Stockwinners Market Radar for August 09, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:08 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Trade Desk (TTD) up 19.8%... Puma Biotech (PBYI) up 17.2%... Universal Display (OLED) up 9.1%... ICUI Medical (ICUI) up 7.6%... Construction Partners (ROAD) up 5.6%... Spectrum Pharma (SPPI) up 5.4%... Altair (ALTR) up 3.5%... WideOpenWest (WOW) up 3.4%... Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF) up 3.2%... Planet Fitness (PLNT) up 2.5%... Air Lease (AL) up 2.0%... Synaptics (SYNA) up 1.5%. ALSO HIGHER: Overstock (OSTK) up 15.3% after disclosing GSR Capital is investing in blockchain subsidiary tZERO... Tesla (TSLA) up 2.0% after CNBC report that the Board will discuss going-private transaction next week. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Corcept Therapeutics (CORT) down 21.3%... Sunrun (RUN) down 11.1%... Avalara (AVLR) down 10.8%... Redfin (RDFN) down 9.6%... Dropbox (DBX) down 8.4%... Microchip (MCHP) down 7.3%... J2 Global (JCOM) down 5.1%... Chuy Holdings (CHUY) down 4.7%... Mimecast (MIME) down 4.2%... Endologix (ELGX) down 4.0%... Acxiom (ACXM) down 2.0%... Funko (FNKO) down 1.6%.

18:26 EDT Sierra, Medley Capital, Medley Management announce merger agreement - Sierra Income, Medley Capital (MCC), and Medley Management (MDLY) have entered into definitive agreements for Sierra to acquire MCC and MDLY. MCC will merge with and into Sierra, with Sierra as the surviving company. Simultaneously, Sierra will acquire MDLY, and MDLY's existing asset management business will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sierra. The Boards of Directors of Sierra, MCC and MDLY unanimously approved the transactions based on recommendations of independently advised special committees of independent directors at each company, respectively. Transaction Highlights: The combined company will have over $5B of assets under management, including $2B of internally managed assets Sierra is expected to be the second largest internally managed Business Development Company and the seventh largest publicly traded BDC. Expected to be accretive to net investment income per share for both Sierra and MCC. Expected to increase liquidity for shareholders of Sierra, MCC and MDLY. The transaction is expected to add scale to the BDC platform, increase operational efficiencies, create a stronger balance sheet and improve portfolio diversification. In addition, growth of MDLY's existing asset management business would add to NII and NAV over time. The senior leadership and the investment management teams will remain intact as part of this transaction. The board of Sierra following the transaction will consist of the current independent directors from Sierra, one interested director from Sierra and two independent directors from MCC. MCC shareholders will receive 0.8050 shares of Sierra Common Stock for each share of MCC Common Stock. MDLY Class A shareholders will receive 0.3836 shares of Sierra Common Stock for each Medley Class A share, $3.44 per share of cash consideration and $0.65 per share of special cash dividends. Medley LLC Unitholders have agreed to convert their units into MDLY Class A Common Stock, and will receive 0.3836 shares of Sierra Common Stock for each MDLY Class A share, $3.44 per share of cash consideration and a $0.35 per share special cash dividend. As part of the transaction, Medley LLC Unitholders have agreed to forgo all payments that would be due to them under the existing Tax Receivable Agreement with Medley for the benefit of the combined company. At close, current Sierra shareholders will continue to own shares of Sierra Common Stock. As a condition to closing the transactions, Sierra's common stock will be listed to trade on the New York Stock Exchange and Sierra will remain a BDC. There are no expected changes to the current dividend policies of the respective entities prior to the closing of the transaction, except that MCC will be promptly terminating any feature of its dividend reinvestment plan. In addition, Sierra will be promptly suspending any share repurchase program or offers to repurchase. It is anticipated that Sierra will continue with its current dividend policy after the close of the transaction. The mergers are cross conditioned upon each other and are subject to approval by Sierra, MCC and MDLY shareholders, regulatory review, other customary closing conditions and third party consents. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018 or early in 2019.

17:59 EDT Web.com director Giuliani sells $1.17M in common stock - Web.com director John Giuliani disclosed in a filing that he had sold 41.7M shares of company stock. The total transaction value was $1.17M.

17:31 EDT HC2 Holdings unit Continental General Insurance completes LT care acquisition - HC2 Holdings (HCHC) announced that its insurance subsidiary, Continental General Insurance Company, has completed its acquisition of the long-term care insurance business KMG America Corporation from Humana (HUM). As of March 31, KMG's subsidiary, Kanawha Insurance Company, had approximately $150M in statutory surplus and approximately $160M of statutory total adjusted capital with approximately $2.4B of cash and invested assets. Under the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement, Humana made an approximate $195M cash capital contribution to KMG's subsidiary Kanawha Insurance Company prior to closing.Post-close, CGIC will have cash and invested assets of approximately $3.8B, up from $1.5B prior to the transaction. Upon completion of the transaction, pro-forma statutory surplus for the combined entities is estimated to be between $155 - $175M and total adjusted capital is estimated at between $185 - $205M, subject to closing adjustments. "Completing the acquisition of Humana's long-term care insurance business marks another significant milestone in the growth of our insurance subsidiary and significantly increases the size of our insurance investment portfolio and more than doubles our total adjusted insurance capital base from approximately $85 million to the estimated $185 million to $205 million, providing incremental value to our shareholder base," said Philip Falcone, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of HC2. "We believe this transaction validates our platform and positions us as the counterparty of choice for future LTC transactions."

17:28 EDT Canada reaches pacts with credit card firms to cuts costs for businesses - Canada's Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced that the Government has helped secure new, separate and voluntary commitments from three payment card networks that will lead to lower costs for small and medium-sized businesses. With lower interchange fees, businesses will be able to save money that they can use to invest, grow, and create more jobs-an important part of strengthening and growing the middle class. "These commitments from Visa (V), Mastercard (MA), and American Express (AXP) will make credit card acceptance fairer for small and medium-sized enterprises, which have less bargaining power than larger merchants to negotiate lower rates," the Canadian government said in a statement. "The commitments will also help to maintain the card benefits-such as reward programs-that are important to Canadian consumers." As part of their new commitments, Visa and Mastercard will: reduce domestic consumer interchange fees to an annual average effective rate of 1.4% for a period of five years; narrow the range of interchange rates charged to businesses; and require annual verification by an independent third party. The Finance Minister also welcomed a separate voluntary commitment from American Express that will support the Government's objectives of greater fairness and transparency in the Canadian credit card market. This commitment recognizes the fact that American Express operates a unique business model with fees other than interchange fees. The reduction in interchange fees is expected to save small and medium-sized businesses in Canada C$250M per year, based on credit card sales of roughly C$250B per year. For a medium-sized business with credit sales of C$5M per year, a 10 basis point reduction in interchange fees-equivalent to the reduction announced today-could allow for savings of up to C$25,000 over five years. For smaller businesses with credit sales of C$1M per year, a 15 basis point reduction in interchange fees could allow for savings of up to $7,500 over five years. Due to the narrowing in the range of interchange fees, it is expected that small businesses will receive a greater reduction in interchange fees than large businesses, under the new agreements.

17:24 EDT Calm Waters Partnership reports 5.6% passive stake in Hudson Technologies

17:22 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $218M U.S. Army contract modification - Lockheed Martin was awarded a $218,058,001 modification to foreign military sales (Romania) contract for the procurement of 18 M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems launchers, associated training, spares and planned enhancement and product improvement modifications. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 30, 2020.

