to early 2013, Goldman engaged in unlawful, unsafe and unsound conduct by failing to implement effective controls over its foreign exchange business. Under the consent order, Goldman will submit to DFS: An enhanced written internal controls and compliance program acceptable to the Department to comply with applicable New York State and federal laws and regulations with respect to the bank's foreign exchange trading business as it affects or pertains to the Bank or New York customers; A written plan acceptable to the Department to improve the bank's compliance risk management program with regard to compliance by the bank with applicable New York and federal laws and regulations with respect to its foreign exchange business as it affects or pertains to the bank or New York customers; and An enhanced written internal audit program acceptable to the Department with respect to the Bank's compliance with applicable New York and federal laws and regulations, as well as the Bank's internal policies and procedures, in its foreign exchange trading business as it affects or pertains to the bank or New York customers.

11:55 EDT Facebook plans to build Clear History function to improve user's privacy - Facebook said in a statement: "The past several weeks have made clear that people want more information about how Facebook works and the controls they have over their information. And today at F8 we're sharing some of the first steps we're taking to better protect people's privacy. We're starting with a feature that addresses feedback we've heard consistently from people who use Facebook, privacy advocates and regulators: everyone should have more information and control over the data Facebook receives from other websites and apps that use our services. Today, we're announcing plans to build Clear History. This feature will enable you to see the websites and apps that send us information when you use them, delete this information from your account, and turn off our ability to store it associated with your account going forward. Apps and websites that use features such as the Like button or Facebook Analytics send us information to make their content and ads better. We also use this information to make your experience on Facebook better." Reference Link

11:42 EDT RBS to close 162 branches, with 792 roles 'made redundant' - The Royal Bank of Scotland announced branch network changes in England Wales. RBS in England & Wales and NatWest retail banking business in Scotland was due to be divested and launched as a separate 'challenger bank', under the brand name, Williams & Glyn. The Royal Bank of Scotland retail banking business in England & Wales has essentially been run as a standalone bank for around eight years and this status as a 'business-for-sale' meant that it diverged in a number ways from the customer offering, products, services, branch automation and online banking capabilities of the core bank. The vast majority of branches across the Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales are in close proximity to either another Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales branch or a NatWest branch. Following a review of the branch network in England and Wales a decision has been taken to close 162 Royal Bank of Scotland branches. There will be no changes to the NatWest retail banking business in Scotland. As a result of this process, around 792 roles will be made redundant, and employees will be supported with the option to leave on a voluntary basis.

11:34 EDT Pfizer slips after Q1 sales miss, split 'off the table for foreseeable future' - Shares of Pfizer (PFE) are slipping after the company reported another quarter of sluggish sales, hurt by lower than expected sales of blockbuster breast cancer drug Ibrance and arthritis drug Xeljanz. Additionally, the drugmaker said it is taking a split "off the table for the foreseeable future" as it has not received an "acceptable offer" for its Consumer Healthcare business. RESULTS: This morning, Pfizer reported first quarter adjusted earnings per share of 77c and revenue of $12.19B, both above the consensus of 75c and $13.15B, respectively. The drugmaker also backed its FY18 adjusted EPS view of $2.90-$3.00 and its FY18 revenue forecast of $53.5B-$55.5B. Financial guidance for adjusted EPS now anticipates share repurchases totaling approximately $6.1B in 2018, which includes shares repurchased during first-quarter 2018. the company said. Additionally, Pfizer said Innovative Health, or IH, revenues increased 3% operationally in Q1, primarily driven by continued growth from key brands including Ibrance, Eliquis and Xeljanz. Global operational revenue growth for Ibrance, Eliquis and Xeljanz was 35%, 30% and 29%, respectively. However, Q1 IH operational revenue growth was negatively impacted primarily by the loss of exclusivity of Viagra in the U.S. in December 2017 and the resulting shift in the reporting of U.S. and Canada Viagra revenues to the Essential Health business at the beginning of 2018. IH operational revenue growth was also negatively impacted by lower revenues for Enbrel in most developed European markets due to continued biosimilar competition. In the U.S., revenue for Ibrance, Xeljanz and certain other products was negatively impacted by customer buying patterns. Essential Health revenues declined 9% operationally, negatively impacted primarily by a 15% operational decline from the Sterile Injectable Pharmaceuticals portfolio, primarily due to continued legacy Hospira product shortages in the U.S. EH operational revenue growth was also negatively impacted by a 15% operational decline from the Peri-LOE Products portfolio, primarily due to expected declines in Lyrica in developed Europe and Pristiq in the U.S., partially offset by the addition of Viagra U.S. revenues previously recorded in the IH business. These declines were partially offset primarily by 12% operational growth in emerging markets and 53% operational growth from Biosimilars, primarily from Inflectra in certain channels in the U.S. as well as in developed Europe. SPLIT 'OFF THE TABLE' FOR NOW: During the company's first quarter earnings conference call, Pfizer said that it is taking a split "off the table for the foreseeable future" and that it has not received an "acceptable offer" for the sale of its Consumer Healthcare business. The drugmaker's CFO Frank D'Amelio added that, "We never say never to anything, but right now, for the foreseeable future, we're all about executing on our business." Pfizer will continue to manage the Consumer Healthcare unit as it explores other alternatives, which may include "everything from a full or partial separation of the business to ultimately deciding to retain the business," CEO Ian Read contended, adding that he continues to expect to "make a decision during 2018." PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Pfizer have dropped about 5% to $34.91.

11:15 EDT USG board authorizes negotiations with Knauf - USG Corporation announced that its Board of Directors has authorized management to commence negotiations with Gebr. Knauf KG regarding a potential sale of the company. The USG Board remains committed to acting in the best interests of all shareholders and will evaluate all options to do so. USG has advised Knauf that it is prepared to agree to a customary confidentiality agreement to facilitate sharing appropriate due diligence information. The Board believes that by entering into negotiations and exchanging certain information, Knauf should be able to identify additional sources of value in combining the businesses and will see value in excess of its most recent proposal. There can be no assurance that the negotiation process will result in any transaction, or any assurance as to its outcome or timing. The company has not set a timetable for completion of negotiations and does not intend to disclose developments related to the process unless and until definitive agreements are reached or negotiations are abandoned.

11:13 EDT Google introduces '.app' domain for app developers - In a blog post, Google announced .app, "the newest top-level domain from Google Registry. We created the .app TLD specifically for apps and app developers, with added security to help you showcase your apps to the world. Even if you spend your days working in the world of mobile apps, you can still benefit from a home on the web. With a memorable .app domain name, it's easy for people to find and learn more about your app. You can use your new domain as a landing page to share trustworthy download links, keep users up to date, and deep link to in-app content. A key benefit of the .app domain is that security is built in-for you and your users... Starting today at 9:00am PDT and through May 7, .app domains are available to register as part of our Early Access Program, where, for an additional fee, you can secure your desired domains ahead of general availability. And then beginning on May 8, .app domains will be available to the general public through your registrar of choice." Reference Link

11:05 EDT Diageo names Shire board chairman Susan Kilsby to board - Diageo (DEO) announces the appointment of Susan Kilsby as a Non-Executive Director, effective immediately. Susan will join the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees on appointment. Susan joined the Board of Shire (SHPG) in 2011 and has been Chairman since 2014.

