Stockwinners Market Radar for August 13, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:45 EDT Hill International provides update on NYSE notice of delisting - Hill Internationa announced that the company received notification from the New York Stock Exchange of its determination to commence proceedings to delist the company's common stock. Furthermore, the NYSE announced the suspension of the company's common stock. The determination to commence the delisting proceeding is a result of the company requiring more time to become current in filing its late annual and quarterly reports, including its financial statements, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While Hill has made significant progress and has worked diligently with its independent accounting firm to complete its late reports, the company informed the NYSE that it would not become current with its SEC periodic reporting by August 15, 2018. The delay is due to the time and effort necessary to prepare, finalize, and audit the company's financial statements. The company plans to become current with its SEC periodic reports in the third quarter of 2018.

19:33 EDT Carl Icahn says will no longer vote against Cigna/Express Scripts deal - Today Carl Icahn released the following statement regarding Cigna Corporation: In light of the ISS and Glass Lewis recommendations in favor of the Cigna (CI) / Express Scripts (ESRX) transaction and the significant stockholder overlap between the two companies, we have informed the SEC that we no longer intend to solicit proxies to vote against the transaction. Reference Link

19:01 EDT TriCo Bancshares names Peter Wiese as CFO, effective August 14 - TriCo Bancshares announced that Peter Wiese has been named the company's new Executive Vice President and CFO effective August 14. Wiese replaces Thomas Reddish, whose employment as Executive Vice President and CFO terminated as of August 13. Reddish's departure is unrelated to the company's financial condition, financial reporting or accounting practices, investments, policies or regulatory condition. Wiese was previously with the Sacramento, California office of the public accounting firm Crowe Horwath LLP, where he was a partner since 2011 specializing in the financial services and banking industries.

18:08 EDT Berkshire Hathaway comments on quarterly reporting on Form 13F - "Tomorrow afternoon, Berkshire Hathaway will file its quarterly 13F report with the SEC detailing its domestic equity security holdings. There will likely be press reports emphasizing changes - upward or downward - in the shares owned in various companies. With a few exceptions, Berkshire wishes to avoid owning 10% or more of an investee's shares. Since many investees are repurchasing these shares this intention sometimes requires Berkshire to make minor sales to avoid hitting the 10% threshold. During the second quarter this self-imposed limit caused Berkshire to sell some minor amounts of equity holdings in the banking and the airlines industries, while Berkshire was purchasing shares of other companies in the same industries. These buy and sell decisions did not reflect our investment management's views as to the relative attractiveness of the bought and sold securities but were rather a response to the 10% limitation. Similar situations may occur in future quarterly reports as Berkshire continues to have 9% plus holdings in a number of equity securities that are active repurchasers of their shares."

18:01 EDT SJW Corp. confirms receipt of revised proposal from California Water Service - SJW Group (SJW) confirmed that California Water Service Group (CWT) has submitted a revised proposal to acquire all outstanding shares of SJW Group common stock for $70.00 per share in cash, an increase of $1.75 per share, or approximately 2.6%, from Cal Water's previously proposed price of $68.25 per share. The SJW Group Board of Directors, in consultation with SJW Group's management and legal and financial advisors and consistent with its fiduciary duties, will carefully review and consider all aspects of Cal Water's revised proposal. The Board intends to advise stockholders of its position on the revised proposal following the completion of its review. SJW Group stockholders are advised to take no action at this time. SJW Group remains subject to the terms of the amended definitive merger agreement with Connecticut Water Service (CTWS) under which SJW Group will acquire all of Connecticut Water's outstanding common shares for $70.00 per share in cash. SJW Group's Board has not made any determination as to whether Cal Water's revised proposal constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, a superior proposal under the terms of SJW Group's merger agreement with Connecticut Water. SJW Group will have no further comment on the revised proposal from Cal Water until the Board has completed its review. There can be no assurance that any transaction or definitive agreement will result from the revised proposal.

17:44 EDT Evertec COO Philip Steurer sells 10K shares of company stock - Evertec COO Philip Steurer disclosed in a filing that he had sold 10,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $24.39 on August 9 and August 10. The total transaction value of the sale was $243,885.

17:29 EDT Barrick Gold and Novagold's Donlin Gold project secures federal permits - Barrick Gold (ABX) and NOVAGOLD RESOURCES (NG) are pleased to announce that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management have issued a single Federal Record of Decision for the Donlin Gold project following completion of the federal National Environmental Policy Act process. Along with the ROD, the Corps issued a combined permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. Additionally, the BLM issued the Offer to Lease for the right-of-way for those portions of the natural gas pipeline that would cross federal lands.

17:20 EDT Advance Auto Parts names Jeffrey Shepherd as CFO, effective August 12 - Advance Auto Parts (AAP) announced the appointments of Jeffrey Shepherd to Executive Vice President, CFO and Reuben Slone to Executive Vice President, Supply Chain. Additionally, Nigel Travis, Executive Chairman of Dunkin Brands (DNKN), was appointed to the Board of Directors. Since April, Shepherd served as Advance's interim CFO in addition to his responsibilities as Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. He joined Advance during the first quarter of 2017 from General Motors (GM) where he served most recently as Controller for General Motors Europe. Shepherd's CFO appointment was effective August 12, 2018.

17:18 EDT Advance Auto Parts names Jeffrey Shepherd as CFO - Advance Auto Parts (AAP) announced the appointments of Jeffrey Shepherd to Executive Vice President, CFO and Reuben Slone to Executive Vice President, Supply Chain. Additionally, Nigel Travis, Executive Chairman of Dunkin Brands (DNKN), was appointed to the Board of Directors. Since April, Shepherd served as Advance's interim CFO in addition to his responsibilities as Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. He joined Advance during the first quarter of 2017 from General Motors (GM) where he served most recently as Controller for General Motors Europe.

17:15 EDT Booz Allen part of consortium awarded $850M DoD contract - Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), Centra Technology, E3 Federal Solutions, ECS Federal LLC, ManTech Advanced Systems (MANT), Schafer Government Services and Strategic Analysis Inc. were each awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a maximum amount for $850,000,000 with cost-reimbursable, fixed-price and labor-hour task orders for technical and analytical support services. This contract provides for a range of high level advisory and assistance services to all Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency technical and support offices. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of Aug. 12, 2023.

17:09 EDT W&T Offshore announces retirement of CFO J. Daniel Gibbons - W&T Offshore announced the retirement of J. Daniel Gibbons, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The Company has appointed Janet Yang as acting Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Janet Yang joined W&T in 2008 as Finance Manager and in 2012 became Director, Strategic Planning & Analysis, a position she held until being appointed Vice President, Corporate & Business Development in 2017. Ms. Yang has over 15 years of finance, investment and strategy experience in the energy industry. Prior to joining W&T, Ms. Yang held positions in research and investment analysis at BlackGold Capital Management, investment banking at Raymond James and energy trading at Allegheny Energy. Ms. Yang received a B.A. in Economics from Rice University and an M.B.A. with concentrations in Finance and Accounting from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

16:47 EDT SQN Investors reports 5.5% passive stake in Angi Homeservices

16:44 EDT Ocean Power enters $10M common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital - Ocean Power Technologies announced it has executed a Common Stock Purchase Agreement with Aspire Capital Fund to sell up to $10M in common stock to Aspire Capital over a term of 30 months, commencing after a registration statement related to the transaction has been filed and declared effective by the U.S. SEC. Proceeds will be used by Ocean Power for general corporate purposes, including working capital.