17:20 EDT SAIC awarded $596.6M contract from U.S. Navy - Science Applications International Corp is awarded a $596,600,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with provisions for cost-plus-fixed-fee, fixed-price-incentive, firm-target, and firm-fixed-price delivery/task orders. The contract is for the production and delivery of integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, networks and support equipment. The work includes procuring, fabricating, assembling, integrating, testing, inspecting and delivering a highly diverse range of systems that include various complex designs provided by Navy program offices in the form of technical data packages. Systems vary in complexity, but generally include the integration of engineered cable assemblies, mounting kit assemblies, hardware, and software/security applications necessary to provide the warfighter with the capability to communicate, maintain situational awareness, and achieve information dominance. The contract includes a single five-year ordering period and an additional two-year award term. The award term, if earned, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $861,100,000.

17:13 EDT Tesla jumps 3% after CNBC report of board meeting with advisors next week

17:08 EDT Jagged Peak Energy sees Q3 average daily equivalent production 33-35 MBoe/d - Sees Q3 average daily oil production 25.0-27.0 MBbls/d.

17:07 EDT Jagged Peak Energy sees 2018 average daily equivalent production 32-24 MBoe/d - Sees 2018 average daily oil production 25.0-27.0 MBbls/d. Sees 2018 CapEx $668M-$702M.

17:02 EDT Cenovus Energy agrees to sell Pipestone business for $625M - Cenovus Energy and one of its subsidiaries have entered into an agreement to sell the general partnership that holds the Pipestone and Wembley natural gas and liquids business in northwestern Alberta for cash proceeds of $625M. The transaction also includes the Pipestone Business's 39% operated working interest in the Wembley gas plant. The sale is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018, subject to customary closing conditions. As with previous divestitures, proceeds from this sale will be used to further deleverage the company's balance sheet.

16:59 EDT Intrexon to delay filing quarterly report on Form 10-Q - Intrexon will host a call to provide a general update and highlight recent business developments, as well as provide select preliminary and unaudited second quarter results. The company is not announcing final financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 and is delaying the filing of its quarterly report on Form 10-Q. The delay in filing the second quarter report is related to the company's application of certain aspects of ASC 606 in the company's first quarter Form 10-Q. The company will be filing an amended Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2018. The company expects to file the second quarter report and amended first quarter report within the next few days.

16:46 EDT FactSet says won lawsuit brought forward by Ashbury Heights - FactSet announced that it had won a lawsuit brought forward by Ashbury Heights Capital, LLC, an investment management and research company founded by Eric McGill and Paul Mingardi. A California state court jury returned a near unanimous defense verdict in favor of FactSet after almost three weeks of trial in the Superior Court of the State of California. Ashbury's lawsuit centered on allegations of breach of contract, fraud, and breach of confidence. Ashbury claimed that a contract dating back to 2012, prior to FactSet's 2013 acquisition of Revere Data, LLC, required FactSet to pay Ashbury perpetual royalties equal to approximately $100M on all sales of FactSet Supply Chain data and for the ongoing value of use to FactSet of its technology.

16:39 EDT Covanta to purchase Babcock & Wilcox energy-from-waste subsidiary for $45M - Covanta (CVA) signed an agreement to purchase a subsidiary of Babcock & Wilcox (BW) with the operating and maintenance contracts for two Energy-from-Waste facilities in Palm Beach County, Florida for $45M. The facilities are owned by the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County and have a combined capacity of 1.7 million tons per year. The transaction is expected to close during Q3.

16:36 EDT Gastar Exploration sees Q3 net average daily production 5.2-5.6 MBoe/d - Sees a Q3 liquids percentage of 66%-70%.

16:34 EDT PFSweb sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA $24M-$26M

16:30 EDT Fulton Financial announces termination of consent orders for Fulton Bank of NJ - Fulton Financial announced that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance have terminated the Consent Orders those agencies issued on February 25, 2015 to the Corporation's bank subsidiary, Fulton Bank of New Jersey. These orders were originally issued for deficiencies in the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering compliance program at that bank. Today's announcement follows the company's statement, released October 30, 2017, that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency had lifted similar orders at three of the company's other banking subsidiaries.

16:27 EDT VMware to acquire Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite - VMware announced a definitive agreement to acquire the technology and team of Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite - software spanning network health, performance monitoring and root cause analysis for communications service providers and their customers - from Dell EMC. The addition of the Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite technology to the VMware Telco NFV portfolio equips CSPs with the ability to maintain operational reliability in their core network, cloud, and IT domains across physical and virtual infrastructure-enabling them to operationalize competitive new services faster.

16:25 EDT Invesco reports preliminary AUM $987.8B as of July 31 - An increase of 2.5% month over month. The increase was driven by favorable market returns, the full consolidation of the Invesco Great Wall joint venture, an increase in money market AUM and reinvested distributions; partially offset by non-management fee earning AUM outflows, net long-term outflows, and foreign exchange.

16:24 EDT Weight Watchers names Julie Rice to board of directors - Weight Watchers announced that Julie Rice, Partner at WeWork and co-founder of SoulCycle, will join the WW Board of Directors. Sacha Lainovic, who has served as a director since WW was acquired by Artal Luxembourg S.A. on September 29, 1999, will step down from his position on the Board effective immediately.

16:23 EDT Huntington Bancshares to acquire Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley & Co. - Huntington Bancshares announced the signing of a definitive agreement to purchase Chicago-headquartered Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley & Co. A public finance investment bank and broker-dealer, HSE is one of the nation's largest securities firms focused exclusively on municipal securities. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The acquisition, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2018.

16:21 EDT Kodak engages UBS to sell Flexographic Packaging Division - Kodak announced it has begun a process to sell its Flexographic Packaging division. The company has engaged UBS Investment Bank as its financial adviser for the transaction. Kodak's Flexographic Packaging Division produces and markets the FLEXCEL NX system of flexographic imaging equipment, printing plates, consumables and related services. For the last twelve months, FPD reported revenues of $150M and Operational EBITDA of $33M. During the sale process, Kodak said it will "continue to make significant investments in FPD by expanding manufacturing capacity, developing advanced technology and increasing its headcount to meet customer needs." Kodak also announced it had entered into a non-binding letter of intent for a $400M, 18-month loan with an existing term loan lender which would refinance its existing term debt, which would permit the company to pursue the sale process of FPD in a "thoughtful manner in order to achieve maximum value for shareholders. Net proceeds from the sale of FPD will first be used to repay this loan."

16:20 EDT j2 Global raises quarterly divident to 42.5c from 41.1c per share - This is j2's twenty-eighth consecutive quarterly dividend increase since its first quarterly dividend in September 2011. The dividend will be paid on September 4, 2018 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 20, 2018.

16:17 EDT ViaSat says Q1 'promising start' to 'meaningful growth' in FY19 - The company said in its earnings release, "Our first quarter results signal a promising start toward driving meaningful growth in fiscal year 2019, by capitalizing on the service launch of ViaSat-2 and leveraging prior year research and development (R&D) and infrastructure investments. All segments contributed to 15% year-over-year revenue growth and even stronger 29% year-over-year new contract awards growth, which together build confidence in sustained or accelerating growth for the fiscal year as a whole. Prior investments in network and business infrastructure create the opportunity for significant margin expansion as we accumulate the benefits of growing revenues in residential, IFC, government, Wi-Fi and enterprise broadband services over the course of the fiscal year." ViaSat reported residential average revenue per user in the U.S. grew sequentially and by 9% year-over-year to $72.38. New contract awards in its Government Systems unit rose 22% year-over-year, with a book-to-bill ratio of 1.6.

16:15 EDT Tortoise Capital Advisors reports 10.4% passive stake in Western Gas Partners

16:13 EDT Paylocity approves $35M stock repurchase plan - Paylocity's board of directors approved a stock repurchase plan under which $35M is available for repurchase through August 14, 2019. Shares may be repurchased from time-to-time in open market transactions at prevailing market prices or privately negotiated transactions.

16:12 EDT Sunrun expects to deploy 100 MW in Q3

16:09 EDT EP Energy sees FY18 total produciton 79-82 MBoe/d - Sees FY18 oil poduction 45-47 MBls/d.