10:44 EDT Toyota reports April U.S. sales down 4.7% to 192,348 vehicles - Toyota Motor North America reported April sales of 192,348 vehicles, a decrease of 4.7% from April 2017 on a volume basis. With two less selling days in April 2018 compared to April 2017, sales were up 3.2% on a daily selling rate basis. Toyota division posted April sales of 170,706 units, down 5.1% on a volume basis and up 2.8% on a DSR basis. Lexus division posted April sales of 21,642 vehicles, down 2.1% on a volume basis and up 6.0% on a DSR basis.

10:36 EDT Volkswagen reports April U.S. sales up 4.5% to 28,794 units - Volkswagen of America reported sales of 28,794 units delivered in April 2018, an increase of 4.5% over April 2017. With 112,746 units delivered year-to-date in 2018, the company is reporting an 8.6% increase in year-over-year sales. "We are encouraged with the brand's continued growth in the market, driven by the success of our two new SUVs," said Derrick Hatami, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Volkswagen of America. "We are also excited to have the all-new 2019 Jetta going on sale later this month, adding to the positive momentum."

10:31 EDT Genesee & Wyoming says guidance assumes completion of $300M buyback program - For FY18, the company sees North America carloads "more than offsetting" weaker Q1 results. Sees slightly weaker Australian dollar, says timing of infrastructure services revenues in U.K./Europe expected to be offset by optimization program in 2H. Guidance assumes completion of $300M share repurchase program. Sees FY18 adjusted operating ratio 81%-82%.

10:15 EDT Ford sees rising gasoline prices limiting household spending

10:11 EDT Fastenal recommends shareholders reject TRC Capital's mini-tender offer - Fastenal Company has been notified of an unsolicited 'mini-tender offer' made by TRC Capital Corporation to Fastenal's shareholders to purchase up to 2,000,000 shares of Fastenal's common stock at a price of $48.63 per share. TRC's offer price represents a discount of $2.39 per share, or 4.68 percent, below Fastenal's closing price of $51.02 on April 27, 2018, the last trading day prior to the date of the offer. The shares sought by TRC represent approximately 0.695% of Fastenal's total outstanding shares of common stock. Fastenal recommends that shareholders not tender their shares because the offer price is below Fastenal's current share price, and urges shareholders to obtain current market quotations for their shares of Fastenal common stock, consult with their financial advisor and exercise caution with respect to TRC's offer. Fastenal does not endorse this unsolicited mini-tender offer, and Fastenal is not associated in any way with TRC, the mini-tender offer, or the offer documentation. Fastenal shareholders who already have tendered their shares are advised that they may withdraw their shares by providing the written notice described in the TRC offering documents prior to the expiration of the offer, currently scheduled for 12:01 a.m., New York City time, on May 30, 2018.

10:02 EDT Yatra launches 'YUVA' universal virtual assistant - Yatra Online announced YUVA, "a unique and first-of-its-kind 'Hybrid approach' that allows customers to use both voice and text to communicate with YUVA and complete their travel bookings on the go." YUVA is available on the desktop, Android, IOS, Google Assistant and Facebook Messenger.

09:48 EDT Avadel launches NOCTIVA for treatment of nocturia due to nocturnal polyuria - Avadel Pharmaceutical announced the launch of NOCTIVA, an emulsified microdose Nasal Spray. NOCTIVA is the first and only FDA-approved treatment proven to help adults with nocturia due to nocturnal polyuria, a condition which causes the kidneys to overproduce urine at night. NOCTIVA safely and effectively treats a condition that causes more than 40M Americans to wake two or more times per night to use the bathroom, and prevents them from getting a good night's sleep. NOCTIVA's innovative formulation works in the kidneys to lessen nighttime urine production. The nasal spray is a proprietary emulsified microdose of desmopressin combined with a permeation enhancer that increases the transport of NOCTIVA across the nasal mucosa. Delivered via a unique spray pattern, NOCTIVA's breakthrough formulation substantially increases the bioavailability of the active drug, allowing for microdosing, rapid absorption and consistency from dose to dose. NOCTIVA was studied in two clinical trials in patients who experienced on average two or more nighttime awakenings to urinate. Study patients received either 1.66 mcg or 0.83 mcg of NOCTIVA or a placebo for 12 weeks. Those using NOCTIVA were able to stay in bed an average of four hours or more before having to wake up to urinate. In fact, NOCTIVA responders using 1.66 mcg were able to stay in bed more than five hours before experiencing a nocturic episode.

09:44 EDT Encana positioned to deliver substantial liquids growth in 2H18 - Encana's first quarter financial and operating performance has the company firmly on track to deliver more than 30% annual production growth within expected cash flow. Increased year-over-year liquids production, continued cost efficiencies and strong realized pricing resulting from the company's market diversification strategy contributed to significant non-GAAP cash flow growth and margin expansion. Consistent with its 2018 plan, the company is positioned to deliver substantial liquids growth in the second half of 2018.

09:32 EDT LTC Properties sells Sunrise Portfolio for $67.5M - LTC Properties announced it has sold a portfolio of six assisted living and memory care communities for $67.5M. Known as the Sunrise Portfolio, the six communities, five assisted living and one memory care, span 320 units and five locations in Ohio and Pennsylvania. As a result of the transaction, LTC expects to recognize a net gain on sale of approximately $48M in Q2. The transaction was structured to close concurrent with the April 30 lease expiration. Rental revenue under this lease for the four months ended April 30, 2018 is approximately $1.5M. KeyBanc Capital Markets and CS Capital Advisors acted as LTC's financial advisors on the transaction. Sherry Meyerhoff Hanson Crance served as LTC's legal advisor.

09:26 EDT Attis Industries enters agreement with Macon County General Hospital - Attis Industries announced that it has entered into an agreement with Macon County General Hospital, a rural community hospital located in Lafayette, Tennessee, to assist in the operation of a new and improved hospital laboratory. Attis Healthcare, a division of Attis Industries, and its team of seasoned healthcare professionals will assist the hospital in expanding their existing state-of-the-art hospital laboratory. Laboratory processing equipment has arrived in the Macon County General Hospital and they anticipate they will begin processing samples in the next 45 to 60 days. A hospital laboratory of this size can typically process, on average, upwards of 1,000 samples per month, once it is fully functioning. The partnership between Attis Healthcare and the hospital will result in a profitable, highly functioning hospital laboratory that will provide improved health care for the citizens of Macon County.