16:43 EDT Switch down 23.5% to $10.70 after Q2 results miss estimates, FY18 guidance cut

16:36 EDT AXA Equitable initiates 13c per share dividend - The dividend will be payable on August 30, 2018 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 23, 2018.

16:35 EDT AXA Equitable announces $500M share repurchase authorization

16:32 EDT Aerohive 802.11ax AP630 access point gets certification in Australia and NZ - Aerohive Networks announced that its 802.11ax-capable AP630 access point has received certification of compliance with the requirements of the relevant Australian Communications and Media Authority Standards in Australia and New Zealand. The AP630 is 802.11ax-capable and is also fully compatible with all previous 802.11 operating modes. Please visit www.aerohive.com/80211ax for more information and to arrange for ordering and delivery.

16:30 EDT Switch CEO says sales pipeline 'largest it has been in our company's history' - "Switch has introduced a one of a kind holistic hybrid cloud solution that for the first time allows companies to move larger and more mission critical technology environments to our differentiated cloud campus locations. After being introduced to our new product enablement tools, enterprise companies are taking the time to reimagine and reengineer their current use of software, hardware and connectivity as they get ready to embrace the hybrid cloud for their primary mission critical deployments. These companies are for the first time choosing a future legacy location outside of their own data centers for the strategic placement of their enterprise business intelligence engines that will be so important to every business over the next two decades," said Rob Roy, CEO, chairman and founder of Switch. "Due to this new holistic approach to hybrid cloud solutions, the closing cycles on these projects have extended the sales timelines. Our sales pipeline is the largest it has been in our company's history and we are extremely confident that we are on the right path to utilizing our industry's only Tier 5 platinum data center ecosystems to deliver long term customer and shareholder value."

16:29 EDT Switch to repuchase $150M of common units - The company also announced that its board of directors has authorized a program, by which Switch Ltd will repurchase up to $150M of its outstanding Common Units and Switch, Inc. will cancel a corresponding amount of Class B common shares. The program is effective immediately and will help offset the impact of future redemption of Common Units held by Members of Switch, Ltd.

16:21 EDT Vipshop down 9% to $8.20 after Q2 results, Q3 guidance

16:16 EDT Maxwell director Golubovich acquires 369,100 shares at $3.25 - Maxwell Technologies director Ilya Golubovich disclosed the purchase of 369,100 shares at a price of $3.25. Golubovich now owns over 3.4M shares of the company.

16:15 EDT Zagg appoints Jim Kearns COO - Zagg (ZAGG) announced the appointment of Jim Kearns as COO. In his new role, Kearns will be responsible for developing corporate and operational strategies alongside senior management for Zagg. He will report to Chris Ahern, CEO of Zagg. Kearns has more than 30 years of experience in business & process transformation, customer loyalty, and operational management. Prior to joining Zagg, Kearns served as vice president of global operations for Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE). In this role, Kearns led a global team responsible for the end-to-end management of all Hewlett Packard Enterprise orders from order receipt to cash and for providing pre- and post-sales support.

16:14 EDT ICF International awarded two services contracts by Caltrans - ICF was awarded two on-call environmental services contracts by the State of California Department of Transportation. The contracts have a combined estimated ceiling value of $15M. Each has a term of three years.

16:12 EDT Unum Therapeutics announces IND activation for ACTR T cells with trastuzumab - Unum Therapeutics announced that an investigational new drug, or IND, application is now active for ACTR T cells in combination with trastuzumab for the treatment of patients with HER2+ advanced cancers. This represents the first solid tumor product candidate based on Unum's novel, universal ACTR technology, and the fourth clinical trial program for the Company. Under this IND, Unum is preparing to initiate a multi-center Phase I trial, called ATTCK-34-01, by the end of 2018 in patients with HER2+ advanced cancers. ATTCK-34-01 is designed as a dose escalation study where both the ACTR T cell drug product and trastuzumab doses are escalated in order to define the safety, tolerability, and anti-tumor activity of the combination. Expansion at the recommended Phase 2 dose is planned.

16:08 EDT Veritone reports Q2 active client growth of 64% from last year to 74

16:08 EDT Veritone aims for Q3 AI customer count of 95, up 9 - For the third quarter ending September 30, 2018, Veritone expects to achieve the following KPIs for its aiWARE operating system: Bring AI customer count to 95, an addition of 9 customers; Bring AI account total to 655, an addition of 30 accounts; Bring third-party cognitive engines integrated with aiWARE to 234, an addition of 20 engines; and process 2.7 million total hours of video and audio content on aiWARE.

16:05 EDT RH names Ryno Blygnaut as new CFO - RH announced the appointment of Ryno Blignaut as President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, effective August 14, 2018. Mr. Blignaut will lead all financial and administrative functions at RH, including strategic and financial planning, accounting, treasury, tax, internal audit, investor relations, legal, and compliance, across the Company's multiple businesses and brands. Mr. Blignaut previously served as Chief Financial and Risk Officer at Xoom through its initial public offering and at the time of its acquisition by PayPal, Inc. Karen Boone has decided to step down from her current role to spend more time with her family, and has graciously agreed to work through a transitionary period to ensure a smooth handoff of her responsibilities. Mr. Blignaut most recently served as the Chief Business Officer of Wheels Up, a private aviation company. Prior to that, Mr. Blignaut served in various roles at Xoom Corporation, an online and mobile money transfer company, from May 2005 until December 2015. Mr. Blignaut's roles at Xoom included Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer through its initial public offering and at the time of its sale to PayPal. Mr. Blignaut holds a B.Comm degree in Accounting from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.

16:02 EDT Truett-Hurst sells wholesale wine business to Precept Brands - Truett-Hurst announced that it sold its wholesale wine business to Precept Brands. Truett-Hurst's wholesale wine business consists of the Company's wholesale bottled wine inventory, brands, supplies and bulk wine inventory used for the Company's "control label" wine brands and related intellectual property. These wholesale brands are produced under a variety of labels and sold primarily to national retail chains. The Company will retain its Direct to Consumer business and Dry Creek Valley Estate in Healdsburg, California. Precept has acquired from the Company all the assets comprising its wholesale wine business for approximately $18,000,000 in cash, subject to post-closing adjustments, and ongoing royalty payments relating to certain of the acquired wholesale wine brands pursuant to a Royalty Payment Agreement. The transaction is expected to result in proceeds of approximately $15.9 million for the Company, net of taxes and transaction-related expenses and fees. In addition, the Company will continue to provide certain services to Precept relating to the wholesale wine business through the current harvest period under a Transition Services Agreement. As of the closing, and after payment of bank debt and certain transaction expenses, the Company expects to have approximately $5.6 million of cash. Following the completion of the Precept transaction and repayment of all outstanding debt obligations, Truett-Hurst, Inc. will retain unencumbered ownership of the 22.6-acre Truett-Hurst vineyard (including 13.5 planted acres) and the tasting rooms in Healdsburg, California. The sale of the Company's wholesale wine business will allow the Company to focus all of its resources on its principal core brands of "Truett Hurst" and "VML" which are primarily sold at the Truett Hurst Winery in Healdsburg, to Wine Club members via direct shipments and to select retailers around the country. The Company expects to use the proceeds from the sale of the wholesale wine business to eliminate indebtedness and to invest in its direct to consumer business. The Company will also consider using a portion of the purchase price to provide returns to the Company's public stockholders. The Company is also pleased to announce that Paul Dolan will serve as the Company's interim Chief Executive Officer effective November 1, 2018. Phillip Hurst, the Company's current Chief Executive Officer, has accepted the position of Chief Innovation Officer with Precept Brands as of November 1, 2018. Mr. Hurst will remain a board member of the Company.