16:08 EDT Lionsgate: Starz reported a sequential increase of 300,000 subscribers in Q1 - Starz reported a sequential increase of 300,000 subscribers in the quarter with gains in both traditional MVPD and over-the-top subscribers. The Company also announced that it has entered agreements to launch STARZPLAY branded channels in France, Italy and Spain in addition to the previous launches in the UK and Germany. "We're pleased to report a strong quarter with continued robust free cash flow and solid contributions from all of our businesses," said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer. "Our global content machine is operating at full throttle, and we continue to invest in a programming and international rollout strategy at Starz that is working. Our initiatives in the quarter continued to strengthen Lionsgate's stature as a unique and essential part of the media ecosystem." During the quarter, the Company changed the components of its Television Production and Media Networks segments. The purpose of the segment realignment is to report the results attributed to all of the Company's TV production business in a single segment and to enable the Media Networks segment to more clearly reflect the results of the Company's network distribution business.

16:04 EDT Campbell Soup reaffirms strategic review process - Campbell Soup Company responded to 13D filings and reaffirms its strategic review process: "As previously announced on May 18, the company is currently undertaking a Board-led comprehensive strategy and portfolio review to examine all potential paths forward to maximize shareholder value. Our entire Board of Directors remains dedicated to delivering a go-forward strategy that will drive value for all shareholders. As we stated when we announced the review, we look forward to sharing the details of our plans when the company reports its fourth-quarter and full-year results on August 30 and engaging with our shareholders on our strategic plan."

16:01 EDT Kona Grill appoints Jim Kuhn CEO - Kona Grill announced that its board appointed Jim Kuhn to succeed Berke Bakay as President and CEO. Bakay was appointed as executive chairman of the board and will remain with the company in a strategic role.

15:18 EDT George Strawbridge confirms 2.8% stake in Campbell Soup, pact with Third Point - George Strawbridge confirmed a 2.8% stake in Campbell Soup in a regulatory filing and stated in the filing: "The Reporting Person has agreed to act in concert with Third Point to engage in discussions [as Strawbridge has] reluctantly concluded that, unless the Board's strategic review results in a new direction for the Issuer in which the Reporting Person can have confidence and can support, the only reasonable approach is to reconstitute the Board. Only a reconstituted Board, free of the need to defend past actions and other legacy issues, will be able to objectively explore all strategic alternatives, including a sale of the Issuer or other business combination, that would substantially increase the value of the Issuer's shares."

14:45 EDT Third Point confirms 5.7% Campbell stake, says sale 'only justifiable outcome' - Third Point confirmed in a regulatory filing that its funds expended an aggregate of approximately $686,442,376.90 of their own investment capital to acquire 17M shares of Campbell Soup stock, representing a stake of 5.65%. In the filing, Third Point states in part: "The Reporting Persons acquired most of their Capital Stock following the Issuer's disastrous fiscal 3q18 earnings report and the unexpected departure of the Issuer's Chief Executive Officer Denise Morrison. The Reporting Persons believe that the subsequently announced strategic review, if conducted properly, will create significant value for the Issuer's shareholders...The Reporting Persons understand from our conversations with the Issuer's Interim Chief Executive Officer, Keith R. McLoughlin, and the Issuer's public statements that all options, including a sale, are being evaluated in the ongoing strategic review. The Reporting Persons are encouraged by recent press reports suggesting that a sale process is already underway. Given the significant obstacles facing the Issuer, the Reporting Persons believe that the only justifiable outcome of the strategic review is for the Issuer to be sold to a strategic buyer...The Reporting Persons insist that the Issuer's Board conduct a rigorous strategic review that results in the best outcome for investors. The Issuer's Board must weigh the value of the Issuer to a strategic buyer today versus the present value of alternate "go it alone" scenarios, adjusted for execution risk. The Group will continue to advocate strongly for shareholders during the strategic review and may seek Board representation if we conclude that the Issuer's Board failed to discharge its fiduciary duty."

14:33 EDT Campbell Soup up 1.5% as Third Point reported to push for sale - Shares of Campbell Soup are up 65c, or 1.5%, to $42.63 after Reuters reported that Third Point is prepared to call for a sale of the company in partnership with Campbell shareholder George Strawbridge.

14:06 EDT Tronc jumps 7% to $17.81 after Reuters says Donerail in talks to buy company

13:48 EDT Cigna investor Glenview submits letter in support of Express Scripts deal - Glenview Capital Management, a 10-year investor in Cigna, said in an open letter to shareholders: "We support the Express Scripts (ESRX) transaction for the following reasons: 1. Together, Cigna and Express Scripts will save their customers billions of incremental dollars annually with better healthcare outcomes, consistent with the social mission of each entity. 2. Cigna's long-term growth prospects will be stronger with the deal, and its per-share financial results will also be approximately 15% higher both near and long-term. 3. Cigna is paying a cheap price for Express Scripts compared to its history and precedent PBM transactions, paying 13x forward earnings excluding Anthem (ANTM) or 11.5x fully synergized earnings - approximately 25% below precedent transactions on an EV/EBITDA basis and an even greater discount on a price / earnings basis. 4. Cigna has earned long term shareholders' trust based upon its 21%+ annual shareholder returns during Mr. Cordani's eight-year term as CEO and its industry-leading control of medical costs. 5. Sensationalist headlines and intentionally misleading assertions from those with conflicting interests and limited analysis should not carry more weight than balanced diligence. Long-term healthcare services investors, including Glenview, have done well investing in companies who do good, such as Cigna. Contrary to the sensationalist rhetoric of those pushing personal agendas, PBMs combat drug price inflation and encourage better pharmaceutical adherence, improving patient outcomes. For this reason, nearly all major US corporations, including nine owned by Mr. Icahn and every one of the companies mentioned as a potential emerging competitor, use a PBM to reduce their pharmaceutical cost. In addition, the Trump Administration is pushing for more Medicare Part B drugs to be included in PBM-assisted Medicare Part D. Both the Obama and Trump Administrations have challenged the for-profit healthcare system to innovate to enhance quality while reducing the inflation rate and overall dollar spend within the US healthcare system. Through the merger with Express Scripts, Cigna's Management and Board have provided shareholders the opportunity to do exactly that, in a transaction that is additive to earnings and value per share for owners."

13:31 EDT Williams stockholders approve acquisition of Williams Partners - The Williams Companies (WMB) and Williams Partners (WPZ) announced that Williams stockholders approved the issuance of Williams common stock in connection with the previously announced merger transaction between Williams Partners and a subsidiary of Williams pursuant to which Williams will acquire all of the outstanding common units of Williams Partners it does not currently own and the related amendment to Williams' Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Williams common stock. More than 99% of the Williams shares that were voted approved the Merger and the Amendment. The Williams shares voted represented approximately 82% of Williams' total outstanding shares as of the record date. The Merger is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close on Aug. 10, 2018. Effective Aug. 13, 2018, Williams Partners common units will no longer be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

13:01 EDT Hudson wins new RFP at LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B - Hudson Group announced it has expanded its footprint at LaGuardia Airport through a retail package win for Terminal B awarded by LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the terminal operator. As part of the new contract win, Hudson Group will design the first FAO Schwarz airport and travel destination store of its kind. This new agreement is for space in the concourse of the reimagined Terminal B.

12:34 EDT Strongbridge shareholder CDK Associates buys 360,995 shares - In a regulatory filing, CDK Associates, which is a 10% owner of Strongbridge Biopharma, disclosed that it bought 360,995 shares at an average price of about $4.93 per share on August 8.