09:18 EDT Under Armour: Dick's Sporting 'going to be great' with Under Armour in stores

09:16 EDT Ford: Industry continues to operate at 'historically strong levels'

09:15 EDT Tapestry expects to open 20 net new locations for Kate Spade in 2018 - Expects to close net of five locations globally for Coach in FY18. Expect to open 20 net new locations for Kate Spade. Says closed two Stuart Weitzman locations in Q3, does not expect any net change for Stuart Weitzman in Q4.

09:11 EDT U.S. Physical Therapy acquires 65% interest in injury prevention company for $9M - U.S. Physical Therapy announced that it has acquired a majority interest in a company which is a provider of industrial injury prevention services. The company specializes in delivering injury prevention and care, ergonomics, education and coaching in an industrial setting. The company performs these services through Industrial Sports Medicine Professionals, consisting primarily of highly specialized Certified Athletic Trainers, or ATCs. This relationship-based health delivery system is paid for directly by corporate clients. Existing clients are mostly Fortune 500 companies, across a variety of industries. The company operates in over 450 client facilities across 26 states. The business produced $5.7M in revenue in 2017 and is growing. U.S. Physical Therapy acquired a 65% interest for $9M. The remaining 35% stake is being retained by existing management.

09:08 EDT Tapestry says long-term capital allocation priorites 'unchanged' - Says capital allocation priorities include: Continuing to invest in brands; strategic acquisitions; returning capital to shareholders with a focus on dividends.

09:07 EDT Adverum announces long-term preclinical efficacy data on ADVM-022 gene therapy - Adverum Biotechnologies announced long-term preclinical efficacy data on ADVM-022 in a non-human primate model of wet age-related macular degeneration. In this preclinical study, the efficacy of ADVM-022 at 13 months post-administration was consistent with earlier reported data, demonstrating that a single intravitreal injection of ADVM-022 was found to be safe and statistically significant in preventing the development of Grade IV lesions compared to the vehicle control group. ADVM-022 induced long-term efficacy that was comparable to aflibercept, an anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor standard-of-care therapy. ADVM-022 was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events. The data will be presented in a poster presentation on May 17, 2018 at the ASGCT 21st Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL. The long-term efficacy of ADVM-022 was evaluated in the industry-standard laser-induced choroidal neovascularization model in non-human primates. NHPs received a single intravitreal injection of either ADVM-022 or vehicle 12.5 months prior to lasering of the macular region of the retina to induce VEGF upregulation and CNV. As a positive control, a separate group of animals received bilateral intravitreal injections of aflibercept recombinant protein, an anti-VEGF standard-of-care therapy, at the time of lasering. Three additional animals that did not undergo laser treatment and that received the same intravitreal ADVM-022 injection showed stable vitreous levels of aflibercept at approximately 3 microg/mL 13 months post vector administration.

09:07 EDT MSC Industrial acquires All Integrated Solutions from High Road Capital - MSC Industrial has acquired All Integrated Solutions from New York-based private equity firm High Road Capital Partners. AIS is a leading value-added distributor of industrial fasteners and components, MRO supplies and assembly tools based in Franksville, Wisconsin. The stock purchase transaction closed on April 30, 2018. MSC plans to maintain AIS's operations, providing the company's customer base access to MSC's 1.5M-plus product portfolio to support their full metalworking and MRO needs. Similarly, MSC will extend AIS's production fastener and vendor-managed inventory solutions to MSC's manufacturing customers. Rustom Jilla, MSC's executive vice president and chief financial officer, said, "This acquisition of AIS aligns very well with our strategy and our capital allocation philosophy, representing an exciting opportunity for MSC. The purchase price was roughly $86 million, subject to working capital adjustments. Inclusive of transaction and post-closing costs, we expect approximately 5 cents of EPS dilution in fiscal 2018, a roughly neutral impact on EPS in fiscal 2019 and steadily increasing accretion going forward."

09:03 EDT Fiat Chrysler reports April U.S. sales up 4.5% to 184,149 vehicles - FCA US reported sales of 184,149 vehicles, a 5% increase compared with sales in April 2017 of 176,176 vehicles. Retail sales came in at 143,995 vehicles, down 1% despite April having two fewer selling days and one less weekend compared with April 2017. Fleet accounted for 22% of total sales.

09:02 EDT Oracle's Aconex surpasses $200B in transportation project value - Oracle's Aconex, a platform for digital project delivery, announced that more than $200B in transportation projects have been managed on its platform to date. This includes 400,000 total users transmitting more than 60 million documents worldwide.

09:00 EDT Under Armour: 'We need to make better product; we need to make the best product'

08:59 EDT Oath selects AWS as preferred public cloud provider - Amazon Web Services, an Amazon.com (AMZN) company, announced that Oath, Inc., a subsidiary of Verizon (VZ), has selected AWS as its preferred public cloud provider. Oath will expand its use of AWS by continuing to migrate legacy workloads and building new cloud-based applications across its portfolio of dozens of media and technology brands, including Yahoo.com, Yahoo Finance, and Yahoo Sports, serving more than a billion people around the world.

08:57 EDT Tapestry will continue to curtail promotional impressions for Kate Spade - Says customers continue to respond to Kate Spade "make it mine" campaign. Says built awareness in smartwatch launch. Says brand has distinctive position around making women feeling "fashionable" and "fun". Says will continue to significantly curtail promotional impressions. Will accelerate innovation in core handbag and lifestyle segments. Says leveraging opportunities to maximize global footprint. Says Greater China is a "huge opportunity" for the brand.

08:55 EDT Under Armour expects majority of restructuring charges to be recorded in 1H

08:47 EDT Pareteum awarded $1M contract by provider of mobile services - Pareteum announced that their customer, an established provider of mobile services to subscribers travelling from India, has expanded their Mobile Virtual Network Operator, or MVNO, platform offering with the expanded connectivity provided by the Pareteum Global Cloud. This additional contract award of $1M is incremental to the existing agreement and results in the 3-year contract, aggregating to $4M for Pareteum.

08:47 EDT AbbVie submits MAA to EMA for for risankizumab - AbbVie announced that it has submitted a marketing authorization application to the European Medicines Agency for risankizumab, an investigational interleukin-23 inhibitor, being evaluated for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Risankizumab is part of a collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, with AbbVie leading future development and commercialization of risankizumab globally.

08:46 EDT Under Armour CEO: 'We are playing the long game'

08:43 EDT Alaska Air and Sabre migrated Virgin America to Alaska's PSS - Sabre (SABR) and Alaska Airlines (ALK) have successfully migrated Virgin America to Alaska's passenger services system, or PSS, hosted by Sabre. The recently completed migration will allow Alaska and Virgin America to move forward using Sabre systems as one unified airline while offering a seamless, end-to-end guest experience. Sabre and Alaska have been engaged for the last year building the foundation for Alaska's growth and superior customer experience.