16:01 EDT Truett Hurst trading halted, news pending

14:47 EDT Sealed Air CEO Edward Doheny purchases 5Kshares of company stock - Sealed Air CEO Edward Doheny disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 5,000 shares of company stock on August 13 for an average price of $39.65 per share. The total transaction value of the purchase was $198,250.

13:35 EDT Netflix slips as CFO steps down, analyst cuts target - Shares of Netflix (NFLX) are under pressure after the streaming service company announced that its CFO David Wells is stepping down. Commenting on Wells' departure, KeyBanc analyst Andy Hargreaves told investors he expects "minimal disruption" since Netflix's financial strategy is now well established. Meanwhile, Imperial Capital analyst David Miller cut his price target on the stock to $494 on lower subscriber estimates. CFO STEPPING DOWN: This morning, Netflix announced that CFO David Wells plans to step down after helping the company choose his successor. The search will include both internal and external candidates. Wells, who joined Netflix in 2004 and has served as CFO since 2010, intends to stay until his successor takes the role to ensure a smooth transition. 'MINIMAL DISRUPTION': Following the news, KeyBanc's Hargreaves said in a research note that while David Wells' departure is a loss, he expects "minimal disruption" as Netflix's financial strategy is now well established. Consequently, the analyst noted that he sees little in Wells departure to change his view of long-term value in the company. In addition to raising capital, Hargreaves believes optimizing the relationship between content and marketing spend and subscriber growth is the most critical financial challenge facing Netflix. Therefore, he argued that a candidate with experience in subscription businesses, or at least strong and reasonable opinions about how to operate that business, would be most appropriate. The analyst has an Overweight rating on the shares. IMPERIAL CAPITAL CUTS TARGET: Meanwhile, Imperial Capital's Miller has lowered his price target for Netflix to $494 from $503 after slightly reducing his global subscriber estimates. The analyst told investors in a research note of his own that in the "interest of being conservative," he decreased his fiscal 2018 global subscriber estimate to 141.2M from 141.4M and fiscal 2019 global subscriber estimate to 164.4M from 166.3M. Nonetheless, the analyst reiterated an Outperform on the shares, saying that unlike most linear networks, Netflix can afford to be patient with original programming. Furthermore, Hargreaves pointed out that "in reality, there is not much competition" for the streaming service company. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Netflix have dropped about 1% to $343.95.

13:05 EDT Aetna partners with local health systems, introduces Southern California plan - Aetna has introduced the regional Aetna Whole Health - Southern California plan to employers with employees in San Diego County, Orange County, Los Angeles County and select portions of the Inland Empire. The new, regional health care solution includes the networks of four existing accountable care collaborations -- Aetna Whole Health - Sharp in San Diego; Aetna Whole Health - MemorialCare in Orange County and southern Los Angeles County; Aetna Whole Health - PrimeCare Physicians Plans in the Inland Empire and Aetna Whole Health - Providence Health & Services in Los Angeles County -- to improve access, quality and affordability for Aetna customers and members. The four Aetna Whole Health plans will continue to be available on an individual basis for local employers that don't have need for a network that covers a broader geography. Aetna Whole Health - Southern California members will have access to approximately 1,400 primary care doctors, 8,300 specialists, 51 hospitals and 122 urgent care facilities across five counties. The new plan is currently available for self-insured employers and will be available to fully insured employers pending regulatory approval. "We are excited to expand our relationships with Sharp, MemorialCare, PrimeCare and Providence to offer a regional health care product for our members and customers in Southern California," said Kristen Miranda, Aetna's president in California. "This innovative product brings together the right doctors, facilities and technology to improve health outcomes, while enhancing the member experience."

12:57 EDT Mark Cuban hasn't solid Netflix stake on CFO departure - Mark Cuban, while speaking on CNBC, said he has not sold any of his stake in Netflix on today's departure of CFO David Wells.

12:41 EDT Boeing names Brendan Curran president of Boeing AvionX - Boeing (BA) named Brendan Curran president of Boeing AvionX, an organization formed last year to pursue the development and production of avionics and electronics systems. Curran, who has more than 20 years of aerospace industry leadership, joins Boeing from Crane Co. (CR), where he served as president of the Aerospace & Electronics Group. In this newly-created position, Curran will work across Boeing's commercial, defense and services businesses to further mature the company's aftermarket strategy. He will help advance overall capabilities of the Boeing AvionX organization to provide greater value to customers while driving long-term services growth. Curran will report to Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Global Services.

12:04 EDT Aytu BioScience announces accelerated launch of ZolpiMist in the U.S. - Earlier today, Aytu BioScience announced the accelerated launch of ZolpiMist, an oral spray formulation of zolpidem tartrate and the only FDA-approved oral spray prescription sleep aid. The Aytu BioScience sales force begins promoting ZolpiMis to U.S. clinicians in the domestic $1.8B non-benzodiazepine prescription sleep aid market. The earlier than expected launch of ZolpiMist was made possible by the company taking early delivery of an initial supply of commercial ZolpiMist inventory. Josh Disbrow, Aytu BioScience Chief Executive Officer stated, "We are pleased to be launching ZolpiMist this week ahead of schedule, following the signing of our exclusive license agreement just two months ago. Our sales force has completed a rigorous training program, and initial inventory has been purchased and received. Additionally, U.S. wholesalers have been stocked, and now we are well positioned to effectively promote ZolpiMist alongside Natesto, our FDA-approved nasally-administered testosterone replacement therapy. ZolpiMist is a novel product, offering distinct benefits to patients with short-term insomnia, and we look forward to introducing ZolpiMist to the U.S. market."

12:00 EDT First Majestic falls -13.2% - First Majestic is down -13.2%, or -86c to $5.62.

12:00 EDT Bright Scholar falls -22.0% - Bright Scholar is down -22.0%, or -$3.20 to $11.37.

12:00 EDT e.l.f. Beauty rises 10.2% - e.l.f. Beauty is up 10.2%, or $1.04 to $11.22.

11:59 EDT Arsanis stops clinical development of ASN100, to reduce 44% of staff - Arsanis announced this morning its board approved a reduction in workforce to reduce operating costs and better align the company's workforce with the needs of its business following the company's discontinuation of the clinical development of ASN100. As part of this reduction in workforce, Arsanis plans to eliminate 19 positions across the company, representing approximately 44% of its workforce. Arsanis anticipates that it will substantially complete the implementation of the reduction in workforce by Q4. The company said, "While we remain disappointed regarding the outcome of the interim analysis of our ASN100 Phase 2 clinical trial, our team is working diligently to evaluate the complete dataset from the 154 patients that were enrolled in the trial to better understand the basis for this result. We expect to complete this evaluation in the fourth quarter of this year and have ceased further clinical development of ASN100, pending the results of this analysis. In addition to the ongoing review of the ASN100 clinical trial data and the continued development of our ASN500 program, we intend to continue to support our collaborators across our ASN200 and ASN300 programs, both of which were outlicensed to subsidiaries of Bravos Biosciences, LLC during the first half of 2018. We are also working with our Board of Directors to consider strategic options that may potentially result in changes to our business strategy and future operations. We believe that the approximately $50 million in cash and cash equivalents on-hand at June 30, 2018 provides for sufficient resources to fund our planned operations into the first quarter of 2020. We believe that this cash position will allow us to continue to pursue the development of our ASN500 program while concurrently considering potential strategic options for Arsanis."