12:17 EDT Spotify named Samsung's new go-to music service provider - Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said, "This partnership with Samsung (SSNLF) reduces the friction for users to get Spotify (SPOT) up and running on multiple Samsung devices once the accounts have been linked. It allows us to create a seamless music listening experience together for the user that would be hard for either of us to build alone... First off, users can get excited about Spotify becoming part of the set-up experience on a Samsung device from the very beginning. For example, when someone buys a phone, the user can easily discover the Spotify app on Samsung Smart Switch. And soon, Samsung Smart TV users will be able to play Spotify through the SmartThings app. It's a new level of integration that will allow Spotify to be easily accessible and discoverable on Samsung Devices. As you move from room to room, your devices will be aware of your location and prompt you to effortlessly transition your listening between them. Next, Spotify is excited to be even more deeply integrated with Bixby, Samsung's premier voice solution, and serve as the only music service to be fully integrated with Samsung Music. When a user asks Bixby for music, Bixby will look to Spotify-even if that user has never used Spotify before-allowing listeners to receive recommendations from Spotify, discover new playlists, and create new musical experiences."

12:09 EDT Spotify up 4% after report says Samsung announcing streaming deal with Spotify

12:04 EDT Samsung introduces new Samsung Galaxy Watch - Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) introduced the Samsung Galaxy Watch, a "premium, powerful smartwatch for those who want to do it all-and look good while doing it." The company said it comes with a long-lasting battery as well as LTE connectivity to give consumers a "true standalone experience." With advanced wellness features and fitness tracking, it helps users achieve their health goals. And with Samsung's signature rotating bezel and more robust lineup of style options including three new watch color finishes in Silver, Midnight Black and Rose Gold, and new watch band colors, consumers can get a smartwatch that looks like a traditional timepiece and is intuitive to use. According to the company, the Galaxy Watch is more than a smartwatch, it's part of the Galaxy Ecosystem. Users can enjoy a seamless experience with Samsung Health, Samsung Pay, Bixby, SmartThings and select third-party partnerships such as Spotify (SPOT) and Under Armour (UAA). "Easily access and control your IoT compatible devices on the Galaxy Watch with SmartThings-turn on the lights in the morning or adjust the temperature before bed," Samusng said. "Samsung makes music and multimedia control even easier on the Galaxy Watch with Spotify, allowing users to listen to songs offline or without a smartphone. It's also easy to keep information secure thanks to Samsung Knox, and unlock PCs or tablets using Samsung Flow." The Samsung Galaxy Watch Bluetooth 42mm version will be available for $329.99, and the 46mm version will be available $349.99 in the US at Amazon, Best Buy and Samsung.com starting August 24, 2018. The Samsung Galaxy Watch LTE version will be available at AT&T, Samsung.com, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon, along with select major national retailers later in 2018. Pre-orders begin on August 10, 2018, and run through August 23, 2018 on Samsung.com. Consumers who preorder or order Galaxy Watch before September 8, 2018 on Samsung.com will receive a free Samsung watch band.

12:02 EDT Entera Bio appoints Gerald Lieberman as chairman - Entera Bio (ENTX) announced the appointment of Gerald Lieberman as the chairman of the board of directors, effective as of August 6. Lieberman currently serves on the board of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA).

12:01 EDT Samsung Galaxy users will have pre-access to 'Fortnite' beta on Android - Samsung (SSNLF) said that Epic Games will launch the beta for "Fortnite" on Android alongside the launch of Galaxy Note9. The beta begins today, first for Galaxy users. Epic Games is 40% owned by Tencent (TCEHY) and is part of Disney's (DIS) Accelerator Program.

12:00 EDT Yelp rises 27.6% - Yelp is up 27.6%, or $10.55 to $48.71.

11:02 EDT On Semiconductor, Seagate cut to Sell as analysts fear semi cycle peak - This morning, Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore downgraded his semiconductor industry view to Cautious as he believes elevated inventory levels and stretched lead times leave "no margin for error," while his colleague Craig Hettenbach cut On Semiconductor's (ON) rating to Sell given the cyclical risks. Voicing similar concerns, Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Delaney downgraded Seagate Technology (STX) to Sell, saying that hard disk drives are at a cyclical peak, in part on incremental pressure from NAND oversupply. 'NO MARGIN FOR ERROR': In a research note this morning, Morgan Stanley's Moore told investors that he has become less constructive on semiconductor stocks through the year and he now believes elevated inventory levels and stretched lead times leave the group with "no margin for error." Given his view that any lead time adjustment or demand slowdown could drive a "meaningful correction," Moore has downgraded his semiconductor industry view to Cautious from In-Line. Further, the analyst noted that deteriorating U.S./China trade relations likely prevent large scale M&A for now, serving to remove a previous tailwind to the group. Moore pointed out that he favors connector companies, like Amphenol (APH) and TE Connectivity (TEL), over analog/MCU at this point in the cycle, due to lower risk around lead time issues. He also has a "strong preference" for companies with high margins and more defensive models, such as Analog Devices (ADI), over lower margin and commodity exposed ones like Cypress Semiconductor (CY) and ON Semiconductor. Despite his more cautious view on the space, Moore reiterated Overweight ratings on Nvidia (NVDA), Xilinx (XLNX) and Ambarella (AMBA), arguing that they should benefit from secular growth in the area of Artificial Intelligence, data center, and autonomous. MORGAN STANLEY SAYS SELL ON SEMI: In tandem with his firm's semi industry downgrade to a cautious view, Morgan Stanley analyst Craig Hettenbach downgraded ON Semiconductor to Underweight from Equal Weight as he sees risks of an inventory correction by the fourth quarter, with a reduction in lead times serving as the catalyst. Additionally, the analyst pointed out that he believes On Semiconductor's shares are more susceptible to multiple contraction following a period of strong outperformance in the stock. Hettenbach lowered his price target on the shares to $18.50 from $20. GOLDMAN SAYS SELL SEAGATE: In a research note of his own, Goldman Sachs' Delaney downgraded Seagate Technology to Sell from Neutral and lowered his price target on the shares to $44 from $50. While Seagate has improved its product offerings in the last few years, hard disk drives remain a cyclical industry, and one "facing secular challenges in many parts of the market," Delaney contended. The analyst argued that Seagate's fundamentals will peak in the second half of 2018 and decline in 2019, as NAND is oversupplied and solid state drive prices are falling. Further, he noted that Seagate trades at a "greater than two turn premium" on forward price-to-earnings ratio relative to peers Western Digital (WDC) and Micron (MU). Overall, Delaney said he would look to be more positive on the stock if he had a more constructive view of Seagate's long-term business mix, and in turn growth rate, in particular for hard disk drives, as well over 90% of Seagate's sales are tied to HDDs currently. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of On Semiconductor have dropped almost 3% to $21.84, while Seagate's stock has plunged about 8% to $50.88.

10:02 EDT MiMedx announces regulatory approval to commercialize products in Australia - MiMedx announced that it received regulatory approval from the Therapeutics Goods Administration in Australia to market and sell a broad array of the company's dehydrated Human Amnion/Chorion Membrane products. This includes EpiFix, AmnioFix, EpiBurn, AmnioFix Injectable, and AmnioFix Wrap, among others. MiMedx products are classified as a Biological in Australia and are regulated by the TGA, a part of the Australian Government Department of Health that is responsible for regulating the import, supply, manufacture, export and advertising of therapeutic goods. The approval of the company's products enables MiMedx's local partner to market, distribute and sell the breadth of its capabilities to serve physicians and help treat their patients in the areas of wound care, surgery, sports medicine and pain management. Christopher Cashman, MiMedx EVP and Chief Commercialization Officer, said, "The approval of our EpiFix and AmnioFix product lines by the TGA is an important step in ensuring that Australian patients are able to gain access to innovative products in a timely manner. We look forward to formally launching our products in that market."

09:47 EDT Yelp rises 16.6% - Yelp is up 16.6%, or $6.32 to $44.48.

09:47 EDT Belmond rises 26.5% - Belmond is up 26.5%, or $2.95 to $14.10.