08:41 EDT Tapestry says 'especially excited' about Kate Spade opportunities - Says pleased to delivered better-than-expected operating margin. Says remains "especially excited" about opportunities about Kate Spade, including revenue growth and profitability improvement. Says took operational control of the Kate Spade joint ventures for Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Says completed agreement to acquire the Stuart Weitzman business in Northern China from distributor. Says completed buyback of Coach business in Australia and New Zealand. Says controlling businesses allows company to accelerate international growth. Says saw Coach business with the Chinese consumers increase. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

08:38 EDT Turtle Beach extends, expands partnership with Optic Gaming - Turtle Beach announced a multi-year continuation of its partnership with top esports and gaming entertainment organization OpTic Gaming. The updated agreement will continue seeing Turtle Beach arming OpTic's World Champion Call of Duty and Gears of War teams, and OpTic's Counter Strike: Global Offensive team with its Elite Pro line of gaming headsets and additional gear, and now extends and includes OpTic's DOTA 2 and PUBG squads. Additionally, other esports franchises under Infinite Esports & Entertainment - OpTic Gaming's holding company, are also a significant part of this partnership expansion, with further details to be revealed over the coming weeks.

08:37 EDT Arena Pharmaceuticals, Outpost Medicine enter licensing agreement - Arena Pharmaceuticals and Outpost Medicine announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement to advance an undisclosed, preclinical compound with potential utility in treating genitourinary disorders. This compound, targeting an undisclosed G protein-coupled receptor, was internally discovered by Arena. Under the terms of the agreement, Arena has granted Outpost exclusive, worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the compound. In return, Arena will receive an upfront fee comprised of cash and equity totaling $3M and is eligible to receive approximately $100M in development and commercial milestone payments and up to low double-digit tiered royalties on annual net sales of the compound.

08:36 EDT Commvault CEO says talks with Elliot have been 'constructive' - Comments provided during Q4 earnings conference call.

08:34 EDT Starboard releases Newell presentation, sees shares worth $48 or more - Starboard Value LP, owners of approximately 3.8% of Newell Brands' outstanding shares, announced that it has released a presentation "outlining the opportunity to create meaningful value at Newell." Starboard said its presentation "provides an in-depth analysis of the multiple initiatives that Newell's management and reconstituted Board of Directors can implement to drive operational improvements while overseeing Newell's asset divestiture program." Jeffrey Smith of Starboard stated, "As part of our campaign to drive significant change at Newell, we have conducted a tremendous amount of research to understand the Company's issues and opportunities. We were pleased to reach a settlement with Newell, which resulted in a Board that will be comprised of nine of twelve new directors. For the benefit of the newly reconstituted Board, the management team, the employees, and the shareholders, we feel it is important to share our material findings and recommendations. We believe the released presentation illustrates the significant value creation opportunity at Newell. We expect management and the Board will carefully review our presentation alongside their own internal findings and observations to coalesce on an extensive operational turnaround plan at Newell with the goal of maximizing value for all shareholders." Starboard believes Newell could be worth $48 per share or more. The stock closed yesterday at $27.63. Reference Link

08:34 EDT Honeywell names Greg Lewis as next CFO, succeeding Tom Szlosek - Honeywell announced that Greg Lewis has been named Vice President, Corporate Finance, effective immediately, in a transition role that will lead him to become Senior Vice President and CFO on August 3. Lewis will succeed Tom Szlosek, who has decided to retire for personal reasons. Szlosek will work closely with Lewis to ensure a seamless transition and provide consulting services to the company for five months after his retirement. When he becomes CFO, Lewis will also become an Officer of the company. Before joining Honeywell, Lewis spent three years in the plastics industry at Tyco International, where he was Vice President of Finance and CFO for the A&E Products division and co-led that business's divestiture.

08:33 EDT Mimecast announces LogRhythm as new API Alliance Partner - Mimecast announced that LogRhythm became an Application Programming Interface Alliance Partner. Together, Mimecast and LogRhythm have developed an integration that combines Mimecast's email security and LogRhythm's enterprise Next-gen SIEM platform. Joint customers can benefit from LogRhythm's advanced correlation and security analytics by automatically consuming email security data directly from the Mimecast cloud service. Combining email security data with other security data and business context that LogRhythm collects improves overall threat detection related to email and other IT systems. Rapid, automated actions can be taken to neutralize identified threats, including disabling accounts, quarantining email, and updating security policies. The combination of Mimecast and LogRhythm offers comprehensive email security to defend against both commodity and targeted attacks.

08:31 EDT LabCorp announces collaboration with The Recovery Platform - LabCorp and The Recovery Platform are announcing a new collaboration to expand access to medication-assisted opioid treatment on a national basis. The Recovery Platform is a monitoring tool designed to help primary care physicians address and manage opioid-use disorder patient recovery in a compliant and efficient manner. Through plug-in integration with existing electronic health records, The Recovery Platform offers a powerful set of tools to assist physicians monitoring patient compliance and progress, and to help patients stay on track with their recovery. LabCorp is the exclusive national laboratory integrated within The Recovery Platform.

08:30 EDT Ironwood trading resumes

08:17 EDT Blackbaud acquires Reehe - Reehe announced that it has been acquired by Blackbaud. Reeher has created the industry's first shared management system that combines predictions, tools and community insight from across a wide range of colleges and universities. Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, with operations around the globe, including in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Reeher is headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Canaccord Genuity acted as exclusive financial advisor to the Reeher shareholders in connection with the transaction.

08:16 EDT Amazon announces plans to expand Boston tech hub, create additional 2,000 jobs - Amazon announced plans to expand its Boston Tech Hub and create an additional 2,000 technology jobs in fields including machine learning, speech science, cloud computing, and robotics engineering. Together with its customer fulfillment facilities, Amazon has created more than 3,500 jobs in Massachusetts and since 2011 invested over $400M in the state. "Amazon is excited to create 2,000 more jobs in greater Boston," said Rohit Prasad, Amazon's, Vice President and Head Scientist of Amazon Alexa, who is based in the Boston area. "In just a few years, we've grown from a handful of software developers and scientists to a team of more than 1,200, inventing new capabilities and products on behalf of millions of customers around the world. Thank you to all our partners across the city and the state for welcoming us, helping us create these thousands of new jobs, and contributing to the already vibrant tech industry in the area." Amazon's teams based in the Boston metropolitan area primarily focus on Alexa, Amazon Web Services, and Audible. To accommodate the new job creation, Amazon will be expanding into 430,000 square feet in WS Development's Seaport project - a 7.6 million square feet development transforming the waterfront of Boston - and plans to open the doors of its new office in 2021.