11:26 EDT Tencent spinoff China Literature to acquire New Classics Media - China Literature Limited, an online literature platform in China, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with the senior management team of New Classics Media and Tencent Holdings Limited, pursuant to which China Literature will acquire 100% of the share capital of NCM from certain members of NCM's senior management team and Tencent in a transaction valuing NCM at RMB15.5B. China Literature will fund the transaction with RMB5.1 billion in cash and RMB10.4 billion in stock, including an earn-out mechanism to align the long term performance and incentives of NCM's management team. The China Literature shares that will be used as stock consideration will be issued at HK$80 per share. At closing, management of NCM will receive approximately 40% of their consideration with the balance being deferred and subject to future performance earn-out. The transaction, which is currently expected to close during the second half of 2018, is subject to customary closing conditions and constitutes a Major and Connected Transaction under Hong Kong Listing Rules.

11:02 EDT Medici Ventures portfolio company signs MOU with CBCS - Medici Ventures' Barbados-based fintech portfolio company Bitt, Inc. announces it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Centrale Bank van Curacao en Sint Maarten to explore the feasibility of the CBCS issuing a digital Curacao and Sint Maarten guilder to facilitate digital financial payments within the monetary union of Curacao and Sint Maarten. The parties signed an MOU on August 3, 2018, representing the culmination of talks which began in April 2018 during the CBCS' second Central Banking Conference. This MOU solidifies the relationship between Bitt and the CBCS and outlines the basic framework for this collaborative effort in order to determine the way forward. Medici Ventures is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Overstock.com founded in 2014 with the mission to accelerate blockchain technology.

11:00 EDT Bright Scholar sinks after China proposes change to private education rules - Shares of Chinese tutoring stocks are moving lower after China's Ministry of Justice posted a draft amendment to the country's private education rules. The agency is seeking feedback before September 10. A clause added in the draft bans companies from controlling non-profit private schools through mergers and acquisitions, Bloomberg reports, citing Terry Li, an analyst with Phillip Capital. Shares of Bright Scholar Education (BEDU) are down 23% to $11.26 in morning trading. Also trading lower shares of New Oriental Education (EDU), Rise Education (REDU), RYB Education (RYB) and TAL Education (TAL). Reference Link

10:45 EDT Bayer drags Scotts Miracle-Gro down after Monsanto weed killer ruling - Shares of Bayer (BAYRY) trading in New York are sliding after the recently acquired Monsanto was ordered to pay $289M by a California court, who found it liable in a lawsuit alleging that the company's Roundup caused cancer. Commenting on the news, JPMorgan analyst Richard Vosser told investors that the selloff in the shares is "significantly overdone" as he sees the potential for the verdict to be overturned on appeal and for the damage amount to be greatly reduced. Meanwhile, his peer at Bank of America Merrill Lynch argued that the ruling adds cloud over an important product for Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG). ROUNDUP RULING: Last week, a jury found Monsanto, which was recently acquired by Bayer for $63B, liable in a lawsuit alleging that the company's glyphosate-based weedkillers, including its Roundup brand, caused cancer. The case against Monsanto is the first of more than 5,000 similar lawsuits across the U.S. The jury at San Francisco's Superior Court of California found that Monsanto had failed to warn school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson and other consumers of the cancer risks posed by its weed killers, and awarded Johnson $250M in punitive damages and about $39M in compensatory damages. Monsanto, which plans to appeal the verdict, has denied that glyphosate causes cancer and has contended that decades of scientific studies have shown the chemical to be safe for human use. SELLOFF 'SIGNIFICANTLY OVERDONE': In a research note to investors, JPMorgan's Vosser said he views the selloff in shares of Bayer after a California jury ordered the company's Monsanto unit to pay $289M for not warning of cancer risks posed by its weed killer, Roundup, as "significantly overdone." The analyst added that he sees the potential for the verdict to be overturned on appeal and for the damage amount to be greatly reduced. Overall, Vosser believes current share levels of Bayer provide a good long-term buying opportunity and reiterated an Overweight rating on the name. RULING 'ADDS CLOUD' OVER IMPORTANT PRODUCT: Also commenting on the California court's ruling, BofA/Merrill analyst Christopher Carey pointed out in a research note of his own that while the product is owned by Monsanto, Scotts Miracle-Gro is the exclusive distributor/marketer of consumer Roundup in the U.S. and Canada, with the brand on track to be about 15% to FY18 profit, but less in FY19 as a 3-year term for $20M annual payments from Monsanto ends in FY18. Carey noted that he does not expect a ban of glyphosate, but argued that the court decision nevertheless "adds a cloud" over a product which is important for Scotts Miracle-Gro. While any additional impact from Roundup is unclear, this adds another layer to risks, he contended, highlighting that the company already must overcome a number of headwinds in 2019. The analyst reiterated an Underperform rating and $74 price target on Scotts Miracle-Gro's shares. Meanwhile, his peer at SunTrust told investors that there is likely no legal risk to Scotts Miracle-Gro from Friday's jury verdict in California. As part of the master agreement between Scotts and Monsanto signed three years ago, Scotts is indemnified from any litigation relating to the Roundup/glyphosate issue, analyst William Chappell pointed out. Further, the analyst noted that the company is not listed as a defendant in any of the cases filed against Monsanto. Nevertheless, Chappell estimates that Roundup represents roughly 10% of Scotts' EBITDA, and believes sales could be impacted over the long-term from these trials. The analyst reiterated a Buy rating and $100 price target on Scotts Miracle-Gro's shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Bayer trading in New York have dropped over 10% to $23.75, while Scotts Miracle-Gro's stock has slipped 2.25% to $73.65.

10:43 EDT Twitter rallies after Citron predicts $52 share price within one year - Shares of Twitter (TWTR) are moving higher after Citron Research predicted the stock will hit $52 within 12 months. The shares in morning trading are up 3.3%, or $1.07, to $33.08. "While many view Twitter solely as the preferred form of communication for the POTUS, it has become all things media and an irreplaceable part of the global dialogue," Citron wrote in a research note posted on its website. Twitter "is more relevant now than it has ever been and in media - Dollars Follow Relevancy," Andrew Left's firm added. Further, Citron believes Facebook (FB), Amazon.com (AMZN), and Alphabet (GOOG) "have many more privacy concerns" than Twitter. Reference Link

10:37 EDT Citron says Twitter shares going to $52 within 52 weeks

10:05 EDT Trump, Harley-Davidson dispute continues as President encourages company boycott - Shares of Harley-Davidson (HOG) are under pressure this morning after President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of the company over the weekend, applauding a potential boycott of the company amid its production shift overseas. TRUMP APPLAUDS POTENTIAL BOYCOTT: President Donald Trump backed the boycott of Harley Davidson, as the dispute between the company and Trump over tariffs on steel continues. In a tweet on Sunday, the President said: "Many @harleydavidson owners plan to boycott the company if manufacturing moves overseas. Great! Most other companies are coming in our direction, including Harley competitors. A really bad move! U.S. will soon have a level playing field, or better." DISPUTE OVER TARIFFS CONTINUES: This is not the first time that Trump has taken to Twitter to voice criticism over the company's decisions. Last month, the President tweeted, "Now that Harley-Davidson is moving part of its operation out of the U.S., my Administration is working with other Motor Cycle companies who want to move into the U.S. Harley customers are not happy with their move - sales are down 7% in 2017. The U.S. is where the Action is!" This came Harley-Davidson announced that it would be absorbing the entirety of the impact from recently enacted retaliatory tariffs on motorcycles imported from the U.S. into Europe and announced it plans to move some production to avoid the tariffs, a process that is expected to take 9 to 18 months to complete. In a series of tweets a day after the company's announcement, President Trump went after Harley, saying it is using tariffs and the "trade war" as "an excuse." He went on to tweet: "A Harley-Davidson should never be built in another country-never! Their employees and customers are already very angry at them. If they move, watch, it will be the beginning of the end - they surrendered, they quit! The Aura will be gone and they will be taxed like never before!" PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Harley-Davidson have dropped almost 3% to $42.20.