09:43 EDT Tribune Media said to seek $1B in damages in lawsuit against Sinclair - Tribune Media (TRCO) reported earlier in a regulatory filing that on August 9, 2018, the company filed a complaint in the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware against Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBGI), alleging breach of contract under their merger agreement. The complaint alleges that Sinclair "willfully and materially breached its obligations" under the agreement to use its reasonable best efforts to promptly obtain regulatory approval of the merger so as to enable the merger to close as soon as reasonably practicable. The lawsuit seeks damages for all losses incurred as a result of Sinclair's breach of contract under the merger agreement, the filing stated. Bloomberg has reported, citing the lawsuit filing, that Tribune is seeking $1B in damages from Sinclair.

09:38 EDT Perspecta awarded contract to support U.S. Postal Service - Perspecta announced that it has been awarded a prime position on the United States Postal Service Enterprise Information Technology Program Technical Support Services contract. The multiple-award, indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity contract has a three year base with four, one-year options, with an estimated ceiling value of $467M.

09:27 EDT Cytori reports publication of interim pilot data for Cellcordes trial - Cytori Therapeutics announced publication in the peer-reviewed journal, Stem Cell Research and Therapy, of "Autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction and scarred vocal folds: first clinical case report." This report describes preliminary data from the CELLCORDES trial of Cytori Cell Therapy in patients with severe voice dysfunction due to scarring of the vocal fold. The CELLCORDES trial is a fully-enrolled investigator-initiated pilot trial conducted using Cytori Cell Therapy. The trial is being performed by Investigators at the Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of Aix-Marseille University and the Cell Therapy Laboratory of La Conception University Hospital, both of Marseille, France. The reported index patient had severe vocal dysfunction persisting for four years following traditional surgery to treat chronic vocal fold lesions. Twelve months after single direct administration with 12 million ADRCs, the patient exhibited improvements in Vocal Handicap Index and other qualitative and quantitative measures of voice quality including: Hirano's GRB scale, Jitter, and vocal range. The authors noted that while the remaining seven patients treated in the CELLCORDES study have yet to complete 12-months of follow-up, no serious adverse events have been reported in any subject and no subject has reported worsening of vocal function. Furthermore, three are exhibiting "very good results (especially on the VHI)".

09:18 EDT Bluegreen Vacations announces partnership with Miami Marlins - Bluegreen Vacations announced it has been named the official vacation ownership provider of the Miami Marlins for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The Marlins and Bluegreen will formally announce their new relationship at the August 10 home game against the New York Mets with a Bluegreen Employee Appreciation Night. Bluegreen's multi-layered agreement with the Marlins includes in-ballpark signage, multiple fan experiences at Marlins Park, with pre- and in-game events for season ticket holders, Marlins fans and employees of both organizations and the opportunity to join with the Marlins in their community outreach initiatives. Bluegreen will also have the opportunity to promote vacation ownership during select Marlins home games, as well as direct marketing to more than a half million Marlins fans. Bluegreen will also be offering prizes and giveaways to Marlins fans at Marlins' home games, including the opportunity to win an exclusive vacation at one of Bluegreen's 69 resorts in more than 40 destinations across the U.S. and Caribbean.

09:10 EDT SS&C's Evolv platform selected by Velocity Capital - SS&C' EVOLV platform has signed a multi-year agreement with Velocity Commercial Capital. EVOLV will help Velocity transform their financial operations and capitalize on growth opportunities in a controlled environment. Velocity, a direct portfolio lender, provides investment property loans for residential 1-4, multi-family, mixed-use and small balance commercial properties.

09:07 EDT Diana Containerships announces time charter contract for m/v Pamina - Diana Containerships announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., Ltd., Seoul, for one of its Panamax container vessels, the m/v Pamina. The gross charter rate is $11,950 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum eight months to maximum twelve months. The charter will commence on August 24, 2018. The m/v Pamina is currently chartered, as previously announced, to Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd., Hong Kong, at a gross charter rate of US$9,500 per day, minus a 3.75% commission paid to third parties. The "Pamina" is a 5,042 TEU container vessel built in 2005. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately $2.87 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

09:04 EDT MTBC announces renewal of contract with top hospital client - MTBC announced that Pikeville Medical Center, Inc., a top MTBC hospital client, has recently renewed its contract with MTBC's subsidiary for at least an additional 12 months. MTBC's relationship with Pikeville began in late 2016.

09:03 EDT Inpixon sets Aug. 21 as record date for Sysorex spinoff - Inpixon announced its board of directors has established an August 21, 2018 record date for the previously announced spin-off of all of the outstanding common stock of Sysorex, Inc., its value added reseller division. The dividend will be payable to Inpixon stockholders as of the close of business on the record date, in the ratio of one share of Sysorex common stock for every three shares of Inpixon common stock held or issuable upon complete conversion of the preferred stock or exercise of certain warrants outstanding as of the record date. Inpixon expects to complete the distribution on August 31, 2018. The distribution of Sysorex's shares will be made in book entry form, which means no physical stock certificates representing Sysorex common stock will be issued. The Sysorex spin-off has been structured to qualify as a tax-free distribution to U.S. holders of Inpixon common and preferred stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If cash is received in lieu of fractional shares, it will, however, be taxable. Participating Holders should consult their tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of the Sysorex spin-off.

09:03 EDT Premier partners with Progknowse for medicine analytics - Premier is partnering with Progknowse to develop a clinical and genomic data set for use within the PremierConnect performance improvement platform to develop new predictive analytics capabilities that support precision medicine and personalized care delivery. Premier and Progknowse plan to work with leading research universities and data scientists to develop real-time predictive algorithms that can be used by individual health systems to support care interventions for patients with specific genetic markers. Progknowse will utilize the PremierConnect platform to access national data sets that include de-identified clinical outcomes data on approximately 45% of all patient discharges in the U.S. Progknowse will access this data within a secure development space, which can be leveraged by data scientists to create predictive algorithms that advance and personalize treatment based on specific genetic information.

09:02 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher acquires Leystone Insurance & Financial - Arthur J. Gallagher acquired Leystone Insurance & Financial. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in Ottawa, Ontario, in 2001, Leystone Insurance & Financial offers employee benefits and retirement consulting services, specializing in individual life insurance and investment strategies, for clients across the province of Ontario. David McCulloch, Darryl Phippen and their associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Leslie Lemenager, head of Gallagher's international employee benefits consulting and brokerage operations.

09:00 EDT Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives Inc trading resumes

08:52 EDT Aspen Technology names Gary Weiss COO - Aspen Technology (AZPN) named Gary Weiss to be COO, a new position within the company. In this new role, Weiss will be responsible for customer-facing operations and product leadership across AspenTech's portfolio of asset optimization solutions in the engineering design and manufacturing and supply chain areas. He brings to AspenTech more than 25 years of experience in the software industry where he successfully led several organizations to scale their go-to-market operations. Weiss joins AspenTech from OpenText (OTEX), where he held several leadership roles in various business units of the organization. His last role was as senior VP and GM of the OpenText Security, discovery and analytics business.

08:41 EDT UQM Technologies announces $3M purchase order from Chinese customers - UQM Technologies announced new fuel cell compressor system purchase orders from several new and existing Chinese customers, including its major Chinese OEM customer. The new purchase orders are valued at approximately $3M. All these orders represent incremental new business with shipments expected to be delivered through 2018 into 2019. UQM's fuel cell compressor systems, or FCS, utilize the UQM permanent magnet motor and controller, paired with an Eaton compressor. The result of this combination is a highly efficient system for supplying air to fuel cell stacks, powering vehicles ranging from automotive and SUVs to medium and large commercial vehicles like buses and work trucks. These compressor modules are a key component in hydrogen powered fuel cell systems. UQM has seen increasing success for several years now with its state-of-the-art fuel cell compressor system that are customized for a number of propulsion applications for a wide variety of fuel cell stacks and power levels. The UQM FCS product portfolio accommodates a voltage range of between 270-800 VDC, a pressure ratio ranging between 1.0 to 2.2, and airflow between 100 to 500 kg/h, which allows the company to target the majority of the market need for fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles.