08:15 EDT Medtronic receives FDA approval for deep brain stimulation therapy - Medtronic announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted premarket approval for Medtronic's Deep Brain Stimulation therapy as adjunctive treatment for reducing the frequency of partial-onset seizures, in individuals 18 years of age or older who are refractory, or drug-resistant, to three or more antiepileptic medications. DBS therapy for epilepsy delivers controlled electrical pulses to a target in the brain called the anterior nucleus of the thalamus, which is part of a network involved in seizures. The FDA approval is based on both the blinded phase and the 7-year follow-up data collected in Medtronic's clinical trial called SANTE. The SANTE trial was a prospective, randomized, double-blind pivotal study to evaluate the use of DBS therapy for patients with medically refractory epilepsy with partial-onset seizures, with or without secondary generalization, that were drug-resistant to three or more antiepileptic medications. The trial collected data from 110 patients who were implanted with a Medtronic DBS system at 17 centers located in the U.S. Results include: The median total seizure frequency reduction from baseline was 40.4% versus 14.5% for the placebo group at 3 months, and 75% at 7- years, with open-label ongoing therapy. Twenty subjects experienced at least one 6-month seizure-free period between implant and year 7, including eight subjects who were seizure-free for the preceding 2 years. Seizure severity and quality of life scales both showed statistically significant improvements from baseline at year 7. No significant cognitive declines or worsening of depression scores were observed through the blinded phase or at year 7. Improved scores were observed at 7-years on measures of executive functions and attention.

08:12 EDT BioTime's OpRegen data shows cells were generally well tolerated - BioTime announced that an abstract related to one of its lead programs, OpRegen for dry-AMD, was presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, or ARVO, meeting.The company presented data from the ongoing open-label, dose escalation study. Data shown at ARVO from the phase I/IIa open-label study showed that both the surgical procedure and the OpRegen cells were generally well tolerated. The data presented shows there were no treatment-related systemic serious adverse events reported to date in the first nine patients. The Best Corrected Visual Acuity, or BCVA, of these patients have remained relatively stable thus far. In addition, the imaging of patients 8 and 9 suggests structural improvement within the retina.

08:08 EDT Biocept announces publication highlighting clinical utility of ROS1 - Biocept announces the publication of a "letter to the editor" in a prominent lung cancer journal highlighting the clinical utility of its Target Selector ROS1 gene rearrangement test. Biocept's circulating tumor cell-based assay confirmed detection of a ROS1 gene translocation in a patient diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer who had previously received chemotherapy and was progressing. Detection of the ROS1 rearrangement by Target Selector was concordant with tissue-based molecular profiling. In contrast, Biocept's CTC analysis was able to identify the genetic alteration where plasma testing by an alternate liquid biopsy technology did not detect the ROS1 translocation. The patient received sequential ALK inhibitor therapies, which are also used to treat patients harboring ROS1 alterations, and has remained alive for 40 months on these targeted agents. The article, "ROS1 in Liquid Biopsies," was published in the May issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

08:06 EDT U.S. Air Force selects Raytheon's all digital radar warning receiver - The U.S. Air Force awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract for Raytheon's AN/ALR-69A, the world's first all-digital radar warning receiver. The contract calls for the rapid procurement of 779 units or more for the USAF fleet of tactical air and large body aircraft.

08:03 EDT Vaxart names David Taylor as Chief Medical Officer - Vaxart announced the appointment of David Taylor, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Taylor brings over 35 years of extensive experience in medical research, drug and vaccine development and clinical trial management for government organizations, non-profits, academia and both private and public healthcare companies. Prior to joining Vaxart, Dr. Taylor served as a senior medical officer of the drug and vaccine development global programs at PATH, where he developed clinical trial designs and executed studies for seasonal and universal flu vaccines and enteric vaccines

08:03 EDT Edwards Lifesciences enters into $400M ASR agreement - Edwards Lifesciences announced that it entered into an accelerated share repurchase, or ASR, agreement to repurchase an aggregate of $400M of Edwards' common stock. Under the terms of this ASR agreement, Edwards will receive approximately 2.5M shares in May. The final number of shares to be repurchased will be based on the volume weighted average share price during the term of the agreement. As of March 31 the company had approximately $1.3B authorization remaining on its share repurchase program approved by the Board of Directors.

07:59 EDT Ironwood board authorizes intent to separate into two publicly traded companies

07:50 EDT Libbey remains reaffirms FY18 EBITDA margins view 10.0%-11.0% - Sees FY18 net sales up in the low-single digits, compared to FY18; capital expenditures $50M-$55M; and selling, general and administrative expense around 17% of net sales. The company said, ""We started FY18 on a positive note by building upon our momentum from the fourth quarter. We are encouraged by the strong performances from our Latin America and EMEA segments, and the contributions from new product introductions and our e-commerce platform. Our ongoing initiatives to help improve profitability are paying off, as evidenced by an increase in Adjusted EBITDA of more than 90% during the Q1. We expect to see a continuation of these positive trends in the business throughout the remainder of the year and, as a result, we remain confident in our previously provided full-year net sales and Adjusted EBITDA outlook."

07:49 EDT Sabre cuts FY18 GAAP CapEx view to $290M-$310M from $305M-$325M - Raises FY18 free cash flow approximately $425M from $390M.

07:45 EDT Ophthotech completes patient recruitment in Phase 2a Zimura combination trial - Ophthotech Corporation announced the completion of patient enrollment in its Phase 2a clinical trial of Zimura, the Company's complement factor C5 inhibitor, in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration. Zimura is administered in combination with Lucentis, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent, in treatment naive patients with wet AMD. A total of 64 patients have been enrolled into this dose-ranging, open-label, multi-center trial. This uncontrolled trial is designed to assess safety at different dosages and to detect a potential efficacy signal. The Company will evaluate data at month 6 and expects initial top-line data to become available before the end of 2018. Zimura is also currently being investigated as monotherapy in a Phase 2b clinical trial for patients with geographic atrophy secondary to dry AMD and in a Phase 2b clinical trial in patients with autosomal recessive Stargardt disease. Further, Zimura is being evaluated as combination therapy with Eylea, an anti-VEGF agent, in patients with idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

07:41 EDT Hanesbrands reiterates FY guidance

07:37 EDT Babcock & Wilcox amnnounces completion of rights offering - Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises announced the completion of its previously announced rights offering, which expired in accordance with its terms at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 30, 2018. Pursuant to the rights offering, B&W distributed one nontransferable subscription right to purchase 2.8 common shares at a subscription price of $2.00 per share for each common share held as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 15, 2018. Subscribers in the rights offering, including Vintage Capital Management, LLC, subscribed for approximately 100.9 common shares, or 81.2% of the approximately 124.3 million common shares available, pursuant to their basic subscription privileges. Pursuant to the rights offering and the transactions contemplated by the standby purchase agreement between B&W and Vintage, Vintage also purchased the remaining 23.4 common shares available in the rights offering pursuant to its backstop commitment. The rights offering generated aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $248.5 million. B&W expects to use a substantial portion of the net proceeds from the rights offering to repay in full all of the indebtedness outstanding and its other obligations under its second lien term loan. B&W intends to use the remaining proceeds for working capital purposes. B&W expects the subscription agent to distribute the common shares purchased in the rights offering on or about Thursday, May 3, 2018.