10:00 EDT Sysco says 'confident' in ability to deliver new three-year plan - Says exceeded all metrics for initial three-year plan. Says four strategic priorities - enrich customer experience, deliver operational excellence, activate power of the company's people and optimize the business - will accelerate current growth and position company well for the future. Says continuing to invest in international business to position company for future growth.Says remains confident in ability to deliver the financial objectives of new three-year plan. Says fundamentals of business are solid. Says confident in ability to achieve $650M-$700M of adjusted operating income improvement. Anticipates modest levels of inflation will likely continue for next few quarters. Expects FY18 capex expected to be approx. 1.2%-1.3% of sales for FY19. Expects FY19 effective tax rate to be approx. 25%. Comments taken from slides to be presented during Q4 earnings conference call.

09:47 EDT Turkcell falls -11.0% - Turkcell is down -11.0%, or -54c to $4.38.

09:47 EDT Dycom falls -23.3% - Dycom is down -23.3%, or -$20.86 to $68.84.

09:47 EDT Nielsen rises 16.8% - Nielsen is up 16.8%, or $3.69 to $25.66.

09:46 EDT Pacific Square's Greenberg wonders if Pier 1 is next Radio Shack - Pacific Square Research's Herb Greenberg tweeted this morning, "Can't help but wonder if $PIR is the next $RSH." The latter is a reference to Radio Shack. Shares of Pier 1 Imports are down 4.5%, or 9c, to $1.90 in early trading.

09:31 EDT Perspecta unit awarded $96M U.S. Army contract - Perspecta announced that Vencore, a Perspecta company, has been awarded a U.S Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity Sample Data Collection and Analysis follow-on contract. The five-year contract has a value of $96M and work will be performed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland and other key Army locations in the United States and abroad.

09:26 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Nielsen (NLSN), up 16.3% after Elliott Asset Management disclosed an 8.4% stake in Nielsen in a filing with the SEC that allows for activism. Elliott "will seek to engage in a dialogue" with the company's board and management "about numerous operational and strategic opportunities to maximize shareholder value."... Tilray (TLRY), up 4% after being initiated with an Outperform at Cowen... Amicus Therapeutics (FOLD), up 2% after announcing that the FDA has granted accelerated approval of Galafold 123mg capsules... Viavi (VIAV), up 3.7% after Needham analyst Alex Henderson upgraded Viavi to Buy from Hold with a price target of $13.50, saying the company's latest update suggests it is working through its restructuring and realignment issues. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Nova Lifestyle (NVFY), up 6%... Sysco (SYY), up 3.8%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Dycom (DY), down 23%... Jinko Solar (JKS), down 9%. LOWER: Dish (DISH), down 3% after being downgraded to Sell from Neutral at MoffettNathanson... First Data (FDC), down 3% after filing to sell 64M shares of Class A common stock.

09:16 EDT Diana Shipping announces continuation of time charter contract with Protefs - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has agreed to extend the present time charter contract with Hudson Shipping Lines Incorporated for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Protefs. The gross charter rate is $11,000 per day, minus a 3.75% commission paid to third parties, for a period of about 12 months to maximum 15 months. The new charter period will commence on September 19, 2018. The m/v Protefs is currently chartered, as previously announced, at a gross charter rate of $7,900 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties. The Company also announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Hudson Shipping Lines Incorporated for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Nirefs. The gross charter rate is $10,750 per day, minus a 3.75% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum 11 months to maximum 14 months. The charter commenced on August 11, 2018. The m/v Nirefs was chartered, as previously announced, to Jaldhi Overseas Pte. Ltd., Singapore, at a gross charter rate of $9,400 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties.

09:10 EDT Tesla: Approx. 2/3 of shares owned by investors would roll over into private co.

09:10 EDT Perry Ellis enters license agreement with Kiona for Original Penguin in Mexico - Perry Ellis announced that it has entered into a license agreement with Kiona granting rights to design and distribute men's and women's hard sided and soft sided luggage under the trademark an Original Penguin by Munsingwear in Mexico. The collection includes suitcases and trunks and is currently available in upscale department and specialty stores. Original Penguin leverages the brand's mantra to "Be An Original."

09:09 EDT Tesla CEO: Saudi fund recently bought almost 5% of Tesla stock

09:08 EDT Tesla CEO says will continue to talk with investors - CEO Elon Musk says in a blog post: "As mentioned earlier, I made the announcement last Tuesday because I felt it was the right and fair thing to do so that all investors had the same information at the same time. I will now continue to talk with investors, and I have engaged advisors to investigate a range of potential structures and options. Among other things, this will allow me to obtain a more precise understanding of how many of Tesla's existing public shareholders would remain shareholders if we became private. If and when a final proposal is presented, an appropriate evaluation process will be undertaken by a special committee of Tesla's board, which I understand is already in the process of being set up, together with the legal counsel it has selected. If the board process results in an approved plan, any required regulatory approvals will need to be obtained and the plan will be presented to Tesla shareholders for a vote." Reference Link

09:07 EDT Tesla: Left meeting with 'no question' deal with Saudi fund could be closed - Tesla CEO Elon Musk says in a blog post: "Going back almost two years, the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund has approached me multiple times about taking Tesla private. They first met with me at the beginning of 2017 to express this interest because of the important need to diversify away from oil. They then held several additional meetings with me over the next year to reiterate this interest and to try to move forward with a going private transaction. Obviously, the Saudi sovereign fund has more than enough capital needed to execute on such a transaction. Recently, after the Saudi fund bought almost 5% of Tesla stock through the public markets, they reached out to ask for another meeting. That meeting took place on July 31st. During the meeting, the Managing Director of the fund expressed regret that I had not moved forward previously on a going private transaction with them, and he strongly expressed his support for funding a going private transaction for Tesla at this time. I understood from him that no other decision makers were needed and that they were eager to proceed. I left the July 31st meeting with no question that a deal with the Saudi sovereign fund could be closed, and that it was just a matter of getting the process moving. This is why I referred to "funding secured" in the August 7th announcement.Following the August 7th announcement, I have continued to communicate with the Managing Director of the Saudi fund. He has expressed support for proceeding subject to financial and other due diligence and their internal review process for obtaining approvals. He has also asked for additional details on how the company would be taken private, including any required percentages and any regulatory requirements. It is also worth clarifying that most of the capital required for going private would be funded by equity rather than debt, meaning that this would not be like a standard leveraged buyout structure commonly used when companies are taken private. I do not think it would be wise to burden Tesla with significantly increased debt. Therefore, reports that more than $70B would be needed to take Tesla private dramatically overstate the actual capital raise needed. The $420 buyout price would only be used for Tesla shareholders who do not remain with our company if it is private. My best estimate right now is that approximately two-thirds of shares owned by all current investors would roll over into a private Tesla." Reference Link

09:05 EDT Tesla CEO Musk proivdes update on taking Tesla private

09:04 EDT Avis Budget fleet expands to 100,000 connected cars - Avis Budget announced it has surpassed the 100,000 connected car threshold globally, a milestone that promises to further improve the traveler experience, increase operational efficiencies for the company, and benefit smart city planning. The growing presence of connected cars across the Avis Budget Group fleet, combined with the Avis mobile app, means more travelers can change or upgrade their vehicle in real-time right from the lot, locate their vehicle and, in the future, personalize geolocation-based travel and tourism push notifications sent to customers.