08:39 EDT L'Orea, ModiFace announce long-term collaboration with Facebook - L'Oreal (LRLCY) and its recently acquired Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence entity, ModiFace, have announced a long-term collaboration with Facebook (FB) to create new augmented reality experiences delivered through Facebook camera products. Via a direct and seamless connection between both platforms, ModiFace and Facebook will deliver to people all over the world, for the first time, augmented reality powered make up try-on experiences from the world's leading beauty brands, such as Maybelline, L'Oreal Paris, NYX Professional Makeup, Lancome, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Urban Decay, and Shu Uemura. The first experience will be launched by NYX Professional Makeup end of August 2018.

08:38 EDT J.C. Penney launches baby shops in 500 stores - JCPenney is expanding its baby selection to reflect new merchandise categories that will help parents shop for their bundle of joy in one convenient location. The Company has historically offered cribs, high chairs, strollers and car seats at JCPenney.com, however shoppers will soon find these items in 500 JCPenney stores starting Aug. 30, along with bottles, pacifiers, diaper bags, bouncer seats and activity centers from respected brands including Avent, Graco, Fisher Price, Dr. Brown's, Tommee Tippee and Halo. The new shops will feature updated graphics and signage and will be located adjacent to baby apparel, featuring an expanded assortment of Carter's clothing along with Gerber and Okie Dokie playwear and sleepwear. The baby shops inside JCPenney will also feature an expanded Okie Dokie assortment with new product categories from the JCPenney private brand.

08:37 EDT Remark Holdings delists common stock from German stock exchange - Remark Holdings' common stock was delisted from the Borse-Stuttgart Stock Exchange on August 7. Remark's common stock had been listed on the Stuttgart Exchange without the company's consent or authorization.

08:35 EDT CME Group to add Communication Services Select Sector futures contract - CME Group will expand its suite of E-mini S&P Select Sector futures with the addition of a new Communication Services Select Sector futures contract. Pending regulatory review, the new product will be available to trade starting Sept. 10, 2018, alongside CME Group's existing 10 Select Sector futures products.

08:33 EDT Cronos Group enters supply agreement with Cura Select Canada - Cronos Group is pleased to announce that it has entered into a supply agreement with one of the largest cannabis companies in the world by revenue in the first quarter of 2018, Cura Select Canada. Cura is on a mission to be the leading provider of premium cannabis oil and hemp oil to the legal U.S. and international markets, and will enter the Canadian market to supply domestic and international channels through this agreement. The company has signed a five-year take-or-pay supply agreement to purchase a minimum of 20,000 kilograms of cannabis per annum from Cronos Growing Company . Cura expects to build its proprietary, state-of-the-art extraction facility on a parcel of land owned by Original BC in the heart of Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Given the commitment that both companies have to providing consumers with the best product quality, Cronos will be selecting and cultivating ideal strains for Cura's extraction methodology. The new facility is intended to serve as Cura's hub for the Canadian and international market.

08:32 EDT Attis Industries announces license agreement with DGIST - Attis Industries announced the execution of a sponsored research and exclusive license agreement with Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, to develop and commercialize processes that use sunlight to efficiently promote conversion of carbon dioxide and water into hydrocarbon fuels compatible with the current energy infrastructure. The new agreement is intended to build on the Company's and DGIST's prior work, including the work of Professor Su-Il In and his team at DGIST, as recently reported in Energy and Environmental Science, a journal published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, in an article entitled High-Rate Solar-light Photoconversion of CO2 to Fuel: Controllable Transformation from C1 to C2 Products. Professor In and his team recently demonstrated CO2 photoconversion efficiencies exceeding ten times anything previously reported, achieving sunlight-to-fuel photoconversion efficiencies of up to 3.3%. Such efficiencies are an important milestone, and demonstrate that an industrial-scale sunlight-powered CO2 to hydrocarbon fuel technology is realistic to envision. The Company expects to collaborate with DGIST and provide the adjacent research and other resources needed to increase conversion efficiencies even further, while expanding process tolerances and capabilities. The Company's early-stage commercialization targets include production of commercially-meaningful yields of methane for direct use and conversion into methanol, synthesis gas for conversion into Fischer-Tropsch fuels, and ethane for conversion into polyethylene and ethanol. Each target has extreme significance to the Company's biorefinery goals, including its plans to consolidate existing renewable fuel production assets, such as first generation corn ethanol plants.

08:28 EDT Canopy Growth completes acquisition of Spectrum Cannabis Chile - Canopy Growth acquired of all remaining outstanding shares of its Chilean in-market entity, Spectrum Cannabis Chile. This transaction brings Spectrum Cannabis Chile fully under the Canopy Growth umbrella and directly supports the company's plans for development within the LATAM region. Currently, Spectrum Cannabis Chile has a pain management focused clinical trial underway. Chilean doctor Dr. Serio Sanchez, founder of Cannabis Chile, has joined the leadership team of Spectrum Cannabis Chile and will serve as the Chilean medical lead. He will also serve on the Medical Board for Canopy LATAM.

08:20 EDT BioLife Solutions CFO sees 2018 as 'first full year of profitability' - Roderick de Greef, BioLife CFO, remarked, "Our second quarter financial results mark the first time since inception that BioLife has achieved positive net income, underscoring the operating leverage we can realize on higher revenue levels. Given our strong financial results for the first half of 2018 and our outlook for the remainder of the year, we now expect 2018 to be our first full year of profitability."

08:16 EDT VirTra receives $574,000 order from U.S. Department of State - VirTra said it has received a new purchase order for its training simulators under the previously announced indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with the United States Department of State. The order, which includes four of VirTra's training simulators, is valued at $574,000. The DOS intends to donate the training simulators to the Colombian government in support of U.S. Foreign Assistance programs. The simulators are to be used in a variety of training scenarios, which are intended to improve the overall effectiveness of the Colombian government's forces and assist them in the execution of their duties.

08:14 EDT Maiden Holdings: Patrick Haveron to succeed Karen Schmitt as CFO

08:13 EDT Maiden Holdings CEO communicates decision to retire for personal reasons - The Company announced that Art Raschbaum, Maiden's President and Chief Executive Officer, has communicated his decision to retire for personal reasons effective September 1, 2018. The Company's Board of Directors have appointed Lawrence F. Metz, Maiden's current Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, to serve in the role of President and Chief Executive Officer. Additionally, Karen Schmitt, Chief Financial Officer, has announced her retirement and will remain with the Company as Executive Vice President until March 1, 2019. Maiden's Board of Directors has announced that Patrick J. Haveron, currently President of Maiden Reinsurance Ltd., has been named Maiden's Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer effective September 1, 2018. Mr. Haveron will remain as President of Maiden Bermuda.

08:11 EDT Cheniere Energy Partners sees FY18 distribution per unit $2.20-$2.30

08:10 EDT Motorcar Parts boosts share repurchase program to $37M from $20M - Motorcar Parts said that under the authorized share repurchase program, as of June 30, $11.6M of the $20M common stock authorization has been purchased and $8.4M is available to repurchase shares. Subsequently, its board of directors increased the company's share repurchase program authorization to $37M from $20M. Thus, $25.4M is available to repurchase shares in the open market and private transactions. Motorcar Parts of America currently has 18.9M shares outstanding.

08:07 EDT AvroBio to provide update on two clinical trials in second half of year - AvroBio said it will provide an interim update on both the Phase 1 investigator-sponsored and Phase 2 company sponsored clinical trials in the second half of 2018. It added that it remains on track to file Clinical Trial Application for AVR-RD-02 in Gaucher disease in second half of 2018.