07:35 EDT NexPoint Residential reports Q1 NOI $19.1M on 32 properties - Q1 NOI was $19.1M on 32 properties, compared to $19.7M for the Q1 of FY17 on 40 properties.

07:31 EDT Engility awarded $90M Navy enterprise services support task order - Engility won a five-year, $90M SeaPort-e task order to provide software engineering and production support to the U.S. Navy's tactical afloat and submarine local area networks. The Tactical Network Technical and Production Support task order was awarded by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic.

07:26 EDT Brinker reports Q3 system-wide comparable restaurant sales down 0.8%

07:18 EDT SIGA Technologies halted for trade ahead of FDA panel meeting - SIGA Technologies announced that Nasdaq has halted trading of the company's common stock. The FDA Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee has a scheduled meeting to evaluate the company's lead product, Tpoxx, an oral small molecule antiviral treatment for smallpox. "We look forward to presenting our comprehensive data package that we believe demonstrates the benefits of TPOXX." said Dr. Phil Gomez, CEO of SIGA. "The support of the independent medical experts that comprise the advisory committee panel would provide valuable additional feedback reflecting the strength of our application for TPOXX." The FDA has previously announced that its target final action date for the oral Tpoxx is August 8.

07:16 EDT Chili's company-owned comparable restaurant sales down 0.4% in Q3 - Chili's company-owned comparable restaurant sales decreased 0.4% in the Q3 compared to the Q3 of FY17. Chili's U.S. franchise comparable restaurant sales decreased 3.2% in the Q3 compared to the Q3 of FY17. Chili's international franchise comparable restaurant sales decreased 0.2% in the Q3 compared to the Q3 of FY17.

07:14 EDT Nexstar still sees average annual FCF of slightly in excess of $600M - Nexstar says, "With the conclusion of the 2018 first quarter, Nexstar remains confident in meeting our target for average annual free cash flow of slightly in excess of $600 million for the 2018/2019 cycle, inclusive of our assumptions for a changing interest rate environment and our expectation that the company will become nearly a full tax payer in 2018. We look forward to reporting our first quarter results on May 9 at which time we will provide an update on our recent deployment of our growing free cash flow."

07:14 EDT Nexstar board authorizes $200M expansion of share repurchase program - Nexstar Media Group announced that its Board of Directors approved an expansion of the company's share repurchase authorization for up to an additional $200M of repurchases of its Class A common stock. The expansion brings the total capacity under Nexstar's share repurchase program to approximately $252.4M when combined with the approximate $52.4 million remaining under its prior authorization as of December 31, 2017.

07:12 EDT Mallinckrodt received supplement approval letter for Amitiza - Mallinckrodt yesterday confirmed it received a supplement approval letter from the FDA on the supplemental New Drug Application for indicated use of Amitiza in children 6 to 17 years of age with pediatric functional constipation. "The FDA's completed review of this sNDA has allowed the company to meet a component of its pediatric post-approval obligations. Although a specific pediatric indication was not established, the safety and tolerability profile of AMITIZA was confirmed," Mallinckrodt said in a statement. "We are pleased that we have received a supplement approval letter from the FDA, indicating that we have met a component of our pediatric post-approval obligation," said Steven Romano, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Mallinckrodt. "Given the need for therapeutic options for the treatment of constipation disorders in the pediatric population, we had hoped for inclusion of additional AMITIZA data in certain subpopulations from the PFC study to help inform prescribers. AMITIZA remains an important treatment option for adult patients suffering from multiple forms of chronic constipation for which the drug is approved and indicated. The pediatric adverse reactions reported in children 6 to 17 years of age were similar to those reported in adults. We will continue discussions with the agency regarding any future pediatric clinical studies."

07:12 EDT Noble Energy raises FY18 sales volume guidance to 350-360 MBoe/d - Noble Energy guidance has been updated to reflect the adoption of ASC 606 and the timing of the closing of the Gulf of Mexico transaction. The close of the Gulf of Mexico transaction, which occurred one month earlier than anticipated, impacted prior second quarter expectations by an estimated 7 MBoe/d and full year expectations by nearly 2 MBoe/d. The implementation of ASC 606 resulted in an uplift to second quarter and full year volumes of approximately 9 MBoe/d compared to prior estimates. Accounting for only these specific items, full year 2018 sales volumes have been increased to range between 350 and 360 MBoe/d. The company's unit operating expense guidance has been updated to reflect the increase in sales volumes. Compared to the company's previously issued guidance, LOE per BOE and gathering and transportation expenses per BOE have each been reduced by ten cents. Sales volumes for the second quarter of 2018 are expected to range between 340 and 350 MBoe/d. The divestitures of the Gulf of Mexico and the 7.5 percent Tamar interest in Israel account for nearly 30 MBoe/d reduction from the first quarter 2018 to the second quarter. Gulf of Mexico sales volumes are included through the April 12, 2018 closing date. West Africa sales volumes are expected to be slightly higher than the first quarter as a result of lifting schedules. U.S. onshore oil volumes are expected to be higher than the first quarter, driven by the Delaware Basin. The company's full year capital expenditure range of $2.7B to $2.9B remains unchanged. For the second quarter, Noble Energy expects organic capital expenditures between $750 million and $850 million, with the majority to be spent in the DJ and Delaware basins and to progress Leviathan development. Second half of 2018 capital expenditures are expected to be lower than the first half reflecting front-end loaded infrastructure spend in the Mustang IDP and the Delaware Basin.

07:11 EDT Chase, Jaguar Land Rover renew private label agreement - Chase Auto (JPM) and Jaguar Land Rover North America (TTM) announced the renewal of their private label agreement, extending Chase's role as the private label finance provider for the auto manufacturer.

07:07 EDT L3 Technologies to sell Vertex Aerospace unit to AIP for $540M in cash - L3 Technologies announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Vertex Aerospace business to American Industrial Partners for $540M in cash. As part of the agreement, L3 will also sell its Crestview Aerospace and TCS business units, which are included in the Aerospace Systems business segment. This transaction is anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2018, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The Vertex Aerospace results of operations were reported as discontinued operations beginning in the fourth quarter of 2017, and Crestview Aerospace and TCS were reported as assets held for sale in continuing operations. The company expects to record a gain on the sale of these businesses. Moelis & Company LLC served as the financial advisor to L3 in connection with the transaction. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisor to L3.