09:02 EDT Comtech receives $32.5M order from U.S. Army - Comtech Telecommunications announced that during its fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, its Command & Control Technologies group, which is part of Comtech's Government Solutions segment, received new orders totaling $32.5M from the U.S. Army PM Tactical Network to provide Manpack Satellite Terminals and networking equipment.

09:00 EDT Diebold says in 'constructive' discussions with lenders - Diebold Nixdorf earlier issued a statement on the following developments: "The Company is in constructive and productive discussions with its lenders regarding its future financial flexibility and expects to reach a resolution in the near-term. The Company will disclose additional details in due course. At the end of July 2018, the Company held, through Diebold KGaA, 77.1% of the outstanding shares of Diebold Nixdorf AG. In August 2018, Diebold Nixdorf AG shareholders, as per their right under the terms of the Company's acquisition of Diebold Nixdorf AG, have requested redemptions for approximately 3.8 million shares with a value of approximately $255 million. The Company utilized cash on hand and borrowings under its Revolving Facility to fund $160 million of the initial obligation and will settle the additional obligation later this week, in line with current settlement practices, with cash on hand and borrowings under the Revolving Facility. Following this activity, Diebold Nixdorf will own in excess of 90% of the outstanding shares of Diebold Nixdorf AG. Such shareholding entitles the Company, at the Company's election, to initiate the process to merge Diebold Nixdorf AG with and into Diebold KGaA, a significant final step in the integration of the Company's German subsidiaries. When initiated, this elective process includes the Company's acquisition of all remaining shares of Diebold Nixdorf AG, which the Company expects to initiate expeditiously in future quarters. The Company's annual dividend payments to Diebold Nixdorf AG minority shareholders have been reduced by approximately $12 million in light of the shares tendered since the end of July and the remaining dividend payments of approximately $10 million will be eliminated once all shares have been acquired. On August 9, 2018, the Company received cash proceeds of approximately $70 million from the monetization of its investment in company owned life insurance contracts to further bolster liquidity."

08:49 EDT Marrone Bio submits registration package for MBI-014 to EPA - Marrone Bio has submitted the registration package for its new bioherbicide, MBI-014, to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Weeds are a major source of yield losses for most cropping systems. According to various market research reports, herbicides account for 40% of the $50B global pesticide market. Of the approximately $7.2B chemical pesticides sold in the U.S. each year, nearly $4B are chemical herbicides.

08:46 EDT A&F's Hollister announce collaboration with recording artist Khalid - Hollister Co., a division of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., has co-created a product collection with musical artist Khalid. The collaboration, which launches in stores and online September 13, was unveiled at the Teen Choice Awards Sunday August 12. Khalid's product collaboration with the retailer will have two separate drops, one as part of Hollister Co.'s Fall season, and the second as part of its Holiday season.

08:41 EDT Eyenovia announces 'positive' results from EYN PG21 study - Eyenovia announced "positive" results of its EYN PG21 proof-of-concept study of microdose latanoprost for the lowering of intraocular pressure, or IOP, and patient usability. The EYN PG21 clinical study investigated the medication administration effectiveness and IOP lowering effect of microdose latanoprost in 60 eyes of 30 healthy volunteers. Participants received once daily microdose treatment over 2 consecutive days and underwent diurnal IOP assessments. The primary outcome was success of microdose delivery, with additional outcomes evaluating diurnal IOP change each day. In the study, after a brief medication administration training session, investigators successfully administered high-precision piezo-print latanoprost with a single spray 95% of the time. A separate evaluation of patient self-administration showed an 88% success rate following limited training. This is an improvement from the 39%-47% success rate reported in the literature using a conventional eyedropper. In addition, each single medication administration was within 1 microL of the prescribed dose and the tear capacity of the eye. This differs from traditional eyedropper administration, which may deliver as much as 300% more drug than the eye can hold with high variability of dosing.The study results also demonstrated that, while reducing drug administration volume by 75% by delivering the microdose accurately and directly on the corneal surface, piezo-print micro-formulated latanoprost achieved a very robust reduction in diurnal IOP of up to 29% from baseline unmedicated IOP. This is consistent with the reported reduction of up to 26% achieved with the same concentration of standard latanoprost eye drops.

08:38 EDT Hologic drops 2% to $39.98 after stopping sales of vaginal rejuvenation device

08:37 EDT Arbutus Biopharma, Alnylam announce NDA approval by the FDA - Arbutus Biopharma (ABUS) announced that the company's lipid nanoparticle, or LNP, licensee, Alnylam (ALNY), announced that their new drug application, or NDA, for Onpattro, an RNAi therapeutic, has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of hereditary ATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy.

08:36 EDT VolitionRx reports 'positive' data on study of Nu.Q assays - VolitionRx announced preliminary data from a prospective, multi-centered Proof of Concept Study of 84 men into the utility of Volition's Nu.Q assays to diagnose men with high-grade prostate cancer. At 88% specificity, the Volition panel of five assays, including PSA, identified 94% of high-grade prostate cancers that require treatment. This compares with just 33% identified by Prostate-Specific Antigen alone. In the Proof of Concept Study, a blood sample was taken prospectively from men referred for prostate biopsy in three Belgian hospitals. The men were grouped by biopsy findings as having no cancer, low-grade cancer or high-grade cancer. The samples were tested with a panel of five assays. The assay results correlated with the Gleason Score, which is one of the main predictors for aggressive PCA determined on biopsy. This suggests the assays may provide better risk stratification than that available using PSA tests for men with actual or suspected PCA, leading to better patient management and fewer unnecessary biopsies.

08:30 EDT Elliott takes activist stake in Nielsen, will push for sale - Elliott Asset Management disclosed an 8.4% stake in Nielsen Holdings this morning in a filing with the SEC that allows for activism. The new stake by Paul Singer's fund was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Elliott collectively has beneficial ownership of 18M shares of common stock constituting approximately 5.1% of the shares outstanding and combined economic exposure in Nielsen equivalent to 30M shares, constituting approximately 8.4% of the shares outstanding. Elliott "will seek to engage in a dialogue" with the company's board and management "about numerous operational and strategic opportunities to maximize shareholder value." Elliott will encourage Nielsen to "undertake a full strategic review of, and initiate a process to explore, the sale" of the company in full, in addition to the exploration of the sale of certain of its businesses or assets, including transactions in which the fund "may seek to participate and potentially engage in, as a purchaser or investor." Shares of Nielsen Holdings are up 13%, or $2.78, to $24.75 in premarket trading.

08:23 EDT Checkpoint Therapeutics announces presentation of CK-101 data at IASLC - Checkpoint Therapeutics announced that preliminary safety and efficacy data from a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of CK-101, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR, tyrosine kinase inhibitor, or TKI, being evaluated in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, has been selected for a late-breaking oral presentation at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, or IASLC.

08:21 EDT Elliott confirms 8.4% activism stake in Nielsen

08:20 EDT Hologic trading resumes

08:14 EDT Eiger BioPharmaceuticals completes enrollment in Phase 2 PREVENT study - Eiger BioPharmaceuticals announced completion of enrollment of the Phase 2 PREVENT study. PREVENT is a multi-center, placebo-controlled study investigating the safety and durability of effect of subcutaneous avexitide (formerly exendin 9-39) in post-bariatric surgical patients who experience dangerously low, postprandial blood glucose levels known as post-bariatric hypoglycemia. A total of 18 patients were enrolled across five study sites in the United States. There is currently no FDA approved pharmacologic therapy for PBH. At Eiger's request, avexitide has recently been adopted by the United States Adopted Name Council and will be the International Nonproprietary Name, which is used to identify pharmaceutical substances or active pharmaceutical ingredients. Each INN is a unique name that is globally recognized. A nonproprietary name is also known as a generic name. Eiger plans to seek approval for a proprietary name or brand name during Phase 3 development.