08:04 EDT Portola Pharmaceuticals names Ernie Meyer as CHRO - Portola Pharmaceuticals (PTLA) announced the appointment of Ernie Meyer as executive vice president and chief human resources officer, effective August 20. As a member of the Executive Committee, Mr. Meyer will report to John T. Curnutte, M.D., Ph.D., interim co-president of Portola and head of research and development, with responsibility for leading the development and execution of the Company's global human resources strategy. Meyer joins Portola from Celgene (CELG), where he spent more than 13 years in positions of increasing scope and responsibility. Most recently, Mr. Meyer served as executive vice president of human resources & corporate services.

08:02 EDT Nevsun board rejects Lundin Mining hostile bid, to proceed with strategic review

07:42 EDT China Lending Corp.'s financial leasing business receives $20M investment - China Lending's wholly owned subsidiary Xinjiang Xinquan Financial Leasing increased its registered capital from $30.0M-$50.0M. Xinjiang Heli Kaiyuan Construction Co. injected $20.0M of new capital into Xinquan. Upon completion of the transaction, the company, through China Fenghui Financial Holdings Group, holds a 60% interest in Xinquan - 20% is held by XHKC on behalf of the company - and XHKC holds a 40% interest in Xinquan.

07:33 EDT OvaScience trading resumes

07:32 EDT Neptune Technologies files two patent applications for cannabis extraction - Neptune Technologies has filed two applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for patents related to the extraction of cannabis material. The extraction processes provide highly-efficient methods to obtain cannabinoids and other desired compounds from the cannabis plant at a greater purity than conventional methods. Both processes are applicable to marijuana and hemp and will be incorporated into the company's Good Manufacturing Practices-certified extraction facility in Sherbrooke, QC upon approval of the applicable licensing to produce cannabis extract (pursuant to the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations). As a late-stage applicant, Neptune is currently working with Health Canada authorities to complete the licensing process.

07:31 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line CEO says cruise demand shows no sign of slowing - CEO Frank Del Rio says: "The continuation of the robust booking environment from our core source markets, combined with the successful execution of demand creation strategies drove higher pricing across all three brands, resulting in second quarter revenue, yield and earnings growth well above expectations. Global consumer cruise demand shows no signs of slowing as evidenced by solid organic growth and the hugely successful introduction of Norwegian Bliss, whose record-breaking performance surpassed our high expectations. The strong demand environment is expected to continue driving higher pricing in the back half of the year, leading to an increase of our full year 2018 Adjusted EPS outlook to a range of $4.70 to $4.80, well above the initial guidance range set at the beginning of the year."

07:27 EDT Hancock Jaffe receives approval for first-in-human VenoValve study - Hancock Jaffe Laboratories announced that it has received approval for the first-in-human testing of its VenoValve bioprosthetic medical device from the Medical Research Committee at Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogota, in Bogota Colombia, The company previously received approval from the FSFB's Ethics Committee. Hancock Jaffe will now begin gathering the information necessary to submit an application for approval to Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos, which is the Colombian equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. INVIMA approval is required to import investigational medical devices and conduct human clinical trials in Colombia.

07:22 EDT Momenta says FY18 operating expense guidance no longer accurate - Due to the ongoing strategic review of the business, Momenta's 2018 operating expense guidance is no longer accurate and may continue to change subject to the outcome of the company's strategic review.

07:20 EDT CNH Industrial names Welbilt CEO Hubertus Muhlhauser as CEO - CNH Industrial N.V. (CNHI) announces the appointment of Hubertus M. Muhlhauser as CEO, effective September 17, 2018. To be based at the company's Burr Ridge, Chicago, USA offices, he brings extensive leadership experience at multinational industrial companies, a deep knowledge of the agriculture and construction sectors as well as strategic expertise. The company anticipates convening an extraordinary shareholders meeting seeking shareholder approval for the appointment of Mr. Muhlhauser to the company's Board of Directors. Muhlhauser joins the Company from Welbilt Inc. (WBT), where he was Director, President and CEO since 2015.

07:16 EDT IBM and Maersk introduce TradeLens Blockchain shipping solution - IBM and A.P. Moller -Maersk have created TradeLens, jointly developed by the two companies to apply blockchain to the world's global supply chain. TradeLens is the result of a collaboration agreement between Maersk and IBM, a blockchain-enabled shipping solution designed to promote more efficient and secure global trade. As part of the TradeLens early adopter program, IBM and Maersk also announced that 94 organizations are actively involved or have agreed to participate on the TradeLens platform built on open standards. TradeLens uses IBM Blockchain technology as the foundation for digital supply chains, empowering multiple trading partners to collaborate by establishing a single shared view of a transaction without compromising details, privacy or confidentiality. The TradeLens solution is available today through the Early Adopter Program. TradeLens is expected to be fully commercially available by the end of this year.

07:13 EDT Correct: Dorman Products says Kevin Olsen to become CEO on January 1 - Dorman Products announced that, effective August 6, 2018, Kevin Olsen, formerly the company's EVP and CFO was promoted to president and COO of the company and, effective January 1, 2019, Olsen will become the company's President and CEO. Olsen succeeds Mathia. Barton who stepped down as president upon Olsen's appointment and will retire as CEO on December 31, 2018. Steven Berman will continue as the company's Executive Chairman. Olsen joined the company in June 2016 as SVP and CFO. The Board of Directors of the company has also appointed Michael P. Ginnetti as the company's interim CFO effective as of August 6, 2018. Ginnetti will serve in such position until a successor is named. The company is in the process of searching for a permanent CFO.

07:11 EDT Dorman Products names Kevin Olsen EVP, CFO - Dorman Products announced that, effective August 6, 2018, Kevin Olsen, formerly the company's EVP and CFO was promoted to president and COO of the Company and, effective January 1, 2019, Mr. Olsen will become the Company's President and CEO. Olsen succeeds Mathia. Barton who stepped down as president upon Olsen's appointment and will retire as CEO on December 31, 2018. Mr. Steven Berman will continue as the Company's Executive Chairman. Olsen joined the company in June 2016 as SVP and CFO. The Board of Directors of the Company has also appointed Michael P. Ginnetti as the company's interim CFO effective as of August 6, 2018. Mr. Ginnetti will serve in such position until a successor is named. The Company is in the process of searching for a permanent CFO. .

07:08 EDT Welbilt board 'actively pursuing' appointment of permament CEO

07:07 EDT Welbilt: CEO Hubertus Muhlhauser resigning to become CEO of CNH Industrial - Welbilt (WBT) announced that Hubertus M. Muhlhauser is resigning as a Director, President and CEO of Welbilt, effective August 31, 2018, to become the CEO and a Director of CNH Industrial N.V. (CNHI), a $27B global manufacturer of capital goods comprising agricultural and construction equipment, commercial and specialty vehicles and powertrain technologies. Welbilt's Board of Directors has appointed Josef Matosevic to assume the role of Interim President and Chief Executive Officer upon Muhlhauser's departure. Matosevic joined Welbilt in August 2015 and most recently served as Welbilt's Executive Vice President and COO. The Board is actively pursuing the appointment of a permanent CEO from both internal and external candidates.

07:06 EDT CoreSite Realty receives final approval to expand planned development in Reston - CoreSite Realty announced that it has received final approval from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to expand the scope of its planned development of its data center campus in Reston, Virginia. With the approval of CoreSite's application to modify zoning requirements, it can now build an incremental 289,000 net rentable square feet, or an incremental 50 megawatts, of data center capacity for a total of approximately 900,000 net rentable square feet, or more than 100 megawatts, at full campus build out, to support current and future customer demand in the largest data center market in the world. In addition, CoreSite customers can take advantage of the Virginia Data Center Retail Sales & Use Tax Exemption program towards the purchase of computer equipment and enabling software.

07:02 EDT Viacom reports Q3 Media Networks revenue down 2% to $2.5B - Paramount Pictures is delivering on its turnaround, with strong current quarter releases driving domestic theatrical revenues up 58%, continuing growth in television production and increasing profitability. Filmed Entertainment revenues decreased 9% to $772 million in the quarter, as a 20% increase in domestic revenues to $464 million was more than offset by a 33% decline in international revenues to $308 million.