07:07 EDT Sanofi, Regeneron to lower net price of Praluent Injection - Sanofi (SNY) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) announced they will lower the net price of Praluent Injection in exchange for straightforward, more affordable patient access from Express Scripts (ESRX). Praluent will become the exclusive PCSK9 inhibitor therapy on the Express Scripts national formulary. The agreement significantly simplifies the documentation necessary to secure insurance coverage and may help reduce out-of-pocket costs for eligible patients. Despite having the broadest U.S. formulary coverage of any PCSK9 inhibitor, many patients have been unable to access Praluent because of the complicated utilization management process required by some insurance companies and high patient out-of-pocket costs. The agreement takes effect on July 1, 2018 for commercial patients covered by the Express Scripts National Preferred Formulary (approximately 25 million individuals in total). Physicians will submit a simplified attestation form confirming that Praluent is appropriate for the patient based on the U.S. FDA-approved indication and patient history. This is a significant simplification compared to many current utilization management processes that involve multiple steps and lengthy documentation, including submitting laboratory results and detailed patient histories. Also beginning in July 2018, Express Scripts will pass a portion of the Praluent rebates it receives from Sanofi and Regeneron directly to people enrolled in participating commercial health benefit plans, including many of those offered by employers. Praluent patients enrolled in such participating plans should see lowered out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy.

07:04 EDT AutoNation announces additional $250M share repurchase plan - AutoNation announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $250M of AutoNation's common stock. AutoNation has approximately $314M total Board authorization remaining for share repurchases with the increased authorization and approximately 91M shares outstanding as of April 27, 2018. During the first quarter of 2018, AutoNation repurchased approximately 550,000 shares of common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $27M.

07:02 EDT Archer Daniels CEO says 'even more confident' about 2018 - "The team executed exceptionally well in the first quarter, and we harvested the benefits of the strategic actions we took over the last few years, delivering strong results," said ADM Chairman and CEO Juan Luciano. "Looking forward, we are focusing our growth efforts on five key platforms-animal nutrition, bioactives, carbohydrates, human nutrition and taste-as well as geographic regions that are seeing increasing consumer demand. And, through Readiness, we are enhancing our agility, streamlining and standardizing our processes, and implementing innovative technologies for our business and our customers. The consistent execution of our strategic plan, combined with our first quarter results, improving market conditions for many of our businesses, and the benefits of U.S. tax reform, lead us to be even more confident about 2018."

07:01 EDT Johnson Controls reports Q2 organic field orders up 7%

06:55 EDT Siga Technologies Inc trading halted, news pending

06:52 EDT Glatfelter provides Q2 outlook - Composite Fibers' shipping volumes in the second quarter of 2018 are expected to be approximately 5% higher than the first quarter with an improved mix. Selling prices are expected to be in-line with the first quarter and raw material and energy prices are expected to increase moderately. Advanced Airlaid Materials' shipping volumes in the second quarter of 2018 are expected to be approximately 3% higher than 2018 first quarter. For the full-year 2018, we anticipate shipping volumes to be 10% to 12% higher than 2017. Selling prices and raw material and energy prices are expected to increase slightly when compared to the first quarter of this year. Specialty Papers' shipping volumes in the second quarter are expected to be 5% below the first quarter of 2018 reflecting the annual maintenance outages at both mills. Average selling prices are expected to increase $30/ton and we expect raw material and energy prices to increase slightly; however, energy consumption is expected to be seasonally lower in the second quarter. The adverse impact of operational challenges related to machine transition costs, weather and water quality issues totaling approximately $5 million in the first quarter are not anticipated to impact the second quarter. The Company also plans to complete the annual maintenance outages at its U.S. facilities in the second quarter of 2018, which are expected to adversely impact operating income by approximately $26 million to $28 million compared with $22.9 million in the second quarter of 2017.

06:51 EDT Waddell & Reed reports Q1 AUM down 1% to $80.2B - Assets under management ended the quarter at $80.2B, declining 1% compared to the prior quarter and 1% compared to the Q1 of 2017. Gross sales increased 40% compared to the Q4 of 2017 and 30% compared to the Q1 of 2017, while redemptions improved.

06:50 EDT Pfizer CEO says 'solid' Q1 driven by continued strength from anchor brands - Ian Read, Chairman and CEO, stated, "Our first-quarter 2018 financial results were solid, driven by continued strength from our anchor brands, primarily Ibrance, Eliquis and Xeljanz. The Essential Health business delivered strong growth in emerging markets and biosimilars but was negatively impacted by continued legacy Hospira product supply shortages in the U.S. as well as product losses of exclusivity. We remain focused on executing our commercial strategies, managing expenses, advancing our pipeline and prudently allocating our capital to position Pfizer for sustainable success. Our pipeline today, with a range of targeted compounds, biologics and vaccines, is as deep and focused as it has ever been. With several potential near-term opportunities in core therapeutic areas, I believe our pipeline presents an unprecedented opportunity to deliver a life-changing impact on a growing number of patients while creating enhanced value for all of our stakeholders."

06:48 EDT Merck CEO says 'had a strong start to the year' - "Merck had a strong start to the year driven by KEYTRUDA, GARDASIL, BRIDION and Animal Health," said Kenneth Frazier, Merck Chairman and CEO. "This provides good momentum as we continue to execute on our pillars of growth and look to deliver innovative medicines and vaccines that address unmet needs for patients around the world."

06:41 EDT Intelsat reports $8.6B in backlog at March 31 - At March 31 Intelsat's contracted backlog, representing expected future revenue under existing contracts with customers, was $8.6B, including $1.0B attributable to ASC 606. Excluding the effects of ASC 606, contracted backlog was $7.6B, as compared to $7.8B at December 31, 2017.

06:38 EDT Ares Commercial expects to have greater stability in earnings - The company said, "Going forward, we expect our higher capital utilization will enable us to generate greater stability in our earnings. In addition, since 99% of our loans are floating rate, the increase of approximately 90 basis points in one-month LIBOR over the last twelve months alone resulted in a 3c per share increase in our earnings for the Q1 compared to the Q1 of FY17. We are well positioned to benefit from further increases in interest rates, making us a strong hedge against potential increases in inflation."

06:34 EDT Holly Energy Partners to build truck loading rack in Orla - Holly Energy Partners announced plans to construct a truck loading rack in Orla, TX to serve the growing diesel demand in the Delaware Basin. This project will expand the Partnership's existing logistics footprint and connect to its New Mexico refined product system. Construction will commence in the second quarter and is expected to be completed in the Q4. The cost of the project is estimated between $10M-$20M. The facility will be capable of delivering up to 30,000 barrels per day of diesel depending on market demand. In connection with this project, the Partnership expects to enter into a long-term throughput agreement containing minimum annual throughput commitments with HollyFrontier (HFC).

06:33 EDT Aetna reports medical membership totaled approximately 22.1M at March 31

06:31 EDT BP sees 'seasonally higher' industry refining margins in Q2 - BP says, "Looking to the second quarter, we expect seasonally higher industry refining margins but lower discounts for North American heavy crude oil. We also expect a significantly higher level of turnaround activity."

06:21 EDT Athersys and Healios to extend collaboration period - Athersys and HEALIOS K.K. have agreed to extend the period from April 30 to May 31 to complete their planned collaboration expansion agreements, as defined in the March 13 Binding Letter of Intent. In March Healios invested $21.1M in Athersys common stock and deposited an initial license fee payment of $10M related to the planned expansion into an escrow account. The parties agreed to this one-month extension to allow for additional time to complete all of the agreements needed to define the expansion terms.