08:10 EDT MiMedx says Nasdaq Hearings Panel grants request for listing extension - MiMedx Group announced that a Nasdaq Hearings Panel granted the company's request for a listing extension. This allows for the continued trading of the company's common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market until the Panel make its determination of the company's appeal of the Nasdaq staff's delisting notification. The Panel hearing will take place on September 13, 2018, and the Panel is expected to make its determination sometime after the hearing. The company is requesting that the Panel allow the company additional time to regain compliance with Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires the timely filing of periodic reports with the SEC. As previously disclosed, the MiMedx Audit Committee is conducting an independent internal investigation into current and prior-period matters concerning sales and distribution practices and other matters. The Audit Committee is working diligently with its advisors to complete the investigation, and the company is also working to prepare its financial statements for audit and regain compliance with its SEC reporting obligations and Nasdaq listing rules as soon as practicable.

08:07 EDT Checkpoint says clinical data on CK-101 selected for presentation at IASLC - Checkpoint Therapeutics announced that preliminary safety and efficacy data from a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of CK-101, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor being evaluated in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, has been selected for a late-breaking oral presentation at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer, to be held September 23-26, 2018, in Toronto. "We are thrilled to announce that preliminary data from the Phase 1/2 trial of our novel third-generation EGFR inhibitor has been selected for a late-breaking oral presentation at the World Conference on Lung Cancer. This marks the first clinical data to be reported by Checkpoint, an important clinical and corporate milestone," said James F. Oliviero, President and CEO of Checkpoint Therapeutics. "Third-generation EGFR inhibitors are highly selective and have the potential to demonstrate improved safety and tolerability versus earlier-generation therapies. There is currently only one third-generation EGFR inhibitor approved and we believe CK-101 could be second to market potentially with a differentiated safety profile."

08:06 EDT Allscripts says Payerpath achieves EHNAC Healthcare Network accreditations - Allscripts announced that it has achieved full accreditation with the Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Allscripts Payerpath and also ePAP accreditation for ePrescribe from the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission. Through EHNAC's comprehensive third-party review, Allscripts was evaluated in areas of privacy measures, systems availability and security infrastructure. In addition, EHNAC reviewed the organization's process of managing and transferring protected health information and determined that the organization meets or exceeds all EHNAC criteria and industry standards.

08:05 EDT Tractor Supply promotes Steve Barbarick to President, COO - Tractor Supply Company announced the promotions of Steve Barbarick to President, COO and Rob Mills to Executive Vice President, Chief Technology, Digital Commerce and Strategy Officer, both effective immediately. In addition to his current responsibilities, Barbarick will lead Tractor Supply's Store Operations, aligning the Company across all Store Operations, Merchandising, Marketing and Supply Chain functions and teams. In addition to his current responsibilities for all Information Technology and Corporate Strategy functions, Mills will oversee Tractor Supply's Digital Commerce operations.

08:02 EDT Sphere 3D announces event of default under existing credit facilities - Sphere 3D Corp. announced that on August 1, 2018, Overland Storage, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, together with Tandberg Data GmbH, as co-borrowers under that certain Credit Agreement dated as of April 6, 2016, with CB CA SPV, LLC, as lender, failed to make a required payment of interest due on such date. Such failure constituted an Event of Default as of August 6, 2018 under the Credit Agreement after expiration of a five day cure period. On August 7, 2018, Overland received a notice from Colbeck stating that, as a result of such failure, all amounts under the Credit Agreement are immediately due and payable. The foregoing also constitutes an Event of Default, as defined in and pursuant to that certain 8% Senior Secured Convertible Debenture in favor of FBC Holdings, S.a r.l. The Company, Overland and their subsidiaries are in continuing discussions for a potential resolution with the Lenders. Despite these efforts, there can be no assurance that the Lenders will ultimately agree to any such resolution.

08:00 EDT Liquid Media to begin trading on Nasdaq as YVR - Liquid Media Group will begin trading on NASDAQ under its new ticker symbol "YVR" at the opening of the market on Monday, August 13, 2018. The company's name change was made following the closing of the previously announced plan of arrangement with Liquid Media Group Canada, pursuant to which the company acquired 100% of the shares of Liquid Canada in exchange for 6,442,486 shares of the company. Following the closing of the Arrangement, former shareholders of Liquid Canada hold 69.7% of the company's issued and outstanding shares.

07:46 EDT Rowan Companies announces six-month contract from Cantium - Rowan Companies announced that the Rowan EXL III, an EXL Class high specification jack-up rig, has been awarded a six-month contract from Cantium in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The contract is expected to commence in early November 2018. The EXL III is currently under contract with Cantium in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico through mid to late August 2018.

07:39 EDT BioElectronics submits apllication to FDA's Opioid Innovation Challenge - BioElectronics announced that it has submitted an application to the FDA's 2018 Opioid Innovation Challenge. This challenge was designed by the FDA to spur the development/deployment of medical devices that can help combat the opioid crisis by preventing/treating opioid use disorder. BioElectronics' products are FDA-cleared, nonprescription neuromodulation medical devices that provide pain therapy as an alternative to opioid medications.

07:28 EDT Blue Apron rival Hello Fresh no longer expects to break even during Q4 - HelloFresh said in a statement that it has decided -- "based on the strong margin development in the first half of 2018 -- to invest such margin profits in a series of strategic measures during the second half of 2018. The investments primarily include an increase of meal selections in the US, price reductions on certain meal kits offered in the US, the scaling up of a new value brand and product improvements as well as price reductions in the portfolio of the Green Chef Corporation which was acquired by HelloFresh at the end of March. The Management Board of the company believes that these investments will support further growth.Due to these additional investments in further growth decided upon today, HelloFresh raises its full-year 2018 outlook for constant-currency revenue growth excluding Green Chef from previously 30% - 35% to now 32% - 37%. As a consequence of these additional investments in further growth, which will lead to a reduction of AEBITDA, the company does no longer expect to achieve a break-even on group level on AEBITDA-basis excluding Green Chef in Q4 2018 but currently expects to achieve such break-even on group level on AEBITDA-basis during the course of 2019." The Fly notes that HelloFresh competes with Blue Apron.

07:15 EDT MeiraGTx announces ODD designation from FDA for AAV-CNGA3 - MeiraGTx announced that the FDA has granted orphan drug designation, or ODD, for its AAV-CNGA3 gene therapy product candidate for the treatment of achromatopsia, or ACHM, caused by mutations in the CNGA3 gene. ACHM is an inherited retinal disease that severely limits a person's sight by preventing cone photoreceptors in the eye from functioning. Individuals with ACHM are often legally blind from birth, have extreme sensitivity to light, and experience involuntary eye movements. AAV-CNGA3 is an investigational gene therapy treatment designed to restore cone function, delivered to the cone receptors at the back of the eye via subretinal injection.

07:11 EDT Oceaneering announces Equinor contract award for E-ROV services - Oceaneering International announced that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries has entered into a contract with Equinor ASA for a three-year term with two one-year optional extension periods to provide a resident, battery-powered electric remotely operated vehicle system to support subsea inspection, maintenance and repair activities. The E-ROV system is expected to be deployed in water depths up to 1000 meters on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Work under the contract is scheduled to commence in early December 2018.