07:00 EDT CUI Global's energy division signs Framework Agreement with UK's Cadent Gas - CUI Global's wholly-owned energy division, Orbital Gas Systems, has signed a Framework Agreement with Cadent Gas, the UK's largest gas distribution network. The Agreement enables Orbital to provide goods and services to Cadent, including its proprietary GasPT and VE Technology systems, as well as the provision of design, system integration, installation, technical support and training for many other systems in Gas Metering, Analysis and Telemetry. Cadent operates four of the eight regional natural gas distribution systems in Great Britain to deliver natural gas and energy to 11 million customers via third party independent systems.

06:58 EDT Baytex Energy and Raging River combination receives two advisory recommendations - Baytex Energy and Raging River Exploration announced that two independent proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, have each recommended that shareholders vote in favour of the proposed plan of arrangement involving Baytex and Raging River. ISS noted, "The Arrangement makes strategic sense as the combined company is expected to be a larger and more diversified company and will have greater exposure to Canadian and foreign institutional investors, thereby improving the company's cost of capital. As current Raging River shareholders will own 57% of the company they will continue to participate in the growth opportunities associated with Raging River's historic business and Baytex's business, while also continuing to have significant representation of Raging River management and the Raging River board on management and the Baytex board." Glass Lewis noted, "The combination offers several benefits for Raging River shareholders, including diversification to a high-quality asset portfolio with attractive cash flow generation and growth potential, as well as scale and capital which is required to develop the East Duvernay Shale oil play assets. The structure and terms of the transaction enable Raging River shareholders to retain meaningful ownership in a larger, internally-funded and diversified asset portfolio, and to participate in any revaluation potential and improved trading liquidity, while also valuing Raging River at a modest premium to its unaffected trading price."

06:55 EDT OvaScience trading halted, news pending

06:49 EDT Maximus increases quarterly dividend to 25c from 4.5c - Maximus announced an increase to the quarterly cash dividend from the current payout of 4.5c per share to 25c per share, which is a yield of approximately 1.5%, effective November.

06:41 EDT Jounce Therapeutics sees 2018 cash burn at lower end of $80M-$100M view - Expects to end the year with approximately $185.0M-$195.0M in cash, cash equivalents and investments. Jounce expects its existing cash, cash equivalents and investments to be sufficient to enable the funding of its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 24 months.

06:34 EDT Tribune Media CEO says 'extremely pleased' with Q2 results - CEO Peter Kern said: "Notwithstanding our disappointment regarding the outcome of the transaction, we are extremely pleased with our second quarter results, which were very strong. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA grew 69% versus the prior year period and 84% for the first half of the year. While net core advertising revenues declined 6% and were under pressure broadly, we were able to drive consolidated revenue growth of 6% when excluding the impact of barter revenues, with solid growth in retransmission and carriage fees revenues and political advertising revenue. In addition, our disciplined focus on cost management drove programming expenses down 29% and Corporate and Other cash expenses, excluding transaction costs, down 19% over the prior year period."

06:33 EDT EQT Corporation names Robert McNally as Next President and CEO - EQT Corporation announced that Robert J. McNally, EQT's current CFO, will become President and CEO upon completion of the company's upstream and midstream business separation. McNally will succeed David L. Porges who has been acting as interim President and CEO of EQT since March of this year. As part of the business separation, Porges will also step down from the EQT Board of Directors; and James E. Rohr, currently lead independent director of EQT's Board, will become Chairman. Post-separation, Porges will become Chairman of the Board of Directors for Equitrans Midstream Corporation, the anticipated new, publicly traded midstream company.

06:27 EDT PQ Group names Belgacem Chariag as CEO - PQ Group has appointed Belgacem Chariag as President and CEO, effective immediately. He will also become a member of PQ's Board of Directors. Chariag succeeds Jim Gentilcore, who will remain on PQ's Board as Executive Chairman. Chariag most recently served as Chief Global Operations Officer at Baker Hughes, a GE company, after Baker Hughes' merger with GE Oil & Gas, until January. Prior to that, Chariag served as President, Global Products and Services for Baker Hughes.

06:17 EDT BioPharmX awarded new patent - BioPharmX announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a fifth patent to the company - which means that three of its drug delivery systems now have patent protection. The patent, entitled "Solid oral dosage form for breast symptoms," protects improvements in BioPharmX's novel system for the delivery of molecular iodine to treat fibrocystic breast condition. It recognizes the unique benefits provided by the addition of vitamins A and/or D and calcium and/or iron to the company's Violet iodine, a novel and proprietary formulation for the treatment of fibrocystic breast condition, containing iodide and iodate salts that react to form molecular iodine when they are exposed to gastric pH.

06:12 EDT Altaba reports preliminary results of tender offer - Altaba announced the preliminary results of its tender offer to purchase up to 195M shares of its common stock, which expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 8, 2018. Based on the preliminary count by Computershare Trust Company, the exchange agent for the tender offer, a total of 360,358,790 shares of the Fund's common stock were properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. These shares represent approximately 45.02% of the Fund's issued and outstanding shares as of August 8, 2018.

06:06 EDT ACI Worldwide, FSS amicably resolve dispute regarding BASE24 software - ACI Worldwide and Financial Software & Systems announced that the two companies have amicably resolved their differences and disputes related to the use of ACI's Products (more specifically BASE24 software) by way of a settlement agreement dated 30 June, 2018. Under the terms of this settlement, FSS and its affiliates are entitled to continue to provide FSS' existing customers with services such as customization, implementation, and testing (including services using ACI's BASE24 software) until 30 June, 2020. FSS and its affiliates may also provide FSS Services to new customers that are not currently availing services from FSS, subject to the terms of the Settlement Agreement.

05:51 EDT Perrigo announces plans to separate Prescription Pharmaceuticals business - Perrigo announced that its board approved a plan to separate the company's Prescription Pharmaceuticals, or Rx, business following the company's previously announced strategic portfolio review. Continuing its focus on enhancing shareholder value, the board believes a separation of the Rx business will better enable this unique asset to capitalize on its platform of differentiated generic pharmaceutical products and allows Perrigo to focus on expanding its leading consumer business. The board will consider all value-enhancing options, including a possible tax-efficient separation to shareholders, a sale or merger.

05:43 EDT Sempra Energy forms North American infrastructure group - Sempra Energy announced that it has formed a new operating group for its North American infrastructure businesses and named Carlos Ruiz Sacristan chairman and CEO of the group, Sempra North American Infrastructure. Ruiz has served as chairman and CEO of Sempra Energy's Mexican operating subsidiary, Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S.A.B. de C.V. since 2012. Ruiz and the new Sempra North American Infrastructure group will report to Joseph A. Householder, president and chief operating officer of Sempra Energy. The group will encompass Sempra Energy's Mexican operations contained within IEnova, Sempra LNG & Midstream's existing operations, including Cameron LNG and all other liquefied natural gas development and marketing activities. As part of his new role, Ruiz will continue to serve as executive chairman of the board of directors of IEnova.

05:29 EDT Cannae Holdings enters into partnership to acquire Dun & Bradstreet - Cannae Holdings (CNNE) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement in partnership with an investment consortium including CC Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners along with a group of distinguished investors to acquire Dun & Bradstreet (DNB). Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by Dun & Bradstreet's Board of Directors, Dun & Bradstreet shareholders will receive $145.00 in cash for each share of common stock they own, in a transaction valued at $6.5 billion including the assumption of $1.1 billion of Dun & Bradstreet's net debt. Upon the completion of the Transaction, Dun & Bradstreet will become a privately held company and shares of Dun & Bradstreet common stock will no longer be listed on any public market.

05:21 EDT Dun & Bradstreet agrees to be acquired by investor group for $145 per share cash