06:18 EDT Fluor's Stork awarded GARAMITE additives expansion project by BYK in Texas - Fluor announced that Stork, part of Fluor's Diversified Services segment, was awarded a construction contract by BYK USA. for its new GARAMITE additives process unit at its manufacturing plant in Gonzales, Texas. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the first quarter of 2018.

06:15 EDT EnPro's Fairbanks Morse receives $17.3M services contract from MSC - Fairbanks Morse - an EnPro Industries company and leading provider of solutions that are powering the world forward - has been awarded a $17.3M multi-year services contract by Military Sealift Command, which services U.S. military ships at sea. The agreement covers all MSC vessels with Fairbanks Morse engines and is one of the largest services contracts from the U.S. Navy in the company's history.

06:08 EDT ExlService to acquire SCIOInspire for $240M - EXL announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire SCIOInspire Holdings, a West Hartford Connecticut-based leading healthcare analytics solution and services company. Rohit Kapoor, EXL Vice Chairman and CEO stated, "The acquisition will strengthen EXL's capability in the high growth cost optimization and care optimization markets. SCIO's analytical tools and expertise in healthcare claims payment and care optimization expands EXL's market-leading advanced analytics and healthcare capabilities. Combining the talented team at SCIO to our team of 2,000+ clinicians and 3,000+ data scientists worldwide significantly increases our ability to scale to meet the needs of larger clients and increases our reach into pharmacy benefit managers, healthcare providers and life sciences companies." The aggregate merger consideration is $240M, subject to adjustment based on, among other things, SCIO's cash, debt, working capital position and other adjustments set forth in the Merger Agreement. EXL intends to fund the purchase with available cash on hand and borrowing from its credit facility. The acquisition is anticipated to close in the next three months, subject to the fulfillment of certain closing conditions, including regulatory and other customary consents. TripleTree served as the exclusive strategic and financial advisor to SCIO in the transaction.

06:08 EDT Macau reports April casino revenue up 27.6% to 25.73B patacas - Macau's gaming bureau reported April gross revenue from games of fortune in the region rose 27.6% year over year to 25.73B patacas. Publicly traded companies in the Macau gaming space include Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and Melco Resorts (MLCO).

05:47 EDT CUI Global announces VE Technology orders - CUI Global announced that its wholly-owned energy subsidiary, Orbital Gas Systems North America, has deployed its proprietary VE Technology across leading North American energy companies. Orders were recently received from several Fortune 100 energy companies in the Oil & Gas industry based in Houston, Texas. Orders for the company's VE Technology product line comprised 45 probes across 11 new, innovative projects. Each deployment consist of components wholly made and assembled locally by either Orbital or one of its North American partners.

05:36 EDT Novartis announces expiration of HSR waiting period for acquisition of AveXis - Novartis (NVS) announced that the required waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 applicable to Novartis' cash tender offer for AveXis (AVXS) has expired. As previously announced, Novartis and Novartis AM Merger Corporation, its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, commenced a tender offer on April 17, 2018 for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of AveXis for $218 net to the seller in cash, without interest thereon and subject to applicable withholding taxes. The expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies one of the conditions necessary for the consummation of the pending acquisition. The tender offer and withdrawal rights thereunder are scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight New York City time at the end of the day of Monday, May 14, 2018, unless the offer is extended. Consummation of the tender offer remains subject to other customary conditions, including satisfaction of the minimum tender condition, under the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated April 6, 2018 entered into by Novartis, Purchaser and AveXis.

05:30 EDT KLX selling Aerospace Solutions Group to Boeing, to spin-off ESG unit to holders - KLX Inc. (KLXI) announced its intention to sell its Aerospace Solutions Group business to Boeing (BA) and to spin-off to KLX shareholders its Energy Services Group business. KLX announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Aerospace Solutions Group, or ASG, to Boeing for $63.00 per share in cash. The transaction with Boeing is valued at approximately $4.25B, including the assumption of approximately $995M in net debt. The transaction values the Aerospace Solutions Group at a multiple of 15.7x trailing EBITDA for fiscal year 2017 and a multiple of 14.3x 2018 estimated Adjusted EBITDA. Upon closing of the transaction, ASG will become part of the Boeing Global Services' business. Boeing's acquisition of KLX Inc. is conditioned upon the successful divestment and separation of KLX Inc.'s Energy Services Group, or ESG. The transaction is also subject to customary closing conditions, including KLX shareholder approval and receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. KLX Chairman and CEO Amin Khoury said, "KLX Energy Services is well positioned to participate in the ongoing oilfield services market recovery. We are seeing very strong demand for our services and products. We now expect KLX Energy Services fiscal year 2018 estimated revenues, Adjusted operating earnings and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $500M, $65M, and $110M, respectively. This represents an approximate 55% increase in revenue, and an approximate 300% increase in Adjusted EBITDA, as compared to the prior year. KLX Energy Services' peer-leading growth, superior margins and ability to generate significant free cash flow backed by a strong balance sheet, position it well as an independent company to deliver peer leading returns to our shareholders." The two transformative transactions announced today conclude a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value, which the company announced on December 22, 2017. KLXE will be initially capitalized through a $50M cash contribution from KLX to provide KLXE with a strong balance sheet and ample operating liquidity at separation. Additional KLXE liquidity is expected to be provided through a new undrawn credit facility to be put in place before the separation. KLXE is expected to be spun-off free of any debt. Both the sale of KLX/ASG to Boeing for cash and the spin-off of ESG are expected to be taxable transactions to KLX shareholders. If KLXE's market value at the time of separation is greater than its tax basis at such time, KLX would incur a tax liability. Boeing and KLX have agreed that any such liability would be borne by KLXE. KLXE will have intangible assets with a substantial basis for tax purposes, which will be recoverable through amortization deductions, and are expected to shelter approximately $32M per year in taxable income through January 31, 2029. The completion of the spin-off transaction is subject to certain customary conditions, including but not limited to implementation of intercompany agreements and the effectiveness of filings with the SEC. The company currently expects that the separation of its businesses, will occur in Q3.

05:21 EDT Ballard Power receives purchase order for 40 fuel cell modules from Van Hool NV - Ballard Power Systems announced it has received a purchase order from Van Hool NV, a bus OEM partner in Belgium, for 40 FCveloCity-HD fuel cell modules to power buses under the Joint Initiative for hydrogen Vehicles across Europe funding programs. The purchase order is further to Ballard's announcement of a Letter of Intent, which was issued on February 28, 2018. Ballard expects to make initial shipments of the FCveloCity-HD 85 kilowatt modules later in 2018, with initial deliveries of buses expected in 2019. Van Hool plans to deploy 30 buses with the Regionalverkehr Koln GmbH transit agency in Cologne, Germany, and the remaining 10 buses with WSW mobil GmbH transit agency in Wuppertal, Germany.