07:10 EDT Myriad Genetics reschedules release of Q4 results, reaffirms FY18 guidance - Myriad Genetics announced that it is moving its fiscal fourth-quarter 2018 sales and earnings conference call with investors and analysts to 4:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 21, 2018, one week following the previous planned date. A delay in the financial close occurred as the company was preparing for the transition from Accounting Standards Codification-605 to ASC-606, because revenue adjustments were identified for the financial periods from fiscal year 2015 through fiscal year 2018. The company is reviewing these adjustments with its outside auditor and currently anticipates that these adjustments will amount to less than one percent of reported revenue. For fiscal year 2018, the company is reaffirming its financial guidance provided on the fiscal third-quarter 2018 earnings call.

07:09 EDT Regeneron: FDA issues CRL regarding sBLA for EYLEA Injection - Regeneron announced that due to ongoing labeling discussions, the U.S. FDA has issued a complete response letter regarding the supplemental Biologics License Application for EYLEA Injection in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration. The sBLA was based on the second year data from the VIEW studies during which patients were treated with a modified 12 week dosing schedule (doses given at least every 12 weeks and additional doses as needed). Regeneron expects to complete these discussions and receive a final FDA action within approximately two months.

07:05 EDT JinkoSolar sees Q3 total solar module shipments 2.8 GW-3.0 GW - For the full year 2018, the company estimates total solar module shipments to be in the range of 11.5 GW-12 GW.

07:04 EDT JinkoSolar reports Q2 total solar module shipments of 2,794 MW - Including 200 MW to the company's overseas downstream segment.

06:34 EDT Stemline: FDA accepts ELZONRIS BLA, grants Priority Review - Stemline Therapeutics announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted for filing the company's Biologics License Application for ELZONRIS for the treatment of patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. The FDA also granted Priority Review for the BLA and has set a target action date of February 21, 2019, under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. ELZONRIS has also been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA.

06:12 EDT Bayer's Monsanto unit ordered to pay $289M in Roundup cancer trial - Shares of Bayer (BAYRY) are in focus in pre-market trading after a California jury ordered the company's subsidiary Monanto to pay $289M in damages last week. LAWSUIT OUTCOME: Last week, a jury found Monsanto, which was recently acquired by Bayer for $63B, liable in a lawsuit alleging that the company's glyphosate-based weedkillers, including its Roundup brand, caused cancer. The case against Monsanto is the first of more than 5,000 similar lawsuits across the U.S. The jury at San Francisco's Superior Court of California deliberated for just three days before finding that Monsanto had failed to warn school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson and other consumers of the cancer risks posed by its weed killers, and awarded Johnson $250M in punitive damages and about $39M in compensatory damages. Monsanto, which plans to appeal the verdict, has denied that glyphosate causes cancer and has contended that decades of scientific studies have shown the chemical to be safe for human use. MONSANTO, BAYER RESPOND: The decision "does not change the fact that more than 800 scientific studies and reviews...support the fact that glyphosate does not cause cancer," it said in a statement. Bayer said in its own statement that "While Bayer and Monsanto continue to operate independently, Bayer believes that the jury's verdict is at odds with the weight of scientific evidence, decades of real world experience and the conclusions of regulators around the world that all confirm glyphosate is safe and does not cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma." It added that "The jury's verdict is just the first step in this case, and it remains subject to post-trial motions in the trial court and to an appeal, as announced by Monsanto. As this case proceeds, Bayer believes courts ultimately will find that Monsanto and glyphosate were not responsible for Mr. Johnson's illness." WHAT'S NOTABLE: Last December, the EU Commission renewed the license for glyphosate despite debates over its safety, though Germany and France have sought to phase out use of the weedkiller.

06:07 EDT VF Corp. announces intention to split into two publicly traded companies - VF Corporation announced that its Board of Directors intends to separate the company into two independent, publicly traded companies: VF Corporation, a global apparel and footwear powerhouse, and a yet-to-be named company (NewCo), which will hold VF's Jeans and VF Outlet businesses and will be a global leader in the denim category. The company expects to create these companies through a tax-free spin-off of NewCo to VF's shareholders. "As shown by our recent quarterly results, VF continues to gain momentum on our transformation journey, marked by strong progress on our strategic initiatives and portfolio management," said Steve Rendle, Chairman, President and CEO. "With these strong foundations in place, we are now ideally positioned to create two independent, leading, global companies. In alignment with our strategic plan, the decision to separate these businesses will allow VF to sharpen its focus as a consumer-centric and retail-minded organization anchored in activity-based lifestyle brands. Our Jeans platform is a successful, sustainable business with iconic global brands and a clear path to value creation as a standalone entity. This exciting step forward will mean that both VF and NewCo have the resources, management focus and financial flexibility to thrive in a dynamic consumer marketplace, creating an even brighter future for both organizations and all of their stakeholders." The separation is currently targeted to be completed in the first half of calendar 2019, subject to final approval by the company's Board of Directors, customary regulatory approvals and tax and legal considerations. Throughout the separation process, VF management will remain committed to business as usual with all key stakeholders, including customers, employees and local communities. Investor days will be held for both VF and NewCo during the first half of calendar 2019.

06:05 EDT VF Corp. announces intention to split into two publicly traded companies

06:01 EDT Salem Media acquires Hilary Kramer's line of investment products - Salem Media Group announced that it has acquired Hilary Kramer's investment newsletters GameChangers, High Octane Trader, Value Authority and Inner Circle as well as the websites www.HilaryKramer.com and www.KramerCapitalResearch.com. In addition, a new Hilary Kramer product, Turbo Trader, was launched August 13..

05:37 EDT National Healthcare announces $25M stock repurchase program - National HealthCare announces that its board, at a regularly scheduled meeting, has authorized a new stock repurchase program. The program will allow for repurchases of up to $25M of its common stock. The new stock repurchase plan will begin September 1, 2018 and will expire on August 31, 2019. The stock repurchase plan replaces the stock repurchase plan previously approved by the board on August 3, 2017. Repurchases may be made under the previous plan until August 31, 2018.

05:21 EDT TiVo renews multi-year IP license with Altice Portugal - TiVo announced that Altice Portugal has renewed its IP license with TiVo. Altice in Portugal is just the latest service provider to renew its license as TiVo continues to build momentum in Europe for its IP portfolio - ensuring European operators can continue to deploy advanced products that use patented TiVo innovations.

05:17 EDT Accenture forms strategic alliance with Malong Technologies - Accenture has formed a strategic alliance with and made a minority investment in Malong Technologies, an artificial intelligence start-up headquartered in Shenzhen, China. Malong has been recognized by global companies and organizations and analyst firms as an AI pioneer and innovation leader. Through the alliance, Accenture's Applied Intelligence practice and Malong will offer computer vision and product recognition capabilities to clients worldwide. The alliance gives Accenture a strategic AI presence in China and forms part of its wider regional growth strategy. The investment in Malong is Accenture Ventures' first investment in China. China is already a leading player in AI funding, the number of AI startups, and the number of AI-related patents. The Malong alliance and investment will give Accenture a strategic AI presence in this increasingly innovative and competitive market and enable it to continue its growth as the enterprise AI partner of choice.

05:12 EDT KKR to acquire 60% stake in Ramky Enviro Engineers for about $530M - KKR and Ramky Enviro Engineers announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which KKR will acquire a 60% stake in the company for approximately $530M via a combination of primary and secondary investments valuing the company at an enterprise value of $925M.